One To World

Committee members of the Young Patrons Circle of the American Friends of the Louvre at their annual fête – Soirée au Louvre.

One To World focused attention on global hopes and concerns in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria on Thursday, May 27 at its 2010 Fulbright Awards Dinner, as brilliant young Fulbrighters from around the world exchanged views with American and international corporate, academic, and philanthropic leaders. At the heart of the evening was the Fulbright vision of peace through international understanding.

“New York is home to 60,000 international students and scholars from all over the world,” said Deborah Clifford, One To World’s executive director. “This presents an enormous opportunity for citizen diplomacy. Our programs create a constant stream of face-to-face, personal experiences among people from around the globe. Our 33-year history has shown us that this is most effective way to promote cross cultural understanding, foster good will among nations and break down prejudice.”

Meera Gandhi, Harriet Fulbright, and Wenke Thoman Sterns, One To World Board Chair

One To World Honoree David Heleniak and Fulbright Grantee from Pakistan Khaula Jamil

Lord Michael Ashcroft and Wendell Mottley

Honorees were: David W. Heleniak, one of the first Western lawyers to represent China in major commercial dealings with the West, now Senior Advisor at Morgan Stanley (previously Vice Chairman), after a 30-year career with Shearman & Sterling, LLP; Marco V. Masotti, a leading U.S. fund formation lawyer; partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; Fulbright Scholar from South Africa; and human rights activist with Shared Interest, MAD and the Clinton Foundation; Wendell Mottley, who helped to pull Trinidad and Tobago out of a deep recession in the 1990s as Finance Minister, earned a silver medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and is now Senior Advisor to Credit Suisse, directing financial projects in the Caribbean; and Margaret Brennan, anchor of Bloomberg TV’s weekday InBusiness with Margaret Brennan, a Fulbright Scholar to Jordan, and a Whitehead Fellow with the Foreign Policy Association.

Tracy Stein and One To World 2010 Fulbright Awards Dinner Honoree Marco Masotti

/Nat Leventhal and Kathy Brown

On hand were Ethan Zohn, winner of Survivor: Africa, founder of Grassroot Soccer, and Stand Up To Cancer Ambassador; Lord Ashcroft, businessman and environmentalist; Tariq Hassan, former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan; Susan Baker, Chairman of the New York City Opera; John Vogelstein, Chairman of New York City Ballet; Justin Rockefeller, investment banker and co-founder of Generation Engage; Motoatsu Sakurai, President of the Japan Society; Shinichi Nishimiya, Ambassador and Consul General of Japan; Alberto Vitale, former Chairman of Random House and Fulbright Scholar from Italy; and Harriet Fulbright, widow of the late Senator J. William Fulbright whose 1945 legislation created the Fulbright Scholar exchange program.

Presenting awards were Fulbright Scholars from Pakistan, Jordan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and South Africa. Mak Kamenica, Fulbrighter from Sarajevo, stated, “Education plays such a big part of not only opening the minds of people and but also opening opportunities. I know back home during the war, the people who had less education were much bigger targets for the propaganda machine because they simply did not know what was out there in the world. So programs like One To World are absolutely essential.”

Bonnie Fritz, Fulbright Student from Iraq Haider Hamza, and Stephanie Whittier

Meredith Mottley Haynes and Kashka Haynes

One To World 2010 Fulbright Awards Dinner Honorees Margaret Brennan and Marco Masotti

Co-Chairs Wenke Thoman Sterns, Meera Gandhi, Kevin Brennan, Marc Ganz, and Dr. J. Michael Adams provided event leadership. The dinner raised over $600,000 for One To World programs and was the most successful ever.

One To World was founded in 1977 and is officially designated by the U.S. Department of State as the Coordinator of Enrichment Programs for Fulbright grantees in the New York area. The mission of the organization is to create global citizens and inspire a peaceful world through one-of-a-kind programs in classrooms and communities. One To World programs bring together Americans and international students from over 100 countries every day throughout the year to experience each other’s lives in profound ways.

One To World Executive Director Deborah Clifford, Alberto Vitale, Gioetta Vitale, and Mia Barron

Ethan Zohn, Deborah Clifford, and Micah Sommers

Kim Stone, John Vogelstein, Barbara Vogelstein, and David Nadler

MaryKate Brennan, Margaret Brennan, and Jane Brennan

Consul General of France Philippe Lalloit, Michel Perez, Monique Schweich, and Yann Coatanlem

One To World Revered von Arx, Harriet Fulbright, Yann Coatanlem, and Wenke Thoman Sterns

Thursday a week, the Young Patrons Circle of the American Friends of the Louvre held their annual fête – Soirée au Louvre – to benefit the mission of American Friends of the Louvre and the Musée du Louvre.

The evening began with a champagne reception at Dalva Brothers Gallery where guests were given a private showing of museum quality furniture, porcelain, and bronzes from the 18th century (some of which had royal provenance). Dalva Brothers (now in its third generation of ownership) has one of the finest collections of decorative arts in the world.

Following the reception, the main benefit was held at Cultural Services of the French Embassy (the former Payne Whitney Mansion at 972 Fifth Avenue). Guests mingled and danced in the second floor ballroom with décor by Kyle Hardin de Woody, music by DJ Ari, all overlooking the greenery of Central Park. There was an after party graciously hosted by The Pierre. Many stayed until the wee hours. It was a magical evening.

Skye Parrott, Melodia Hall, and Rachel Chandler

Ari Naamami-Goldman

Alison Bock and John Cuviate

Christopher Pastor, Mel Saldana, and Kyle Bain

Solange Umutoni

Lisa Yom and Thorsment Shmitt

Claude Morais, Jennifer Pastore, Sabine Heller, and Francis Tulk-Hart

Kate Gibbs, Melissa Berkelhammer, and Elizabeth Grimaldi Kerpis

Samantha Lynch and David Chines

Julia Basiltsova and Olya Zueva

Jennifer Collins, David Chines, and Alixe Laughlin

Kathleen Beckett and Steven Kroll

Asia and Callie Baker

Arzu Vilek, Eme Dilek, and Kendall Spradley

Claude Morais and Brian Wolk

Caroline Rowley and Melissa Butler

Bernice Donzaoez and Patrick Anderson

Mary Kate Steinmiller and Eleanor Banco

Amanda Strolmek, Amber Gordon, and Indira Cesarine

Elizabeth and Katherine Mcgehee

Daniel Colon and Ronald Freyberger

Asterid Hill, Ashleigh Patte, and Nathalie Pierrepont

Larissa and Max Whitney

Jennifer Pastore and Francis Tul-Hart

Elizabeth Stockton Howard, David Chines, and Lauren Lyon

Annabel Vartanian and Anna Vietor

Kate Gibbs and Maggie Norris

Elizabeth Grimaldi Kurpis and Anne Huntington

Dustin Zuber, Pia Cossa, and Cameron Moir

John De Neufville and William Heath

The International Center of Photography honored nine recipients at the 26th Annual Infinity Awards for excellence in the field of photography.

Each year, ICP brings public attention to outstanding photographic achievements by honoring distinguished individuals and identifying future luminaries.

ICP’s ongoing mission is to present and champion the variety inherent in photographic experience. The Infinity Awards, first presented in 1985, were created to recognize the contributions of influential photographers and emerging young talent.

This year's winners were: John G. Morris, Lifetime Achievement, presented by Christiane Amanpour; Gilbert C. Maurer, ICP Trustees Award, presented by Leonard Lauder; Peter Magubane, Cornell Capa Award; Raphaël Dallaporta, Young Photographer Award; Sarah Greenough, Publication Award, for Looking In: Robert Frank’s The Americans; Luc Sante, Writing Award; Lorna Simpson, Art Reza, Photojournalism Award; Daniele Tamagni, Applied/Fashion/Advertising Award, for Gentlemen of Bacongo.

Co-Chairs for the evening were: Pamela Stedman Farkas, Sue Hostetler, Jed Root. Kim Vernon was Event Chair, with menu created by Mario Batali.

Kiane Von Mueffling and Charlie Von Mueffling

La Fleur Paysour, Lorna Simpson (Art Award Winner), and Kinshasha Holman Conwill

Lynn Hirschberg and Stefano Tonchi

Jay Kos and Gaby Basora

Zani Gugelmann

Kim Vernon (Event Chair) and Ann Dexter Jones

Allison Kanders and Ellen Davis

Ann Maurer and Leonard Lauder

Arielle and Pamela Farkas (Co-Chair)

Jeffrey A. Rosen, Willis E. Hartshorn, Glenda Bailey, and Jed Root (Co-Chair)

Christiane Amanpour

Glenda Bailey and Gilbert C. Maurer (ICP Trustees Award Winner)

Pat Schonfeld, Frank Bennack and Mary Bennack

Daniele Tamagni (Fashion Photography Award Winner) and Ching Ryan

David Turnley, Colleen Criste, and Ann Curry

Thelma Golden, Hamish Bowles, and Lorna Simpson (Art Award Winner)

Moby

Calvin Klein and Frank Bennack

Mark Seliger

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Cathie Black, and David Granger

Raphael Dallaporta (Young Photographer Award Winner)

John G. Morris (Lifetime Achievement Award Winner)

Tabitha Simmons, Kim Vernon (Event Chair), and Alexandra Kotur

Mark Gilbertson held his annual end of season/start of summer cocktail party this year in the Palm Court of the Plaza, a great place for a large cocktail party of New Yorkers.