Connie Milstein

Archive for the ‘Humpty Dumpty Institute’ Category

In 1998, the Humpty Dumpty Instutute (HDI) was established by a small group of successful and creative business entrepreneurs, including Connie Milstein, who stands as the organization’s co-founder and chairman emeritus. This successful group hoped to tackle international problems through the creation of specialized public-private partnerships. Since its inception, HDI has effectively strengthened the ties between the United Nations and the United States Congress through a series of non-partisan programs. Today, HDI is the only organization in the country that regularly sponsors visit by Members of Congress and their staff to the United Nations.

As part of HDI’s ongoing endeavor to invigorate the relationship between the U.N. and the U.S., the organization recently led a Congressional Staff Delegation to Africa. From August 9-12, a large group from Washington, along with representatives from the United Nations Foundation and Nothing But Nets, visited Yaoundé in Cameroon to participate in the country’s first nationwide malaria net campaign, which plans to give away 8.6 million malaria nets to the citizens of Cameroon.

During their stay in Cameroon, the delegates met with the Ministry of Health, United Nations Development Program, the Chantal Biva Foundation Children’s Hospital, Country Coordinating Mechanism and Cameroon’s Prime Minister, Philemon Yang, among many others. They were educated about the health and economic concerns of the disease, helped with malaria net distribution efforts, learned about malaria treatment and visited with children at an orphanage. Overall, the Congressional Staffers left Cameroon with a more solid knowledge of the damaging effect malaria has on African counties, but were hopeful that the nationwide net distribution would be a great success.

Connie Milstein, co-founder of the Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI), can take pride in the foundation’s Landmine Education Tour.  This enables participants to learn all about landmine action and how it impacts many people in other parts of the world.  Because Americans thankfully do not have to live their everyday lives in fear of war-related debris, it is absolutely natural that they would not understand what it means to be impacted in this way.  But the Milstein-founded Humpty Dumpty Institute, that is “putting the pieces back together,” sees this all the time in other less-fortunate, war-torn countries.  Education is thus key, if efforts are to be made with the citizens in these countries who have to think twice about what should be a simple walk to the local store or playground.

Connie Milstein on Supporting the HDI

So naturally, someone as closely connected to the HDI as Connie Milstein would welcome such an innovative, educational tour. As well as being informative, it is “a great way to encourage individuals to support the important work that HDI” is undertaking along with other organizations with similar goals.  What is good about destroying a landmine is that it is a one-time effort so this kind of problem is definitely solvable.  Once it is solved, the lives of the individuals affected by it can completely turnaround.  What a great way to help people in the world less fortunate than ourselves, by participating in this worthy project; just a one-time solution to a potentially fatal problem.

In late November, 2009 the Humpty Dumpty Institute helped to relieve some of the suffering of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) of Sri Lanka. Connie Milstein, who is chairwoman of the board of directors of the HDI and is also a co-founder, was pleased to note that over $300,000 worth of humanitarian aid was distributed, consisting of, supplies for schools, orphanages and hygienic kits.

The funding for this aid was generously supplied by LDS Charities in the wake of the recent violent conflicts in Sri Lanka. The variety of supplies distributed included 1,855 hygiene kits to the women’s detention camp where about 2,000 IDPs are located. On the same day, November 25th, school kits and orphanage kits were distributed at another camp.
The leading role in which Connie Milstein played in the betterment if the IDPs in Sri Lanka speaks volumes about her caring and concern for the many people in need around the world.

Connie Milstein, along with the other co-founders of the Humpty Dumpty Institute is interested in creating innovative partnerships between the public and private sectors in order to solve some of the world’s more daunting problems. Using unique and creative programming, HDI is now concerned with improving communications between the United States Congress and the United Nations.  Some of the more specific tasks the HDI is striving to accomplish are removal of mines from vast areas around the world to free up the land for agriculture and other uses and to keep civilians safe; and reducing and/or eliminating hunger domestically and internationally.