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MercurysBall2 ago

Maria Bello partners with Judith Leiber for Haiti - https://www.questmag.com/blog/maria-bello-partners-with-judith-leiber-for-haiti/

Ann-Valerie Timothee Milfort, Maria Bello, Mary Gleason, and Eugenia Podesta

On Tuesday night, Judith Leiber’s flagship store in New York City was filled with the sounds of hip-hop and the smells of creole chicken and rice. All eyes may have been on the dazzling stars, such as Kelly Rutherford of “Gossip Girl” and designer Lucy Sykes, but it was the Haitian women working with Vital Voices who stole the show. Judith Leiber, Brand President Mary Gleason, and activist and actress Maria Bello hosted the event to unveil a limited-edition Judith Leiber design, the “Don’t Forget” pendant, the entire proceeds of which will benefit Femmes En Democratie, the Haiti-based chapter of Vital Voices Global Partnership.

..Despite the devastating reality in Haiti, spirits were kept high with the delicious Carribean flavor that permeated every detail of the night—from the delicious spicy chicken and rice and crispy crabcakes, to D.J. Sedeck Jean (Wyclef Jean’s brother), who was spinning soulful hip-hop. By the end of the night, the dance floor was packed with partygoers already wearing their newly purchased pendants. Nearly one hundred “Don’t Forget” pendants were sold, making the event a great success. The pendant is only available for a limited time but its benefits are far-reaching, so visit judithleiber.com to order yours and to find out more about how Vital Voices is empowering women in Haiti and all over the world.

MercurysBall2 ago

ALUMNI PROFILE: EUGENIA PODESTA - Official Blog of the Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison https://blog.lacis.wisc.edu/alumni-profile-eugenia-podesta-lacis-ba-98-ma-06/

Hillary Clinton https://imgur.com/a/za4Lm0Z

A Madisonian originally, Eugenia Podesta (LACIS BA ’98, MA’06) has also experienced the University of Wisconsin-Madison in her various capacities as a LACIS and Spanish undergraduate student, Spanish TA, and participant of the dual degree program JD/MA between the UW Law School and LACIS. Now living and working in Washington, D.C. and traveling abroad frequently, Podesta proudly represents the UW as the Program Director for Latin America and the Caribbean region for Vital Voices.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton founded the Vital Voices non-governmental organization in 1997 to advance women’s leadership internationally as a vehicle for transformative change in economic development, human rights and political participation. Vital Voices provides training and leadership development opportunities to high-potential leaders around the world, in an effort to create the next generation of women leaders globally. Since its inception, the organization has grown to reach over 500,000 women in 127 countries.

Vital Voices https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vital_Voices

The nonprofit Vital Voices Global Partnership grew out of the U.S. government's Vital Voices Democracy Initiative. The Vital Voices Democracy Initiative was established in 1997 by First Lady of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, following the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing to promote the advancement of women as a U.S. foreign policy goal.[6] The first Vital Voices Democracy Initiative conference was held in 1997 in Vienna, and hosted by U.S. Ambassador to Austria Swanee Hunt

..Former Hillary Clinton aide and chief of staff Melanne Verveer is co-founder of the global partnership and its board chair emeritus.[8] Other co-founders were Alyse Nelson (current President of Vital Voices Global Partnership),[9] Donna McLarty, Mary Yerrick, and Theresa Loar.[10] Loar was the founding President of the Vital Voices Global Partnership[11] and also served as Director of the Vital Voices Democracy Initiative at the U.S. Department of State, the Senior Coordinator for International Women's' Issues at the U.S. Department of State[12] and Director of the President's Interagency Council on Women.

Besides Clinton, honorary chairs include current and former U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and Nancy Kassebaum Baker.

Funding has come from a variety of sources, including individual donations; corporate sponsors such as ExxonMobil,[14] Standard Chartered Bank, and Bank of America; foundations such as the Avon Foundation for Women and Humanity United;[15] and the efforts of the Clinton Global Initiative.

Vital Voices’ Human Rights program currently focuses on combating human trafficking and other forms of violence against women and girls.

Vital Voices hosts the annual Global Leadership Awards, honoring women leaders working in the areas of human rights, economic empowerment, or political reform. The 2009 ceremony was described as that year's "Most Inspirational Event" in Washington, D.C. in an article in Washington Life Magazine.