UN ambassadors mingled with film and television royalty at the Waldorf for the annual Global Leadership Awards Dinner, which celebrated “Initiatives in Education” and was sponsored by the United Nations Association of the U.S.A. (UNA-USA). This year’s recipient of the Global Humanitarian Action Award was Oprah Winfrey, who has provided educational opportunities worldwide for those “who have merit but no means” through her foundation, scholars program, and the Oprah Angel Network. In 2007, together with the Education Ministry of South Africa, she will open the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls South Africa.

The Global Leadership Award was presented to power couple Peter Peterson and Joan Ganz Cooney. Peterson, now chair of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Blackstone Group, served as Secretary of Commerce in the Nixon Administration and is the author of the best-selling book Running on Empty (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004), an examination of the political and fiscal irresponsibility of the Democratic and Republican parties. Cooney is co-founder of the Children’s Television Workshop, which is most notably known as the producer of Sesame Street.

Distinguished guests included: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rajat and Anita Gupta, Wendy Luers, Lionel Pincus, Happy Rockefeller, Carroll Petrie, Gayle King, Victor Ganzi, David Dinkins, and Veronica Hearst.

The gala’s emcee was CBS This Morning co-anchor Harry Smith. The illustrious list of speakers included: UNA-USA Prez William Luers, official UN Messenger of Peace Michael Douglas, Princess Firyal of Jordan, Bank of America’s Carter McClelland, David Rockefeller, John Whitehead, and Secretary General Ko. Annan (keeping a low profile during the ongoing investigation of the scandal-ridden food-for-oil program in Iraq).

A worldwide effort to extend the reach of peace and understanding.