Jazzman Herbie Hancock Named U.N. Goodwill Ambassador

Jazz musician Herbie Hancock now has a world stage from which to spread his message of peace. On July 22, the United Nations designated Hancock as its goodwill ambassador at a ceremony in Paris.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, fosters world peace through cultural exchange and education. In selecting Hancock as its goodwill ambassador, UNESCO recognized his longtime “dedication to the promotion of peace through dialogue, culture and the arts.”

“It feels like an answer to some of my biggest dreams,” Hancock told the Associated Press. He added that UNESCO “really cares about working toward the globalized peaceful world that people actually want to live in.”

Outside the peace activist community, Hancock is best known for his music. The 71-year-old musician, a trained classical pianist, skyrocketed to fame early in his career as a member of the Miles Davis Quintet. In his five decades as a professional musician, Hancock has won an Academy Award for his film score to Round Midnight and more than a dozen Grammy Awards.

Less well-know is Hancock’s dedication to spreading peace and culture. Hancock, a Nichiren Buddhist, is a cofounder of The International Committee of Artists for Peace (ICAP). Its mission is to “establish peace and develop peacemakers through the transformative power of art.” According to the organization’s Web site, ICAP sponsors concerts and exhibits, as well as peace-building workshops to teach the principles of humanism and nonviolence to youth.

Hancock told Reuters that one of his goals as a cultural goodwill ambassador is to get jazz on UNESCO’s Intangible World Cultural Heritage list.

In 2003, UNESCO started a list of “intangible traditions” from around the world, with the aim of protecting their viability. The list ranges from Spanish Flamenco dancing and French cuisine to the traditional carpet weaving of Azerbaijan.

Hancock also revealed that he is working to create an international jazz day and lobbying UNESCO to recognize New Orleans, Chicago and Dockery Farms in the Mississippi Delta (birthplace of the Blues) as World Heritage sites.

He also plans to educate a wider audience about jazz, as he shares the art form and spreads his message of peace in his travels to Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

In June, UNESCO designated Forest Whitaker as one of its goodwill ambassadors for peace and reconciliation for his commitment to using cinema to promote humanitarianism. The Oscar winning actor has worked many years with organizations that support abused teens.

Nigel Roberts is the United Nations correspondent for Politic365. He has been a political, economic and international affairs reporter for more than a dozen years. Nigel also freelances in public relations and communications. He holds a master’s degree in Political Science/International Relations from the City University of New York Graduate School & University Center.

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