…with four high-level Canadian executives pledging to help UNICEF raise $1,000,000 for programs benefiting children, earmarking a portion to aid child soldiers in the Democratic of Congo. (The rest of the money will go to assisting children with AIDS in Haiti, constructing schools in Rwanda, and increasing access to schools for girls in Afghanistan.) Kudos to:

Aldo Bensadoun, chief executive officer of The Aldo Group Inc., Lucien Bouchard, partner of the law firm Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP and former Premier of Quebec, Jean-Pierre Leger, president and chief executive officer of Les Rotisseries St-Hubert Ltee and Thierry Vandal, president and chief executive officer of Hydro-Quebec.

The UNICEF project they are supporting is called THE CHILDREN’S UNICEF. Specifically, the program in the DRC will work to demobilize and reintegrate former child soldiers there.

Ce programme de l’Unicef vise à assurer la libération, les soins de santé, le support psychologique, la réunification et la réinsertion de 1750 enfants.

An exhibition of photographs and a book launch of THE CHILDREN’S UNICEF will kick off the fundraising drive on November 11 at the Parquet of the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (Centre CDP Capital). For more information check out their website.

Hopefully this grand gesture will encourage other philanthopists to follow suit.