2010 Special Guests

Presenters and Award Recipents

Keynote Speakers

Every year at the NCC CARE is honored to be joined by several leaders who stand out for their work in international development, humanitarian relief, and the fight against global poverty. Our featured speakers in previous years have included President Obama when he served in the Senate, members of Congress, Andrea Mitchell, Wolf Blitzer, Richard Gere and Professor Jeffrey Sachs. This year we will hear from keynote speaker Nicholas Kristof during lunch on May 11th.

Nicholas Kristof

Nicholas D. Kristof, a columnist for The Times since 2001, is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner who writes op-ed columns that appear twice a week.

Mr. Kristof grew up on a sheep and cherry farm near Yamhill, Oregon. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard College and then studied law at Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship, graduating with first class honors. Mr. Kristof has lived on four continents, reported on six, and traveled to more than 140 countries, all 50 states, every Chinese province and every main Japanese island.

After joining The New York Times in 1984, initially covering economics, Mr. Kristof served as a Times correspondent in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Beijing and Tokyo. He also covered presidential politics and is the author of the chapter on President George W. Bush in the reference book ''The Presidents.'' He later was Associate Managing Editor of the Times, responsible for Sunday editions.

In 1990 Mr. Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, then also a Times journalist, won a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of China's Tiananmen Square democracy movement. They were the first married couple to win a Pulitzer for journalism. Mr. Kristof won a second Pulitzer in 2006, for commentary on what the judges called ''his graphic, deeply reported columns that, at personal risk, focused attention on genocide in Darfur and that gave voice to the voiceless in other parts of the world.''

Mr. Kristof's columns have often focused on global health, poverty and gender issues in the developing world. In particular, since 2004 he has written dozens of columns about Darfur and visited the area ten times. Mr. Kristof and Ms. WuDunn are authors of ''Half the Sky: From Oppression to Opportunity for Women Worldwide.''

Mr. Kristof and Ms. WuDunn are the parents of Gregory, Geoffrey and Caroline. Mr. Kristof enjoys running, backpacking, and having his Chinese and Japanese corrected by his children.

I Am Powerful Award

During the NCC CARE presents the I Am Powerful Award to an individual who truly embodies the words''I Am Powerful.'' This year we are proud to present Goretti Nyabenda of Burundi with this award. We honor a courageous and passionate person who has empowered themselves and improved their families' lives, and that of their community.

Goretti's Nyabenda (Photo Coming soon)

Goretti Nyabenda lives in a remote rural village in Burundi. Like many women in Burundi, and around the world, Goretti was denied basic rights and opportunities because of her unequal status in society. Goretti was unable to leave her home, a small shack, without the permission of her husband. She was therefore unable to provide for her family, including six children. Goretti was desolate, suffering abuse from her husband and living as a prisoner.

With the help of CARE, Goretti took out a $2 microloan to buy fertilizer. CARE helped Goretti and the women of her community start a village savings and loan association, which they called Twitwararikane (translated as:''to take care of each other''). These women used their pooled savings to create a loan fund, which they would be able to borrow from during times of need and replenish when there was excess. Goretti is now an entrepreneur with livestock and a small shop.

Today, Goretti is able to provide for her family, she is well-respected at home and within her community. When her husband became ill, it was Goretti who was able to pay the bills for his medical treatments. Goretti is now able to send her children to school and provide them with the education that so many individuals in her village do not have access to.

Entertainment

Stay tuned. Artists to be announced.

International Chair

His Excellency Luis M. Valdivieso, The Ambassador of Peru, & Mrs. Cecilia Valdivieso
Mr. Valdivieso became the Ambassador of Peru in the United States on February 17, 2009, after serving as Minister of Economy and Finance of Peru. During his term as Minister of Economy and Finance, he was also the Governor for Peru in the Board of Governors of the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, as well Chairman of the Board of the Andean Finance Corporation (CAF). Most of Mr. Valdivieso's professional career was at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where he worked for 28 years. Ambassador Valdivieso also taught at Boston University and was an Econometrics Instructor at the Catholic University of Peru. Mr. Valdivieso holds a B.A. in Economics from the Catholic University of Peru, a Ph.D. and a M.A. in Economics from Boston University.

Co-Chairs & Members Of The CARE Board Of Directors

Richard J. Almeida - Retired Chairman and CEO, Heller Financial
Richard Almeida is former Chairman and CEO of the commercial finance company Heller Financial, Inc. and worked previously at Citicorp/Citibank. He received his B.A. in international affairs from George Washington University and his master's in public administration from The Maxwell School of Syracuse University. Richard is active on several corporate, philanthropic and cultural boards. He joined CARE's board in 2002 and serves as the chair of the Audit Committee and is a member of the Management Committee..

Deidra Wager - Owner, DJW, LL
Deidra Wager retired from Starbucks Coffee after a successful 13-year tenure having been instrumental in building the business and developing the operating infrastructure of the company. She retired in 2005 to devote more time to growing interests in sustainable agriculture and non-profit work, including The Lacewing Foundation, YouthCare and the Women's Leadership board of Harvard's Kennedy School for Public Policy. She earned her bachelor's in economics from the University of Minnesota and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. Deidra joined CARE's board in 2007 and is a member of the Management and Programs Committees.