UN chief names peace envoys
2007-09-21 12:35
Geneva - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon named a Jordanian princess, an Israeli conductor, a Brazilian writer and a Japanese-American violinist as UN peace envoys.
The new "Messengers of Peace" - equestrian expert Princess Haya, musician Daniel Barenboim, author Paulo Coelho, and violinist Midori Goto - will be honoured at a ceremony on Friday, the International Day of Peace.
They will join four other messengers of peace, Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, actor Michael Douglas, primate expert Jane Goodall, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Italian opera singer Luciano Pavarotti was a messenger of peace for nearly a decade before his death on September 6.
Ban cited the humanitarian work of Princess Haya, a daughter of Jordan's late King Hussein, who is married to the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum and has promoted health, education and sports programs for Arab and Muslim youths.
She was the first Arab woman to compete in equestrian events at the Olympics and is currently president of the International Equestrian Federation and a member of the International Olympic Committee.
Barenboim, a world renowned conductor and pianist who was born in Argentina and is an Israeli citizen, co-founded an orchestra that brings young musicians from Israel and Arab countries together. He recently initiated a music education project in the Palestinian territories.
Coelho, a political activist and acclaimed author of The Alchemist whose works have been translated into more than 65 languages, founded an institute with his wife to help underprivileged members of Brazilian society. He has promoted multiculturalism as a special counsellor for the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
Goto, who made her debut at the age of 11 over 25 years ago, has worked with young violinists in master classes all over the world and founded a non-profit organisation in New York to bring music education programs to thousands of underprivileged children every year.
In their new roles, the four UN envoys will be championing the world body's most important task - promoting peace.
- AP