Who is the Cause World's MVP (Most Valuable Philanthropist)?
by AARON HORWITZ, Contributing Writer
Yesterday, one of the biggest names in one of the biggest sports in the world lived up to his moniker and was finally crowned king. I’m speaking about 24-year-old LeBron James, who after averaging over 28 points per game to go with 7.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists, has won his first Most Valuable Player award.
That got us here at Causecast to thinking. Certainly philanthropy is no sport, and truthfully, anyone who dedicates their time or resources to making the world a better place is worthy of some kind of award. But just for fun, if we were able to bestow an MVP trophy to one individual this year, who would be most worthy?
We’ve come up with four potential candidates for your consideration:
1) AL GORE: The Vietnam veteran, U.S. senator and Vice President ran for the presidency in 2000, and despite winning the popular vote, ended up losing the election in a nailbiter. But, Gore didn’t curl up in a corner with his tail between his legs and sulk. Instead, he embarked on an ambitious and hugely successful campaign to combat global warming and educate the masses about climate change, eventually winning a Nobel Prize for his efforts. He painted a frightening picture of man’s influence on the planet with An Inconvenient Truth, a book and eventual film that won two Oscars and became the fourth highest grossing documentary of all-time. Always on the cutting edge of technology, he founded Current TV, a cable network for young people that focuses on user-created content and citizen journalism.
2) MIA FARROW: A woman of many talents including singing and modeling, Farrow enjoyed her greatest success as an award-winning actress, a career she sometimes still partakes in today. However, activism has become the true passion in her life. A huge proponent for children’s rights, Farrow herself has adopted 11 children (and given birth to four others). Her latest cause is raising awareness of the genocide in Darfur. Not one to preach from a penthouse, Farrow has visited the Darfur region of Sudan numerous times and has been involved with several campaigns like Dream For Darfur. At the moment, Farrow is using her celebrity status to undergo her most ambitious and dangerous awareness-raising stunt yet; she’s currently on a complete hunger strike for the people of Darfur, and blogging about it on her personal site.
3) MALARIA NO MORE: Unlike many organizations that are founded in the grassroots style and slowly work their way to prominence, Causecast organization Malaria No More was created by News Corp. President and COO Peter Chernin and renowned philanthropist Raymond G. Chambers with an extremely ambitious goal in mind: to make malaria-related deaths a thing of the past. In just two and a half years, their direct investments have led to the purchase of 15 million mosquito nets for families in affected regions. They were also instrumental in securing a pledge of an additional 100 million nets from the July 2008 G8 meeting in Japan. MNM has been featured prominently on American Idol, and has attracted numerous celebrity donors and spokespeople like David Beckham and Ashton Kutcher, effectively raising awareness of malaria and making philanthropy hip in the process.
4) AUNG SAN SUU KYI: Perhaps more worthy of a philanthropic lifetime achievement award, Aung San Suu Kyi is a rare hero you may have never heard of. That’s because she’s been under house arrest in her native country of Burma for over 13 of the past 19 years, and remains there to this day. Born in 1945 to Aung San, the father of Burma’s independence who was assassinated when she was only two years old, she would leave Burma to study in India and London, only to return in 1988 as an uprising against the oppressive military regime was just beginning. After the government brutally massacred peaceful protesters on August 8th, 1988, Suu Kyi ran for president under the National League For Democracy party, and won with an overwhelming 82% of the vote. However, the current government would not recognize the results, and she was placed under house arrest. In her continuing fight for her country’s freedom, she has won the Nobel Peace Prize and literally dozens of other awards. Despite her hardship, Aung San Suu Kyi has never given up hope, and her National League for Democracy is slowly making strides today.
So, who do you think is most deserving of our coveted Most Valuable Philanthropist award? One of these four candidates? Or would you like to nominate someone else entirely?
Strike back in the comments section below and let us know!
Image by the World Economic Forum, flickr
- Posted by Causecast
Related causes: Environment, Health, Human Rights
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For me, that's obvious...Aung San Suu Kyi is the one who should be given this award. She has already done so much, and faced so many hardships...she and her people are still unfree.
Bill and Melinda Gates really should have been on the list, although I'm sure there are dozens of people I've never even heard of who should be in the running.
Not only has Gates contributed a staggering amount in cash, he also has really put forward a huge effort toward developing cures for malaria and new models for fixing public education.
However, I'd have to edge for Aaron Cohen, because he's both the spokesperson for the movement to abolish sex-slaves, but also the man himself going into the brothels to make it happen: getting fired upon and allegedly poisoned in California for what he's done.
This is one a tough decision but I gotta go with Aung San Suu Kyi. To fight for Burma's freedom for so long is an inspiring message to never give up. She and a strong woman!
very good point Lon.. that is an extraordinary amount of support
While I admire all of the candidates listed here and totally agree the Gates Foundation deserves recognition, I think I will throw my vote behind Mr. Gore.
Seems like Bill and Melinda Gates deserve some recognition here, as they run the largest transparently-operated private foundation in the history of the world.
With a total endowment of over $35 billion, Gates' organization donates at least $1.5 billion EACH YEAR.
That's funneling money directly from American consumers to public health and education programs all over the developing world.
I may not be 100% behind everything the guy does (and I have a Mac at home...), but you've got to respect the scale of that kind of philanthropic effort. Gates isn't just raising awareness...he's trying to actually get things done in an immediate sense.