As a friend and supporter of our organization I wish you the best for 2013. At the same time, I take advantage of this opportunity to convey to you the latest news of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation (IRWF), an NGO that I am proud to chair thanks to the generous offer of Mr. Baruch Tenenbaum, founder of the IRWF and himself 2009 Nobel Peace nominee.
The year 2012 marked the centenary of the birth of Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat that helped save the lives of thousands of persecuted people during the Holocaust he Holocaust and disappeared after being arrested by the Soviet army in January 1945. In tribute to his heroic legacy the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation has carried out numerous activities in various cities with the support of volunteers, employees and more than 300 heads of state.
President, Barack Obama, is the first US President ever to issue a televised address entirely devoted to Raoul Wallenberg. This unprecedented gesture deserves to be known by all people of good will, without distinction.
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By way of thanks to President Obama, and on behalf of all members of the Wallenberg Foundation, I delivered a video message in I expressed the gratitude of those who vindicate the values of solidarity and civic courage, cornerstones of any society that aspires to freedom, respect and understanding.
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Last August I had the honor, along with Mr. Tenenbaum, to meet Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, at the headquarters of the world organization, in the city of New York. During the meeting the Wallenberg Foundation officially announced its decision to establish a reward of 500,000 dollars for concrete and verifiable information that may lead to the unveiling of the fate of Wallenberg and his driver, Vilmos Langfelder, whose traces are lost in the Soviet gulag.
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Previously, the Wallenberg Foundation was received by Ambassador Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. “We have an obligation, on which the Wallenberg Foundation gives the example: keeping alive the memory of Wallenberg. In today s world no one can do everything but everyone can do something. And this is a message that we must convey to the younger generations.”, he stated.
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Finally, I draw your attention to the placement of a Raoul Wallenberg s bust in Argentina s main International Airport. The piece is located on Terminal A, Departures area, where it can be appreciated by travelers and the general public. Thus, the busiest airport of Argentina is the first airport in the world to exhibit a bust of the “Hero without a Grave”.
I hope that this communication has been of your interest. I take the opportunity to wish you and your loved ones all the best for the new year ahead.
Best regards,
Eduardo Eurnekian
Chairman
