frft' UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES POSTAL ADDRESS ADRESSE POSTALE: UNITED NATIONS, N.Y. 1OO1T OAILK ADDRESS ADRE»» TELEGRAPH TOU I: UNATIONI NEWYOBK EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY.GENERAL CABINET OU SECRETAIRE GENERAL 12 March 1997 Dear Mr. Janitschek, The Secretary-General has asked me to respond to your letter of 7 February, in which you asked whether he could meet with Mr. Ranan Lurie, the renowned cartoonist and political commentator, and to your letter of 29 December, in which you asked whether he would write a foreword for your book on Mr. Amadou Mahtar M'Bow. With reference to the former, the Secretary-General has always enjoyed Mr. Lurie's work, and has been grateful as well for his strong support of the United Nations. I am afraid, however, that owing to the heavy demands of these early months in office, the Secretary-General will not be able to meet with Mr. Lurie. With regard to the foreword, the Secretary-General has great respect for Mr. M'Bow but must decline this request as well. Thank you again for your letters. The Secretary-General extends his best wishes to you and Mr. Lurie and for the improved health of Mr. M'Bow. Itllll Yours sincerely, Elisabeth Lindenmayer Executive Assistant to the Secretary-General Mr. Hans Janitschek Janitschek Associates New York JANITSCHEK ASSOCIATES FBI 3)997 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OFTHESECRETARY-GENERAI His Excellency Dr- Kofi Annas Secretary General of the United Cations New York Dear i"ir S3 ere tar y General, my dear and respected friend: Mr RatfanALurie, who has been described as the world's most widely distributed cartoonist and political cornrnantPtor ,. (I am enclosing samples of his work), has asked me to enquire whether you would honour him by receiving him for ai interview. As you may recall the United Cations Society of writers hp.s awarded him its distinguished prize for excellence and created st the same time an internstional award for political cartoons in his " flame. He is a great friend and supporter of the United Nations « I would be grateful for an indication whether, and if so when, you could see him* Sincerely yours 945 FIFTH AVE., SUITE 18B CABLES: METCLUB NEW YORK 7RANZISKANER PLATZ 5/15 NEW YORK, N.Y. 10021 FAX N.Y. A-1010 WIEN U.S.A. 212-628-9167 AUSTRIA. 212-288-5716 512 92 45 JANITSCHEK ASSOCIATES c -z&mm CD Dear Kofi, > o fn cx this is a personal letter and I am writing it in 3- confidence* 01 H I have been a friend, _aj^jdrairin_g_and loyal one^, of ti (D fc Amadou Mahtar M'Bow for many years, in fact I have been CD •P " "him C working on ajbook abj>uj/for ouite some time, which I fc hope to publish in 1997- tenth anniversary of his t8» exodus from UNESCO* He is not well, a s you may know, § <*H and I believe that he deserves some recognition. Now >s that you have become the first African to hold the jy c © HIGHEST OFFICE_ _IN THE JJJ3RIP I think reconciliation with CO 43 & E-t S M'Bow,, who held t he hi ghe a t o f f i o e an African ever held before you, should be a matter of priority* ^'he United States, which never took issue with him personally, should not only return to UN3SCO, it should also honour him in an appropriate fashion* You could play a very im£V>r.t.ant role in this and already now x should like to ask you for a foreword for ray book, which will most likely be called M'BOW, PORTRAIT OP AN AFRICAN. 945 FIFTH AVE., SUITE 18B CABLES: METCLUB NEW YORK FRANZISKANER PLATZ 5/15 NEW YORK, N.Y. 10021 FAX N.Y. A-1010 WIEN U.S.A. 212-628-9167 AUSTRIA. 212-288-5716 5129245 "LURIE IS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL POLITICAL CARTOONIST IN THE WORLD" The Honorable Clare Boothe Luce, congresswoman, ambassador, author THE WALL STREET JOURNAL and of course with the Israeli paratroopers (where he served as a reserve combat Major), worked as a described him as "a master police reporter, war correspondent, foreign correspondent, art director, features editor, managing editor, caricaturist." editor-in-chief of a weekly news magazine, published a bestselling book, are regularly quoted all over the • world, and have won your country's highest writing award — you "His cartoons, sculptures start thinking about retirement. But Ranan Lurie didn't have that Ten (10) books by Lurie have been published to and oil paintings—serve as option, for he achieved all this by 22. -- date in 4 languages in 5 historical documentation • countries. THE NEW YORK of the decade," prints His father's family came from Germany and Russia TIMES Publishing House, THE NEW YORK TIMES. to settle in Jerusalem in 1815. His mother's family which published two of the • is Australian. Six generations later, young Lurie books, declared of one: "/( He is the only living political studied fine art at the Jerusalem College of Arts, is perhaps the best selling and published his first cartoon book at the age political cartoon book ever cartoonist in the world who has published in this country." a major annual award named of 20. Shortly after, THE NEW YORK TIMES, after him and his style. along with European newspapers, began print- • ing his works regularly. At 24, LIFE Magazine America's leading television published two full pages of his cartoons, and anchorman, Ted Koppel, writes: a few years later, invited him to move to "I am in awe of [Lurie's] New York and join the magazine as talent..." their resident political cartoonist • and cover artist. THE LONDON TIMES Editor, Charles Douglas-Home, stated: One of the most •'[ remember feeling honored cartoon- somewhat startled at ists in the world, his arrival, because Lurie's work THE TIMES had not has been ( ; been accustomed to the recognized \ presence of a resident by prizes ' cartoonist and certainly from the i not one who appeared MONTREAL ' to have such a precise SALON OF ' and perfectionist idea of CARTOONISTS, his role. My fears were the FRONT PAGE AWARD from unfounded as it turned the Newspaper Guild of New out. Although he had not York (three times), the ART inhabited the culture of a DESIGNER'S AWARD, the British newspaper before, CITATION FOR EXCELLENCE he quickly fitted in with from the Overseas Press Club, us. He attended our daily the German GOLDEN PLATE Uganda, Presidents Anwar editorial conferences, AWARD, 2 JOHN FISCHETTI Sadat and Hosni Mubarak made shrewd contribu- AWARDS, the HEADLINER'S of Egypt, Prime Minister tions from the back of the AWARD and the Spanish Rajiv Gandhi of room, with a courtesy and PREMIO PLUMA DE ORO. India, President • insight borne of his wide Turgut Ozal of Turkey, international experience." He was voted by his peers in Prime Minister • the NATIONAL CARTOONISTS NEWS& Yasuhiro Nakasone of Lurie holds the world record SOCIETY OF AMERICA as WORLD Japan, Prime Ministers as "The most widely one of the three best editorial REPORT Magazine Golda Meir, Menachem syndicated political cartoonists in the U.S.A. for (1984,1985). During Begin, Shimon Peres, Yitzak cartoonist, having had eight consecutive years. 1983, he was invited to Shamir and Yitzak Rabin of • his work published in 79 become the Senior Political Israel, President Ferdinand The U.S. Senate granted Lurie countries in 1018 news- Analyst and Cartoonist for one of Marcos of the Philippines, the unprecedented honor of a papers with a circulation Japan's leading newspapers, the President Carlos Salinas of of 85 million copies as of Senate exhibit of his political art, ASAHI SHIMBUN (over 12.2 Mexico, President Lech Walesa March 1993." sponsored jointly by Republicans million circulation daily). Before and Prime Minister Tadeusz (The 1994 GUINESS BOOK and Democrats — the only leaving Japan, he was granted Mazowiecki of Poland, OF WORLD RECORDS.) cartoonist to receive this tribute the unprecedented honor of Presidents Chun Doo Hwan and • to date. > Kim Young Sam of South Korea, These few impressions and facts being appointed "Honorary The State Department invited Member of the Asahi- United Nations Secretaries help explain the phenomenon of General Kurt Waldheim and him to represent the United Shimbun for Life." (Today Lurie's success all over the 5 States at the Latin American Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Prime his cartoons run in all three continents, where many millions political cartoonists' convention Ministers William McMahon and major Japanese papers regular- of readers are awaiting his daily in Quito, Ecuador, as well as Gough Whitlam of Australia, political cartoon comment — to lecture throughout Mexico ly.) Prior to his position in Japan, and Prime Minister Junius from London to Bangladesh, during 1993. he was the political cartoonist Jayawardene of Sri Lanka. from Paris to Zaire, from Russia • for THE TIMES of London Among those who have taken and Uzbekistan to Mexico, Italy, Lurie's daily animated cartoons (1981-1983). During 1980, he the time to sit for Lurie to have Indonesia and Oman. appeared on THE MACNEIL/ worked as both an interviewer their caricatures done are: • LEHRER NEWSHOUR and Chief Political Cartoonist for Presidents Gerald Ford and Generally speaking, once you beginning in 1985. Since 1991, West Germany's DIE WELT. George Bush, Secretaries of have retired as a combat officer, they have been appearing on Lurie has interviewed, on a one- State William Rogers and Henry trained and jumped, a total of ABC's early morning network to-one basis, Presidents Lyndon Kissinger of the United States, 144 times, with the paratroopers television (over 212 stations)! Johnson, Jimmy Carter and British Foreign Minister Pym, of the French Foreign Legion, • Ronald Reagan of the United Foreign Minister Dr.