For Immediate Release CONTACT: Katie-Jay Scott Stauring, 310.738.0285, ktj@iact.ngo Download the pdf of the press release
CARL WILKENS FELLOWSHIP AND i-ACT JOIN FORCES
To continue a program that strives to build a permanent constituency to prevent and end genocide and mass atrocities
LOS ANGELES, CA – June 18, 2013 – The Carl Wilkens Fellowship (CWF), once part of Genocide Intervention Network and United to End Genocide, has partnered with i-ACT, a Los Angeles based, international nonprofit, to continue the Fellowship program that trains emerging adult leaders to build a permanent constituency working to prevent and end mass atrocities. The partnership will capitalize on the accomplishments of the more than 55 Carl Wilkens Fellows from past cohorts who are currently working around the world.
“Since its beginning with GI-Net, I’ve always been inspired by the level of commitment and the quality of work of the various Fellows spread around our country. I could not be happier with the recent joining of forces between the Fellowship and i-ACT,” notes Carl Wilkens. “The way i-ACT partners with families at risk on the ground is excellent. Its creativity and innovation also makes it a great match for the Fellowship!”
i-ACT empowers individuals within communities, institutions, and governments to take personal responsibility to act on behalf of those affected by genocide, mass atrocities, and crimes against humanity. i-ACT is a global team dedicated to putting a face on the numbers of dead, dying, and displaced while creating mutually enriching relationships between those in danger and those willing and able to act, fostering a new culture of participation.
“We really feel that bringing the Carl Wilkens Fellowship under the umbrella of i-ACT will help create a permanent and energized community dedicated to ending mass atrocities. Our movement as a whole needs new leadership and new ideas to break the cycle of violence,” says Director of Community Programming and new CWF Facilitator, Katie-Jay Scott Stauring. “CWF offers an opportunity to expand our work and empower more individuals to create unique projects that will contribute to ending genocide. We feel it’s a perfect fit.”
Carl Wilkens Fellows are currently working to raise awareness, fund and coordinate programs in affected communities around the world. Just last week Fellow Naomi Natale completed a four year project to collect one million handcrafted bones and lay them on the National Mall in Washington D.C. Fellow Myra Dahgaypaw, a Karen human rights activist from Karen State, Eastern Burma, is a Campaign Coordinator for U.S. Campaign for Burma. Dr. Lee Ann De Reus, recipient of the George W. Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Spirit of Internationalization Award at Penn State University, is assistant executive director and co-founder of Panzi Foundation USA, and regularly spends time at Panzi Hospital in Democratic Republic of Congo. Fellow James Waller recently facilitated a panel on Developing Micro and Macro Genocide Prevention Strategies at a meeting in Tanzania hosted by the Auschwitz Institute for Peace and Reconciliation where he is the Academic Programs Director. Fellow Martina Knee and i-ACT’s Stauring are co-founders of Act for Sudan, an alliance of 74 American and Sudanese organizations. Several Fellows have furthered their education since their participation began, including degrees in Law, International NGO Management, and Conflict Transformation.
i-ACT hopes to partner with existing organizations in the movement to strengthen the Fellowship and the movement. i-ACT and the CWF Advisory Board are actively seeking financial support to launch a new cohort in 2014. A new website and more information will be available soon. In the meantime, please direct inquiries to Katie-Jay Scott Stauring at ktj@iact.ngo
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Carl Wilkens Fellowship (CWF) is a selective program that aims to give a diverse cohort of individuals at every level of experience the tools and resources to build unique programs and sustained political will to end mass atrocities. Named in honor of Carl Wilkens, the only American to remain in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide, the Fellowship will provide skills, mentorship, and support to help facilitate programs lead by emerging leaders. The Fellowship is a project of i-ACT. i-ACT is a global team dedicated to putting a face on the numbers of dead, dying, and displaced while creating mutually enriching relationships between those in danger and those willing and able to act, fostering a new culture of participation. www.iact.ngo
For more information on work by the above mentioned Fellows, please visit: www.panzifoundation.org, www.uscampaignforburma.org, www.actforsudan.org, www.onemillionbones.org, www.auschwitzinstitute.org.
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