Press Release-Colloquium

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Hesta Baker Pearson Communications Chairperson, Liberia Phone: (06) 910 000 | (05) 330-330

International Women’s Conference to Make History, Foster Change in Liberia Presidents of Liberia and Finland Host Colloquium to Focus on Women's Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security Monrovia, Liberia—On March 7 and 8, 2009, women leaders from around the world will convene for the International Colloquium for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security (the Colloquium) in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa. The Colloquium, conceptualized in 2006 during the inauguration of Liberian President Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, will bring together 800 participants, from heads of state to community leaders. The Conference, co-convened by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and President Tarja Halonen of Finland, seeks to create an environment for all women to learn and benefit from others in a position of leadership.

"The historic event will shed light on women leadership in every aspect of life in the world and will charter a course of action to empower women around the world," says President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The two-day event will include a dinner of the Council of Women World Leaders hosted by the President, an Exhibition of Wearable Arts, an Exhibition of Liberian Women Entrepreneurship, and a conference tackling major issues including:

• Empowering women to be more effective leaders by linking them with their peers from around the world • Supporting the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and • •

security to ensure that women are protected from the worst abuses in times of conflict and to empower them to assume a vital role in helping their countries Contributing to the achievement of Millennium Development Goal 3 on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women Demonstrating the clear gender dimensions of climate change, environment protection and sustainable development

The Colloquium will announce the March 2009 launch of the Angie Brooks International Centre on Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, Peace and Security, to be based in Monrovia. The Centre will train and empower current and future women leaders, and provide research, analysis and advocacy for women’s leadership.

The Centre will honor Angie Brooks, Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Africa’s first woman President of the United Nations General Assembly (1969).

"This is a chance to showcase how far our country has come since the election of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

We will use this unique and historical occasion to initiate capacity building for women in many areas, to jumpstart our tourism industry, and most of all, to interact with some of the greatest women leaders of our world. This is something not to miss," says Counselor Yvette Chesson-Wureh, Manager of the Colloquium.

Liberia stands to benefit in many ways from the 2009 Colloquium:

• Building Women’s Entrepreneurship includes projects that will train women in business presentation, • •

sales and negotiation skills, and provide a rare opportunity for local businesses to showcase their services and goods to women world leaders.

The Colloquium will initiate capacity-building projects such as the Young Professional Emerging Leaders Dialogue Series, which will feature live interviews of current and former women heads of state interacting with a global audience of future world leaders.

The conference will showcase and jumpstart Liberia’s tourism industry, through which the service sector of Liberia will benefit greatly from additional and extensive training that will lead to a long term upgrade of Liberia’s service and hospitality industry.

The event will feature speakers such as Graca Machel, Ines Alberti, Executive Director of UNIFEM, Baleka Mbete, Speaker of the South African Parliament, Ann Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF among others. David Crane, the first prosecutor of UN Special Tribunal for Liberia and who indicted former Liberian President Charles Taylor will also speak. The Colloquium will also be attended by H. E. Abdoulaye Wade, President of Senegal and H.E Paul Kagame, the Rwandan President both of whom will be honored for their work.

The Council of Women World Leaders, comprised of all sitting (and former) women Heads of State, will have its annual conference in Liberia, hosted by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, marking its first ever in Africa.

For more information on the Colloquium, please visit www.womenscolloquium.org.

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