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Author Talk: ‘Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw’
In this talk inspired by his debut memoir, global humanitarian EDDIE NDOPU speaks to being both profoundly disabled and profoundly successful without trading one for the other. With warmth, humor, grit, and clarity, Eddie shares his remarkable journey – a story not just about finding his path to success but opening the door of inclusion for others.
Climate Change, Disability, and Inclusivity
Award-winning and internationally acclaimed humanitarian, storyteller, public intellectual, and disability practitioner EDDIE NDOPU is a global changemaker and leader in climate change, disability, and inclusivity. Disabled people will be disproportionately affected by climate change, and must be recognized, as Ndopu says, “not just for our plight, but for our power. Disability is a language of innovation, we have the answers, so include us in this fight” for sustainability on our planet. Only through concrete actions, unity, and intersectional approaches to sustainability can we create a future full of hope.
Disability Justice: Our Power
Award-winning and internationally acclaimed humanitarian, storyteller, public intellectual, and disability practitioner EDDIE NDOPU is a thought leader and advocate for social equity, sustainability, and disability-based innovation. Ndopu says, “We are some of the planet’s most vulnerable citizens, and some of the most resilient.” He is a highly in-demand speaker for his insights about the intersections of disability and sustainability, and how we can move past accessibility toward true inclusion in our communities, organizations, and the world.
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Eddie Ndopu takes the main stage at the Skoll World Forum
Award-winning humanitarian EDDIE NDOPU is making waves on global stages, returning to his alma mater, Oxford University, as the headliner of the Skoll World Forum. Ndopu’s experiences at Oxford, detailed in his debut memoir, Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw, are made even more poignant by his triumphant return and thoughtful address. Between bouts of applause, Ndopu told the crowd at the Skoll World Forum, “The fact that I am here tonight, addressing you from the main stage… is nothing short of cosmic justice and divine grace.”
Ndopu’s humor, storytelling, and poignant insights onstage delight every audience. From massive conferences to executive meetings, Ndopu provides a vital perspective delivered with fabulous packaging (and, occasionally, a sparkling blazer).
Global humanitarian Eddie Ndopu’s debut memoir ‘Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw’ adds a personal touch to his global disability and environmental justice work
Award-winning humanitarian EDDIE NDOPU’s highly-anticipated memoir Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw debuted as one of Amazon’s best books of 2023. Ndopu shares his remarkable journey to reach beyond ableism in an exquisitely rendered narrative delivering a blaring clarion call to disabled achievers and other underdogs everywhere: stop climbing mountains and start moving them instead. Oscar winner Forest Whitaker has called it “essential reading,” praising Ndopu as “a masterful writer poised for even more great success.”
Watch Eddie Ndopu on ABC News >>
Watch Eddie Ndopu in conversation with Global Citizen NOW >>
Eddie Ndopu receives rave reviews at his live events
Award-winning global humanitarian and UN ambassador EDDIE NDOPU offers profoundly insightful remarks and engaging humor to some of the world’s biggest stages. Ndopu has astounded audiences as both a keynote speaker and moderator. The glowing praise he receives from the largest organizations on the planet is consistent:
UN Ambassador Eddie Ndopu is the first wheelchair user in history to keynote the opening session of a high-level political forum
Award-winning global humanitarian and UN ambassador EDDIE NDOPU was the first wheelchair user in history to keynote the opening session of the high-level political forum for the Sustainable Development Goals in the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Staged before the instantly recognizable green marble wall backing historical U.N. addresses by historical figures such as Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa, Ndopu delivered an unforgettable address. At the U.N., Ndopu shared, “I sit here before you not just as an individual, but as a living embodiment of what is possible when we shatter barriers and strive for inclusivity.”
Described by TIME Magazine as “one of the most powerful disabled people on the planet,” Eddie Ndopu is perhaps best known for his human rights advocacy with respect to advancing disability justice at the forefront of the international development agenda.
Working alongside world leaders such as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, Eddie actively champions climate justice, fights global poverty and demands equity for the world’s most marginalized segments of society in his capacity as one of the UN Secretary-General’s 17 official advocates for the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
In recognition of Eddie’s career as a global humanitarian, which spans more than a decade, he is the recipient of numerous awards, including the David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award and the UN’s Global Partnership Award jointly presented to him by the Republic of South Africa and the United Nations.
Eddie serves on several global Boards, including as a member of the board of directors of the United Nations Foundation. He also sits on the advisory boards of The Valuable 500, IMAGINE and Verizon’s Global Advisory Board for Accessibility and Disability Inclusion. He formerly served as a member of both the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council for the New Agenda for Social Justice and the World Economic Forum’s Partnering for Racial Justice in Business Initiative.
Eddie’s debut memoir, Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw, which chronicles his challenging experience as a disabled student attending Oxford University, was released in the spring of 2023.
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