Refugees International's 33rd Anniversary Dinner took place at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on May 10, 2012 in Washington, DC. Guests were welcomed into the auditorium by the Taiko Drums of the Nen Daiko Ensemble. RI Board Member Matt Dillon MCed the evening’s program, in which Her Majesty Queen Noor presented Lauren Bush Lauren with RI's highest honor, the McCall-Pierpaoli Humanitarian Award. Congressman Chris Smith and the late Congressman Donald Payne (posthumously) were awarded with the Congressional Leadership Award by RI Board Member Sam Waterston for their work revolving around human rights. Kati Marton and her daughter Elizabeth Jennings also presented the second annual Richard C. Holbrooke Leadership Award to Colette Lespinasse for her activism in Haiti. The evening's festivities were concluded with an outstanding performance by talented students of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts: vocalist Julia Braxton and pianist Julian Spires.
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Over 500 guests joined Refugees International at the Mellon Auditorium to celebrate 33 years of lifesaving advocacy.