Queen Rania Al Abdullah and Nafis Sadik

Location: Residences of Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn, Jim Kimsey, and British Ambassador Sir Nigel and Lady Sheinwald

WL EXCLUSIVE - Photos by Joseph Allen, Carrie Dorean, and Kyle Samperton

HOME SWEET HOME: Since the UN Foundation Board of Directors’ annual meeting brought some of the world’s most influential philanthropic leaders to the District, it was only fitting that consummate Washington hosts Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn would offer a warm welcome to notable participants in their Georgetown home (where CNN founder Ted Turner livened up the crowd with a convivial “two bits for philanthropy” cheer). On another evening, the swiftly flowing Potomac River provided a stunning backdrop at Jim Kimsey’s McLean home at a private dinner for Nothing But Nets. At a third gathering at the British Ambassador’s residence, climate change was the topic of major concern. WORLD VIEWS: Aside from UN Foundation board members, the three events were attended by influential political scientists, economists, and diplomats, including: Jordanian Amb. Prince Zeid, Japanese Amb. Ichiro Fujisaki, Korean Amb. Tae-sik Lee, Monaco Amb. Gilles Noghes, and Swedish Amb. Jonas Hafstrom.

Click here for the full gallery of photos from the Kimsey Residence

Click here for the full gallery of photos from the Bradlee Residence

Swedish Ambassador Jonas Hafström and Eva Hafström

Location: Embassy residences and the Meridian House

WL SPONSORED – Photos By Tony Powell

THE BALL: Ambassadors from more than 30 countries turned out for the 40th annual Meridian Ball, which raised more than $900,000 to benefit Meridian International Center initiatives to promote global understanding. Known for an attractive younger crowd with distinctly international flavor, the evening began with private dinners at embassy residences followed by desserts and dancing in two separate spaces – fox trots and rhumbas inside and a Motown band under a tent on the lawn. The linden trees were glowing with light in the pebbled courtyard, and the gift bags included leather passport cases and tips on cross-cultural communication – perfect accessories for the cosmopolitan traveler.

THE GUESTS: Sen. Patrick Leahy, Chief of Protocol Nancy Brinker, Walt and Didi Cutler, Bret and Amy Baier, Grace and Morton Bender, and the ambassadors of Mexico, Spain, India, Japan, Switzerland, Chile, and Lebanon.

Click here to see the full photo gallery from this event.

Very special national days, diplomatic moves, and a summer barbecue.

By Gail Scott

President Bush and Colombian Ambassador Carolina Barco in the Oval Office.

Oval Office Access
Colombian Ambassador Carolina Barco, the former foreign minister of her country and the daughter of a former Colombian president, enjoys extremely good access at the highest levels of the Bush Administration. It seems that her father, Virgilio Barco, and the President’s father, President George H.W. Bush, held their nation’s presidency simultaneously and enjoyed each other’s company. So, each summer when Colombia’s July 22 national day rolls around, President George W. Bush has hosted a celebration in the White House for Colombia. The first year, 1996, it was Foreign Minister Barco who was there with then-Ambassador Luis Alberto Moreno. This year, Mrs. Barco returned to the Oval Office the very next day as well, with Colombia’s much-in-the-news defense minister, Juan Manuel Santos, who came specifically to thank the U.S. for its assistance in helping with the July 27 release of four political hostages — which included Ingrid Betancourt, the celebrated French-born woman who was running for Colombia’s presidency when she was captured.

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Chip Akridge

Location: The National Mall
WL SPONSORED – Photos by Tony Powell

THE EVENT: The inaugural luncheon to support the restoration of the Mall was a huge success, raising more the $600,000 for the newly formed public/private partnership, the Trust for the National Mall. More than 500 supporters braved the rain dressed in their springtime finery to have lunch in the shadow of the Washington Monument. THE SCENE: Uniformed Boy and Girl Scouts escorted guests into adjoining circus tents, where they were greeted by actors dressed as Martha Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Pierre L’Enfant. Boxed hedges cleverly prevented curious passers-by from the sight of guests imbibing “Arnold Palmer” martinis. Trust chairman and avid runner Chip Akridge recounted how he first noticed the sorry state of the Mall while on a jog, and National Parks Director Mary Bomar delivered a message of thanks and encouragement from First Lady Laura Bush, an outspoken supporter of the restoration project. THE GUESTS: Sen. Susan Collins, Swedish Amb. Jonas Hafstrom, Alma Gildenhorn, Abbie Stubbs Burke, Susan and Lanny Griffth, Leslie and Joe Fogg, Kindy French and Emanuel J. Friedman, Ellen and Kenneth Marks, Geryl and Frank Pearl, Mary and Jeffrey Zients, and George Chopivsky and fiancée Clara Brillembourg.