2008 Annual Meeting

Creating Change…Improving Lives

UNIFEM/USNC’s 2008 Annual Conference


 

 
 

Over 100 UNIFEM/USNC members and guests joined us for our 2008 Conference in Atlanta, GA on June 21 and 22.

 

Attendees:

  • Were inspired by Senator Nan Orrock (GA, District 36) and Dr. Sita Ranchod-Nilsson of the Institute of Developing Nations of Emory University at our luncheon;
  • Participated in panel discussions focused on HIV/AIDS, Microfinance, Trafficking, and Promoting Women’s Leadership;
  • Laughed during the comedic performance of Neale Godfrey Is Tap Dancing Through the Boardroom; and
  • Learned about UNIFEM’s Safe Cities Program and Security Council Resolution 1820 from UNIFEM Deputy Executive Director for programmes, Joanne Sandler.

SAVE THE DATE! Our 2009 Conference will be in Chicago on July 11-12.
 

To learn more about our conference, please view our Conference Booklet.

Below is a list of our panel discussions.

 
HIV/AIDS: The Impact on Women and Girls

 
Dazon Dixon Diallo, MPH, is the Founder and President of SisterLove, Inc., the first and largest women’s AIDS organization in the Southeast region of the United States. As an adjunct faculty member, Dazon teaches Women’s Health and Development as part of Morehouse School of Medicine’s Master of Public Health Program, and the Comparative Women’s Studies Program of Spelman College.

Crystal Lander is the Senior Advocacy Advisor for the Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), where she manages their engagement on U.S. and global policy in the organization’s focus areas of girls’ education, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, and women’s leadership. Prior to her position with CEDPA, she managed and led the Feminist Majority Foundation’s national campus leadership program and campaigns on over 200 community colleges and four-year institutions. Ms. Lander is a public health professional with more than ten years of experience in global and domestic health issues.

Lisa Merritt, MD is a well-respected doctor and prolific author in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation. She has lectured nationally and internationally on rehabilitation and multi-cultural issues. Dr. Merritt incorporates many complementary approaches to create a complete wellness program for her patients.

Hermeyone Wilson is a Nurse Practitioner at Family Healthcare of Atlanta. She has been providing care and treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS for over 12 years. She is a member of the Metropolitan Atlanta HIV Services Planning Council and volunteers her time as a member of the planning committee for the African American Outreach Initiative.

 
Moderator: Maggie Forster Schmitz, UNIFEM/USNC Board Member
Maggie Forster Schmitz is an independent consultant and specializes in
international and non-governmental organizations and the international aid community. She lives with her husband and two young daughters in Southern CA.
 
 
 
 
Microfinance: Empowering Women Worldwide
 

 
Elisabeth Bara served in the Peace Corps in Swaziland and lived in Zimbabwe from 1994-2005. In 1994, she founded ASAP – A Self-help Assistance Program for community development in Zimbabwe whose mission is to cultivate self-reliance. To date, over 25,000 women living in rural Zimbabwe have been empowered through ASAP’s rural microfinance project.

D. BryAnn Chen is the Executive Director of Refugee Women’s Network (RWN). In her thirteen years in the Atlanta area, she has worked in the non-profit sector on issues ranging from violence against women, nutrition education, and teen driving safety. Ms. Chen is also a founding member of Tapestri, Inc: the Immigrant and Refugee Coalition Challenging Gender-Based Violence.

Astrid Yolanda Pregel is the President of Feminomics Inc., a consulting company working at the intersection of gender, leadership, entrepreneurship and the economy. She is particularly interested in women’s economic roles and their enormous potential to contribute to the eradication of global poverty. Ms. Pregel served for 25 years in Canada’s Foreign Service and has worked in commercial and development assistance in 10 East African countries, in India and, finally, as the Consul General to the South Eastern United States here in Atlanta.

Genia Topple is the Executive Director of the Rockland Foundation. From 2003-2007, she served as the organization’s Program Officer for Microfinance developing their strategy for microfinance in the Arab region and building relationships with grantees. She traveled extensively and lived in Egypt for a year to establish Sanabel, a regional association serving the Arab microfinance industry.
 
 
Moderator: Christine Griftner, UNIFEM/USNC Secretary
From the classroom to global business development, Christine has 25 years experience working for start ups and high tech Fortune 100 companies in sales, management, marketing and business development. With a Masters in Educational Technology, she currently consults with corporations such as SRI and the Sun Microsystems Foundation.
 
 
 
 
Voices of Leadership: Promoting Women in Governance
 

 
Nancy Abudu is an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Atlanta who primarily works in the area of voting rights. She has also represented victims of domestic violence on behalf of the Legal Aid Society of New York and presented testimony before the UN regarding the issue of environmental racism, with an emphasis on its impact on the health of women and children. She currently co-chairs the Political Action Committee for the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys and is a frequent speaker on the role of women in government.

 
Francesca Cesa Bianchi has been associated with CIFAL Atlanta, the North American affiliate of the Decentralized Program of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), since June 2006. In her position as Program Director, Ms. Cesa Bianchi oversees the Leadership Initiative on Gender Equality, a program launched in November 2006 in collaboration with the City of Atlanta and Fulton County Government. Prior to her current position, she served as Director of Public Relations for the Georgia Council for International Visitors, freelance writer for CNN Italia, and a Carter Center-accredited election observer in Venezuela in 2003 and 2004.

Janet Rankin is Regional Commissioner for the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics’ Southeast Regional Office. In her position, Ms. Rankin provides leadership and direction for all Bureau of Labor Statistics economic and statistical programs in the eight-state Southeastern Region. These programs generate information on the labor force, employment and unemployment, prices and living conditions, safety and health, and occupational employment and compensation levels. Ms. Rankin is also Vice President of the Zonta Club of Atlanta, a part of Zonta International, an organization of professional women dedicated to advancing the status of women worldwide.

 
Moderator: Francine Brown, UNIFEM/USNC Board Member
Dr. Francine Brown is the President of the Sarasota Gulf Coast Chapter. of UNIFEM/USNC. Prior to joining UNIFEM/USNC, Francine served for many years in the corporate and educational arenas, with specialities in Organizational Leadership and Change, and Training. She is involved with several organizations in the community.
 
 
 
Trafficking Women and Girls: A Global Phenomenon
 
 
 
Alia El-Sawi is the Anti-Human Trafficking Program Coordinator for Tapestri Inc., an organization dedicated to ending violence and oppression in refugee and immigrant communities. Tapestri provides services to victims of trafficking and family violence. Ms. El-Sawi designs and provides training and outreach to service providers, law enforcement and community organizations on human trafficking.

Paula R. Goode has served as Deputy Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in the U.S. Department of State since May 2005. She was appointed Acting Director of the office in mid-December 2006 and served in that capacity until the current Director, Ambassador Mark Lagon, was sworn-in in July 2007. As Deputy Director, she is responsible for the overall management of the office and she also advises Ambassador Lagon on policy and programmatic issues. The TIP office coordinates U.S. government activities in the global fight against modern-day slavery including forced labor and sexual exploitation.

Lola Ibitoye has volunteered with Amnesty International for five years and is currently its Stop Violence Against Women’s Coordinator. She also works at Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta. Refugee Resettlement & Immigration Services of Atlanta provides a wide spectrum of services to refugees before, during, and after their arrival.

 
Moderator: Leslie Wright, UNIFEM/USNC Board Member
In addition to serving on the UNIFEM/USNC Board, Leslie Wright is also President of the Metro NY Chapter of UNIFEM/USNC. She is an advocate for women and girls at the United Nations, frequently speaking on trafficking issues and other issues related to violence against women.