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Jan. 28, 2010 Source: Refugees International news release Refugees International (RI), the leading advocacy organization on refugee crises worldwide, has named Dan Glickman as its new president. Glickman brings to RI a long history of public service, fighting hunger and helping underserved people in the U.S. and around the world. He currently serves as chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and will start at RI in April. "While I have truly enjoyed my experience at the MPAA, it is time for me to return to my true passion: public service," said Glickman. "Refugees International has important work to do and I can't sit on the sidelines as the world sees more and more people forced from their homes every day. I am very excited about this extraordinary opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of the most vulnerable people in the world." Glickman succeeds the late Ken Bacon who became president of Refugees International in 2001 and led the organization until he passed away in August. Glickman arrives at RI at a pivotal moment as the organization works to promote solutions to a growing number of refugee crises around the world. 41.2 million people are currently displaced by conflict in countries as varied as Iraq, Sudan, Pakistan, Colombia, and the D.R. Congo. In addition, tens of millions of people could be displaced by climate change over the next 50 years. "I could not be more enthusiastic that Dan has chosen to lead Refugees International. Dan's passion and extensive network will strengthen Refugees International's base of support and help us become even more effective at bringing attention and action to refugees and displaced persons worldwide," said Farooq Kathwari, chair of Refugees International's board of directors and chairman and CEO of Ethan Allen. Glickman served for 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Kansas' 4th Congressional District. Throughout his time in Congress, he was a member of the House Agriculture Committee, the House Judiciary Committee, and chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. In 1995, President Bill Clinton appointed Mr. Glickman as Secretary of Agriculture, where he stayed until the end of Clinton's term. During his tenure, Secretary Glickman and the department made significant inroads in improving America's diet and nutrition and fighting hunger. He is currently chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, a trade association that serves as the voice and advocate of the U.S. motion picture, home video and television industries around the world. "After conducting an extensive, international search, the board was particularly impressed by Dan's genuine interest in our mission, his breadth of experience, and his ability to reach and build relationships with Washington's most influential people," added Eileen Shields-West, vice-chair of RI's board of directors and chair of the Executive Search Committee. A public policy expert, Glickman served as the director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government from August 2002 to August 2004. He is vice-chair of Friends of the World Food Program; a member of the Genocide Prevention Task Force, chaired by former Secretaries Madeleine Albright and Bill Cohen; and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He received his B.A. in history from the University of Michigan and his J.D. from The George Washington University. Currently, Glickman is also co-chairing a bipartisan study for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs entitled: Renewing American Leadership in the Fight Against Global Hunger and Poverty. Catherine Bertini, the former executive director of the World Food Programme and Glickman's co-chair on the Chicago Council, said: "Dan has a true humanitarian passion for helping people and his knowledge of the challenges of combating hunger is extensive. He is smart, intuitive, and committed to helping people." In March 2010, Mr. Glickman will be receiving the Global Child Nutrition Foundation's 2010 Gene White Lifetime Achievement Award for Child Nutrition. Refugees International advocates for lifesaving assistance and protection for displaced people and promotes solutions to displacement crises. Started in 1979 as a citizens' movement to protect Indochinese refugees, the organization has since expanded to become the leading advocacy organization that provokes action from global leaders to resolve refugee crises. The organization accepts no government or UN funding. Glickman will become Refugees International's third president, succeeding Ken Bacon and Lionel Rosenblatt. Tweet |
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