The World of Children is proud and honored by its association with The City University of New York (CUNY). Since inception, the Chancellor of CUNY has been a member of our International Advisory Council which is the group that casts votes to determine who ultimately wins Honoree status at World of Chi... more >>
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The World of Children Community is a place for you to share and discover the ways in which others have had and you can have a positive impact on the children of the world.
MISSION
To inspire action by children and on behalf of children, the world's largest voiceless minority, by raising global awareness of the state of children's affairs and recognizing the achievements of adults and children with monetary awards in order to support the continuance and enhancement of the good works of those honored.
VISION
To create international acclaim for individuals who are devoting their lives to making the world of children a better place. This will be done by bestowing the world's most coveted awards on these outstanding people, thus providing a platform and resources for expansion of their work.
FOUNDER'S STORY
Harry Leibowitz grew up in Brooklyn, New York the son of immigrants. When he was 13 his father died, leaving the family destitute and forcing Harry to take a night job, which he held for eight years through his graduation from college. His heritage as the son of an orphaned father sensitized him to the plight of children deprived of a safe, healthy, secure environment.
In 1996 while recovering from radical cancer surgery, Harry conceived of the World of Children Awards. His vision - to achieve the status of Nobel and Pulitzer specifically for those dedicating their lives to children - is the guiding principle behind the WOC Awards.
Today, Harry and his wife Kay Isaacson Leibowitz are both retired from successful business careers and spend their time dedicated to cultivating the mission and vision of the World of Children all over the world.
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| JorgeZ |
| Type of Work I do | education, burn treatment, surgery | | More About Me | While working as a plastic surgeon in Santiago, Chile for the Roberto Del Rio Children's Hospital, Jorge Rojas Zegers, M.D., was compelled to commit his life to the youngest burn victims in Latin America. Rojas realized that the need extended beyond medical care for the burns, and that these children would need psychological and emotional care for the long haul. In Chile, long-term treatment was scarce, and many burn victims were unable to complete their education, obtain employment, and return to society to lead fulfilling lives. Therefore, in 1979 he founded Corporacion de Ayunda Nino Quemado (COANIQUEM), which means Corporation to Help Burned Children, to provide the necessary treatment free of charge to allow these children to lead healed, productive, and fulfilled lives. Since its inception, COANIQUEM has benefited the lives of 75,000 children, providing treatment for over 9,000 annually. Rojas' contributions have stretched beyond Chile to many other countries in the Caribbean and Central and South America. His vision of quality burn treatment, involving plastic surgery, scar compression, physical therapy, and treatment of trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorder, has been a model for others in the field as well. Rojas has also worked to generate consciousness of the causes of severe burns and has provoked Chilean legislators to initiate a law prohibiting the domestic use of fireworks and pyrotechnics. Today, COANIQUEM hosts two burn rehabilitation facilities in Chile, but is raising funds for four new COANIQUEM centers in Latin America. These new centers will be like the first two with surgical rooms, dining rooms, and living spaces including hospitality services provided for the families of the burned children. A room is provided for one parent of each victim, so that he or she can stay the entire duration of the rehabilitation process with their child. The new COANIQUEM centers will be sponsored through Rojas' tireless fundraising. For more information, please visit www.coaniquem.cl. | | The Region I work in | Chile |
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If you would like to invite a guest to the community, please email us
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