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Stephen Lewis    

UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS, Co-founder of AIDS-Free World, Companion of the Order of Canada

Stephen Lewis is one of Canada's most influential commentators on social affairs, international development, and human rights. He co-founded and co-directs AIDS-Free World, an international advocacy organization that focuses on more urgent and effective global responses to HIV/AIDS.

His extensive work with the United Nations includes serving as the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa from June 2001 to December 2006. Prior to that, from 1995 to 1999, he was Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF at the organization's global headquarters in New York. Additionally, he was Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations from 1984 to 1988.

Beyond his role with AIDS-Free World, Lewis is the board chair of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. He also holds academic positions as a Professor of Practice in Global Governance at the Institute for the Study of International Development at McGill University, and as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Ryerson University. He was a Commissioner on the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, which released its landmark report in July 2012.

Lewis is a Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest honor for lifetime achievement. In 2005, he was recognized by TIME magazine as one of the One hundred most influential people in the world. In 2007, he was invested as Knight Commander of the Most Dignified Order of Moshoeshoe by King Letsie III of Lesotho. Moreover, he was an inaugural recipient of Canada's Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

He authored the best-selling book "Race Against Time" and has been awarded 37 honorary degrees from Canadian universities, as well as honorary degrees from Dartmouth College and Johns Hopkins University. In recognition of his contributions to global health and development, Lewis continues to influence public policy and global initiatives, shaping discussions around international health and human rights.

Speech Topics

An Evening with Stephen Lewis

A masterful orator, Stephen Lewis enthralls with keynotes on the fight against disease and poverty in the developing world: clarion calls that bring audiences to their feet-- sometimes to tears-- and that get them, whether citizens, governments, or corporations, to take action. He can speak generally about the developing world, or to specific issues, such as HIV/AIDS, economic development, climate change, and a myriad of other topics. He carefully tailors his speeches, enlivens them with anecdotes and humor, and is never ashamed of the emotion that may overtake him. Without doubt, he is one of history's great humanitarians.

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