The Giving Pledge

A hefty yet graceful movement is transforming the world as you read, and it’s propelled by a wave of philanthropists on an unwavering quest to abolish global poverty. 
In 2009 Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, begin sketching a grandiose blue print for philanthropy.  "The Giving Pledge" ask the wealthiest Americans to give away half of their net worth to charities.  So far 40 Billionaires have signed on.  The Combined worth of the pledge so far is up to $125 Billion. 

Among the 57 billionaires who have pledged to give at least 50% of their wealth are Ted Turner, Barron Hilton, T. Boone Pickens, David Rockefeller, George Lucas, Michael R. Bloomberg and Paul G. Allen. For a full list of the participants click here 

With 400 of the current 937 Billionaires living in the United States there is no telling how large this fund could get.

Some billionaires such as Warren Buffet and Larry Ellison have already pledged $46.5 and $26.6 Billions respectively, far more than half of their net worth.  "We hope this movement will lead to more, and smarter, philanthropy," Buffett said. Gates and Buffett estimate their efforts could generate $600 billion in charitable giving.

http://givingpledge.org/

Lady of Roses

There are some people who have had such a varied and interesting life that any single part of it can be made the subject of a fascinating documentary film. The late Homayoun Sanatizadeh can undoubtedly be included in this category. He was a cultured man, a scholar, translator, entrepreneur, and one of the pioneers of modern publishing in Iran who, unlike his western counterparts, did not achieve fame and fortune in his homeland.
About thirty years ago, with the valuable assistance and cooperation of his equally enterprising wife, Shahindokht, he decided to venture into a completely different field. They started to grow roses and set up a small traditional workshop for producing rose essence in an area outside Kerman where opium poppies were grown. The project was dogged with difficulties, opposition and mishaps at every step. First, the farmers and inhabitants were strongly opposed to the idea of replacing the opium poppy with roses which they believed would be much less profitable.
This fascinating story is the subject of a film produced by the documentary film maker, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb. Entitled ‘The Lady of the Roses’, the film tells us the story of a dream come true – the dream of creating a vast rose garden in the dry and hot climate of Kerman, to replace poppies with roses and opium with rosewater, and to provide employment for 1500 families in a deprived area.

Click here for a preview

Art of Change-Making: Philanthropy at its Best

Screening of the documentary film 'Lady of the Roses,' followed by a bilingual (English/Persian) panel discussion
UCLA-CNES Bilingual Lecture Series on Iran

Location: Sunday, November 14, 2010,  
5-8 PM 

                 147 Dodd Hall
, UCLA