Come experience how
income disparities affect world hunger, get the chance to meet the
woman who stood up to the UN and a MNC who were involved in human
trafficking ring in post-war Bosnia, and enjoy great performances by
Penn's performing arts groups!
Keynote Speaker: Kathryn Bolkovac.
Ms. Bolkovac is an advocate against human trafficking and the inspiration behind the award-winning film, The Whistleblower.
When
Nebraska police officer Kathryn Bolkovac saw a recruiting announcement
for private military contractor DynCorp International, she applied and
was hired. Good money, world travel, and the chance to help rebuild a
war-torn country sounded like the perfect job. She was soon shipped to
Bosnia, where
DynCorp had been contracted to support the UN peacekeeping mission. She
was assigned as a human rights investigator, heading the gender affairs
unit. Once she arrived in Sarajevo, she found out that things were a
lot worse than she imagined. At great risk to herself, Kathy began to
unravel the ugly truth about officers involved in human trafficking and
forced prostitution, and their connections to private mercenary
contractors, the UN, and the U.S. State Department. Soon, she was
demoted, then fired. Feeling threatened with bodily harm, she fled the
country, bringing the incriminating documents with her. Thanks to the
evidence she had collected, Kathy won a lawsuit against DynCorp, finally
exposing what they had done. Kathy advocates and warns of the inherent
danger when we contract out our wars and that it is our responsibility
to protect the weak and disenfranchised in times of peace. Both gripping
and inspiring, Kathy’s story, depicted
in The Whistleblower, of courage and honor in the face of insurmountable odds shows that just one voice can make a difference.
Admission
is free and dinner from Pattaya will be served (vegan options will be
available). $5 donation strongly suggested, all donations will go to
support Syrian relief efforts.
Performing
arts groups include Onda Latina, Excelano Project, Penn Naach,
Dischord, Sparks Dance Company, and Pan-Asian Dance Troupe.
You don't
want to miss this!!!
