UN Commission on Women Explores Power, Peace and Leadership in a New World

Feb. 20, 2012 - PRLog -- The 56th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will take place at UN Headquarters in New York from February 26 through March 9, 2012. This year the Commission will focus on the empowerment of women, with an emphasis on rural and indigenous women, and their role in poverty and hunger eradication. The UN-CSW has organized and approved a series of NGO round-tables to exchange information and share global best practices.

As part of UN-CSW 2012, Women's International Center Foundation and our NGO partners will sponsor an interactive panel entitled: Women, Power and Peace: Leadership in a New World to explore both the challenges and opportunities of stepping into leadership across sectors and around the globe.

Featured Guest Speakers for this year's UN-CSW Parallel Panel to include:

Ms. Annette Richardson, Senior Advisor, United Nations Office of Partnerships. Ms. Richardson assists and advises UNOP senior leadership on developing public-private partnerships and identifying the value proposition and roles for each partner to best align with the UN Millennium Development Goals.  Ms. Richardson was Director of International Relations for the New York City 2012 Olympic Bid Committee in charge of African Affairs and the UN. She also served as Chief of Staff to the Chairman and CEO of Vivendi Universal. Ms. Richardson is an Honorary Ambassador of the University for Peace and was awarded the 2010 Global Citizen Award and the 2010 Professional Woman of the Year Award by the National Association of Professional Women (NAPW).

Ms. Gloria Feldt, nationally renowned activist and author whose passion for social justice has propelled her life’s work. Called the "Voice of Experience" by People Magazine, Gloria's new book, No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power reveals why women are stuck at 18% of top leadership roles and shows how women can redefine power, lead themselves with intention, and reach parity from the boardroom to the bedroom for good—their own and society’s. Feldt served as president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and currently teaches “Women, Power, and Leadership” at Arizona State University and serves on the board of the Women’s Media Center.

Ms. Carla Goldstein, JD is Omega Institute’s chief external affairs officer and director of the Women’s Institute at Omega. An attorney with 25 years of experience in public interest advocacy, she has contributed to more than 100 city, state, and federal laws, and has worked extensively in city and state government on issues related to women’s rights, poverty, public health, and social justice. She is a commentator for WAMC’s show, 51%, writes a column and serves on the advisory board for Feminist.com, and serves as president of the board for Friends of Women Without Borders. She was cofounding editor-in-chief of the state’s first women’s law journal and has been featured at the New York State Bar Association’s “Women on the Move: Successful Women in the Know.”

Kimberly King, Senior Vice President and UN Representative for Women's International, will serve as presenter and Moderator. An internationally recognized social entrepreneur and strategy consultant, Ms. King's experience reflects 25 years’ as a leader in partnership development representing city governments, NGO's and global brands including American Express, Coca-Cola, World Trade Center Association, and UN Population Fund. Kimberly is a media producer, dialog facilitator and co-President of The Peace Company, a for-benefit social enterprise. She serves as Senior Advisor to numerous organizations and is an honored recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Global Humanitarian Award.  

Women, Power and Peace: Leadership in a New World is a Parallel Event which is open to all UN-CSW Delegates, and can also be accessed by the general public. Details below:

Forum: 56th UN Commission on the Status of Women
Event:   Women, Power and Peace: Leadership in a New World
Date:    Wednesday, February 29, 2012 10:30 AM - noon.
Place:   UN Church Center Chapel, 777 UN Plaza
              New York, NY 10017

Sponsoring Organizations: Women's International Center Foundation, Restorative Justice Association, US Women Connect

To learn more about the UN Commission on the Status of Women, please visit:
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/  and
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/56sess.htm

For general information, please contact Karen Moore at womensinternational@mail.com