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