FC: Elephant's member causes trouble at UN

[Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>]

this is too good not to pass along... the press release is attached...



Elephant's member causes trouble at UN 
11/17/98 16:2

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 17 (AFP) - There was panic at the United 
Nations on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday's unveiling of a bull elephant 
statue with a life-size sexual organ. 

A senior UN official was worried that the member's large 
proportions might upset children visiting the United Nations, UN 
sources said. 

Various scenarios were being discussed, including radical 
surgery on the bronze statue, the sources said. 

UN chief Kofi Annan is due to unveil the statue, which is a gift 
from the governments of Kenya, Namibia and Nepal, in the UN 
grounds.

===


Isaac Hayes, Master of Ceremonies, Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee Read Benediction 
Other stars, writers attend ceremony 

Description: Kenya, Namibia and Nepal will present a 7,000-pound 

lifesize elephant bronze to the United Nations, as a symbol 

of all animals and to raise both awareness and funds for 

the plight of threatened wildlife. The elephant bronze 

will be the final sculpture installed in the U.N. Sculpture 

Garden. 

The sculpture is the result of a 22-year effort by the Cast 

the Sleeping Elephant Trust, whose founder, the world 

renown sculptor Mihail, did an actual casting of a live, 

50-year-old wild bull elephant. 

Secretary-General Kofi Annan will accept the statue on 

behalf of the United Nations in the presence of a number of 

artists, foreign dignitaries and ambassadors. 

Dignitaries: Ambassadors of Kenya, Namibia and Nepal 

Namibian Foreign Minister Ben Gurirab 

Austrian Minister of the Arts Elizabeth Gehrer 

A. Peter Burleigh, United States Acting Ambassador to the 

United Nations 

T.Y.S. Lama Gangchen, founder of the Lama Gangchen World 

Peace Foundation 

Celebrities: Isaac Hayes, Master of Ceremonies 

Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee will present an elephant 

benediction, "A Charter for Elephant Rights" 

African drums will open the event 

Clent Bowers and Michael Samay will perform the original 

theme song 

Unstructured Light from London will perform during the 

reception 

Susan Sontag and Norman Mailer are among the distinguished 

guests 

Date and time: Wednesday, November 18, 1998 

11:30 a.m. - Reception 

Noon - Inaugural Ceremony with the Secretary-General and 

international dignitaries 

Location: United Nations Sculpture Garden 

United Nations Plaza 

Due to U.N. security requirements, press credentials are required in order
to attend
this event. Please contact the U.N. Accreditation office at 212-963-5934
for details on
how to obtain a press pass. 

CONTACT: Narcissa Smith-Harris of The Baron Company, 212-581-6760, 

ext. 302. 

17:08 EST

5279 11/17/98 17:08 EST HT 




--------------------------------------------------------------------------
POLITECH -- the moderated mailing list of politics and technology
To subscribe: send a message to majordomo@vorlon.mit.edu with this text:
subscribe politech
More information is at http://www.well.com/~declan/politech/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------