Across global regions, women and girls face intersecting forms of discrimination and abuse. When formal justice systems fail to rectify these wrongs, comfort and healing may appear to elude victims. Yet, women and mothers are showing up as human rights defenders, cultural influencers for change, and intergenerational agents for healing and resilience. This youth led event will highlight real accounts of effective survivor-led approaches that lead to healing and resilience. Our audience will leave feeling empowered with a new perspective on justice-based tensions.
Hellen Turner was born and raised in Uganda, Iganga district in a very rural small community called Buwongo. Both parents abandoned her when she was only 18 months but was raised by her grandparents. Later as an adult, she immigrated to the United States and was married. She now has two girls- a 7 year old, a 3 year old, and one on the way due in November. She has made very many friends that have helped her feel comfortable and fit in the US culture. She is very grateful for the kind people she have met through the hard times in my life. Service and just reaching out to people brings her joy.
Grace Raje
Grace Raje is a student pursuing a degree in Global Politics with minors in Cultural Anthropology and Deaf Studies. She is the current Director of Global Strategy with Big Ocean Women and has served in several leadership capacities within BOW since 2016. Grace is an advocate for women’s dignity and survivor-centered healing. After experiencing childhood sexual violence and the absence of legal accountability, she developed a lifelong commitment to addressing the gap between formal justice and lived justice. Grace’s work advocated for policy reform, healing, and the role of women—especially mothers—as stabilizing forces within families and communities.
NAFFA
Albert M. Pooley was born to the Hopi and Navajo Native American cultures. He grew up close to both cultures on the reservation where the love of a father taught him outstanding life lessons. He holds a Masters of Social Work (MSW) and Masters of Public Administration (MPA). Mr. Pooley has extensive experience as a marriage and family counselor. He appreciates the role of being a father and he finds joy in teaching principles that are relevant to his Native American culture. He is the Founder and President of NAFFA (Native American Fatherhood and Families Association) representing 350 tribes in the United States and 20 tribes throughout Canada. (SDG 3.5)
Carolina Allen
Michael Peck (Linguistics MA) is a Kekchi linguist that has been deeply involved with the language since 2003. He has worked with native speakers for decades to produce volumes of translated content in the language. He has overseen language acquisition programs for the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah and recently initiated a Kekchi language course at Brigham Young University, the first of its kind in an American University. He is currently helping to develop content for Kekchi literacy programs in Guatemala both for adults and for children. His approach is backed by research suggesting that initiating students’ literacy in their native language allows them to achieve greater bilingual literacy when they encounter the Spanish language in public schools and elsewhere.
Cara Baldree
Robert C. Roylance is an internationally recognized agriculture economist. At an early age he became the General Manager of a 50,000-acre farm in Washington State that pumped irrigation water out of the Columbia River. The farmland was originally classified as “non farmable,” but it is now one of the most productive farms in the world. In 1999, Robert had a life changing event in Kenya and Uganda when he came face to face with the AIDS orphan problem, and their quest for food. While visiting farms in the area he was also able to gain an understanding of the serious soil degradation of their farms, and what it would take to restore the soil. These experiences, and others, helped him become painfully aware of the unchecked trends of land degradation and the resulting food crisis. He is now working with projects in Guatemala.
Join us in Manhattan for CSW-F
Wednesday, March 11th 8:30 AM EST
This event is kindly hosted by the Lebanese American University at 211 E 46th St, New York, NY, 10017
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