UNICEF_2

== = by Aly Haskell =

What is UNICEF? UNICEF stands for The United Nations Children's Fund. Its headquarters is located in New York City, United States. It was started in 1946 as an effort to feed, clothe, and provide health care for children. After WWII on until 1953, UNICEF was meant to be temporary.Then in 1953, it was made permanent part of the United Nations by having its mandate extended, based on its tremendous progress (UNICEF). Since then UNICEF has expanded into 190 countries. Several celebrities have backed UNICEF, pioneered by Danny Kaye in 1954. They have paved the way to ensuring children's rights are kept. The UN even adopted The Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 (UNICEF). Since then they have received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1965, conducted numerous studies regarding child healthcare, and hosted a summit for child delegates.

Key People/Groups:
Danny Kaye: A famous 1930s/1940s American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian. "He was the first ambassador-at-large of UNICEF and received the French Legion of Honor in 1986 for his many years of work with the organization" (Danny Kaye). He pioneered celebrity charity work. Kaye first started to support UNICEF after 1949. The story of how he became a sponser, is coincidental. While flying back to his home from London, his plane had to make an emergency landing in Shannon, Ireland (Danny Kaye). "On the way back to Shannon, the head of the Children's Fund, Maurice Pate, had the seat next to Danny Kaye and spoke at length to him about the need for recognition for the Fund. Their discussion continued on the flight from Shannon to New York; it was the beginning of the actor's long association with UNICEF" (Danny Kaye). He dedicated the rest of his life to helping UNICEF up to his death in 1987.

FC Barcelona: A national soccer team in España, representing, Barcelona. The are sometimes known as Barça, a Catalan nickname. FC Barcelona is the most successful Spanish team (FC Barcelona). FC Barcelona has never had any coporate advertisements on their jerseys, because the crest is based on very important European symbols. **" On 14 July 2006, the club announced a five year agreement with UNICEF which includes having the UNICEF logo on their shirts. The agreement has the club donate €1.5 million per year to UNICEF (0.7 percent of its ordinary income, equal to the UN International Aid Target) via the FC Barcelona Foundation" (FC Barcelona). Through this sponsorship, UNICEF can get millions for their cause. **

Herbert Hoover: Most commonly known as the 31st President of the United States. He and Maurice Pate co-founded UNICEF. Unknown to many, he was a humanitarian. "When WWI began in August 1914, he helped organize the return of 120,000 Americans from Europe: tourists, students, executives, etc. Hoover led five hundred volunteers in the distribution of food, clothing, steamship tickets, and cash. 'I did not realize it at the moment, but on August 3, 1914, my career was over forever. I was on the slippery road of public life" (Herbert Hoover). He seemed to love helping people. Two years later he even started to work 14-hour days to feed 9 million war victims (Herbert Hoover). Over that period he distributed two and a half million tons of food.

Maurice Pate: The Co-founder of UNICEF with Herbert Hoover. He was an American Humanitarian. The second Secretary-General, Dag d once said about Pate that, "The work of UNICEF is at the heart of the matter - and at the heart of UNICEF is Maurice Pate." (Maurice Pate). Herbert Hoover called his partner, "the most effective human angel I know" (Maurice Pate). It seems like people had nothing but great things to say about Maurice Pate. He worked with the Red Cross during WWII, and joined the Commission for Polish Relief. He cared a lot about the people of the world. During the war, Herbert Hoover and Maurice Pate came up with the idea for UNICEF after seeing 38 countries in 76 days (Maurice Pate).

In Connection With Sierra Leone: As UNICEF is in 190 countries it is in Sierra Leone. When the Civil War broke out, UNICEF was there. UNICEF has made some strong strides in Sierra Leone. In 2008, the executive director, Ann M. Veneman of UNICEF was the first UN agency head to visit Sierra Leone after their 2007 elections (UNICEF). Ann M. Veneman commented on her visit, "“Sierra Leone has the worst social indicators in the world,” continuing her statement she said, "“A child born in this country has more than a one in four chance of dying before the age of 5. A woman has a one in 8 lifetime risk of maternal mortality. This Strategic Plan is a road map that will help save the lives of the women and children of Sierra Leone” (UNICEF). The statistics support Veneman's comments, showing that Sierra Leone's under 5 morality rate is number seven on the world stage (UNICEF). Because of the dire straits of this country, UNICEF has provided health services, food, and volunteers to help the effort. Recently (2007), Sierra Leone approved the National Child Rights Bill (UNICEF).

Works Cited: //Danny Kaye//. Wikipedia, 3 Feb. 2011. Web. 3 Feb. 2011.

 FC Barcelona//. Wikipedia, 2 Feb. 2011. Web. 3 Feb. 2011.//

 Herbert Hoover//. Wikipedia, 2 Feb. 2011. Web. 3 Feb. 2011.//

//Maurice Pate//. Wikipedia, 20 Nov. 2010. Web. 3 Feb. 2011.

UNICEF. //UNICEF: Unite for Children//. United Nations Children's Fund, 29 Apr. 2010. Web. 3 Feb. 2011.

//UNICEF//. Wikipedia, 2 Feb. 2011. Web. 3 Feb. 2011.