The construction of the first Children’s’ Oncology Hospital in Greece initiated by Mrs. Marianna Vardinogiannis will have been completed by June 2010
«The 1GOALcampaign focuses on the development in the field of education in South Africa, which is coordinated by Action Aid Hellas in Greece, under the auspices of UNESCO» underlined in an interview to «In-On» magazine the ambassadress of Good Will in UNESKO, Mrs. Marianna Vardinogiannis.
Question: What is the importance of participating in the 1Goal campaign?
Answer: 1GOAL aims to collect 30 million signatures until September when the evaluation of the efficiency of the countries in focus regarding the Developmental Targets of the Millennium of the United Nations will be realized in New York. These signatures will be presented in the United Nations in order to ensure the observance of the second of the eight Developmental Targets of the Millennium which expects that until 2015 all children will have access to primary education. The developed countries are committed to the realization of this target, likewise the rest, and all of us who consider ourselves citizens of the world, are obliged to force them keep this commitment. Then, if we consider that today 75 million children do not go to school, that 774 million people are illiterate and that one out of four women has not received basic education, then it becomes obvious that the importance of participating in the 1GOAL campaign is vital, since the message derived highlights that education prevails poverty.
Question: What is the contribution on behalf of Greece in the schedule of the international 1GOAL campaign?
Answer: Like the rest of the countries that participate in the 1GOAL campaign, we, as well, aim at collecting the greatest amount of signatures. A prerequisite is that all citizens get informed. For this reason apart from the Press Conference that was held almost a month ago so as to announce the outset of the campaign in Greece, we are planning a series of events in order to activate the public. We have already been in touch with the Mass Media to support the campaign. I believe that till summer when this effort will be completed; a lot of signatures will have been collected. Greek people have repeatedly proved their social sensitivity and have contributed to national and international campaigns, especially for the benefit of children. I am certain that we Greeks will one more time show our love to education and support for the future of our children and all together score one of the most significant GOALS by writing our names on behalf of those who are unable to do so themselves!
Question: Who works in this program?
Answer: The 1GOAL campaign in Greece is coordinated by Action Aid Hellas, under the auspices of UNESCO, which I represent as an ambassadress of Good Will, and is realized through the support of the Greek Soccer League and Super League. Internationally, 1GOAL campaign which is realized in other 200 countries all around the world is supported by FIFA that organizes the International Football Cup, held this year in South Africa. The campaign was firstly initiated by «Class 2015», a group of sensitized services and individuals formulated during the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2008. Among them there is UNESCO, Αction Aid, Queen Rania of Jordan and others.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Mrs. Marianna Vardinogiannis has received a lot of awards and distinctions for her many-sided work such as: The golden cross of the order of the epopee of Greek Democracy (2002), Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honor of the French Democracy (2006), Award from the Academy of Athens (1997), Lady of the Patriarchate of Alexandria (2008), Award as “Woman of Europe” for the promotion of international summit contacts so as to protect human rights and especially children’s (1996) etc.
Moreover, she is a prospective Doctor of Archaeology in the University of Sheffield, Emeritus Doctor in the Law School of the University of Sheffield and Philosophy in the University of London Metropolitan, she holds MΡhil in Archaeology from the University of Sheffield, while she holds ΒΑ in the History of Art and Economics in Universities in America.
She is the founder and president of the Foundation “For the Child and the Family” and the charitable society Friends of Children with Cancer “ELPIDA”. Since 1999, she has been an ambassadress of Good Will in UNESCO.
She is also:
• Delegate of the General Manager of UNESCO for the promotion of the Olympiads of Culture globally
• Founding member of the Global Humanitarian Forum, presiding Mr. Κofi Annan
• Founding member of the foundation “Light of Africa” heading His Grace Theodore B’, Patriarch of Alexandria
Some of her most significant initiatives that have a national and international appeal:
• The creation of the Unit of Bone Marrow Transplant in Saint .Sofia Hospital, where till today 475 children have been operated
• The creation of the ELPIDA Hostel which has hosted more than 650 children’s’ families from the provinces that are under treatment in the Unit
• Her struggle for the return of the Parthenon marbles
• The reconstruction of «Makistos» village in the prefecture of Eleia with her husband Vardis Vardinogiannis, which was totally destroyed during the fires of 2007
She is married to the businessman Mr. Vardis I. Vardinogiannis, Chairman of Motor Oil. They have 5 children.
Source of publication 9th issue In-On