AirAsia Founder and Group CEO Tony Fernandes is joining
Amnesty International’s Global Council (AIGC), the organization announced on
Friday.
The Global Council was established in 2013 to help raise
public support and financial resources to fuel the organization’s expansion in
Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
“It’s an honour to welcome Tony Fernandes and his
entrepreneurial spirit and creativity to our Global Council,” said Salil
Shetty, Secretary- General of Amnesty International (AI), in a statement.
Having such a notable business figure from Asia on the
council will boost the visibility of AI, he added. “It will help boost the
human rights issues we focus on in Asia and around the world.”
Fernandes was quoted as saying in the same statement that he
joined AI when he was 13.
“Being a member taught me the importance of human rights to
human dignity,” he said. “I am therefore honoured to be able to give back to
Amnesty International as part of its Global Council.”
He went on to say that he looks forward to creating
awareness and driving engagement in Asia, particularly among Asean youth.
As a new member of AIGC, Fernandes will join world renowned
Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, pioneering Japanese
artist Yoko Ono, financer and philanthropist Krishna Rao, social activist
Hadeel Ibrahim and businessman Bassim Haidar.
Global Council members serve as champions for AI within
their own networks and help the organisation’s Secretary-General identify and
engage new audiences to promote human rights.
Fernandes is best known for AirAsia, the first low cost
airline in Malaysia.
He is also the co-founder of Tune Group, a leisure and
entertainment corporation.
In 2015, Time Magazine placed him in the Time 100, the
magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Source –FMT-
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