Diplomatic Speed Dating At Its Finest

Dear Friends and Collaborators, 

Warm wishes of a beautiful Autumn from team IMPACT! And we are extending special wishes to all our families celebrating Rosh Hashanah. I hope this finds each of you well and thriving. 

As many of you know,  the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly in New York  just recently concluded. Having personally attended and participated at this annual gathering for 10 years now as Chief UN Representative of the Foundation for the Support of the United Nations, I chuckled when US Secretary of State John Kerry at one of the meetings he spoke at, described the annual UN gathering as "diplomatic speed dating at its best'. Indeed, it is! Not to mention the traffic headaches, super high security measures with no exception, and black SUVs as many as you want!  (or don't). 

At the heart of this year's biggest gathering of the world's heads of states and most influential world leaders are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), also known as the Global Goals. World leaders gathered to talk about and agree on many action items and resolutions on how best to implement these 17 Global Goals and achieve them by 2030. If you are reading this and wondering what the SDGs are, scroll down below for the link, or simply consult Google, as always! 

The IMPACT leadership team actively participated during the two-week period inside and outside the United Nations. Most importantly, IMPACT Leadership 21 in partnership with the Foundation for the Support of the United Nations, was able to take this huge opportunity to release and distribute its Call to Action to the World Leaders Gathering at the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly, signed by yourself and IMPACT CFO and Co-Founder Constance J. Peak, together with IMPACT GAC member, Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, former Under-Secretary General and High Representative of the United Nations.  Please read the Call to Action here. 

The morning session of the Private Sector Forum for the SDGs, hosted by the UN Global Compact, proved to be a very powerful and informative session I personally attended -- gaining action-oriented tools and resources for implementing the SDGs in the business world. 

Of all the sessions and side events, what I thought was the most forward-thinking, innovative and fun platform was the SDG Digital Media Zone -- strategically camped just before entering the UN General Assembly Building. Connectivity fueled by technology and social media, plugging in different speakers and participants from all over the world, and short, straightforward  panel conversations that were all very interactive, made the Media Zone a highly successful, very well-attended platform. Congratulations SergioFernandez de Cordova and team, and thank you IMPACT GAC member Kunal Sood for encouraging me to attend!  

I'm thrilled to have my fair share of "diplomatic speed dating at its best" moments during the General Assembly -- and I am sharing some of my favorites  with you below.  

Have a terrific weekend everyone, and be kind to one another. Take time to tell the people you love, how much you love them. Take time to be grateful, no matter what your circumstances are. We live in a very unpredictable, constantly changing, increasingly chaotic world, and an unbelievable hatred of all forms is dominating history like never before. Now more than ever, it is very important for us to hold on to the values that have always stood the test of time -- the values that have always united us toward what is just, and what is right. 

To our Jewish family -- may you have a sweet and meaningful New Year.
L'shanah tovah,
Janet 
​

The global issue on Refugees and Migrants took center stage at the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly. Here with IMPACT CFO and Co-Founder, Constance J. Peak.

With Dan Thomas in red tie, Communications Director and Spokesperson for the President of the UN General Assembly 71st Session, together with IMPACT GAC members Kunal Sood Founder of NOVUS, and Chiara Tilesi Founder of We Do It Together.

With IMPACT Partner Bloomberg Philanthropies' Verna Eggleston and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg hosting the First Ladies of Africa at the "Celebrating Innovative Partnerships for Women in Africa" Reception.

All smiles with Mayor Michael "Mike" Bloomberg!

Water is life. This was the core message of IMPACT Ambassador Georgie Badiel (middle)) at the UN launch of her book "The Water Princess" hosted by the Ambassador and First Lady of Burkina Faso and IMPACT GAC member MacDella Cooper, attended by heads of states from Africa.

Such an honor to connect deeply with the "action princess" Her Royal Highness Princess Basma Bint Saud Bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, a businesswoman, journalist and a very strong, bold advocate of reforms in Saudi Arabia.

Very happy to reunite with our dear friend Ambassador David Donoghue, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations. He is a strong supporter of IMPACT Emerging Global Leaders Program, and hosted the first EGL Cohort Ambassadors Visit.

Saving the BEST for last -- my very dear friend, mentor, advocate, big sister and spiritual teacher, Ambassador Dr. Josephine Ojiambo, former Deputy Permanent Representative of Kenya to the UN, now Deputy Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. I love you Ambassador J!