BLOG

“I’ve always believed that if people have good information, they’ll usually make good choices. And my objective was to put as much good information out there as we possibly could...and maybe it would change the world.”

With those words, Ted Turner accepted the McCall-Pierpaoli Humanitarian Award at Refugees International’s 30th Anniversary Gala at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, DC.  

It was an incredible record-breaking evening -- over 450 people attended, raising nearly $700,000 in support of our work to bring solutions to refugee crises.  Mr. Turner was honored for his creation of CNN and his commitment to humanitarian issues through his establishment of the United Nations Foundation.  As he talked about his founding vision for CNN, it struck me that there was a powerful parallel to the vision that RI’s founder Sue Morton had 30 years ago: to “maybe...change the world.”

Looking at the accomplishments over the years of Refugees International, Ted Turner, CNN and the UN Foundation, I’d say there’s no doubt (or “maybe”) about it.

But we can’t just look back on the past. When Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, currently serving as Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, presented the McCall-Pierpaoli award to Mr. Turner, he made a special request of RI and our president Ken Bacon: “Refugees International is an extraordinary organization,” he said, “and I want to particularly ask Ken and his staff never to stop harassing us.”

We certainly won’t.

Ted wasn’t the only person we honored last night. We also presented Senator Sam Brownback and Representative Nita Lowey with our Congressional Leadership Award. In their speeches, they reminded us all why Refugees International’s advocacy is so important.

Senator Sam Brownback said in his acceptance of the award that “people want us to [work] for the good of people around the world...It is critically important to the United States that we help those in difficult spots.”

This is something that we believe to our core – a world with less displacement is a safer, more stable, peaceful world and something that everyone, everywhere benefits from. And the tremendous outpouring of support that we received in recognition of our 30th anniversary helps us to move ever closer to this goal.

But I think Congresswoman Nita Lowey said it best when she accepted the award: “Without you, there would be a deafening silence.  You have the power.  And never forget...when you come to our doors, you make a difference.”