In honor of UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities, join us for this special screening of a new BYkids film to be broadcast on public television in early 2021
Film from 6:30-7:00 p.m. followed by a discussion withguest panelists from 7:00-7:30 p.m.
H.E. Luis Gallegos Chiriboga
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador
Faith Guilbault
BYkids filmmaker
Joyce Chopra
Filmmaker and BYkids film mentor
Holly Carter
BYkids Founder and Executive Director
Moderated by
Robin Van Puyenbroeck
Executive Vice President
United Nations Association of New York
In the BYkids film FAITH'S WORLD, 16-year-old Faith Guilbault shares life with physical disability and her wish that students and society embrace our similarities, not our differences.
Whether by birth, accident or illness, nearly 14% of our student population (seven million kids) in the United States is disabled. Faith Guilbault is one of them. Born with Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy and Cortical Vision Impairment, she can now walk with the use of canes due to her fierce determination to be independent and weekly physical therapy sessions. Because she was born with neurological blindness, Faith attends the Maryland School for the Blind where she works one-on-one with teachers who are guiding her towards new ways to learn.
Faith shares her many ways of being physically active in the world, from skydiving to traveling to New York City where she walks the catwalk during Fashion Week with Runway of Dreams, showcasing adaptive clothing lines that enable people with physical disability to dress themselves.
In Faith's own words: "Some people tell me that I am inspiring. Some people feel sorry for me. I have Cerebral Palsy. I was born this way. This is my normal. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me, because I don’t feel sorry for myself. I am living my life like everyone else, and what I want most, is for people to see what we have in common, not different, and what I am able to do, not what I am not able to do."
To be broadcast on public television in 2021 and distributed by Discovery Education, PBS LearningMedia and PenPal Schools, FAITH'S WORLD will be shared with kids and teachers with a standards-aligned School Guide and a Take Action guide to engage kids in conversations and actions around education and inclusion.
Please join us for this special event as we commemorate the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and watch the film at the scheduled time (6:30 pm EST) on Zoom (register using the link above), which will be followed by an online discussion, when our special guests will include: the young filmmaker herself, Faith Guilbault, BYkids film mentor Joyce Chopra, as well as BYkids founder and executive director Holly Carter — and a very special guest, Ecuador's Foreign Minister H.E. Luis Gallegos Chiriboga, who was Chairman at the United Nations of the Ad-Hoc Committee to Promote and Protect the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities (2002-05). The panel will be moderated by UNA-NYC Executive Vice President Robin van Puyenbroeck.
This latest BYkids film will be broadcast on public television in 2021 and distributed with educational material by PBS LearningMedia, Discovery Education and PenPal Schools.
Panel Moderator
ROBIN VAN PUYENBROECK
Robin van Puyenbroeck is Executive Director of Business Development for the World Trade Centers Association.
Mr. van Puyenbroeck a purpose-driven leader with more than 20 years’ experience in international business development, partnerships, corporate strategy, and non-profit leadership. He most recently served as Vice President-Business Development for Ethan Allen Global, based in Danbury, Connecticut, where he effectively managed and grew a network of international licensees and developed strategies for building alliances and B2B contract business.
Previously, Mr. van Puyenbroeck worked as an international business and partnerships consultant, counseling clients on strategic communications, political and organizational strategies, as well as business transactions that require a deep appreciation of markets and geopolitical context. Leveraging his expertise in the Middle East and Central Asia he advised a wide range of organizations, from emerging market corporations to policy think tanks, on strategic reviews, investment promotion campaigns, market introductions and business development.
Prior to his consulting work, Mr. van Puyenbroeck worked with ING Group where he held progressive leadership roles within the company's Global Management Programme with broad experiences in business development, staff function, client relationship management, finance and project management. Mr. van Puyenbroeck began his career as an attorney for the Ernst & Young law firm in Brussels, and he holds J.D. and L.L.M degrees in international law from Ghent University and Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium.
Mr. van Puyenbroeck has leadership experience in the IGO/NGO sector, including his current roles as Under-Secretary-General for the EUCLID Intergovernmental Organization, and as Executive Vice President & Treasurer of the United Nations Association of New York. He speaks five languages (Dutch, English, French, Spanish and German) and has traveled extensively on business in Europe, the Middle East, Central and Greater Asia, and North America.
Guest Panelists
H.E. LUIS GALLEGOS CHIRIBOGA
H.E. Luis Gallegos Chiriboga is an Ecuadorian diplomat and is currently the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador since July 2020, appointed by president Lenín Moreno.
Ambassador Gallegos was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations in New York. He was a Member of the BOT of UNITAR, appointed by the UN Secretary-General as of 1 July 2019. Gallegos served as the Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations in Geneva three times. He was a member of the UN Committee against Torture. He is the Chairman of the Global UN Partnership for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Public Policy and Disability at American University and of the Universal Design Commission. In addition, Gallegos is a board member for the Special Olympics.
Prior to his appointment to the United Nations, Mr. Gallegos served as Ecuador's Ambassador to the United States from 2005 to 2011.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Gallegos served as Ecuador's Head of Mission to Bulgaria from 1985-89; Ambassador to El Salvador from 1994-97; Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneve (three times); Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York (three times as well); and served as Ambassador to Australia.
He also held numerous posts within the United Nations, including as Vice President of the General Assembly (2003); Vice President of the Economic and Social Council (2005); Vice President of the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund; Vice President of the Commission on Human Rights (1998); and President of the Geneva Diplomatic Corps Network.
Ambassador Gallegos earned his bachelor's degree in Social and Political Science, and a master of arts degree in political science from Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. In addition, he holds a Doctor of Law degree from the Central University of Ecuador. He speaks English, French, and Spanish, and has two children with his wife Fabiola Jaramillo Almeida de Gallegos.
JOYCE CHOPRA
Joyce Chopra has produced and directed a wide range of award-winning films, ranging from Smooth Talk, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Feature at the Sundance Film Festival, to the A&E thriller The Lady in Question with Gene Wilder. She has received American Film Festival Blue Ribbon and Cine Golden Eagle Awards for her numerous documentaries, including That Our Children Will Not Die, about primary health care in Nigeria, and the autobiographical Joyce at 34, which is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
“When we see the world through the eyes of these courageous young film-makers, we can all learn so much about different cultures throughout the globe and about the universal experiences that unite us.
I am thrilled to become a BYkids mentor to a young girl from India, who has an important story to tell us. As a film director, I have always been drawn to stories about vulnerable young people, from the rebellious teen played by Laura Dern in the fiction film Smooth Talk to the kids I’ve been privileged to work with in documentaries. Gramercy Stories, my most recent documentary, followed the lives of homeless gay and transgender kids in Manhattan, and I was constantly amazed at the courage these young people showed in the face of difficulties most of us would collapse under. BYkids’ mission to have young people from around the globe shape their own film stories so that we may learn from them is truly inspiring. I feel fortunate to be part of it.”
HOLLY CARTER
Holly Carter is the Founder and Executive Director of BYkids. Holly began her career as a writer and editor at The New York Times and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Since then she has lived in Korea as a Henry Luce scholar and print and television journalist; produced an award-winning documentary on Margaret Sanger; co-founded North Carolina's Full Frame Festival; served as a consultant for The After-School Corporation; produced the PBS series Media Matters; and most recently was the Executive Director of The Global Film Initiative.
ABOUT BYkids
We create understanding through storytelling.
BYkids produces documentary films by kids and partners with public television and educators to inspire conversations around global issues of human dignity and social justice. FILMS BYKIDS share the stories of kids who confront issues such as immigration, bullying, juvenile justice, climate change, and child marriage. We reach kids in classrooms with teaching materials that promote empathy and understanding to make issues feel personal, relevant and actionable rather than foreign. Join us at BYkids.org to see and support learning to build an informed society.