Last week, I had the pleasure of attending three launch events around the publication of VITAL VOICES: The Power of Women Leading Change Around the World. This special book, written by Vital Voices President & CEO Alyse Nelson, tells the story of how this dynamic organization was first founded by Hillary Clinton (who wrote the Foreword) and Madeleine Albright to help women around the world who bravely step up to leadership roles, in many cases risking their own lives to make the lives of those around them better.
The first event was held on Tuesday, June 5th at the House of Sweden in Washington DC, hosted by Google, Ann Taylor, Embassy of Sweden, and Marlene and Fred Malek. Fourteen of the thirty-two women featured in the book were able to attend.
Top row right to left: Mu Sochua, Ruth Zavaleta, Amira Yahyaoui, Maria Pacheco, Laura Alonso, Inez McCormack, Samar Minallah Khan, Marianne Ibrahim, Shatha Al-Harazi, Salwa Bugaighis
Bottom row right to left: Kah Walla, Board Chair Susan Davis, Ambassador-at-large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer, Alyse Nelson, Rosana Schaack, Adimaimalaga (Adi) Tafuna’i
On Wednesday, June 6th, Vital Voices held their 11th Global Leadership Awards at the Kennedy Center, honoring nine women “whose leadership holds the promise of a better world…These women are leaders because they bridge the gap between rhetoric and reality. They see possibilities others don’t and seize opportunities in the service of others.” Chelsea Clinton joined Andrea Mitchell, Claire Shipman, Wolf Blitzer, Kay Krill, Diane von Furstenberg, Tina Brown, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, and actor Jennifer Morrison to present the awards to the honorees.
Each attendee that evening received a copy of the book with one of these handcrafted Maua baskets, made in Ngara, Tanzania, which brought income to approximately 280 women and their 1,260 children.
On Thursday, June 7th, Vital Voices Board Members Diane von Furstenberg and Tina Brown hosted a launch event for the book at Diane von Furstenberg’s New York City studio.
Host Diane von Furstenberg, who wrote the opening to Chapter 4 in the book, welcomes the crowd and toasts author Alyse Nelson and the women featured in VITAL VOICES.
Lisa Ling; author Alyse Nelson; Susan Ann Davis, Chair, Vital Voices Board of Directors (who wrote the Afterword to the book); and Karen Murphy
Author Alyse Nelson with the Wiley team.
This post has been brought to you by JBbiz Senior Business Editor Karen Murphy. You can follow her on Twitter @kmurphyjb. To learn more about the great work Vital Voices is doing and order a copy of the book, visit www.vitalvoices.org.
New York City launch event photos taken by Ragozzino.
House of Sweden launch event photos by Micky Wiswedel.
