Health for All Blue Diamond Ball Scheduled to Celebrate Obama's Inauguration

Health for All Blue Diamond Ball Scheduled to Celebrate Obama's Inauguration

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Jackson Browne and Graham Nash combine musical forces to bring attention to the nation's biggest problem: the health of our people

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Event Emissary, a DC-based event planning company, and The Vineeta Foundation, a health and human rights organization, announced today that in celebration of Barack Obama's Inauguration, the Health for All Blue Diamond Ball will be held January 20, 2009 at the Smithsonian Institution's Natural History Museum, home of the Hope Diamond. American and international health-makers will gather to refocus attention on health as a human right as specified in the 60-year old United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Today in the United States, 45 million people don't have medical insurance. Around the world, billions are deprived of the basic human right to health.

In December, Moveon.org asked its three-million members "What is the most important issue for the nation?" The survey concluded that Universal healthcare was the number one choice ahead of the war in Iraq and the economy.

The presidency of Barack Obama is a historic opportunity for reforming the health care system in the United States and strengthening support for health worldwide. The Health for All Blue Diamond Ball supports Obama's vision of change and will secure a prominent place for health on the presidential and legislative agenda by gathering powerful constituencies that passionately believe that health care is a human right.

Songwriter's Hall of Fame inductee Jackson Browne and GRAMMY-winner Graham Nash -- both also members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- will headline the event. In addition to their enduring legacies as two of the most literate and respected singer-songwriters in contemporary music, Browne and Nash are both known for the social, environmental and political activism they have championed for almost four decades. In 1979, they collaborated on organizing an all-star series of concerts for MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy); in 2004, they both participated in the Vote For Change tour. With the Health For All Blue Diamond Ball, they continue their tradition of raising their voices in support of people across the United States and around the world.

Radia Daoussi, President of The Vineeta Foundation, explains, "A true transformation of the health care system in the United States has never been such an urgent priority. The presidency of Barack Obama offers an historic opportunity for reforming the health care system in the United States and strengthening support for health worldwide".

Daoussi continued, "In addition to fabulous entertainment, our program will feature many health leaders like Helene Gayle, President of CARE, and George Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association (APHA), who will address ballgoers." CARE is a leading humanitarian organization; APHA is the world's oldest and largest organization of public health professionals.

The Health for All Blue Diamond Ball (www.bluediamondinauguralball.com) is an eco-friendly event and designed to have a minimal impact on the environment.

Source: The Vineeta Foundation

CONTACT: Jenna Mack, Event Emissary, +1-202-369-5695,
jmack@eventemissary.com; or Brian Hennessey, +1-202-378-0868,
brian@vineeta.org, or Radia Daoussi, +1-410-900-0935, radia@vineeta.org, both
of The Vineeta Foundation; or for Graham Nash or Jackson Browne Inquiries:
Michael Jensen or Meghan Helsel of Jensen Communications, +1-626-585-9575,
meghan@jensencom.com

Web site: http://www.bluediamondinauguralball.com/

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