|
|
South Africa: Shared Interest Honors Justice, U.S. Leaders for Work in Building Economic Democracy
 |
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
Shared Interest (New York)
PRESS RELEASE
20 March 2008
Posted to the web 20 March 2008
New York
In celebration of the organization’s one millionth beneficiary, Shared Interest, a leading New York-based international social investment fund, honored South African Constitutional Justice Albie Sachs and outstanding U.S. leaders for their commitment and ongoing work to build economic democracy and development in South Africa.
Nearly 400 distinguished U.S. and African leaders and top diplomats attended the organization’s eighth annual awards dinner on Mar. 17 in New York. The black-tie gala raised $425,000 to provide black South African entrepreneurs with access to credit to launch small businesses, create jobs and build secure new communities.
Albie Sachs, South African Constitutional Court Justice and a chief architect of the country’s democratic Constitution, was recognized for his lifelong work at the forefront of South Africa’s fight for social and economic justice and human rights for more than five decades as an activist, lawyer and member of the ANC. His tireless efforts in South Africa’s freedom movement have impacted the lives of millions of South Africans and have firmly established him as a founding father of South Africa’s new democracy.
Shared Interest recognized Debra Lee, Chairman and CEO of BET Networks for the cable channel’s forward-thinking decision to establish a presence in South Africa and commitment to develop quality television programming on the African continent. Husband and wife anti-apartheid activists Jerry Dunfey, President of Global Citizens Circle and Nadine Hack, President of beCause Global Consulting, honored for more than three decades of engagement in Africa, with particularly strong ties to South Africa.
“Shared Interest is extremely proud to recognize these outstanding honorees for their contributions to South Africa’s social and economic transformation,” said Donna Katzin, executive director of Shared Interest. “We celebrate their extraordinary leadership and achievements in shaping the vision and dynamic developments taking root in the country.”
|
Each year, Shared Interest presents awards to individuals and institutions whose initiatives promote and protect human rights, gender equality, economic justice, and democracy in South Africa. This year’s gala sponsors include AIG, BET, Bloomberg, Ford Motor Company, The Nielsen Company, and PepsiCo.
R&B singer and songwriter Goapele, the daughter of South African political exile Douglas Mohlabane, performed both contemporary and South African freedom songs. Michelle Miller, CBS News correspondent, served as the gala emcee.
Since 1994, Shared Interest has been mobilizing US investors, philanthropists, corporations and faith-based organizations to invest in black South Africans by providing microfinance organizations, agricultural cooperatives, small businesses and low cost housing organizations with access to capital. Its $11 million dollar guarantee fund has leveraged credit of more than $100 million to struggling South African communities that would otherwise have been considered “unbankable.”
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2008 Shared Interest. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
