• Tag Archives: Colombia

    Exclusive interview with Laura Chinchilla Former President of Costa Rica

    Exclusive interview with Laura Chinchilla Former President of Costa Rica

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    Laura Chinchilla, in full Laura Chinchilla Miranda, (born March 28, 1959, Desamparados, Costa Rica), Costa Rican politician who served as vice president (2006–08) and president (2010–14) of Costa Rica.

    Chinchilla gained her first public office in 1994, when she became vice minister of public security under Pres. José María Figueres Olsen of the National Liberation Party (Partido Liberación Nacional; PLN). She was promoted in 1996 to minister of public security, a post she held for two years. In 2002, as a member of the social-democratic PLN, Chinchilla won a four-year term in Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly, where she represented the province of San José. Building on her established commitment to public security and justice, she focused her legislative efforts on combating organized crime, public corruption, domestic violence, and crimes affecting children. She also called for free-trade agreements with various global trading partners and the liberalization of state-controlled components of the economy.

    On February 7, 2010, Chinchilla won the presidential election with 46.8 percent of the vote—more than 20 percentage points ahead of the runner-up, Ottón Solís Fallas of the centre-left Citizen Action Party (Partido Acción Ciudadana; PAC), who had been Arias’s main challenger in 2006.

    Soon after Chinchilla took office in May 2010, a long-standing border dispute with Nicaragua escalated in the area of Calero Island. When Nicaragua began dredging the San Juan River, Chinchilla’s administration claimed a violation of its country’s sovereignty. In October 2010 Nicaragua sent troops to the region, and Costa Rica responded by mobilizing members of its police force. Chinchilla’s government later filed a brief with the International Court of Justice, which in 2011 ordered both sides to remove their forces. Although she was largely praised for her handling of the situation, Chinchilla’s popularity waned over domestic issues, notably her inability to institute tax reform. In addition, her administration was marred by allegations of corruption, which led several high-level officials to resign. Her term ended in May 2014, and she was succeeded by Luis Guillermo Solís.

    Chinchilla was later involved with various organizations, including the Inter-American Dialogue. She also was a fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service.

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    Jorge Munoz, Winner of the Presidential Medal

    Jorge Munoz, Winner of the Presidential Medal

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    Jorge Muñoz, born March 23, 1964, is the founder of the non-profit An Angel in Queens, an organization begun in the summer of 2004 that delivers free home-cooked meals in Queens. The food is delivered at the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and 73rd Street in Jackson Heights.

    Muñoz was born in Colombia and his father died in an accident when he was young. Muñoz followed his mother, moving to New York to find work to support the family, obtaining legal residency in 1987, and later becoming a citizen, along with his mother and sister. He has estimated that he has served to more than 70,000 people since 2004.

    On August 4, 2010, Jorge Muñoz was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Barack Obama.

    Interview with Cecilia Braekhaus Undisputed World Welterweight Boxing Champion-2018

    Interview with Cecilia Braekhaus Undisputed World Welterweight Boxing Champion-2018

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    During the times her parents thought she was in her bedroom, 14-year-old Cecilia Braekhus would creep towards her window, silently climb out and shimmy down the high fire escape on the side of the house to go training. Each time she wasn’t thinking about making history. She just didn’t want her parents to find out. She wanted to immerse herself into something that caught her attention on a TV commercial. A brief 30-second spot that launched a 10-year boxing career, changed a nation’s attitude toward professional boxing and continues to make history.

    Today, the Boxing Writers Association of America is proud to announce that Cecilia Braekhus, the undefeated 36-year-old Norwegian superstar, undisputed welterweight world champion and recognized by most women’s boxing experts as the No. 1 pound-for-pound female fighter in the world, is the 2017 winner of the Christy Martin Award, which is given to the BWAA Female Fighter of the Year.

    Braekhus becomes the first woman to be named female Fighter of the Year in the 92-year history of the BWAA. A select group of women’s boxing experts choose Braekhus from a distinguished list of nominees that included Jessica Chavez, Naoko Fujioka, Mariana Juarez, Amanda Serrano, Claressa Shields and Katie Taylor.

    In 2017, the “First Lady” successfully defended her five world titles three times, defeating world-class contenders Klara Svensson and Mikaela Lauren, as well as world super lightweight champion Erica Farias. She’s never lost a fight, with a record that currently stands at 32-0, with 9 knockouts. Braekhus is also the only undisputed champion in women’s’ boxing.

    Christy Martin, who placed women’s boxing in the foreground in the 1990s, was greatly pleased that Braekhus is the first recipient of the award that bears her name.

    “First, to have an award named after you is really flattering,” Martin said. “I felt I gave a lot to the sport, so I’m very grateful for this. I’m really happy that it’s Cecilia. This is someone who has put in a great body of work. She’s had great support behind her in her country, and she’s the perfect and logical choice.

    “I’m honored Cecilia would ask for me to present her and meet her. She’s a great choice, she’s deserving and I’m happy it’s Cecilia—and she still has plenty of her career left.” Braekhus never met Martin in person.

    “I can’t wait to meet her,” Braekhus said. “My parents are very proud now, and I’m very fortunate to have a whole country behind me.”

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    Clinton Global Citizen Awards NYC-2016

    Clinton Global Citizen Awards NYC-2016

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    Established in 2007, the Clinton Global Citizen Awards honor outstanding individuals for their exemplary leadership and groundbreaking work that has effected positive, lasting social change. Through their uncommon abilities to strengthen civil society, these visionaries inspire us all to take action and to become true global citizens.

    The 10th Annual Clinton Global Citizen Awards were presented during a special ceremony at the CGI Annual Meeting on the evening of September 19. This year’s program included special performances by honoree Jon Bon Jovi, as well as Andrea Bocelli with the Voices of Haiti Choir.

    2016 HONOREES

     

    Leadership in Public Service

    Juan Manuel Santos Calderón

     

    President, Republic of Colombia

     

    Juan Manuel Santos has been the president of the Republic of Colombia since 2010. Previously, President Santos was minister of defense, minister of finance, minister of foreign trade, designate to the presidency, and chief of the Colombian delegation before the International Coffee Organization. He created the Good Government Foundation (Fundación Buen Gobierno) and founded Colombia’s largest political party, Partido de la U. President Santos was awarded the King of Spain Prize and was president of the Freedom of Expression Commission for the Inter American Press Association. He has published several books, including “The Third Way,” co-written with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and “Check on Terror” (Jaque al Terror). President Santos is a graduate of the London School of Economics, Harvard University, and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

    Leadership in Civil Society

    Hawa Abdi

    Founder, Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation

    Hawa Abdi Diblaawe was born in 1947 in Mogadishu, Somalia. After her mother’s death, Abdi raised her four younger sisters in conditions of poverty, yet never lost sight of her dreams. With the support of her father and a Soviet scholarship, Abdi studied medicine in Kiev and became Somalia’s first female gynecologist. She then completed a law degree at the Somali National University, where she later became an assistant professor of medicine. She opened a clinic on her family’s ancestral land in the Afgooye Corridor using the profits from the land to provide free health care. When the Somali Civil War began in 1991, Abdi started housing her employees on her land, feeding them, and caring for them.

    Leadership in Philanthropy

    Jon Bon Jovi

    Chairman, JBJ Soul Foundation

    Self-reliance, optimism, and community are key concepts Jon Bon Jovi embodies in his music and charitable efforts. These common threads have resulted in heightened awareness on issues that adversely impact our society, as well as millions of dollars raised. Bon Jovi is the frontman of the iconic, Grammy Award-winning band, Bon Jovi, who have set the bar for over three decades as one of the most successful rock bands in the world. Globally, they have sold more than 130 million albums, performing more than 2,900 concerts in over 50 countries for more than 37.5 million fans. Bon Jovi is also the chairman of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing about positive change and helping the lives of those in need, “one SOUL at a time.”

    Leadership in Private Sector

    Adi Godrej

    Chairman of Godrej Group, Godrej Industries Limited

    Adi Godrej is chairman of the Godrej Group, a more than 100-year-old family conglomerate, with operations in India and several other countries. Godrej is chairman of the board of the Indian School of Business and former president of the Confederation of Indian Industry. He has been a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management and a member of the Wharton Asian Executive Board. Godrej is the recipient of several awards and recognitions, including the Rajiv Gandhi Award (2002), the American India Foundation Leadership in Philanthropy Award.

    Leadership in Civil Society

    Nadia Murad

    Yazidi Human Rights Activist and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, Nadia Initiative

    Nadia Murad was born and raised in the quiet agricultural village of Kocho, Iraq. A member of the Yazidi community, she and her family lived a peaceful, happy life. On August 3, 2014 her village was attacked by ISIS, marking the beginning of its savage genocidal campaign against the Yazidi people. Six of her nine brothers were executed on the spot. Murad, along with her two sisters and thousands of other men, women, and children were taken captive and subjected to unspeakable crimes. Murad was initially held hostage in a building with thousands of families. She witnessed young children given to ISIS soldiers as sexual “gifts.” She was raped and tortured on a daily basis. But after facing unimaginable brutality, she was able to escape.

     

    About the Award

    In 2012, CGI partnered with Donna Karan to design the Clinton Global Citizen Award. The collaboration was inspired by Karan’s design aesthetic and her efforts in Haiti to bring artisan products to a global market. Karan reached out to her longtime friends Nadia Swarovski of Swarovski Crystal and Cookie Villiard, a Haitian metal artist, to work together to create an award emblematic of CGI and its mission. The handcrafted design is an illustration of the magic that happens when individual voices come together to take positive action.