#chose #Nicolás #Marín #Benítez #goodwill #ambassador
Marín and the passion for portraying nature. /Photo: Nicolás Marín Benítez.
In In 2009, the United Nations appointed Leonel Messi as “goodwill ambassador” for Unicef. the organization dedicated to children, to draw attention to the situation of the most vulnerable children. Fifteen years later another Argentine received a similar distinction, but he does not do magic with his left foot, but with his lens. This is Nicolás Marín Benítez, a 24-year-old young man from the Buenos Aires town of San Miguel, who specializes in underwater and nature photographs.
In recent years, Marín Benítez has accumulated dizzying achievements. In 2023 he was chosen as one of the 100 young leaders of the world at the Our Ocean Conference 2023an activity organized by UNESCO that documents climate change in the North Pole, Norway, Iceland, Galapagos Islands, Aruba, Panama, London, Fernando de Noronha and Baja California Sur. “It was my initiative to put in images the effects of climate change in the North Pole region”, precise. In November he was voted Best Environmental Photographer in the “Recovering Nature” category, in a competition organized by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM).
The announcement of the new ambassadors.
Almost at the same time, as an explorer for the National Geographic publication, he received the invitation to participate in the Darwin 200 expedition, organized by the BBC documentary filmmaker Stewart McPherson, who seeks to recreate the journey of the naturalist Charles Darwin that led him to formulate his Theory on the Evolution of Species.
“At that time I found out that the UN was looking for goodwill ambassadors around the world and I decided to sign up to continue making visible what is happening with the environment,” says Marín Benítez. And he himself is the most surprised to have achieved the title. “Personalities such as Mo Farah, who is a runner and Olympic medalist, and the musician Kofi Kinaata, remained. “Messi had won it years ago and now it was my turn.”account.
Photo: Nicolás Marín Benítez.
“It is an incredible recognition because it allows me to go further with my work and to show that nature itself is a path to unity and world peace. We will each do it in our own way. Who sings, with his lyrics; he who runs, with his race. “It’s my turn to do it through photography.”is proud as he continues with his Darwinian journey that led him to photograph the fauna of the Falkland Islands and will continue in April with the journey between the Galapagos Islands and Australia.
On board the schooner in which they make Darwin’s voyage. /Photo: Nicolás Marín Benítez.
What it means to be a goodwill ambassador
As the UN explains, “Goodwill Ambassadors not only excel in their fields, whether film, television, music, art or sports, but they also share the commitment to making the planet a better place for all people. Through their global platforms and influence with audiences that transcend national borders, our Ambassadors raise awareness and mobilize support to help us combat climate change and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for a healthy planet and a poverty-free future. and inequality.”
underwater photography, one of his skills. /Photo: Nicolás Marín Benítez.
This year’s chosen ones:
• Ama K. Abebrese, actress and television presenter, Ghana.
• Paul Choy, photographer, Mauritius.
• Mouctar Diakhaby, footballer, Guinea.
• Kofi Kinaata, musician and composer, Ghana.
• Dzanan Musa, basketball player, Bosnia Herzegovina.
• Mirela Sula, psychologist, journalist and author, Albania.
• Dimash Qudaibergen, singer and composer, Kazakhstan.
•Club Atlético Peñarol, Soccer Club, Uruguay.
