Friends The Happy Couple Might Have Met Through?

I think the guest list is going to be very interesting...............


These two maybe at the Venice Film Festival?  They are all friends.......


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La sfida di Kofi Annan:Acqua e istruzione in Africa

Il Nobel premiato da Veltroni: «Procediamo a passi piccoli ma importanti»
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La cerimonia in Campidoglio






22/06/2007



Con una cerimonia in Campidoglio il sindaco di Roma Walter Veltroni ha conferito la cittadinanza onoraria all'ex segretario generale e premio Nobel per la pace dell'Onu Kofi Annan insieme al premio "Città del Millennio" che riconosce l’impegno di Annan per la pace e per la lotta alla fame e alla povertà. E uno dei principali obiettivi dell’ex segretario generale dell’Onu sarà proprio quello di Portare acqua potabile nei villaggi dell’Africa subsahariana e banchi di scuola ai bambini delle comunità rurali. E' compiendo “piccoli passi ma importanti” ha ricordato Annan “in azioni concrete quelle che finora sono rimaste promesse” che si vincono “le battaglie globali”. Nell’ambito di ‘Running out of time’ – ‘Fuori tempo massimo’, la conferenza internazionale dei governi locali per la valutazione a medio termine degli Obiettivi di sviluppo del millennio delle Nazioni Unite in corso questi giorni in Campidoglio. Dinanzi ai rappresentanti di 50 città del Nord e del Sud del mondo, da Montreal a Kigali, Annan ha detto che “la speranza di sradicare la povertà dal mondo è tutta riposta nell’azione degli enti e delle comunità locali”, in quella che ha definito “democrazia dal basso”. Secondo Annan, conseguire gli obiettivi del Millennio entro il 2015 “riguarda tutti, anche l’uomo di strada che nel suo piccolo può fare molto per esercitare quella pressione sui governi indispensabile per richiamarli alle loro responsabilità”.

Il ruolo dei governi locali sarà invece fondamentale per arginare il fenomeno della ‘urbanizzazione della povertà quando “il 50% della popolazione mondiale vivrà nelle città e si porrà il problema di far fronte alla povertà nelle periferie”. A sette anni dalla Dichiarazione del Millennio che egli stesso contribuì a stilare nel 2000, “abbiamo gettato le basi per lo sviluppo e ora dobbiamo ingranare la marcia per farlo crescere”, ma – ha avvertito Annan – “i prossimi impegni da stabilire dovranno essere netti, chiari e sostenuti da una programmazione coerente”. Anche Veltroni ha affermato che: “I fatti non ammettono più alcuna scusa: se tutto continuerà ad andare come in questi sette anni, nessun singolo obiettivo del millennio sarà raggiunto appieno entro il 2015” e segnerebbe un fallimento con conseguenze per tutti, in particolare i più poveri.

Google:

In a ceremony at the Capitol, the mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni has conferred honorary citizenship to former Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize along with the UN Kofi Annan "Millennium City" which recognizes the commitment of Annan Peace and for the fight against hunger and poverty. And one of the main objectives of the former UN secretary-general will be to Bring drinking water in villages and sub-Saharan Africa to school children in rural communities. And 'making' small but important steps "Annan recalled" into action those who so far have remained promises "you win" the global battles. "As part of 'Running out of time' - 'Out of the maximum time', the international conference of local governments for the mid-term evaluation of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations in the course these days in the Capitol. Before the representatives of 50 cities of the North and South of the world, from Montreal to Kigali, Annan said that "the hope of eradicating poverty from the world is all stored in the action of the institutions and local communities," in what has called "grassroots democracy". According to Annan, to achieve the Millennium Goals by 2015, "all persons, including the man of the road in her little can be done to exert pressure on governments that is essential for holding them accountable."

The role of local governments will be fundamental to stem the phenomenon of 'urbanization of poverty when "50% of the world population will live in cities and they pose the problem of tackling poverty in the suburbs." Seven years after the Millennium Declaration that he himself helped to draw up in 2000, "we have laid the foundations for the development and now we have to engage the gear to make it grow," but - warned Annan - "the next commitments will be to establish net , supported by a clear and consistent programming. "Veltroni also stated that: "The facts do not admit of no more excuse: if everything continues to go as in the past seven years, no single objective of the millennium will be fully achieved by 2015" and would mark a failure with consequences for all, in particular the poorest.

I love VFF

OK, what am I missing here? Title of the thread is friends they may have met through and the article is about Kofi Annan being given an honoury citizenship.

Thanks Katie.. thought it was just me having a really weird day ( blah!)

Katie, this is Walter Veltroni, former Rome Mayor and friend of His Nibs who is thought to be officiating the wedding. Apparently did the paperwork for it yesterday according to Corriere dell Sera

Ok, but how does this relate to Walter possibly being the person who introduced George and Amal?

They are all (Annan, Veltroni, Clooney) friends. Amal works (or worked) for Annan, he lives on Como too.

Just wondering why it's Veltroni who' reportedly is officiating. That's the connection I wondered about.......and possibly I'm adding 2 + 2 to make 5!?!

If he's authorized by law, why couldn't he.  Don't understand the quandary.Who should officiate?

Ah, ok, I'm with you now.

Pigpen wrote: Se lui è autorizzato dalla legge, perché non poteva. Non capisco il quandary.Who dovrebbe officiare?

Walter Veltroni had to have a mandate from the prefecture of Venice to officiate the wedding because he is no longer mayor for many years and do not see it even more on the political scene

George has clout, esp in Italy.  No way Veltroni was going to be turned down by the prefecture.  Can you imagine the negative PR that would have generated.

Well, as a former Democratic Party leader and mentor of Renzi, I don't honestly think it would be a problem, Lela. He's now getting into films, isn't he? And basketball!!

I am so, so confused.

What are we talking about here?

The possibility that George and Amal could have met longer ago than last September when they reportedly met.  Walter who is going to marry them knows both Kofi and George from years ago and Amal worked with/for Kofi.  2+2 = 182

Oh, okay. And I guess that would be a super romantic reason for Veltroni to officiate. Nice touch, if true.

And Kofi could be the ring bearer!

melbert wrote:And Kofi could be the ring bearer!

Oh I thought maybe dear Einstein would have that honour Mel !