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José Andrés and Forest Whitaker to Be Honored
at Refugees International’s 35th Anniversary Dinner
Washington, DC – Refugees
International (RI) announced today that José Andrés,
renowned chef and advocate for sustainable solutions to
combat hunger worldwide, and Forest Whitaker, Academy Award
winning actor and distinguished social activist, are this
year’s recipients of the McCall-Pierpaoli Humanitarian
Award. The award recognizes those who have demonstrated
extraordinary leadership and commitment to humanitarian
action.
Founder of beloved restaurants such as Jaleo, Zaytinya, and
Minibar, Mr. Andrés is a Washington, DC legend. His
philanthropic work is equally impressive, as he has devoted
the past two decades advocating for innovative and creative
solutions to hunger and poverty both in the U.S. and abroad.
In 2010, he started the World Central Kitchen, which is now
focusing its efforts on Haiti and the Dominican Republic,
and will soon expand to Central America and Africa. He was
named by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be the
Culinary Ambassador of the Global Alliance for Clean
Cookstoves whose mission is to “save lives, improve
livelihoods, empower women, and combat climate change by
creating a thriving global market for clean and efficient
household cooking solutions.”
“I am very humbled to receive this award,” said José Andrés.
“As a chef, I believe in using the power of food to help
find solutions to many of the issues we face around the
world. This is what my organization World Central Kitchen is
about; we believe in investing in solutions instead of
throwing money at the problem. In the years to come I
believe chefs will only be more and more involved in
becoming part of the solution.”
Forest Whitaker is one of Hollywood’s most accomplished
actors. He starred in last year’s critically acclaimed Lee
Daniels’ The Butler and has received numerous awards,
including an Academy Award for his performance in The Last
King of Scotland. Mr. Whitaker is also a dedicated
humanitarian. He is the founder and CEO of The Whitaker
Peace and Development Initiative, co-founder and chair of
the International Institute for Peace, and is the UNESCO
Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation. The
Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative is currently
working with UNESCO in South Sudan to bring together young
people across the country that are motivated to be leaders
in peace-building and act as agents of positive change
within their communities.
“When civil unrest forces some 865,000 South Sudanese people
on the roads, when so many lives are threatened and
lessened, we are reminded of what Refugees International
stands for: a cause that must unite us across distances and
continents. Their work matters a lot to me since I have been
involved in South Sudan with my Foundation for two years; we
are in the process of building a network of young peace
leaders. South Sudan is a country struggling for peace and
normalcy – for hope. It is this hope that we must first
restore among these hundreds of thousands of refugees.
Anytime you hear of armed conflict, there will be refugees
to shelter and to heal. Their plight is to have lost
everything but their lives and to be often forgotten for
having lost their homes. I am honored to receive the McCall-Pierpaoli
Humanitarian Award. It is a recognition I will carry with
conviction and determination.”
“It is an extraordinary privilege to be able to honor not
one but two such leading humanitarians,” said Michel
Gabaudan, President of Refugees International. “José’s
passion and creativity have helped transform Washington, and
he has carried that same spirit into his global humanitarian
efforts. And Forest’s ongoing commitment to help build peace
and strengthen communities in some of the world’s most
fragile nations is truly inspiring.”
Mr. Andrés and Mr. Whitaker will be presented with the 2014
McCall-Pierpaoli Humanitarian Award at Refugees
International’s 35th Anniversary Dinner. The dinner will be
held on Wednesday, April 30th, at the Mellon Auditorium in
Washington, DC. For more information about the event, please
click here.
RSVP: Garrett Bradford - 202 828 0110 x 218
Refugees International is a non-profit
organization that advocates for life-saving protection for
displaced and stateless people worldwide and accepts no
government or UN funding. For more information, visit
www.refugeesinternational.org |