XUNICEF News and Views

From Rome with love

  Growing up, I often heard that relentless pursuit makes dreams come true. For many of my young friends, that dream meant professional success and wealth. I didn’t give it much thought—until my perspective shifted after becoming a journalist.

UNICEF/UNI120444/Noorani Editor's Note : Tetsuko Kuroyanagi has served as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF since 1984.  Click here for Kuroyanagi-san's page on UNICEF.org.    In the exchange of emails below Sam Koo shares his message to our long-retired colleague, Nagayo Sawa, asking that she pass on his congratulations to Tetsuko Kuroyanagi-san on having reached 90 and committed to continuing her work to age 100.   Kul Gautam adds his own congratulations and recalls awarding Kuroyanagi-san UNICEF's medal of recognition on the 20th anniversary of her service with UNICEF.   In our September 2020 Quarterly we included an excerpt from the lovely story, Little Girl at the Window , written by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi.   From Sam Koo Dear Sawa-san, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Lo and behold, the New York Times today carries a 4-column front page story with photos on our beloved Tetsuko. Click here for the full article in the NY Times A belated tribute to a great la...

I just lost a great friend. Marco Vianello-Chiodo (1932 - 2023) was my boss and friend at Unicef and the United Nations. Our friendship continued after he retired from the UN in 1995. A tall man of integrity, honesty, humor, and great warmth, the Venice-born Marco hosted us repeatedly at his sumptuous apartment in London and the mountaintop villa just outside of Cetona in Tuscany. We had almost weekly exchanges via Whatsapp and email. Only a few weeks ago, we agreed to meet again in Tuscany in early October. During my Unicef years, we traveled together to many places including Gaborone (Botswana), Guatemala, Rio, Rome, Geneva, Oxford, Moscow and Seoul. I will miss him. Rest in peace Marco. Sam Koo