Leading Through Adversity

Speakers

• Alaa Murabit

  Speaker

  Founding President, The Voice of Libyan Women

  At the young age of 15 Alaa Murabit completed high school and moved from Saskatoon, Canada to Zawia, Libya. It was there that she enrolled in medical school and driven by her desire to create inclusive processes and institutions founded The Voice of Libyan Women (VLW) in 2011 at the age of 21. With a strong focus on challenging societal and cultural norms and utilizing traditional and historical role models Murabit champions women’s participation in peace processes and conflict mediation. Her programs, such as the groundbreaking “Noor Campaign” are replicated internationally. Nicknamed “The Libyan Doogie Howser” by Jon Stewart and applauded by Oprah for her innovative approach to security, Murabit acts as advisor to numerous international security boards, think tanks and organizations. Most recently she was nominated to the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (women, peace and security) Global Advisory Board, UN Women Global Advisory Board and Harvard University’s “Everywoman, Everywhere” initiative. The first Ashoka Fellow elected from Libya, Murabit is the youngest recipient of the Marisa Bellisario International Humanitarian Award by the Italian Government, was named the “International Trust Women Hero 2014” by The New York Times and "One of 25 women under 25 to watch" by Newsweek. Most recently she was selected as a "100 Top Woman" by the BBC and the SAFE Global Hero. In March 2015 Murabit was selected as the inaugural civil society speaker at the official Commission on the Status of Women opening session. Murabit’s TED Talk, released in July 2015, “ What my religions really says about women” was selected as the TED Talk of the Day and one of four moving TED Talks you should watch right now by The New York Times. In October 2015 Murabit addressed the United Nations Security Council during the 15th Anniversary Open Debate on Resolution 1325. In December 2015 Murabit was selected as a Keeping Children Safe Trustee.

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• Reverend Mpho Tutu

  Speaker

  , Reverend Canon

  The Reverend Mpho A. Tutu an ordained Episcopal Priest and founding Director of the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation For five years, Rev. Tutu was Director of the Bishop Desmond Tutu Southern African Refugee Scholarship Fund of the Phelps Stokes Fund. That program provided full four-year scholarships to refugees from South Africa and Namibia. Ms. Tutu has worked as a volunteer teaching in and English as a second language (ESL) ministry in Alexandria, VA. Rev. Tutu holds a Master of Divinity Degree form Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA. She was awarded a Women Living Religion Fellowship by the MacMillan Center at Yale University in New Haven. The Rev. Mpho Tutu is a trustee of Angola University. Rev. Mpho Tutu is the Executive Director of Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, an organization founded by her father Desmond and mother Leah. Rev. Tutu co-authored Made for Goodness with her father and Tutu: The authorized Portrait with Award winning journalist Allister Sparks. They also wrote the foreword to National Geographic’s book, Geography of Religion. She also authored the foreword of Footprints in the Sand: Caregivers of South Africa and. Recently she co-authored The Book of Forgiving together with her father.

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• Pat Mitchell

  Moderator

  Co-Founder/Editorial Director TEDWomen; Managing Partner, Connected Women Leaders; Co-Founder, Project Dandelion, Pat Mitchell Media

  Pat Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, producer and media executive who broke new ground for women as the first woman president of PBS and of CNN Productions. She is the co-founder, host and editorial director for TEDWomen and co-founder and managing partner of ConnectedWomenLeaders, a cohort of global women leaders. She serves on the boards of the Sundance Institute, The Skoll Foundation, Participant Media, The Woodruff Arts Center and the VDAY movement to end violence, and she’s also a member of CARE’s Global Advisory Council and Chair Emerita of the Women’s Media Center. In her memoir, “Becoming a Dangerous Woman: Embracing Risk to Change the World,” Pat shares her journey as a frontline advocate for a just, equitable and sustainable world.

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• Ruth Jones

  Speaker

  Chief of Staff, B Team

  Charlotte is an experienced development professional, and has worked to foster cross-sector partnerships and solutions to some of the world's greatest challenges—in roles focused on private sector engagement and activation, global development, strengthening the disability sector, and youth engagement. In her current role, Charlotte oversees The B Team's fundraising and learning practice, and as one of the founding staff team has helped shape The B Team's operational, cultural and movement building efforts over the years. Charlotte is from Aotearoa New Zealand, and currently lives in New York City with her family. She is a trained outdoor instructor, and studied Ethics and Politics at Auckland University.

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• Mary Robinson

  Speaker

  Member, The Elders

  Mary Robinson is a founding member of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007, who work together for peace, justice, human rights and a sustainable planet. She has served as Chair since 2018, and is a passionate advocate for gender equality, human rights and climate justice. She has addressed the UN Security Council on multiple occasions and has met with world leaders including President Ramaphosa in South Africa, Pope Francis in the Vatican, President Macron in Paris and President Xi Jinping in Beijing. She was the first woman President of Ireland (1990–1997) and is a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997–2002). From 2013- 2016, she served as the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy in three roles; first for the Great Lakes region of Africa, then on Climate Change and then on El Niño and Climate. She was appointed Adjunct Professor for Climate Justice at Trinity College Dublin in 2019.

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