BLOG

Looking through pictures from last year’s gala has made me even more excited about Refugees International’s upcoming 30th Anniversary Dinner on May 7th.

In 2008, over 400 guests gathered to honor Mia Farrow and her son, Ronan, and Senators Edward Kennedy and Gordon Smith. Our anniversary dinner gives us the opportunity to celebrate our achievements, but it is also a reminder that our work for displaced people around the world remains unfinished. In the past 30 years RI has achieved some remarkable success, but for every step forward, we are reminded of the road ahead of us and all of the work we have yet to do.

Since its founding in 1979, Refugees International has remained committed to responding to neglected displacement crises and advocating for lifesaving assistance, from being the first on the ground to expose the world to the plight of Kurds fleeing Saddam Hussein in 1991 to going inside Burma to assess the post-Cyclone Nargis aid operation. One of our greatest recent successes has been calling attention to the exodus of over four million displaced Iraqis and substantially increasing the amount of assistance provided to them by the U.S., UN and international community.

On Thursday, May 7th, Ted Turner will be honored at our 30th Anniversary Dinner with our most prestigious award, the McCall-Pierpaoli Humanitarian Award. As the creator of CNN, the world’s most respected news source, along with his commitment to humanitarian issues through the establishment of the United Nations Foundation, Ted Turner has demonstrated his dedication to refugees and internally displaced people around the world. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke will present Ted Turner with the award, and Christiane Amanpour, CNN Chief International Correspondent, will interview him as part of the program.

Senator Sam Brownback and Congresswoman Nita Lowey will also be honored with our Congressional Leadership Award for their long-standing service to refugees. This award is presented to members of Congress who show leadership and dedication in pushing for legislation that supports refugees and displaced people.

The gala will be held at the Italian embassy in Washington, DC. Sam Waterston, Oscar-nominated actor and an RI Board Member, will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the event.  This is guaranteed to be a special evening for everyone at Refugees International and all of our supporters.

Editor's Note: We would love to have you join us in celebrating our successes over the past 30 years. For more information, please contact Ellie at (202) 828-0110 ext. 227 or visit www.refugeesinternational.org/anniversary-dinner.