"Panwapa was announced...by Sesame Workshop president and CEO Gary Knell and Merrill Lynch vice chairman Harold Ford Jr. at the United Nations International School, with a guest appearance by U.N. Goodwill Ambassador Whoopi Goldberg. In addition, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg officially proclaimed Oct. 10 as "Panwapa Day" in the city. A team of international cultural experts, early childhood researchers, educators and media specialists from nine countries and organizations such as Oxfam, UNICEF, and the World Bank first developed the idea for Panwapa in 2005. Multinational teams from Merrill Lynch and Sesame Workshop worked with the advisors to create content for the program." 

-The Hollywood Reporter