IPI and the Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations held a panel discussion and book launch for A Billion Lives: An Eyewitness Report from the Frontlines of Humanity, by Jan Egeland.

As Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland was in charge of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for three and a half years. In his latest publication, Egeland takes us from the frontlines of war and chaos in Iraq, to scenes of ethnic cleansing in Darfur, to the epicenters of famine, earthquakes, and the 2004 tsunami. A Billion Lives is an on-the-ground account of his work in the most dangerous places in the world, where he has led relief efforts, negotiated truces with warlords, and intervened in what many had thought to be hopeless situations. This book is a passionate, adventure-filled eyewitness account of the catastrophes the world faces. In spite of the desperate needs of so many, Egeland is convinced that, “For the vast majority of people, the world is getting better, that there is more peace, more people fed and educated, and fewer forced to become refugees than a generation ago. So there is reason for optimism.”

Introductory Remarks:
H.E. Mr. Johan L. Lovøold, Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations

Chair:
Mr. Terje Rød-Larsen, IPI President

Speaker:
Mr. Jan Egeland, Director-General of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI)

Discussants:
Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, President and Co-Founder, Millennium Promise, Director, The Earth Institute, Columbia University
Dr. Edward Luck, IPI Vice President and Director of Studies