Celebrities, especially from the cultural scene worldwide, are the ones that help us put our message across because they’ve got so much credibility and can make a much bigger splash. Since 1995, Cuba had two such ambassadors: pianist Ernan Lopez Nussa and actress Nancy Gonzalez.

In 1992, we met La Colmenita members and since then we started a special relationship with them. They were already putting on topquality and fabulous artistic shows. We saw them grow into a cultural phenomenon in Europe, in Latin America… into a universal cultural phenomenon.

Their work rests on a couple of principles: love and true engagement of boys and girls. For UNICEF, protection is the basis of infancy rights. And the most powerful weapon to protect both the children and the planet is love, while the fundamental tool to bring this off is engagement.

La Colmenita was founded on the basis of these two fundamental rights, and the messages they send out are the same UNICEF is fi ghting for around the world. Th ere was no doubt in our minds that recognizing this company as goodwill ambassadors was something we needed to do.

They need nothing from UNICEF; on the contrary, UNICEF needed La Colmenita for being a genuine example of childhood’s values and rights. When we met here at the Havana offi ce, the proposal was passed unanimously, even taking into account that up to that moment all ambassadors –as a general rule- had always been individuals.

There was a moment when we thought of proposing Tim, but we knew all along he would have never accepted that. So, sooner rather than later, we came up with a proposal for the entire company. We sent the proposal to UNICEF Latin America Regional Director Nils Kastberg, someone who was acquainted with the company.

However, we still had to consult our HQs in New York because they have the fi nal say in these matters. We sent it and it came back as if they would have shouted “of course!”, because even in New York they were familiar with La Colmenita. Even our offi ce staff was congratulated for making this proposal.

It was very important to us to drive that wedge; it was important to nominate and select that group of kids from the realm of the arts… So, I must say that in La Colmenita, the voice of UNICEF is heard loud and clear thanks to that childlike sensitivity and the magic of theater.