This portrait took a bit of work - especially on the values in his face and to try to capture the right look in his eyes. I wanted to convey what I perceived as Kofi's 'spirit' or presence from things I have seen, heard or read about him. Kofi Annan moved mountains — and he is such an unsung hero. Among many other achievements in his life (more below) he led the UN Sustainable Development Goals, or ‘SDGs’. I am constantly stunned by how few people know about the SDGs, the lack of general awareness and action around them is startling Goals

The SDGs are a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At the core there are 17 SDGs which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. On this topic, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently reporting that we’re missing vital Climate goals we have to fundamentally shift our trajectory, it’s the only way to keep much needed stability in the world. These are irrefutable scientific facts that we need to act on.