Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan will visit the University of Colorado at Boulder next month to talk about cultural acceptance, the challenges he faced during his tenure and eight major goals set by the international body to meet the needs of the world's poorest people.
CU-Boulder's Distinguished Speakers and Cultural Events boards are sponsoring the April 18 event, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Coors Events/Conference Center. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
"We are proud to bring the former secretary general to CU-Boulder," said Taurean Davis, vice chair of the Distinguished Speakers Board. "We know the campus and surrounding communities will welcome the opportunity to hear about Annan's experiences as an influential world leader and hear his messages of cross-cultural understanding and cooperation."
Tickets will cost $1 for CU-Boulder students, $10 for general admission and $45 for floor seating. Â鶹ÒùÔº can purchase tickets at the UMC Connection on the first floor of the University Memorial Center. The public can purchase tickets online at , in person at any Denver metropolitan area King Soopers and select City Market stores, or by calling Tickets West at (866) 464-2626.
The media and public will be allowed to take photos and silent film only during the first three minutes of the talk, Davis said.
Annan, who along with the United Nations won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, served as U.N. secretary general from 1997 to 2006. He was the first black African to head the New York City-based organization, whose members include 192 nations. During his tenure, Annan made his mark as an advocate for human rights, the rule of law and the revitalization of the United Nations. He also was a key player in the fight against HIV/AIDS and global terrorist threats.
Born in the West African nation of Ghana in 1938, Annan studied in Ghana and Minnesota before receiving a master's degree in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The diplomat held a wide array of leadership posts at the United Nations before becoming its leader.
As U.N. secretary general, Annan also worked to bolster the multilateral organization's relationship with businesses and civil society groups, sponsoring an initiative to promote corporate social responsibility.
He was instrumental in laying out the Millennium Development Goals, an eight-point strategy embraced by many nations to meet the needs of the world's poorest populations by 2015. The goals range from cutting extreme poverty in half and increasing gender equality to reducing infant mortality, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education.
In 2005, Annan succeeded in persuading the United Nations to establish the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council, new intergovernmental bodies dedicated to global peace and welfare. He also was a chief proponent of the creation of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
For more information about the United Nations, visit the Web site at . To learn more about CU-Boulder's Distinguished Speakers and Cultural Events boards, go to castle.colorado.edu/dsb/ and .