18th Annual New York Circle: Act for Refugees
October 13, 2020
Refugees International’s New York Circle is an annual awards ceremony and celebration recognizing individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership and commitment to critical issues impacting the world’s most vulnerable populations.
Refugees International’s 18th Annual New York Circle event takes place at a critical point, as the COVID-19 pandemic brings new threats to already dire humanitarian crises around the world. Promoting the well-being, the safety, and the rights of the world’s nearly 80 million refugees, asylum seekers, and other forcibly displaced people has never been more urgent a priority.
This year’s New York Circle was transformed into a web-based event with an informative and inspiring program featuring a conversation with our Exceptional Service Awardee, former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, and host of MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House” Nicolle Wallace.
The program also featured moving remarks from Refugees International’s 2020 Richard C. Holbrooke Awardee and founder of Venezolanas Globales Maria Corina Muskus Toro and featured special guest Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield as host and remarks from former United Nations rapporteur Juan Mendez.
Thank you to our generous sponsors:
Humanitarian
Maureen White and Steven Rattner
Changemaker
Jan Weil and Amos Avgar
Visionary
Alexia and Roderick von Lipsey, UBS Private Wealth Management
Benefactor
Sarah Hogate Bacon
Pamela and Edward Feldman
Max Greenberg
Ambassador L. Craig Johnstone
Nina and Dino Saglimbeni
Cheryl Feigenson and Jeffrey Tindell
Frederica and George Valanos
Leader
Joy Lian Alferness and Jonathan Alferness
Darcy Bacon
Elizabeth and Michael Galvin
Irfan Kathwari Foundation
Anonymous
Tat Maxwell and Ted Weaver
Vaithehi Muttulingam and Bala Cumaresan
Darya and Vali Nasr
Eileen Shields-West and Robin West
Advisor
Marianne Gimon d’Ansembourg and Alessandro d’Ansembourg
Catherine Graham and Eric Schwartz
Mariella and Michael Trager
Natacha and Anthony Weiss
Friend
Saida and Sherwood Baxt
Lisa Cantu-Parks and Ryan Parks
Michael Feldman
Susan Gutfreund
Diane and Michael Hawkins
Cynthia Hogan
Elena Kvochko
Augustin Ntabaganyimana
Valerie Spencer