Roberto Baggio - Official web site

Aung San Suu Kyi: "Thanks Roberto Baggio, I'd like to meet you!"

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:18:05 +0100

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Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi party to re-enter politics

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:35:30 +0100

On Friday her National League for Democracy said it would register to run in the as yet unscheduled by-elections. The party boycotted the last polls in November 2010, the first in 20 years. Meanwhile the US is to send Hillary Clinton to Burma next month, amid what President Barack Obama called "flickers of progress" in the nation. Mr Obama spoke to Aung San Suu Kyi before deciding to send Mrs Clinton, who will be the first US secretary of state to visit in 50 years. BBC South East Asia correspondent Rachel Harvey says the developments are being seen as endorsements of the steps taken by the military-backed but civilian-led government towards political reform. 'Unanimous decision' The announcement followed a meeting of 100 senior NLD leaders in Rangoon. "We unanimously decide that the National League for Democracy (NLD) will register according to party registration laws, and we will take part in the coming by-elections," a party statement said. It boycotted the previous polls because of election laws that banned Aung San Suu Kyi - a former political prisoner - from running. But this regulation has since been dropped, and Aung San Suu Kyi said she now wanted the party to contest all 48 seats left vacant in parliament by the appointment of ministers. A spokesman for the NLD said it was likely that Aung San Suu Kyi would run for office. And the pro-democracy leader herself said she would do what she thought was necessary. "If I think I should take part in the election, I will. Some people are worried that taking part could harm my dignity. Frankly, if you do politics, you should not be thinking about your dignity," AFP news agency quoted her as saying. "I stand for the re-registration of the NLD party. I would like to work effectively towards amending the constitution. So we have to do what we need to do." Source: BBC

FAO World Food Day focuses on swinging food prices - Rome 2011

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:08:13 +0100

United Nations Agency chiefs and top international personalities met today to celebrate World Food Day, whose focus this year is on the recent wave of food price swings which threatens to push millions more people into hunger. "Food prices - from crisis to stability," was chosen as the World Food Day theme for 2011 following five consecutive years of unstable and often rising food prices, which currently stand close to record levels. Commemorating FAO's founding in 1945, World Food Day is celebrated in at least 150 countries across the globe. This year it also marked the 60th anniversary of the Organization's move from its first seat in Washington to Rome. In a message to the World Food Day ceremony at FAO headquarters, Pope Benedict XVI said that fighting famine and hunger required both immediate and long-term solutions. Horn of Africa In a clear reference to the crisis in the Horn of Africa, with famine declared in southern Somalia, the Pope said: "In the face of the death of entire communities due to hunger and the forced abandonment of people's lands of origin, immediate assistance is essential, but it is necessary also to intervene in the medium and long-terms so that international activity is not only responding to emergencies. He described as "lamentable" the idea gaining ground that food was just merchandise and thus "subject to speculative movements". Agriculture promoted economic growth, he declared: "Agricultural work should not be considered as a secondary activity, but rather as an object of all strategies for growth and integral development." "Liberation from the yoke of hunger is the first concrete manifestation of the right to life," he added. More investment needed Inaugurating the ceremony FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf said that more than $80 billion of additional investment is required annually in agriculture and related activities to ensure food supplies for the world in 2050. Greater investment is the key to mitigating food price fluctuations and building poor people and nations' resilience, said, adding: "The background to the devastating impact of soaring and volatile food prices on the livelihoods of the poor is 20 years of under-investment in agriculture and neglect of the sector." The crisis in the Horn of Africa shows that both short and long-term responses are needed and that predictable financial resources are required to tackle the root causes of famine and food insecurity, Diouf noted. Make it happen "The world has the knowledge and financial means needed to ensure food security for all, and thus a more stable world. Now is the time to make it happen," he concluded. Michelle Bachelet, former President of the Republic of Chile and current UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN Women, said in a keynote speech that a significant cause of food insecurity is "the poverty and discrimination faced by women and girls, including women farmers". "Since women are on the frontlines of food security, we need to put their needs and rights at the forefront of trade and agricultural policies and investments to move from crisis to stability," she declared. Empowering women "If the world is to meet the challenge of feeding people today and 9 billion people by 2050, we must invest in girls and women, who are key to food security... Empowering women and girls is key to progress in development, food security and improved nutrition," she added. In a message read to the ceremony, Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and current Chair of the African Union, said that Africa and sub-Saharan Africa in particular is bearing the brunt of the food price crisis. He identified the priorities for Africa as "improving productivity and competitiveness of small farmers, investment in agriculture and policies related to land tenure". He called for a spirit of national and international solidarity to reduce the number of people suffering hunger round the world. Info ati: FAO Follow Roberto on Facebook at: Roberto Baggio fan page - official

Roberto Baggio's visit in Peru

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 11:30:04 +0100

Former football star and FAO Goodwill Ambassador, Roberto Baggio, today concluded his visit to Peru during which he experienced firsthand the support given by the European Union (EU) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to over 10 000 families affected by the floods that struck the Cusco and Puno regions of Peru in January 2010. 1993 European Footballer of the Year, Baggio, traveled to Peru as part of the "Professional Football Against Hunger" Campaign, a joint initiative of the Association of European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL), FAO and the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission (ECHO). This campaign seeks to raise awareness of the unacceptable levels of hunger in the world. During his visit to the Matinga and Quillihuay communities in the Cusco region on 11 May, Baggio met with small-scale farmers and alpaca breeders who have benefited from ECHO and FAO support. "The assistance given to these families has helped them to recover from the terrible tragedy they suffered," said the footballer. "I am happy to have spent time with them and to be a part of this joint effort between FAO and the European Union", he added. Through the distribution of quality seeds, tools and veterinary medicines, the repairing of irrigation canals, the recovery of damaged land, and the provision of technical assistance, a FAO project funded by ECHO has allowed over 10 000 families to rebuild their livelihoods and agricultural and livestock production systems, lost during the January 2010 floods. "The beneficiaries of this FAO project, funded by the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission are small-scale farmers and livestock breeders who depend on their crops and animals to survive. This is one of Peru's poorest areas," said Alvaro De Vicente, in charge of ECHO's Office for South America. "The European Commission considers its partnership with FAO as fundamental," added De Vicente. "Most of our funding in South America is destined to emergency response and food aid. FAO brings the key technical know-how that is essential for providing effective agricultural assistance to farmers, as well as important knowledge on how to protect and adapt crops, stabilize soil and manage water," he explained. "Our objective is, on the one hand to help the victims recover, and on the other to reduce future risks." After returning from his visit to the Cusco region, Baggio spent time with children from Oscar Ibanez's Football School, in Lima where he demonstrated the football skills which have made him one of the sport's legendary figures. ALL THE PHOTOS: FLICKR

Roberto Baggio visit Peru for anti-hunger campaign

Tue, 10 May 2011 18:00:52 +0100

Roberto Baggio, Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), will be in Peru between 11 and 13 May as part of the campaign "Professional Football Against Hunger. " According to FAO, Baggio will announce joint initiatives of the Department of Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection of the European Commission (ECHO), the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) and FAO in support of victims of hunger. Baggio will visit the province of Calca, an area affected by the floods of 2010 and will be in Lima, where they will play with a group of children.

Roberto with Stefano Borgonovo "Attaccante Nato"

Wed, 04 May 2011 12:07:54 +0100

Visit site of Fondazione Stefano Borgonovo

Happy Birthday Roberto! Now also on Facebook!

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:10 +0100

Happy Birthday Roberto, now also on Facebook: Here.

Roberto Baggio fan page - official

Roberto Baggio at the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:12:18 +0100

Roberto Baggio receives the 2010 Peace Award Roberto speaks at the World Summit on Nobel Peace Laureates Roberto with some survivors of the Hiroshima's tragedy Others photos of the Summit: Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3 Photo 4 Photo 5 Photo 6 Photo 7 Photo 8

Roberto Baggio " Very happy for Aung San Suu Kyi"

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 14:33:06 +0100

Nobel laureates attending a peace summit in Hiroshima on Saturday celebrated with toasts the news of Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's release. The freed dissident was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her "non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights" and past winners greeted news of her release at an annual gathering. "It's wonderful," said former South African president F.W. de Klerk, who won the Peace Prize in 1993 with Nelson Mandela for efforts to end apartheid in the country. "We would like to have her next year with us." The news reached Hiroshima as the city hosts the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, with six past Nobel Peace laureates including exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. Former Italian football player Roberto Baggio, who has been picked for this year's World Peace Award bestowed by Nobel Peace Prize laureates, also joined the celebration. "Just very happy, absolutely," he said as he got off a cruise ship on a tour given on an invitation of Hiroshima governor. De Klerk and Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace recipient and a lawyer promoting human rights in Iran, also heard the news and toasted on the ship. "I will go to Burma (Myanmar), or rather I hope to be able to go because I tried in the past without results," Baggio said. He was singled out for his long-time charity work, particularly in Myanmar in trying to win freedom for Suu Kyi and also his fund-raising for victims of the Haiti earthquake, according to the office of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. Baggio, a convert to Buddhism, is to receive his accolade here on Sunday. Suu Kyi walked free after seven years as a prisoner in her own home, calling on a sea of jubilant supporters to unite in the face of repression. Waving and smiling, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner appeared outside the crumbling lakeside mansion where she had been locked up by the military rulers, to huge cheers and clapping from the waiting crowds. The 2010 peace summit calls for a global nuclear disarmament in Hiroshima, the city obliterated by a US atomic bomb attack in 1945. Those who could not attend the summit include this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, who is imprisoned in China. US President Barack Obama, who was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize partly for his commitment to nuclear disarmament, missed the meeting due to a scheduling conflict with the Group of 20 meeting in Seoul and an APEC meeting in Japan. Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, who received the prize in 1990 for his role in ending the Cold War, cancelled for health reasons. Source: AFP

Aung San Suu Kyi has been released with no conditions on her freedom

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 14:20:25 +0100

Freed democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi addressed her supporters and reporters Sunday in Myanmar. "I am for national reconciliation, I am for dialogue and ... whatever authority I have, I would like to use toward that end. And I hope the people will support me," she said, speaking to reporters at the headquarters of her National League for Democracy party. The country's ruling military junta freed Suu Kyi from house arrest Saturday to a throng of joyous supporters who rushed toward her house once the gates were opened. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient in 1991, had spent 15 of the past 21 years under house arrest for her dogged opposition to authoritarian rule in the nation formerly known as Burma. "They have treated me well on a personal basis. But they have not acted in accordance with the rule [of law]. And that I shall always fight against," she said Sunday. "I don't think any country can survive as a prosperous and dignified nation unless there is rule of law," she said. "The people cannot have security unless there is rule of law. And I believe my treatment and that of all prisoners is not within the norms of justice, but that does not mean that I have been ill-treated personally." Recently, Suu Kyi had little outside human contact except for two maids and visits from her doctor. Sometimes, she spoke to supporters over the wall of her compound.

Baggio wins special award from peace laureates

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 10:44:50 +0100

Italian soccer star Roberto Baggio is this year's winner of a special award bestowed annually by world's Nobel Peace Prize laureates. Baggio, 43, the FIFA player of the year in 1993, was chosen Tuesday for the Peace Summit Award 2010 for his longtime efforts in charities, including pressing for the freedom of Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's detained pro-democracy leader and Peace laureate, the office of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates said Tuesday. Baggio is more known for his soccer glory. But he has also helped fund hospitals, including raising money to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake and fighting bird flu, as well as supporting the work of the United Nations. This year's meeting of laureates, set to start Friday, is in the southwestern Japanese city of Hiroshima, where the U.S. atomic bomb killed 140,000 people in 1945, ending World War II. Previous such summits were held in Europe. This year, the laureates will also be giving a special award to the representatives of the bomb victims, "to honor all those who have witnessed and endured the tragic consequences of nuclear bombardments and war, warning with their unbearable suffering present and future generations," the group said in a statement. Past winners of the Peace Summit Award include British musician Peter Gabriel, American actors George Clooney and Don Cheadle, and Italian comedian and director Roberto Benigni. Hopes for nuclear nonproliferation and pacifism are strong in Hiroshima. And the peace meeting this year will focus on nuclear disarmament, organizers say. Tibetan religious leader the Dalai Lama, Lech Walesa of Poland, former South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk and East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta are scheduled to attend.

World Food Day 2010

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:12:34 +0100

United against Hunger

The theme of this year's observance is United against hunger, chosen to recognize the efforts made in the fight against world hunger at national, regional and international levels. Uniting against hunger becomes real when state and civil society organizations and the private sector work in partnership at all levels to defeat hunger, extreme poverty and malnutrition. In 2009, the critical threshold of one billion hungry people in the world was reached in part due to soaring food prices and the financial crisis, a "tragic achievement in these modern days", according to FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf. On the eve of the hunger summit, Dr Diouf launched an online petition to reflect the moral outrage of the situation. The "1 billion hungry project" reaches out to people through online social media to invite them to sign the anti-hunger petition at www.1billionhungry.org. On this World Food Day 2010, when there have never been so many hungry people in the world, let us reflect on the future. With willpower, courage and persistence - and many players working together and helping each other - more food can be produced, more sustainably, and get into the mouths of those who need it most.

Myanmar to free Suu Kyi days after election: officials

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:24:16 +0100

YANGON -- Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi will be released just days after Myanmar's first election in two decades, officials said Thursday. The Nobel Peace laureate, who has been detained for most of the last twenty years since winning the country's last general election, will be freed when her current term of house arrest expires on November 13, the unnamed sources said. "November will be an important and busy month for us because of the election and because of Aung San Suu Kyi's release," a Myanmar official told AFP, noting the release would come soon after the country's November 7 poll. A second Myanmar official, who also declined to be named, confirmed the release date, adding "she will be released on that day according to the law". Neither Suu Kyi nor her National League for Democracy (NLD) party will participate in the first poll since their 1990 victory and the vote has been dismissed as a sham aimed at hiding military power behind a civilian facade. Suu Kyi was initially sentenced to three years in jail and hard labour last year after a bizarre incident in May in which American John Yettaw swam to her lakeside house. At first she was held at Myanmar's feared Insein prison but was allowed to return to her crumbling family mansion in August 2009 after her sentence was commuted to one and a half years house arrest by junta leader Than Shwe. Her lawyer Nyan Win said the period of detention started with her imprisonment on May 14 2009 -- a few days before she was due to be freed from a previous round of confinement. He said authorities will have to release her in November because "there is no law to extend her house arrest". "So far we have no plan in advance for her release date. We will do and follow whatever she asks for. We are waiting for that day," Nyan Win added. Source: AFP

Roberto back in Coverciano: He studies to be a coach and...

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:20:28 +0100

It's not another chapter of the same book. Oh no. It's a whole new story. Roberto Baggio has made up him mind to enroll on the UEFA third category coaches course. He's coming back. The greatest of the great is coming back to football. After much careful thought and consideration, we understand he made up his mind just three days ago. Roberto is coming back. And this is no ordinary comeback by no ordinary guy, this is the comeback of the year. It's the start of new era and the first steps in a new direction, i.e. to share his talent and experience with the football world, to give it a taste of pure genius. Baggio the coach: as a footballer he never spent much time on the bench, but now the bench may be about to see something great. FROM SEPTEMBER -- The future coach has always been one to approach things gradually, take them one step at a time, and learn the basics first. Roberto wants to know, to learn and to understand: it's what he used to do before every knee operation, tormenting the doctors with question after question; he'll do the same in this new adventure, because it's only right he starts from the basics. It's this thirst to find out how the other half of the football world works that will carry him through his Course B coaching course: Coverciano welcomes him with open arms. The new 2010-2011 course commences in September and will run through to May. It's called the UEFA B Course and a total of 40 applications have been received from across Italy. Students will be able to carry out part of the course in their home cities. TWO YEARS -- Baggio, who retired from football on 16 May 2004 after the Milan-Brescia game (4-2) at San Siro, could qualify to coach a Serie A team in two years. The next stage after the third category course is the UEFA A course which, once completed, would make him eligible for the so-called Master (UEFA PRO) qualification: and that's not because his name is Baggio, but because anyone who has been involved in the final stages of a World Cup (he's played three) can enroll immediately for the pro course without having to wait a year. His decision, taken with his manager and friend Vittorio Petrone, was inspired by his desire to complete his persona, to combine his experience as a footballer with a qualification as a coach. Baggio wants to understand the approach, the preparation, the methods, he wants to be able to share his values: this is the new Roberto Baggio.. coaching new football in a New Era. Contact -- This New Era may even herald something that has been much talked about. It's common knowledge that Renzo Ulivieri (the best of the best coaches) suggested that Roberto take up a presidential role of the technical sector. There was also talk of Collina and Sacchi for the same job, and Roberto has often admitted to friends that he would be more than happy to put his twenty-years of experience at the sector's disposal, sharing his desire to discover, shape and teach young footballers; a role which he could quite happily combine with his student life. There has been no official contact between Abete and Baggio yet, but word has it that this could change during the coming week. Roberto is the face of the New Era: open the book, page 1, we're starting over (Source: Gazzetta dello Sport)

FAO: Sign the petition to end hunger now!

Mon, 17 May 2010 12:27:12 +0100

"We who support this petition find it unacceptable that close to one billion people are chronically hungry. Through the United Nations, we call upon governments to make the elimination of hunger their top priority until that goal is reached." Sign our petition, and push for action wherever you are: http://www.1billionhungry.org/