Filed under: Friends of UME
Diego Hidalgo, UME’s champion board member, leader, and friend, was featured today on Al Jazeera’s One on One program.
You can watch the video on YouTube. It is available in two segments: Part One / Part Two.
Diego Hidalgo
The supporting article posted on the website is as follows:
This week on One on One, meet global philanthropist and intellectual, Diego Hidalgo.
During his years at the World Bank working on Africa’s economic problems, this Spanish-born businessman saw an opportunity to make a difference and, as his wealth accumulated, he continued to direct it towards the development of human rights and democracy.
Politics was in his family – his father was a prominent intellectual and minister of war in the 1930s – but Hidalgo found himself focusing more on the financial world and economics as he studied law, business, and political sciences.
It was between 1968 and 1977 that he developed a deep passion for Africa, while he worked at the World Bank overseeing its projects on the continent.
At the age of 32, Hidalgo became the bank’s youngest ever chief of division – and the first Spaniard to hold such a senior position.
His business activities proved to be incredibly lucrative, but Hidalgo began to concentrate more and more on his charitable interests, with the creation of FRIDE, a private non-profit foundation aimed at promoting peace, human rights and human development.
It is a passion that continues to drive the award-winning philanthropist.
Filed under: Boston
Please be aware that the UME office in the United States has moved. The new address is:
University of the Middle East Project
191 Highland Ave., Suite 2A
Somerville, MA 02143
The new phone number is: +1-617-440-1636
I would like to pass on to you the link to an article in yesterday’s Providence Journal about the University of the Middle East Project’s cross-cultural, collaborative art-making event that took place this past Wednesday under the theme of Sacred Spaces: Realizing a Global Community through Art and Collaboration. Twenty-two UME Alumni, educators from the Middle East, North Africa, US and Italy, as well as four US educators new to UME programs, and 60 children, mostly teens from the Rhode Island and Boston areas participated. Be sure to take a look at the picture gallery for familiar faces!
http://www.projo.com/ri/woonsocket/content/NO_WOONSOCKET_ROGER_WILLIAMS_ART_07-17-08_44A_v57.3da7d7e.html
Mark Cooper, Professor of Ceramics and Sculpture and Catherine Wong, Director of Urban Outreach at Boston College led the day’s activities with support from UME Staff and interns as well as Roger Williams staff and Boston College graduate students. Professor Cooper created the structure that was transformed by the participants into a magnificent sculpture embodying the two days of engagement between the UME educators and the children from several different organizations including the Rhode Island Indian Council, Cambridge Community Service’s Creative Arts Program, the MET School, Riverzedge, and the Providence Academy for International Studies.. Our alumni were amazing in the way that they took ownership over the event by helping lead some cross-cultural activities, painting with the kids, engaging deeply with them, and even jumping in to set-up and break-down after the day had closed. UME staff couldn’t have made it possible without everyone’s contributions.
We hope you will enjoy the article. As with many journalistic pieces, there are some important omissions and errors in fact that stand out starkly to those of us who have been intimately involved with the Collaborative Art Initiative and other UME programs; however, something of the essence of the collaboration was definitely captured by it. We’re happy to fill in the details for you!
Diego Hidalgo, a member of the UME Board of Directors, has been awarded the 2008 Raymond Georis Prize for Innovative Philanthropy. Please join us in congratulating him for his latest distinction.
Diego has been a guiding vision behind UME since its early days, as well as a dear friend to his fellow board members and the staff.
Details are available from the The Mercator Fund website:
A prize honouring outstanding contributions to European philanthropy was awarded on Saturday to Mr. Diego Hidalgo Schnur, founder of the Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE), as well as many other organisations committed to development, democracy and human rights around the world. The award was made in the presence of over 600 members of the European Foundation Community.
The 2008 Raymond Georis Prize for Innovative Philanthropy was presented at the 19thh Annual General Assembly of the European Foundation Centre. The Prize was launched four years ago by the Network of European Foundations’ Mercator Fund, and aims to reward innovative high-impact European initiatives that illustrate European leadership on global and social issues.
“Throughout his long and illustrious career, Diego Hidalgo has dedicated himself to helping others,” said Mr. Raymond Georis, the Prize’s namesake and a member of the Selection Committee, which was chaired by Mr. Javier Solana, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union and President of the Madariaga European Foundation. The Selection Committee also comprised Mr. Gerry Salole, Chief Executive of the European Foundation Centre, and Ms. Norine MacDonald QC, President of the Mercator Fund.
“His immense personal generosity and exceptional vision have enabled him to realise his social entrepreneurial skills to achieve enormous success with countless projects and initiatives,” said Ms. MacDonald. “Mr. Hidalgo’s life has been largely occupied with the pursuit to improve the future of the most marginalised, and his efforts to improve humanitarian action and development have made a huge impact, not only across Europe but also the rest of the world.”
The award aims to underline the important role that the European philanthropic community plays in promoting peace, security and development. The Prize’s goal is to annually recognise the innovative work of successive generations which have followed in the footsteps of Mr. Georis. The Mercator Fund’s main objective is to deal with matters related to Europe’s role in global social issues.
“The main aim of the Prize is to reward individuals or organisations that really make a difference to people’s lives,” said Ms. MacDonald. “This year’s jury felt that Mr Hidalgo’s unique ability to convert dreams and idealistic hopes into concrete results that have a positive impact on the lives of so many epitomised the very spirit of the Prize.”
Please Save the Date for
Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 6:30pm
For a reception marking the Dedication of a
Permanent Sculpture Park
At Roger Williams University
Hosted By The University of the Middle East Project
As part of the Collaborative Art Initiative
More details will follow. For inquiries, please contact UME staff.
