Marianna Vardinoyannis

Marianna V. Vardinogiannis (, Μπουρνάκη Bournaki; 2 June 1937 – 24 July 2023) was a Greek UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and an advocate for the rights of children and the family, and against child sexual abuse via her Foundation for the Child and the Family. She was the President of the Elpida Association of friends of children with cancer. She was married to Greek shipping magnate Vardis Vardinogiannis.

Early life and education Marianna Bournaki was born on 2 June 1937, and raised in Ermione, birthplace of her mother, Evangelia. Her father was George Bournakis, who hailed from the village of Sampatiki, in the province of Kynouria, in Arcadia. She studied Economics at the University of Denver in Colorado after graduating from high school in Athens.

She developed strong relationships with several international personalities, such as Queen Rania of Jordan, Suzanne Mubarak, several networks, collaborations and organizations such as the Global Coalition Women Defending Peace.

On 14 October 2010, the Elpida (Hope) Children's Oncology located in Athens, Greece, which focuses on child cancer, was inaugurated and opened to the public.

Awards and honors She received many honorary titles and awards including the Academy of Athens Prize, the Archon of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, Grand Prize of the Charter of Paris against cancer, and the "Ripple of Hope" prize awarded by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation, among others.

The most notable included: Légion d'Honneur. Title conferred in 2006 by the French Republic. Title of Officier conferred in 2015. Golden Cross of the Order of Beneficence by the Hellenic Republic. The 2020 Nelson Mandela Prize by the United Nations General Assembly.