Rabbi Arthur Schneier, Laurence D. Fink and Muhtar Kent, chairman and CEO of the Coca-Cola Company

Stephen A. Schwarzman, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Blackstone; Rabbi Arthur Schneier; Lori Fink and Laurence D. Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock

Rabbi Arthur Schneier, H.E. Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington, D.C., Alex Gorsky, and Stephen A. Schwarzman

APPEAL OF CONSCIENCE
UK Prime Minister Honored
At Group’s 50th Anniversary

T

HE Appeal of Conscience Foundation, the global interfaith organization founded by Rabbi Arthur Schneier, marked its 50th anniversary in September 2015 with a high-profile black-tie dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria that honored the prime minister of the United Kingdom with a World Statesman Award. 

Even though the United Nations General Assembly was in full swing that day, Prime Minister David Cameron was not in town. He delayed his New York trip by a week. Not to worry. He addressed the dinner guests with a videotaped message. Accepting the award on his behalf was Matthew Rycroft, the UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

Rabbi Schneier presented the 2015 Appeal of Conscience Award to two worthy recipients: Laurence D. Fink, chairman and CEO of BlackRock, and Alex Gorsky, CEO of Johnson & Johnson.

Fink, who founded BlackRock in 1988, is co-chairman of the NYU Langone Medical Center board of trustees, co-chairman of the Partnership for New York City, and a board member of the Museum of Modern Art, Council on Foreign Relations and Robin Hood, the New York City charitable group.

Gorsky is a board member of IBM and the National Academy Foundation, and the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Since 1965 the Appeal of Conscience Foundation has been working worldwide for religious freedom, human rights, peace and tolerance. A coalition of business, religious and foreign policy leaders, the organization promotes mutual understanding and interfaith cooperation and provides a voice of conscience to protect minorities.

Among the distinguished guests at the dinner were Dr. Sheik-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, chairman of the Religious Council of the Caucasus; Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate, Diocese of the Armenian Church of America; Archbishop Demetrios, Primate, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America; Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations; John D. Negroponte, former United States Ambassador to Iraq and the United Nations; Bishop Robert Rimbo of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Metropolitan New York Synod; Rev. Dr. James Kowalski, dean of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine; Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, President of Croatia; Dr. Sheik-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade; and John A. Catsimatidis, chairman, president & CEO of the Red Apple Group.