Women Activists from Across the Globe Gather in Denver for Annual Inclusive Global Leadership Initiative Summer Institute
Leading women activists to convene with University of Denver scholars in partnership with the United States Institute of Peace for advanced training on leading movements for social change.
August 15, 2019 (Denver, CO) - From August 24-30, the University of Denver will host its third annual Summer Institute focused on women's leadership as part of the Inclusive Global Leadership Initiative (IGLI), in partnership with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).
The 2019 Summer Institute will welcome sixteen participants from fifteen countries, including leading activists like Koketso Moeti, the founder of Amandla.mobi in South Africa; Loubna Mrie, a photojournalist from Syria; and Soraya Vázquez Pesqueira, a lawyer and human rights defender from Mexico. Over the course of the week-long workshop, these activists will have opportunities to share stories about their particular struggles and successes and receive advanced trainings from some of the world's leading experts on women and movements. After four days of workshops in Colorado, the entire delegation will travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in two additional days of training at USIP and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The Summer Institute comes during a political moment when democracy is being challenged and human rights are under threat across the globe. In response, women are increasingly playing essential roles in movements demanding social change. From the record-breaking crowds at the Women's March, to the ongoing protests in Hong Kong, to the revolution that toppled Omar al-Bashir's regime in Sudan, women are at the forefront of movements to counter authoritarianism, champion human rights, and secure peace. IGLI, housed at the Sié Chéou-Kang Center, a research center at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, is the leading program dedicated to elevating and strengthening that work. As partners in Washington, D.C., USIP brings decades of experience in conflict and fragile states and work on the women, peace and security agenda and non-violent movements to the IGLI effort.
Dr. Marie Berry of the University of Denver directs the Institute, in collaboration with Dr. Maria Stephan and Dr. Kathleen Kuehnast of USIP. The Institute is co-hosted by IGLI alums Christine Ahn, founder of Women Cross DMZ, and Farida Nabourema, a leading activist and blogger from Togo.
"Our goal with the IGLI Summer Institute is simple: to bring leading women activists together to create networks that will strengthen their unique work, while also building solidarity and momentum among the women who are at the helm of an emerging global movement aimed at eradicating oppression in all of its forms," said Dr. Berry, Assistant Professor at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. "This is a unique opportunity for strengthening the skills of these amazing women leaders who engage every day in difficult and sometimes dangerous spaces. By broadening their perspectives on peacebuilding and non-violent action, we hope that these women's efforts are amplified and will continue to make a vital difference in their communities," adds Dr. Kuehnast, who leads Gender Policy and Strategy for USIP.
For more information, or to schedule an interview with the Institute's Directors, Co-Hosts, or Participants, please contact Sie.Center@du.edu.
