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| Kenan and Elissa at the premiere showing of To Walk Without Fear. |
To Walk Without Fear
posted: 12/14/2006
When Elissa Montanti began helping wounded children of the Bosnian war back in the mid 1990s, little did she know that one of the first she helped, Kenan Malkic, would grow up to become a leader in her organization, Global Medical Relief Fund (GMRF). GMRF provides prosthetics, medical aid, and, above all, hope to the most innocent victims in the world’s conflicts: children. Even though they come from different generations, religions, and continents, Elissa and Kenan have forged the bonds of family. The two have united a diverse group of people behind GMRF, from Staten Island to the Middle East and beyond, to achieve common goals. Indeed, Elissa and Kenan have expanded their project to help children in countries all over the world, including El Salvador, Liberia, Mexico, Niger, Sierra Leone, Iraq, and the Tsunami-ravaged Indonesia. Now, Elissa and Kenan’s remarkable partnership is the subject of a poignant documentary film, To Walk Without Fear, which documents Kenan’s struggle as a war amputee in Bosnia, and his coming of age in America under the care of Elissa, who practically adopted him. The United Nations Correspondence Association and Miracle Mile Films sponsored and hosted the premiere of the film, which played to a full house at the Dag Hammarskjold Theater Library at the United Nations in November. Reflecting the cross-cultural mission of GMRF, a remarkably diverse group of supporters attended, representing many flags, faiths, and fields of interest. One such supporter was H.R.H. Prince Zeid Ra'ad Zeid Al-Hussein, Ambassador and Prince of Jordan, who gave the opening remarks. Representatives of the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faiths also attended. In addition, representatives and ambassadors from the United States, Bosnia, Iraq, Kuwait, and Turkey were sprinkled in among the audience. In what proved an inspiring close to the event, Elissa and Kenan invited an equally diverse group of GMRF’s local partners and long-time supporters to the stage – and received thunderous applause from the audience in response. Deeply moving, To Walk Without Fear suggests that in helping repair the lives of children wounded in war and or natural disaster, Elissa and Kenan restore our sense of shared humanity. According to Kenan, he and Elissa hope to encourage people everywhere to see each other through the eyes of compassion and mutual respect, and look forward to a day when all children, indeed, can walk without fear.
How You Can Help Elissa Montanti
To learn more about Elissa and her cause, and how you can make a difference, please visit: www.globmed.org.
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