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Indian Origin Philanthropist Lord Raj
Loomba conferred with
United Nations Association of New York’s
Lifetime Achievement Award
New Delhi, November 07, 2014:
Indian-origin philanthropist, Lord Raj Loomba CBE, Founder
and Chairman Trustee of the UN-accredited global NGO, The
Loomba Foundation, has been conferred with the prestigious
UN Day 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award for his efforts
promoting the welfare and economic empowerment of
disadvantaged widows and educating their children. The
celebratory awards dinner was organized last week by The
United Nations Association of New York (UNA-NY) on October
29 to commemorate the 69th Anniversary of the United
Nations. This year’s theme was ‘Empowering Women: Promoting
Peace and Progress.’
The black tie gala brought together eminent persons
from various fields including diplomats, policymakers,
senior officials of the United Nations, UN supporters,
business leaders and celebrities to laud the efforts of
individuals and organizations who have selflessly worked for
the cause of promoting women’s empowerment. MSNBC anchor
and community activist Richard Lui, who has himself spent 25
years in community service in Africa, Asia, the Middle East,
and the United States, was the Master of Ceremonies at the
event.
In his message
delivered at the dinner, UN
Secretary General Ban Ki Moon congratulated
Lord Raj Loomba and other award recipients for their
important contributions saying, “I thank all tonight’s
honorees for helping to advance the cause of gender
equality. We cannot fulfill 100 per cent of the world’s
potential by excluding 50 per cent of the world’s people.
The evidence is clear: equality for women means progress for
all. I look forward to deepening our partnership with the
United Nations Association of New York as we work together
to build a more sustainable, equitable, peaceful and just
world for all.”
Introducing Lord Loomba, Dr.
Peter V. Rajsingh, former President of the United Nations
Association of New York (UNA-NY), noted that it was at
this same event ten years ago that Lord Loomba first
presented the widows’ cause to the United Nations in New
York. “Without Lord Loomba’s vision, strength of character
and persistence, International Widows Day, which draws the
world’s attention to the plight of widows, would never have
come about. The 245 million widows in the world and their
500 million children, which amounts to over three quarters
of a billion people and a sixth of the world’s population,
salute Lord Loomba for his extraordinary accomplishments.
He personifies what it means to be the change one is seeking
to bring about in the world, a man of extraordinary
conviction and character who inspires us all.”
The Loomba Foundation is the
only global charity wholly dedicated to helping widows. Widows
in almost every nation around the world are treated worse
than other women, who are victims of double discrimination
as they are women and they are widows. And until recently,
no one acknowledged widows as a distinct category of
disadvantaged persons. On the 22nd December 2010 at the
65th UN General Assembly, the United Nations recognized 23rd
June, the day Lord Loomba’s mother became a widow at 37, as
International Widows Day.
While presenting the Award, Abid
Qureshi, President of the United Nations Association of New
York (UNA-NY) said,
“The Loomba Foundation’s efforts in making widows
self-sufficient through skill building, training, provision
of business start-up capital, and other programs for
economic empowerment, as well as promoting widows’
psychological well-being by allowing them to develop
self-worth, are truly commendable.” He congratulated Lord
Loomba for accomplishing important strides in achieving the
Millennium Development Goals. Also receiving 2014 UN Day
awards were Stefan
Persson, CEO and Chairman of H&M and Under-Secretary General
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive
Director of UN Women.
On receiving the Award, Lord
Raj Loomba said,
“It is a rare honour for me to be bestowed with this
Lifetime Achievement Award. It renews my vigour and passion
to help alleviate poverty and the suffering of widows. But
it is not a recognition of just one person’s life’s work –
it is in fact a tribute to the unselfish and collective
efforts of our Patrons, Trustees, advisors, Partners, donors,
supporters and volunteers across the world; it is also a
celebration of those poor yet brave widows who believe in
the possibility of a better life and who aspire to break the
chains of immense economic and societal pressures put on
them by systems of institutionalized injustice. The trials
faced by my mother after being widowed at a young age serve
as a constant reminder and inspiration for me to never let
this torch fade away till each of the millions of widows and
their children globally become self-sufficient and are
empowered to lead lives of dignity, free of stigmas and
oppression.”
ABOUT THE
LOOMBA FOUNDATION
The Loomba Foundation was
established by Raj Loomba CBE and his wife Veena in the UK
in 1997. It promotes fundamental freedoms and human rights
of widows and their children around the world, raising
awareness of the gross inequalities widows face and seeking
to remove injustices associated with widowhood.
The Loomba Foundation declared
23rd June
as International Widows Day at the House of Lords in May,
2005. The Foundation also published a comprehensive Research
Study on widows worldwide, the first edition of which was
presented to the UN Secretary General, HE Ban Ki Moon on 22nd June,
2010 followed by presentations to the President of India and
the US Secretary of State. The Foundation collaborates with
UN bodies, other NGOs, government officials, human rights
advocates and prominent leaders to fight for the over 245
million widows worldwide who suffer prejudice and
discrimination.
The Loomba Foundation seeks
to bring about gender sensitive reform of national laws and
policies, eradicating anti-widow superstitions, traditions,
and social practices. It fosters gender equality and women’s
empowerment by implementing poverty-reduction strategies and
educational opportunities for widow’s and their children.
ABOUT THE UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION OF NEW
YORK
United Nations Association of New York is a
not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to
educating, inspiring, and mobilizing the New York City
community to support the principles and vital work of the
United Nations. Recognizing its position as a host Chapter,
UNA-NY seeks to strengthen the UN system, and promote
constructive United States leadership at the UN.
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