Media Contact:
Heifer International:
Ray White or Jennifer Pierce, 800-422-1311
Ray.white@heifer.org
or jennifer.pierce@heifer.org
Carpenters & Associates:
Christine Volkmer or Jean Carpenter,
214-520-3666 carpenters@carpenterspr.com
March 16, 2006
Bill Clinton Praises Heifer at Dedication of Its New World Headquarters
“End of Poverty” author, U.N. Millennium Project adviser Jeffrey Sachs speaks
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., March 16, 2006 --- Former President Bill Clinton, speaking at the dedication of Heifer International’s new “green” world headquarters, praised Heifer’s more than 60 years of work helping the hungry, saying, “You have to have a world with more partners and fewer enemies—and one by one that’s what Heifer does.”
He said Heifer offers key insights into how to help the world’s poor.
“This great enterprise that we honor today started with an adage that we all learned in childhood, that it’s better to teach a person to fish than it is to give them a fish, but that it’s then their obligation to pass it on.”
Heifer uses gifts of livestock and training to help poor farmers become self-reliant, and requires them to “pass on the gift” of offspring of their livestock to others.
The dedication ceremony, held two and a half years since Clinton helped break ground on the site of a reclaimed brownfield at 1 World Avenue next door to the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, also featured Jeffrey D. Sachs, author of the best-selling book, “The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time,” who said that ending world poverty by 2025 is an achievable goal.
Clinton, standing on a stage centered on a glass-encased stairwell containing a water tower that is an environmental feature of the building, before large pictures of Heifer project participants with their livestock from around the world, said that Heifer has shown that "ordinary people of modest means have the power to change lives half a world away."
And he reminded the crowd of more than 2,000 that half of the world’s people live on less than $2 a day, and that one out of four people who die this year will die of causes related to poverty and hunger. “We have a long way to go,” he said, but Heifer and its partners around the world can help. Even if all countries had governmental programs for their people, he said, there would “still be a gap between what government would do and what people need. Into that gap must step people like you….Heifer is doing that village by village.”
"People like you and me who aren't in government have to do a lot of this work," Clinton said. "Today, we say to the world, look at these people and give them your hand."
The opening of the four-story, 94,000-sq.-ft. office building accomplishes the first phase of a three-phase development of the 33-acre Heifer International Center campus, which will eventually include an educational facility--the Polly Murphy and Christoph Keller Jr. Education Center--and a Global Village to educate the public about pragmatic solutions to hunger and poverty here and abroad.
Jo Luck, President and CEO of Heifer International, thanked President Clinton for his support. “I thank him for helping end hunger and poverty and care for the earth,” she said. And she borrowed a line from the children’s television host Mr. Rogers, commenting on Heifer’s proximity to the Clinton Presidential Center, saying, “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.”
Terarai Trent, who grew up poor in Zimbabwe, told the moving story of how Jo Luck had visited her village, and that she had told her while sitting in the circle with other women that her dream of gaining an education was “achievable,” and used that impetus to go to the United States and earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees before joining Heifer, only to realize later than she was working for the same organization of the woman who had inspired her a decade earlier when she saw her own photo with Jo Luck, seated in a circle in her village in Zimbabwe, in a Heifer brochure.
Others on the program included Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Little Rock Mayor Jim Dailey, Senior Vice President and Corporate Director of Community Development for Regions Financial Corp. and Heifer board chair Charles Stewart of Little Rock, as well as a number of local religious leaders, including The Rev. Christoph Keller III of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Little Rock, Rabbi Eugene Levy of Temple B’Nai Israel, United Methodist Bishop Charles Crutchfield, and Deacon Bo McAllister of the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock.
Gov. Huckabee said the charity was not just abut giving poor people livestock. "It's about mothers and fathers and sons and daughters who wake up every day without a blanket over them and not knowing if there will be a meal for them to share," he said.
And he thanked Heifer praised Heifer’s decision to keep its world headquarters in downtown Little Rock – not only because it would help Arkansas economic development, but for other reasons as well.
"The greatest gift that Heifer International will bring to our state is a reminder to us ... that, blessed as we are, we owe something back and we cannot simply be receivers of the great blessings. We must also be givers," he said.
Mayor Dailey highlighted Heifer's role as a leader among international organizations forming a non-profit corridor in Little Rock, such as the Clinton Presidential Center, Winrock International, with a new “green” building of its own, and Lions World Services for the Blind, which has acquired a site near Heifer for its headquarters.
"These buildings represent a sensitivity to our environment. It's the work and the mission as well as the staff in these buildings that make these buildings special," Dailey said. "We are building more than bridges. We are building more global partners. We celebrate Heifer's partnership and part in giving us a significant place in the world."
The dedication festivities included The Soweto Gospel Choir, an internationally renowned South African singing group currently on tour in America, Gibbs Elementary School choir, and Heifer’s trademark presence of animals including llamas, cows, camels, goats, and sheep.
Guest speaker Dr. Jeffrey D. Sachs said that he envisions an end to world poverty by 2025. Using Tererai Trent’s native language of Shona, Prof. Sachs said, “We are concurring with Terarai’s ‘tenagona’ – it is achievable.”
Following the dedication ceremony, the building was open for tours featuring its many “green” elements – recycled and recyclable materials, soybean and cotton insulation, solar lighting and heating for energy efficiency, an innovative parking lot that collects water for a constructed wetlands surrounding the building, and a 25,000-gallon municipal water tower that collects water from the roof for use flushing toilets and in the building’s radiant heating system.
A celebration luncheon was held at noon for participants in the dedication program and invited guests at the Great Hall of the Clinton Presidential Center. Speakers at the luncheon included North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Henry Hays and KATV (Channel 7) anchor Kate Sullivan, who spoke about her experiences traveling to Honduras as part of a TV crew reporting on Heifer project sites and meeting farmers who are increasing their incomes through Heifer’s livestock development, “Passing on the Gift,” and training in environmentally sound integrated agriculture.
Jan Schrock, daughter of Heifer’s founder Dan West, spoke about her father, a visionary who held his children to demanding standards while creating a number of lasting institutions, among them Brethren World Services for the Church of the Brethren, and Heifer’s for Relief, which became Heifer International.
Heifer’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. For more than 60 years, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently working in more than 50 countries, including the U.S., to help families and communities become more self-reliant. Since 1944 it has helped 38 million people through training in livestock development and livestock gifts that multiply. Every gift of an animal provides benefits such as milk, eggs, wool and fertilizer, increasing family incomes for better housing, nutrition, health care and school fees for children. Recipients “Pass on the Gift” of offspring of their cows, goats and other livestock to others in an ever-widening circle of hope.
For more information, visit www.heifer.org, or call 1-800-696-1918.
Q & A – Heifer International Center
Facts about the dedication of the new Headquarters building
• The celebration is open to the public and free of charge.
• Heifer has proudly scheduled several speakers for this special event, including former President Bill Clinton, Jeffrey Sachs, author of “The End of Poverty” and world-renowned leader in the field of global poverty and hunger; Governor Mike Huckabee, Heifer President and CEO Jo Luck and others.
Purpose: Commemorate the first major milestone for the Heifer International Center, the opening of the first facility on the campus, the World Headquarters building.
Date: March 16, 2006
Time: 10 a.m. -- Because of increased security at the event, guests should plan to arrive by 9 a.m.
Location: Heifer World Headquarters building, 1 World Avenue in Little Rock.
Directions: From downtown, take 3rd Street one block past the Clinton Presidential Center.
Security: Guests should plan to go through security to enter the event. Guests are encouraged to limit personal belongings such as backpacks and large purses as much as possible to expedite the security clearance process.
Parking: Parking will be available on World Avenue, on Third Street and in public parking lots adjacent to the Heifer International Center.
Open house: Building tours will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., immediately following the dedication.
School groups: School groups are welcome. To make arrangements for your group, including seating and parking, please contact Kathy Findley at Kathy.Findley@heifer.org
What is the idea behind the Heifer International Center?
The Heifer International Center will become a worldwide nucleus for global thought leaders of sustainable development, positioning Heifer to do more and better work in the field than ever before, and spreading the ideas for sustainable solutions, bringing hope to the one billion people living on less than $1 a day.
What other purposes will the Heifer International Center serve?
The Center will serve as an international exchange, which will help organizations now operating independently to come together and share best practices—promoting a stronger network in the hunger movement.
Even more, the campus will serve as a unique and important Education Center for the public. Its environmentally friendly construction serves as a reminder of the mission and work of Heifer International around the globe, in addition to highlighting the vital need for promoting sustainability in our everyday lives. The Center will serve as a convergence point for visitors, staff, volunteers, and the international development community to come together to learn more about sustainable, long-term solutions in the worldwide effort to end hunger and poverty.
Please tell me about the different phases of the Heifer International Center
The Heifer International Center is being constructed in three phases:
Phase 1 -- The World Headquarters, where our 200+ staff work to support the organization’s efforts around the globe;
Phase 2 -- The Murphy Keller Education Center, where visitors, staff, volunteers, and the international development community will come together to learn more about Heifer and our mission and to seek solutions in the worldwide effort to end hunger and poverty.
Phase 3 -- A global village: an experiential, immersive educational facility that will educate the public by replicating conditions in impoverished regions around the world. It will help inspire many thousands more people to join Heifer in the fight against world hunger and poverty.
Tell me about the environmental aspects of the Headquarters building:
Heifer is proud of the many cutting-edge environmental aspects of our new Headquarters. It’s a “green” building, specially designed to conserve energy and curb pollution. The building represents Heifer’s commitment to promoting sustainable solutions that protect water quality and all of our natural resources without sacrificing the advantages of having the basic, functional elements of an office environment that maximize our efficiency as an international aid organization. As envisioned, the building’s earth-friendly designs such as a constructed wetlands, a gray-water tower and energy-saving techniques will be a model for other institutions who want to make living in harmony with the earth part of their mission.
Quick facts on the Headquarters and its environmentally friendly design:
• The Headquarters is a narrow 62 feet wide, curved and oriented to maximize exposure to the sun’s energy. These features provide abundant natural light throughout the building for every work station, saving electricity. In addition, light sensors react to the amount of natural sunlight so artificial light is used only when needed, saving energy.
• Heifer expects at least a 40 percent reduction in energy usage and cost compared to conventional construction methods.
• The parking area uses a permeable surface that allows rainwater to be collected in a constructed wetlands -- a vegetation-filled water collection basin that stores the water and purifies it for future use, rather than burdening the city sewage system.
• Water collected from the roof is stored in a standard municipal water tower holding about 25,000 gallons. It is used to flush toilets, in the building’s radiant heating system, and to replenish the constructed wetlands during dry periods.
• An abundance of recycled and renewable materials are found throughout the building: recycled steel, recycled carpet; recycled cotton insulation and insulation made from soybeans byproducts; bamboo floors, bathrooms with recycled tiles and countertops, and partitions recycled from pine sawdust. Recycled materials are used throughout employee workspaces, including in the cubicles, desktops and chairs.
• In order to meet national standards for “green” construction, a majority of the source material for the building was supplied from within a 250-mile radius of the construction site. Doing so saved money, as well as transportation energy.
• A modular raised floor system means maximum economy for heating and cooling the building, and lower costs for servicing its mechanical systems.
What did the new Headquarters building cost to build?
The construction of the new Headquarters building cost $17.5 million.
Why build a new building?
• Overall cost effectiveness: simply put, the new building makes practical business and economic sense. By converting rent money into a mortgage, Heifer will begin realizing cost savings as early as 2010. Therefore, the new Headquarters meets a business need.
• It also give Heifer the ability to centralize staff, which promotes synergies and more efficient working conditions.
• Being able to “walk the talk” by building an environmentally friendly building; As we expect farmers to use agroecology techniques, we hold ourselves accountable to use environmentally sound practices at our headquarters.
• The campus provides new and exciting opportunities for educational programs, an important part of our work to end global hunger.
Please tell me about the wetlands. What purpose does it serve?
Stretching throughout the Heifer International Center campus, the wetlands will serve many purposes.
It will:
• Demonstrate Heifer’s commitment to water conservation and caring for the earth;
• Provide a “living classroom” where visitors can learn about urgent global water issues like water quality, scarcity of potable water and access to water for agriculture.
• Serve as a part of a system that stores, filters and purifies for future use all water that falls as rain on the grounds of the Heifer International Center;
• Promote biodiversity in a natural ecosystem, as opposed to the usual, controlled urban landscape.
Quick facts about the wetlands
• The wetlands will hold nearly 4 million gallons of freshwater.
• The wetlands will be accessible to visitors and staff for observing, studying and better understanding the role of freshwater throughout the world. Raised boardwalks will provide avenues for pedestrian access through the wetlands area.
What LEED rating will the Headquarters achieve?
LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) recognizes excellence in “green” – or environmentally friendly – building design. The certification will be issued only after a period of time when energy use and other factors can be monitored to see how the design of the structure actually performs. The certification will be issued by the U. S. Green Building Council. Heifer expects to receive its LEED rating by the end of 2006.
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Media Contact:
Heifer International: Ray White or Jennifer Pierce, 800-422-1311
Ray.white@heifer.org or jennifer.pierce@heifer.org
Carpenters & Associates: Christine Volkmer or Jean Carpenter, 214-520-3666
carpenters@carpenterspr.com
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