Singer Mary McBride Tours Asia as HDI Spokesperson

This month, singer-songwriter and HDI spokesperson Mary McBride will travel to Vietnam, Laos, Taiwan and Iraq to perform with the support of the American Institute in Taiwan and the U.S. Embassies in Vientiane and Hanoi. The tour itself is hosted by the Humpty Dumpty Institute and Project RENEW. Prior to this tour, McBride shared her unique blend of R&B, American Country, and old-school Rock ‘n Roll to audiences in Pakistan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Russia.

One of McBride’s concerts in Vietnam was held at the Quang Tri Mine Action Visitor Center in Dong Ha Town. The center serves as a place where local residents and students can come to learn how to avoid bombs and mines. It is also frequented by international tour groups visiting the former Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

Connie Milstein is a co-founder of the Humpty Dumpty Institute, which is working alongside Project RENEW to reduce the impact of Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) by providing income-earning opportunities to the families of landmine victims. HDI also works more broadly to promote public diplomacy and create dialogue between the United Nations and the United States Congress. The New York-based NGO’s other humanitarian efforts include feeding school children in Laos and teaching landmine awareness in Myanmar.

Humpty Dumpty Institute Hosts 39th Congressional Delegation to U.N.

The Humpty Dumpty Institute was established in 1988 by Connie Milstein and four other business entrepreneurs whose goal was to solve international problems through public-private partnerships. In January, the HDI held its 39^th Congressional Delegation to the United Nations. The day began with a breakfast hosted by The United States Mission to the United Nations, where Rosemary DiCarlo, U.S. Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, talked about the importance of the U.N. Security Council to U.S. policy, especially in times of conflict resolution and maintaining human rights abroad.

The delegates then heard Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Planning of the Executive Office of the Secretary General, Robert Orr, discuss the United Nations varied interests; the delegates were especially interested in hearing the U.N.’s sustainable energy initiative and promotion of green economic growth. Later, Dr. Mari Ortega, Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of Join United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, briefed participants on the current state of the AIDS epidemic and what the U.N. is doing in response to this crisis.

Following a private tour of the United National Capital Master Plan (a plan that details upcoming renovations to the U.N. campus), the participants met with Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. His remarks highlighted the importance of cooperation between the United States and United Nations and he discussed his plan of action for his second term as Secretary-General, during which he hopes to achieve fiscal and structural reform.

Finally, the group moved to the U.N. Millennium Hotel for a working lunch. Edmund Mulet, the Assistant Secretary-General Department of Peacekeeping Operations, spoke during the lunch hour about the importance of U.N. peacekeeping operations throughout the world and how member states can contribute to the program. Bill Rouhana, HDI Chairman, closed the day by sharing the history of the Humpty Dumpty Institute with the delegates and encouraged the members of Congress to become more involved with HDI’s international mine action activities and HDI’s Higher Education Alliance in the U.S.

Humpty Dumpty Institute Launches Wishing Well Sri Lanka

The Humpty Dumpty Institute, which Connie Milstein serves as Co-Founder and Chairman, recently launched a new online campaign titled “Wishing Well Sri Lanka.” The campaign was initiated to promote and raise funds for a series of initiatives that will provide fresh water and improve sanitary conditions to over 10,000 residents in northern Sri Lanka, including the districts of Mannar, Killinochchi and Mullaithivu. Funds raised during the campaign will also go to support the HDI’s well-known, long-term school feeding program in Sri Lanka’s Jaffna district.

With the “Wishing Well Sri Lanka” and the donations received through the campaign, the HDI will start off small by building and repairing 230 communal and domestic wells and 100 new toilets. The organization hopes to increase these numbers and expand to new areas as they reach their fundraising goals. Since the conclusion of the 30-year conflict in 2009, an incalculable number of Sri Lankans have returned to their homes in northern Sri Lanka. While the government is working to accommodate the influx of returning residents, the people continue to face challenges. The 30-year conflict left the area devastated and now everything must be rebuilt. There is very little fresh water for drinking, bathing or farming; there are few latrines.

“Please join hands with HDI and help kick start our new initiative by visiting www.wishingwellsrilanka.org and making a generous contribution,” wrote HDI President Ralph Cwerman.

Humpty Dumpty Institute Announces Higher Education Alliance

The Humpty Dumpty Institute and co-founder Connie Milstein recently announced a new program that will provide schools across the United States with an in-depth introduction to the United Nations. The program, known as the Higher Education Alliance, aims to build bridges between the U.N. and college students by bringing speakers from United Nations Specialized Agencies and U.N.-affiliated Non-Governmental Organizations to American college and university campuses.

On-campus alliance members will organize and run U.N.-related conferences on their campuses and have the opportunity to visit the U.N. headquarters in New York for intensive orientations further explaining the inner workings of the United Nations. Students who stand out for their work with the Higher Education Alliance may be invited to serve as interns in international organizations around the world. Alliance members also convene U.N.-related conferences at their campuses and are invited to U.N. Headquarters in New York for intensive orientations to learn how the U.N. actually works. And finally, select students at Alliance Universities/Colleges have the opportunity to serve as interns in international organizations around the world.

The High Education Alliance currently boasts a combined student enrollment of approximately 300,000 students from 18 universities and colleges in nine states. The Humpty Dumpty Institute is working especially hard to recruit institutions belonging to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and the Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCU) as well as community colleges nationwide, according to HDI Chairman William Rouhana, Jr.

“These centers of higher education are often underserved when it comes to global and international exposure. We are making a special effort to give these students in particular the opportunity to connect with the United Nations and to gain a better perspective about the global marketplace,” he said.

The Humpty Dumpty Institute is a unique non-profit organization widely-recognized for its work with the United Nations. Over the past four years, the HDI has become well known for its specialized outreach programs between the U.N. and various constituencies across the United States, which work to strengthen the United Nations as an international institution. The Humpty Dumpty Institute also implements large-scale humanitarian projects throughout the developing world. In the past four years, the HDI has begun major development projects in Lebanon, Angola, Eritrea, Laos and Vietnam, among others.

Land Mine Removal Video

This is a video which demonstrates the importance of land mine removal. The Humpty Dumpty Institute with co-founder Connie Milstein is an organization which works tirelessly towards this goal.

'Mushrooms with a Mission'

A few months ago, the Humpty Dumpty Institute, co-founded by Connie Milstein, began its new program, titled Mushrooms with a Mission. This project focuses on vulnerable families in central Vietnam, teaching them how to become mushroom farmers. The institute chose mushrooms because they are an easy, cheap, and low tech product to grow. The program is intended for landmine and UXO (unexploded ordinances) victims only, and so HDI chose a crop that even amputees could manage easily.

HDI is providing an automatic market for their mushroom farmers, having promised to buy as many mushrooms as they can grow. The mushrooms will be dried, packed and sold to many markets in Vietnam, and hopefully to neighboring countries, and, in the future, even worldwide.

All proceeds from the sales made by HDI will be donated towards removing landmines and UXOs in Vietnam and its surrounding areas.

Jefferson Hotel Renovations with Ogden CAP Properties and Connie Milstein

During this past year, Ogden CAP Properties with Principal and Co-Founder Connie Milstein worked tirelessly to renovated the Jefferson Hotel in Washington, D.C. The renovation included all 99 suites and guest rooms and all public spaces. Plume, one of the city's finest destination restaurants was also created and introduced onto the scene.

In addition, the renovations included a lounge with outdoor terrace for cigars and cognacs and intimate meeting spaces. Completely new to the Jefferson are three expansive specialty suites, an exclusive spa and a well-equipped fitness room.