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Dr.
Judy Kuriansky |
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Dr. Judy Kuriansky:
Ambassador Katalin Bogyay,
founder of Women4Diplomacy International Reception
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Dr. Judy Kuriansky |
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UN Ambassadors,
Broadway Producers, Artists
and Elites Celebrate Cultural Diplomacy and
Women's Leadership |
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Elegant Reception for
Ambassador Katalin Bogyay,
founder of Women4Diplomacy International
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Ambassador
Katalin Bogyay and Dr. Judy Kuriansky |
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In an elegant
convergence of the arts and international relations, United
Nations ambassadors joined Broadway theatre producers,
dignitaries and elites from the arts and business world for
a reception celebrating Women4Diplomacy International and
honoring its founder, H.E. Katalin Annamária Bogyay, former
Ambassador of Hungary to the United Nations, on the occasion
of her visit to New York City in October 2025 from her
native Hungary |
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The reception, which
I was thrilled to host for my good friend Ambassador Bogyay,
underscored the value of cultural diplomacy -- also called
“soft diplomacy” – which is the promotion, use, and exchange
of all forms of artistic expressions, including music,
painting, and dance, for peace. The event further
highlighted how the worlds of culture and diplomacy
intersect in support of advancing the voice of women in
international affairs and peace, with an emphasis on
dialogue and listening |
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Co-hosts Zeever
Baqar (in black jacket) and Dr. Judy Kuriansky (in green),
honoree Ambassador Katalin Bogyay speaking,
co-host Gloria Starr Kins (seated) |
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As a founding member
of Women4Diplomacy International, I co-hosted the evening
alongside Dame Gloria Starr Kins, Editor-in-Chief of Society
& Diplomatic Review and Zeever Zahra Baqar of the Baqar
Foundation, dedicated to providing free education to
underprivileged
and marginalized communities.
Diplomats attending
the New York City reception from Missions at the United
Nations in New York, who are good friends of both Ambassador
Bogyay and me, included H.E. Ambassador Chola Milambo of the
Republic Zambia; H.E. Laura Flores, former Ambassador of
Panama; H.E. Ambassador Menissa Rambally of Saint Lucia; H.E.
Ambassador Kairat Umarov of Kazakhstan; and Deputy Permanent
Representative Usman Jadoon of Pakistan. Also in attendance
was H.E. Sidique Wai, for whom I served as policy advisor
for his 7-year term as Ambassador of the Republic of Sierra
Leone to the United States in Washington DC. Another close
associate of ours is guest H.E. Anwarul Chowdhury,
former Ambassador of Bangladesh to the U.N who founded the
coalition of civil society organizations “Global Movement
for the Culture of Peace” and initiated the groundbreaking
UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on the role of women in
peace and security. |
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H.E. Ambassador
Laura Flores, H.E. Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury, H.E.
Ambassador Bogyay, H.E. Ambassador Menissa Rambally |
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Vladimir Božović,
Consul General of the Republic of Serbia
and H.E. Kairat Umarov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the UN
in New York |
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Cecilia Milambo
and her husband H.E. Ambassador Chola Milambo of the
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United
Nations
in New York |
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From the theater
world, the event welcomed many of my good friends who are
Broadway theatre producers and investors, including Jamie
DeRoy
(15-time Tony award winner), Nolan Duran (“Cabaret”, Museum of Broadway),
Winston Hatta (“Operation Mincemeat” “Evita” in London’s
West End), Gwen Arment (“Come From Away” “Water for
Elephants”), Jane Bergčre (“Beetlejuice”, Tony winner),
Emily McGill (“Othello”) and Valentina Berger (producer of a
musical about Frida Kahlo in development for Broadway).
Their presence highlighted the entertainment industry's
support for the arts for peace as well as women's
advancement in global leadership roles. I am proud to
currently be an investor in the now-playing hit musical
“Buena Vista Social Club” (winner of 5 Tony awards) and the
hit Samuel Beckett play revival of “Waiting for Godot” (by
hot director Jamie Lloyd and starring Keanu Reeves and Alex
Winter) as well as the upcoming Broadway sure-to-be-hits
productions of “GIANT” starring John Lithgow and “Oedipus”. |
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Theatre producers
and investors: Jane Bergčre, Gwen Arment, Winston Hatta,
Jamie DeRoy, Dr. Judy Kuriansky, Nolan Doran |
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Jamie DeRoy,
Ambassador & Deputy Permanent Representative M. Usman Iqbal
Jadoon of the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United
Nations in New York, Dr. Judy Kuriansky, Zeever Baqar, Nolan
Doran |
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Producer
Valentina Berger, Dr. Judy Kuriansky, Ambassador Katalin
Bogyay |
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Producer Emily
McGill with Ambassador Chowdhury leaning to greet
Dame Gloria Starr Kins |
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Among the
distinguished guests, global luminaries and New York
cultural elites were Jane Pontarelli, President of the 3West
Club; Dr. Adaeze Okika, Senior Advisor to the Permanent
Observer Mission to the UN of the Pan-African
Intergovernmental Agency on Water and Sanitation Agenda;
visionary designer Giuseppe Signorrini; cryptocurrency
entrepreneur Brock Pierce; influencer TINU; producer Steve
Garrin; UN photographer John Nyaku and Chinese Monthly
journalist Yiling Li with her father, Yiling Li (right) with
her father, internationally-acclaimed calligrapher and
art-for-peace exhibitor Professor Guodong Li; Cecilia
Milambo, President of the United Nations Delegation Spouses'
Club; feminist social justice activist and journalist
Ruchira Gupta, founder of Apne Aap Woman Worldwide; and
noted behavioral scientist and psychologist Dr. Lori Foster,
President of the International Association of Applied
Psychology (IAAP), an influential NGO which I have been
representing at the UN for the past 22 years. |
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Susan C. Beer,
Guiseppe Signorrini, Dr. Adaeke Okika, Ambassador Bogyay,
Ambassador Chowdhury, Gwen Arment, Dr. Judy Kuriansky, Jane
Bergčre,
Dr. Lori Foster, Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe |
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Dr. Lori Foster,
Ambassador Bogyay, Dr. Judy Kuriansky, Winston Hatta, Nolan
Dolan, Zeever Baqar, TINU |
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Dr. Adaeke Okika,
Ambassador Sidique Wai, Ambassador Milambo, Dr. Judy
Kuriansky, Winston Hatta, Nolan Doran |
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(right): crypto
entrepreneur Brock Pierce |
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TINU, Zeinab
Chamsine, Ambassador Milambo, Dr. Judy Kuriansky,
Guiseppe Signorrini, Jane Pontarelli |
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Steve Garrin,
Valentina Berger, Zeever Baqar, Dr. Judy Kuriansky,
Susan C. Beer, Dr. Adaeze Okika |
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The organization's
launch represents a significant step toward creating
networks and opportunities for women in international
relations dedicated to peace —a field where gender parity
remains an ongoing challenge. |
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Feminist Ruchiro
Gupta (in blue jacket) addressing the group |
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Cohosts Zeever
Baqar and Dr. Judy Kuriansky |
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Perfectly reflecting
cultural diplomacy, the event was held in Gloria Starr Kins’
apartment, replete with paintings, sculptures, and artworks
of all forms from throughout the world. A veteran UN
Correspondent, society and diplomatic editor of many
newspapers, the 97-year-old Kins is well known as an iconic
host of cultural salons. She told the guests how she and I
were enthused to host Ambassador Bogyay as we both have been
good friends of hers for years.
As such, guests were treated to a musical performance by
internationally acclaimed pianist and composer Russell
Daisey and violinist Yevginy Dyo from Kazakhstan, who
performed compositions including by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók. Also, Japanese performing artist Kanami
Kusajima did an improvisational dance. |
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Kazakhstani
violinist Yevginy Dyo, Dr. Judy Kuriansky,
pianist/composer Russell Daisey |
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With a long career
as a cultural bridge-builder and broadcast journalist,
Ambassador Bogyay is the President of the UN Association of
Hungary and of the Cultural Diplomacy and the Arts Plan of
the Berlin-based Institute of Cultural Diplomacy, and served
as President of the 36th UNESCO General Conference. In her
remarks at the event, she described her vision of women in
peacebuilding and cultural diplomacy, having just convened
an international conference in Budapest the week before
about the future of the United Nations at 80 years old and
Art4Peace which I attended and spoke at. |
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Ambassador Bogyay
speaking |
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“This year when we
are celebrating the 80th anniversary of the United Nations,
we are taking note of all the possibilities and challenges
this august body is facing,” remarked Ambassador Bogyay. “I
am convinced about the value of ‘soft power’ that uses art,
music and all forms of cultural expression to create
meaningful relationships between people, nations and
cultures, as an important part of diplomacy especially
during times of war.”
“We are also advocating for the important role of women in
high-level positions in creating real conversation,
listening together, and finding solutions together to direct
the peace process,” she added. “This is becoming more and
more visible and important.” |
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Dr Judy Kuriansky
(speaking), Ambassador Bogyay, Russell Daisey (behind with
yellow tie), art curator Chuck Huller (in blue tie) TINU
and Dame Gloria Starr Kins (seated) |
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Dr Judy Kuriansky |
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In my comments
during the gala evening, I noted the significance of this
event on the eve of the historic peace agreement between
Israel and Hamas brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump,
which was welcomed by those assembled at the event, and
concluded by leading the group in a practice to promote
peace within, between and among others, and in the world.
The event was further meaningful to me given my commitment
to the mission of Women4Diplomacy International, as a
long-time peacebuilder and gender champion, university
professor, first responder at disasters worldwide, author of
many books including on Middle East peace (“Beyond Bullets
and Bombs”), and co-producer of many events at the UN,
including for the Commission on the Status of Women and
World Interfaith Harmony Week. Over 22-year years at the
United Nations as a mental health advocate, I have played a
role in securing mental health and wellbeing in the UN 2030
Agenda, Global Digital Compact, and many other international
agreements. Also, as a strong advocate on behalf of
Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality, and in my
current role as Advisor to the Mission of Sierra Leone to
the UN, I have been assisting H.E. First Lady Fatima Maada
Bio in promoting the rights of women and girls in her
“Hands Off Our Girls” initiative.
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Co-host Zeever
Baqar speaking, with Dr. Judy Kuriansky
and Ambassador Bogyay |
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In her comments, Ms.
Baqar spoke about the concept of soft power and how “each
person's network functions as a miniature United Nations.”
She emphasized that “we all serve as diplomats in our own
spheres of influence, working to bridge divides and discover
shared ground among people from different backgrounds. In
this vision, everyone contributes to building connections
and fostering understanding as members of a global community |
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Guests at the
reception |
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Journalist Yiling Li (in blue jacket) with
her father
Professor Guodong Li |
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(right to left)
The honorable Reverend Canon Grzegorz Stasiak giving a
blessing, Guiseppe Signorrini, Tomaczek Bednarek, Chuck
Huller, Dr. Judy Kuriansky, and Gloria Starr Kins (seated)
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The event (as noted
above) was a continuation in New York City -- of celebrating
Women4Diplomacy International, Art for Peace, and UN@80 (the
UN’s 80th birthday) in Budapest, Hungary, at a day-long
event produced by Ambassador Bogyay. Testament to cultural
diplomacy, the event included a morning exhibit of artworks
from various country Embassies in Hungary with their
respective Ambassador’s commentary, as well as an afternoon
of two panels, at which I spoke and Zeever offered a
commentary. |
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Speakers at Panel
in Budapest, Hungary at Ambassador Bogyay’s event for
Women4Diplomacy, Art4Peace and UN@80: Dr. András Nagy,
Research Fellow of IASK Institute of Advanced Studies,
Kőszeg; Zeever Zahra Baqar; Mark Donfried, Founding Director
General of the Institute of Cultural Diplomacy, New York-Potzdam;
Dr. Judy Kuriansky; Dr. Anikó Szalai, Member, United Nations
Association of Hungary, and Chair, Dr. Eszter Lukács, Vice
President for International and Strategic Relations,
Széchenyi István University, Győr |
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Ambassador Bogyay
watching the performances at the New York reception |
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Zeever Baqar, Dr.
Judy and Russell Daisey celebrating the success of the
night! |
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Bookmark Dr. Judy's Column on Black Tie International
Magazine
https://blacktiemagazine.com/Judy_Kuriansky/Judy_Kuriansky_Main_page.htm
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