Aid Still RequiredWe were so pleased and excited to be able to attend and contribute to the United Nations 2010 Global Creative Forum in Los Angeles. Held March 1, 2010, at The Armand Hammer Museum in Westwood, The Forum was chaired by Chicken Soup for the Soul CEO Bill Rouhana, and was created to bring together Hollywood, The United Nations, and a variety of world organizations.
The morning began with an intimate, thought-provoking conversation between United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and actor Michael Douglas, who also serves as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. The UN Secretary -General made a special request of the entertainment community to create positive story lines focusing on the activities of The United Nations and the important issues it addresses.
In the ensuing panel discussion, The United Nations and Hollywood, moderator Robert Orr, Assistant Secretary General, and UN Creative Community Outreach Officer Eric Falt asked the creative community to partner with them to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
Panelist Neal Baer, executive producer of Law and Order: SVU, is currently working on an episode which will highlight the rape epidemic in the Congo set to air sometime in March. Other panelists included Hotel Rwanda director Terry George, actress/activist Gloria Reuben who mentioned some of her environmental activism, and actress/activist Mira Sorvino, currently working with The United Nations in their Human Trafficking division.
The Empowering Women Worldwide Panel, held in the afternoon, focused on how the empowerment of women creates global prosperity and peace. Helene Gayle, founder and president of CARE moderated. We heard from actress Julia Ormond, founder of ASSET (Alliance to End Slavery and Stop Trafficking) and social entrepreneur Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes, as well as Margaret Chan of The World Health Organization and UN Legal Counsel Patricia O’Brien.
The closing discussion, Cutting Edge Solutions, was chaired by Bill Rouhana and featured actress/activist Maria Bello, who gave everyone an update on the situation in Haiti, Ray Chambers, UN Special Envoy on Malaria, tech genius James Colemenares of The Qindred Foundation, and UN Messenger of Peace, the ever-vibrant Stevie Wonder rounded out the panel.