Starting Date: 11-06-2009
Ending Date: 11-09-2009
Washington, District of Columbia 20003
United StatesOn November 6 – 9, Genocide Intervention Network’s (GI-NET) student-led division, STAND, will bring together a powerful network of 1,000 students and community leaders and activists from across the country to Capitol Hill for Pledge2Protect: a conference designed to educate, empower, and highlight the work of activists who are driving the movement to prevent and stop genocide and mass atrocities. Pledge2Protect seeks to create a forum of rigorous dialogue and exchange that cover broad yet carefully selected topics.
In collaboration with core partners Save Darfur Coalition and The Enough Project, Pledge2Protect will equip activists with grassroots organizing and advocacy skills, plus in-depth education on conflicts of concern. Preeminent speakers and experts in the field will lead these discussions by providing their critical perspectives and inviting an exchange of ideas. In addition, participants will meet with their elected officials on a November 9 lobby day to push for key genocide prevention legislation.
Primary Goals:
Pledge2Protect seeks to create an experience for participants that will empower them to become stronger leaders on their campuses and in their communities while demonstrating the strength of the movement to end genocide to policymakers on Capitol Hill.
The three-day conference will feature the following components:
1. Workshops: Workshops, discussions, and seminars on Genocide Prevention, Activism, Sudan, Burma and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
2. Training: Training sessions on grassroots organizing, media outreach and social media techniques, advocacy, and other fundamental activist skills.
3. Panel Discussions: Panel discussions featuring world-renowned experts and policy makers. Invited speakers include Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Ambassador Susan Rice, Members of Congress, and administration officials. See below for more on the invited speakers.
4. Networking Events: Regional activist networking events where participants can share best practices and exchange ideas.
5. Lobby Day: Concluding the conference, the largest lobby day in the history of genocide prevention on November 9.
Pledge2Protect Invited Speakers
(confirmed speakers in bold):
* Susan Rice- Permanent Representative to the United Nations
* Hilary Clinton- Secretary of State
* Scott Gration- Special Envoy to Sudan
* David Scheffer- Former US Ambassador on War Crimes
* Bec Hamilton- Author/Activist
* Samantha Power- National Security Council's Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights
* Carl Wilkens- Founder, World Outside My Shoes
* Gayle Smith- National Security Council's Senior Director for Relief, Stabilization and Development
* Senator Feingold- D-Wisconsin
* Senator Brownback- R-Kansas
* Rep. Aaron Schock- R-Illiniois
* Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth- Head of Mission, Government of South Sudan
* Roger Winter- Former Special Representative on Sudan
* Layla Amjadi- Student Director, STAND
* Mark Hanis- President, Genocide Intervention Network
* Sam Bell- Executive Director, Genocide Intervention Network
* John Prendergast- Co-Founder, Enough Project
* John Norris- Executive Director, Enough Project
* Jerry Fowler- President, Save Darfur Coalition
GI-NET is proud to be the convening partner of the first ever movement-wide conference and lobby day. Join us for Pledge2Protect on November 6-9. E-mail Pledge2Protect@standnow.org with general or press related questions.Geographical Scope: National Conference |
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