Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority To Strategize on How to Move from Advocacy to Action During Forum

Aug. 15, 2011 - PRLog -- Chicago, Illinois – August 15, 2011 - With the election season approximately one year away -- and with so much at stake – Alpha Kappa Alpha will strategize to educate and energize the hundreds of thousands it serves when it hosts its 9th Public Policy Conference in Washington D.C September 19-21. The three-day confab will provide a forum where the Sorority can develop a plan of action around its civic, social and legislative agenda.

In recognition of the critical issues that need to be addressed and the actions that need to be triggered, the theme of the three-day event is: “The Time is Now: Connection + Advocacy = Effective Results.”



In making the announcement, Alpha Kappa Alpha’s international president Attorney Carolyn House Stewart declared that the Conference represents AKA’s commitment to shaping policy and influencing legislation that will impact the communities its members serve.  To this end, the three-day Conference will feature seminars, legislative briefings and a town hall forum where leaders will flush out the issues in a candid and provocative format.  Other highlights include a workshop on voter empowerment and a Bi-Partisan Briefing on Capitol Hill.

“The need is even more critical today when considering that joblessness, mental and physical illness and poverty plague African Americans in disproportionate numbers,” Stewart declared. “Because of the serious challenges that impact those the Sorority serves, the Conference will represent a launching pad where we move from advocacy to action to obtain effective results.

Stewart said that the discussions will focus on local, national and global challenges and how leaders can work in unity to find programs to address these continued dilemmas. Because of the global nature of the discussion and the focus on leadership, the Conference will parallel the administration’s theme: “Global Leadership Through Timeless Service.”



The three-day event will also provide a forum for members to network and engage in one-on-one dialogue with experts about program initiatives that impact the community. Members will also have a chance to visit with their senators and congressional representatives to discuss and advocate for issues of importance to their regions, to the nation and to the world.

Congressmen Fredericka Wilson (Florida) and Terri Sewell (Alabama) recently elected lawmakers -- both   members of the Sorority  -- will be honored at a reception hosted by Alpha Kappa Alpha.

Leyser Q. Hayes, Esq., who chairs the Connection Committee, sponsor of the event, affirmed the importance of this event and how it parallels the committee’s theme: Global Empowerment: Moving from Discussion to Action.

In predicting that the conference will spark a fire that will energize the membership as they fan out to conduct voter registration and education initiatives, Stewart declared: “There is no better time and there is no better group of college-educated women to organize and advocate for social justice in our local areas than Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.  Our track record is effecting change is well documented.  Through the information and inspiration we gain from this Conference, Alpha Kappa Alpha will be powerfully positioned to make a difference as we move from advocacy to action.”

About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority:
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA) is an international service organization that was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-lettered organization established by African-American college-educated women. It is comprised of 260,000 members in 958 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, the U. S. Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada, Japan, Germany, South Korea and on the continent of Africa. Its membership includes distinguished women who boast excellent academic records, proven leadership skills, and are involved in the global community through advocacy and service. Alpha Kappa Alpha has dedicated itself to improving the quality of life for citizens worldwide and promoting peace.  The organization is led by its 28th International President Carolyn House Stewart of Tampa, Florida whose administration's programmatic theme is “Global Leadership Through Timeless Service.”

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