For almost three decades Karlheinz Böhm had been spending his life on two continents. In Europe, he lives in Austria, and in Africa, where he has found his second home in Ethiopia, the contrast couldn’t be greater. His anger over the unjust and inhumane discrepancies between the rich and the poor was his driving force for his first actions.

It all started with a bet on a German entertainment show, which collected about 850,000 Euros (1.7 million Deutsch Marks) in donations and forever changed his life. He is a person who provides others with more than just hope: sustainable aid for development, education, agricultural know-how, water resources, medical support and the betterment of the role of women in society.

With the donations for his aid organization “People for People,” he has built schools, hospitals and provided clean drinking water, thereby giving millions of Ethiopians hope for a better future.

He was an internationally acclaimed actor famous for his film roles in the Sissy Trilogy, where he played emperor Franz Josef alongside actress Romy Schneider.

They are unbelievably persistent, to the point of irritation. However, they have been undoubtedly successful regardless of their methods. we have their perseverance to thank that the world has taken notice and for increasing environmental awareness, as well as for initiating the Kyoto agreements.

Their engineers developed the “Greenfreeze” technology for the first climate and ozone-friendly refridgerator that, in the meantime, has become the industry standard, significantly reducing greenhouse gases.
Their campaign for “greener electronics” forced an entire industry to produce environmental-friendly appliances. Energy saving has evolved into one of the most important sales arguments for everything from the computer to the car industry.

Energy responsibility is an ongoing process. There is much going on and now it is the time to act – and Greenpeace is acting in all our best interests.

During his remarkable career, Michael Jackson sold more than 750 million records. His second album Thriller became the most commercially successful album of all time. But his professional accomplishments were not the only records he set.

According to the millennium edition of the Guinness “Book of Records” he was named as the Pop artist who supported the most charity projects. The song, We Are the World, which he co-authored with Lionel Richie and recorded with 45 of the most acclaimed music talents in the business, brought in over 65 million US dollars for the suffering people of Africa and also was one of the best-selling songs in pop music history.

He was the “King of Pop,” probably the greatest entertainer of all time. A man who gave his all on stage, but he also gave immensely outside of the limelight like no other: for AIDS, animal, hunger and cancer research charities as well as supporting youth, education, family and environmental initiatives. The list is seemingly endless, and there apparently was no issue that was too trivial for him.

Michael Jackson could hear with his heart and when he was needed, he responded generously with “I’ll be there!”

Water is life. Half the world’s population lives in river basins shared by two or more countries. lack of cooperation between those sharing these precious water resources is causing reduced living standards, devastating environmental problems, and is the source of potential conflicts. It is hardly surprising that tensions – which could degenerate into violent confrontations – arise over this scarce and precious resource.

It is of vital importance for people in these regions that governments, local authorities and civil society remove all obstacles needed for integrated and cooperative water management, protect the limited water resources from pollution and resolve related conflicts.

To ensure that this occurs, outside help is needed. Particularly in Parana la Plata, the Jordan, the Volga, the Okavango, the Volta and the Danube, as well as for the Israel and Palestine area.

What is lonelier than a child without parents or a family? Diseases, death, violence, drugs and war rob children of their parents, their security and all too often the chance for a normal childhood development. They essentially are robbed of their future.

It’s hard to believe that Hermann Gmeiner’s dream of a better world for orphans 60 years ago was met with a great deal of resistance. But a good and virtuous idea cannot be kept down. And so it came to pass that the first house for orphans with mothers to care for them and give them a safe home, a sense of family and above all, hope for a better future, was opened in Tyrol.

This house grew into a village. A village in which children left alone could experience that wonderful feeling of togetherness – a village in which they were joyfully able to experience a real children’s village. Albert Schweitzer called the Children’s Villages the “friendliest miracle of the post-war era.”

This miracle now covers the entire world with almost 1,900 facilities in 132 countries and territories and with more than 70,000 children and teenagers cared for.

As a physicist and environmental activist, she came to conclusion that science and technology predominately served only the interests of the powerful and decided to forgo her promising academic career to battle for the rights of those without a powerful lobby.

In her native India she founded the public interest organization “Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology” in 1982 and then “Navdanja” which was established to protect biodiversity, defend farmers’ right and promote organic farming.

She has assisted grassroot green organizations in a number of countries. Her commitment to humanitarian and environmental causes has brought her much attention and many accolades, including the Alternative Nobel Prize.

with the catch phrase: “Be the change you want to see in the world,” it appears that Mahatma Gandhi defined the guiding idea for a very special woman.

She is a pioneer of the environmental movement and the anti-nuclear position in Austria that was able to generate the public support and force the Chancellor to call for a referendum on the use of nuclear power in Austria. The result was a no-vote against the use of atomic energy in the country.

As a result, the national assembly passed the nuclear nonproliferation law forbidding construction of any power plants on Austrian soil.

Freda Meissner-Blau remained a visionary and at the vanguard of the Austrian green movement for many years, personally leading the fight against the destruction of the primeval force of Hainburg.

Her inspirational leadership became a political movement, which then led to the formation of the Green Party – an environmentally and socially motivated political party in Austria. It has been represented in the Austrian parliament for many years now, provoking and helping to ensure that environmental causes and issues are dealt with. This proves that one person can certainly instigate change.

Carl Lewis is the American track and field star who won ten Olympic medals, including nine gold and ten world championship medals, in a career that spanned almost two decades. He was the dominant sprinter and long-jumper who topped the world rankings in the 100 meters, 200 meters and long-jump events from 1981 to the early ‘90s. His world record in the indoor long-jump has stood since 1984 and his 65 consecutive records in the long-jump achieved over a span of 10 years constitute one of the sport’s undefeated streaks. He won his last Olympic medal in 1996.

He was named “sportsman of the century” by the International Olympic Committee and “Olympian of the century” by Sports Illustrated. He was instrumental in transforming track and field from its nominal amateur status to its current international professional acclaim.

Carl Lewis’ vision and mission are “to empower youth, adults and families through Track & Field activities, and to enhance their life condition through wellness and education.” He therefore established the Carl Lewis Foundation in order to raise awareness among the youth of the world for physical fitness.

At the dawning of the new millennium, representatives of 189 states pledged vigorously to combat poverty on our planet. By 2015 the number of people suffering from hunger and living in poverty should be halved. Furthermore, each individual, especially women and young people, should have the opportunity to find decent employment.

This pledge was not only the start of a very special idea but a global initiative that is geared to minimizing the traditional, political and resource differences between the countries of the world.

Every time we manage to release someone from the shackles of poverty, we are defending human rights” is what former Secretary General Kofi Annan once eloquently stated.

However, a declaration is not enough. Everyone can be part of a global network of solidarity with the poorest of the poor and, by putting pressure on governments, they can ensure that these will follow through on their pledge.