Ted Turner - A true global citizen

While reading about the newly appointed US State Department Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, on Wikipedia, I came across an amazing piece of news --

Photo courtesy of http://periginatioanimae.wordpress.com/2008/06/22/the-news-is-very-biased/

 In 2001 Ted Turner  US media "mogul" and leader of many well known organizations such as CNN, Atlanta Braves, and the UN Foundation, donated $35 million of his own money to help the US pay the dues it owed the UN.  This was the final missing link that enabled the US and the UN to resolve some of the conflict over the overdue us membership fees.  The announcement of the final terms of the agreement were met with a standing ovation by the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  

I was astounded by this gesture of humanitarianism and personal commitment to global agendas.  Some may say that for him, $35 million is a "drop-in-the-bucket", but a quick look at his track record indicates this is not the first time he has been willing to cough up money for the global community.  Take his  $1 billion endownment for the UN Foundation, for example.  The sacrifice Ted has committed towards advancing global causes is something everyone can learn from, and I believe following Teds example would be a noble goal for any global citizen.

Ted Turner offers to cut US debt to UN 

By Toby Harnden in Washington
Last Updated: 2:12PM BST 19 Jun 2001

TED TURNER, the founder of CNN, has offered to donate $35 million (£23 million) to help to pay off American debts to the United Nations.

Mr Turner has a penchant for high-profile philanthropy. He has already donated $1 billion - equivalent to his earnings for nine months - to the UN to help "the poorest people in the world" and believes America should be more deeply involved in the world body.

His latest proposed gift is intended to make up the shortfall between the $926 million Congress has agreed to pay and the amount owed. Several senior political figures, including Jesse Helms, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, are sceptical about the value of the UN to America.

Congress has said the $926 million will be paid if the UN agrees to lower the annual US contribution from 25 to 22 per cent of its administrative budget. Richard Holbrooke, the American ambassador to the UN, said: "Ted's gesture is extraordinary and visionary. I hope it proves to be the key that unlocks this extraordinarily complex problem."

Mr Turner made his offer five weeks ago at a board meeting of the United Nations Charity, a private organisation that was set up to distribute his earlier $1 billion donation.