More than 1200 delegates, including representatives of international organisations, politicians, eminent professors from international universities, business executives, as well as governmental and non-governmental organisations from 100 countries worldwide, participated in the WISE -World Innovation Summit for Education* on the topic ”Reinventing Education for Life”, which took place in Qatar from 29 to 31 October.
The optimistic message that childhood cancer can be defeated was sent by the distinguished Greek and foreign clinicians and medical researchers who took part in a medical symposium entitled CHILDHOOD CANCER HAEMATOPOIETIC CELL TRANSPLANTATION, which was held on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Paediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in Greece.
Hundreds of friends of the ELPIDA Association, people who believed in its vision and have helped in the struggle for a better world, were present at the anniversary event to celebrate 20 years of operation for the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, which took place on 16 October 2013 in the “Christos Lambrakis Hall” at the MEGARON Athens Concert Hall, in the presence of the HE President of the Hellenic Republic Dr Karolos Papoulias.
In October 2011, under the pressure of the economic crisis, which has led many social groups in Greece to despair, the Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation joined forces with the Association of Friends of Children with cancer ELPIDA, aiming to implement a social programme that will offer hope and relief to our suffering fellow citizens.
Through a joint announcement, the two bodies publicized the launch of the programme A hope from the children of ELPIDA, pointing out that at times of crisis, the Civil Society must work together on a common front, based on the principles of humanism and solidarity,
On the 23th of July, in the auditorium of the Museum for Cycladic Art in Athens, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis and Mrs. Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert Kennedy, of lasting remembrance, and Ethel Kennedy and author of Speak Truth to Power, gave a press conference and signed a memorandum of cooperation between their two foundations the Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation and the RFK Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. As announced, the first step of this cooperative endeavor will be the implementation of the Speak Truth to Power program in Greece.
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors, distinguished public figures from many countries, joined voices and forces on 26 and 27 June 2013, in Paris, declaring once again their dedication to UNESCOs ideals and their determination to act to implement the international organization’s programmes. During the two-day Annual Meeting of Goodwill Ambassadors, the major issues of education, culture, promotion of peace and environmental protection in which UNESCO plays a leading role worldwide were underlined once again and the programmes for promoting them were set out in detail by UNESCO Director-General, Mrs Irina Bokova.
In May 2013, on the occasion of the inauguration of the RobertF.Kennedy(RFK)InternationalHouseofHumanRightsin Florence, RFK Europe organised a Round Table on the Economy with a human face with the Indian philosopher and economist, Prof. Amartya Sen, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences and the Founder of of the “RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights”, Mrs. Kerry Kennedy, daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy, as the key note speakers.
The International High Level Strategic Meeting on Education was held on 29 April 2013 in Doha, Qatar, sending a message of hope since the “Educate A Child” initiative (EAC) helped UNICEF keep 250,000 children from Syria, victims of the local armed conflicts, in school and that it plans to implement educational programs in other countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
On 18 April 2013 on the occasion of the International Day for Monuments and Sites, or as it is better known World Heritage Day, the Belgian Embassy in Athens and the Marianna V. Vardinoyannis foundation held a lecture by Jan Driessen Professor of Archeology at the Amphitheatre of the Acropolis Museum, on the subject In the shadow of the Minotaur: New archaeological discoveries at Sissi, Crete.
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and member of the Board of Directors of the organisation “End Human Trafficking Now“, Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, made an appeal to the international business community and political leaders to put an end to human trafficking,