Former U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power Honored by Save the Children's Boston Leadership Council

Council Raised more than $250,000 for the Global Humanitarian Organization’s Work with Refugees at its Second Annual Gala

BOSTON (Nov. 16, 2019) – Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power was honored by Save the Children’s Boston Leadership Council at their second annual gala held this evening. Ambassador Power was presented with the Refugee Advocate Award by Brad Irwin, Save the Children board chair and former president and CEO of Welch’s, for being a fearless advocate for human rights around the world. 

Upon receiving her award, Ambassador Power discussed the poem, “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus, which is famously found on the base of the Statue of Liberty. She highlighted the lesser-known final line of the poem, “’I lift my lamp beside the golden door,” which she explains is the Statue of the Liberty speaking about the flow of people into this country. Yet Ambassador Power noted that last month, October 2019, “the United States did not resettle a single refugee. Not one. Zero. It has never before been the case in the history of the refugee program that not a single refugee has been resettled in this country.”

Later, in discussing Save the Children’s work with Syrian refugee children in Lebanon, Ambassador Power said, “Children are children. Just because we can’t each take on the cause of displacement or solve the civil war …that doesn’t mean we can’t offer dignity and a lifeline to a child. And that is what Save the Children has done.”

Power served as the 28th United States Ambassador to the United Nations and as a member of President Barack Obama's cabinet from 2013-2017. A Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author, her most recent book, The Education of an Idealist was published in September and was a New York Times bestseller. Ambassador Power is currently the Anna Lindh Professor of the Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and William D. Zabel Professor of Practice in Human Rights at Harvard Law School.

Held at the Harvard Club of Boston and hosted by Audrey Asistio, NBC10 Boston & NECN Anchor/Reporter, the second annual gala, "Celebrate the Future of Every Child," raised more than $250,000 for the global humanitarian organization, which is celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2019. Funds raised will benefit Save the Children’s Return to Learning initiative which aims to get refugee children back in school within 30 days of displacement, and Save the Children’s programs for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

In addition to honoring Ambassador Power, the evening included a presentation from five members of Save the Children's Boston Leadership Council who recently traveled to Lebanon. During their trip, Joe Ramrath and Zoher Ghogawala of Needham, Sejal Srinivasan of Wayland, Paige Hornor of Roslindale and Mahsa Khanbabai of North Easton personally witnessed the critical conditions of Syrian refugee families and the good works Save the Children is doing to help. The inaugural fundraising gala, held in November 2018, also raised over $250,000, which was used to purchase a mobile library van and free books for distribution to Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. The council members shared stories of refugee children's experiences and spoke about how the funds raised last year continue to help children in need.

Save the Children’s Boston Leadership Council is a diverse group of volunteer child advocates in Greater Boston who are committed to supporting the work of Save the Children. The council was founded on the principle that local neighbors with a shared passion can come together to raise awareness for vulnerable and marginalized children in the United States and around the world. To learn more about the Boston Leadership Council go to: savethechildren.org/boston.

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we’ve changed the lives of more than 1 billion children. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.