A TV interview with me...

Dear Friends,

I invite my Dutch speaking friends to visit the following link for an interview with me, if they are interested of course.

Watch now / Bekijk nu (click)

This is an interview with my local TV station.

Enjoy,

Harold

Celebarting Nelson Mandela

Twenty years ago, on 11th February 1990, Nelson Mandela walked free from prison after 27 years of incarceration. He went on to become South Africa's first black president, elected in a fully representative democratic election, and ended the country's policy of racial segregation.

Affectionately known as "Madiba" in South Africa, Mandela, now 91, is known for helping end apartheid in 1994.

On February 8, 2010 The Medical Knowledge Institute was one of the co-sponsors of a very special evening in Rotterdam, celebrating Nelson Mandela with a very special musical, “Amandla!Mandela” produced by Bos Theater Production.

Many celebrities attended this event, including Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and Maxime Verhagen, Minister of foreign Affairs and Peter Goosen, South African Ambassador to the Netherlands.

Desmond Tutu Lecture Series on Public Health Awareness

Press Conference: January 14, 2010 in Springfield, Massachusetts.As part of the college's commitment to improving the lives of the children and families in the Greater Springfield area, American International College has partnered with the Medical Knowledge Institute to launch the Desmond Tutu Lecture Series on Public Health Awareness.

Archbishop Tutu, a member of MKI's international Board of Advisors, will be the first speaker in the series on Tuesday, April 20 at AIC.

The Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to healthcare education and healthcare information as a human right (www.infomki.org).

Harold Robles, co-founder of the Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI) and the Albert Schweitzer Institute for the Humanities, said he is excited to join forces with AIC to present this important lecture series. “AIC and MKI both serve populations that are often underserved, overlooked, and underestimated, to meet their needs of education, awareness, and improved public health,” he said.

Dedicated to promoting healthcare education as a human right, Robles co-founded the MKI in 1999, along with Peter Bittel, president of Futures HealthCore of Springfield, who is also an AIC Trustee.

Vince M. Maniaci, president of AIC said the college is honored that Archbishop Desmond Tutu has agreed to partner with the college and Medical Knowledge Institute in presenting the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Public Health Awareness Lecture Series.

“The Archbishop's humanitarian spirit, joy of diversity, and love of youth reflects the mission of the College. His presence on campus and his life-long commitment to humanitarian efforts will serve as an inspiration to our students, as well as members of the community,” he said.

The visit by Archbishop Tutu will include a meeting with AIC students and local high school students, and a convocation in the Griswold Theatre, where the Archbishop will be awarded an honorary degree, and will deliver the first lecture of the series. There will also be a cocktail reception and dinner at the Sheraton.

Pictures: taken during the press conference in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Forty years dedicated to serving humanity

In honor of our 30th anniversary, Legacy was pleased to recognize Dr. Harold Robles, chairman of our International Board of Directors, for his more than forty years dedication to serving humanity and his lifetime of practical idealism. Legacy's President, J. E. Rash presents Dr. Robles with the Legacy Service to Humanity Award at Va Tech where Dr. Robles gave a lecture on “PREVENTION THROUGH EDUCATION, Together We Can Make a Difference”. He spoke about how Dr. Albert Schweitzer's philosophy of reverence for life has inspired his journey of service and work to prevent public health diseases in Southern Africa. Dr. Harold Robles, a native of the Netherlands, has devoted his life to promoting healthcare education as a human right. He was recently appointed distinguished visiting professor in Public Health, Education and the Humanities at American International College. More than 30 years ago, Dr. Robles founded the Albert Schweitzer Institute for the Humanities. In 1999, Dr. Robles co-founded the Medical Knowledge Institute a nonprofit organization associated with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations and dedicated to the premise that healthcare is a human right, not a privilege. The programs of MKI aim to improve the quality of healthcare and to promote humanitarian values through education and public health programs.

Two distinguished members of MKI star in Christmas Concerts.

Dr. Christiane Engel, a member of MKI’s Board of Advisors and Prof. Jimmie Earl Perry, MKI’s Goodwill Ambassador for creative arts have been part of another very successful Christmas Concerts tour of the Hour of Power in the Netherlands.

The involvement of both Christiane and Jimmie is the result of a friendship which started two years ago with Louis Pool, the director of Hour of Power Netherlands.

Louis and his wife Erna created the organization “Heart for Children” of which I am the proud Goodwill Ambassador.

This year again MKI had a stand at all concerts were our YOELL® products have been sold. Members of MKI’s Board of Directors and members of MKI’s youth club were at hand to assist.

A special thank is in place for Sanne, Sarah and Carlo, members of MKI Youth Club, for doing an outstanding job again.

Pictures: Sanne, Sarah and Carlo at the MKI stand in Rotterdam, together with Christiane Engel, a personal friend for almost 35 years

Dutch fashion designer Marlies Dekkers visits MKI Health Information Centre in Khayelitsha

Marlies Dekkers, well known for her designs of gorgeous lingerie, visited our centre on Friday December 4th after having been introduced to MKI and its YOELL project the night before.
Marlies and her two personal assistants first set in on an oral health workshop presented by MKI trainer May Msingathi.
They then showed great interest in MKI’s YOELL project and Marlies shared her dream of wanting to include a YOELL bracelet with her 2011 collection. Yasmin Fuyk, MKI’s operational manager and in charge of the YOELL project, will be working with Marlies and her assistant Manon de Lange.

Pictures: Marlies Dekkers and Yasmin Fuyk at the Dutch Ambassadors party and during Marlies’ visit to the centre in Khayelitsha

Networking in Cape Town during Dutch Ambassadors 2010 party

Even though I am not that interested in football and everything that goes with it, it was a great event on the eve of the drawing for the 2010 world cup championship in South Africa.

On the day of the party and on the day before the party MKI was featured in the well known South African Newspaper “Die Burger” so it was not that surprising that some of the many Dutch people present came to talk and to congratulate me with the award that MKI received, two days before on World AIDS day.

Pictures: Erica Terpstra felt like kissing, while Ruud Gullit and Hans Vonk showed great interest in MKI activities.