Human rights activist and New York Times best-selling author John Prendergast will speak at Occidental College's Thorne Hall on Tuesday, April 5, at 11:45 a.m.
Prendergast, who has worked with actors such as George Clooney and Angelina Jolie to bring the plight of Africans caught in Sudan's civil war to the attention of the United States, has worked for peace in Africa for more than 25 years. He is the co-founder of the Enough Project, an initiative to end genocide and crimes against humanity that is affiliated with the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank.
On April 5, Prendergast will speak about the recent referendum in Sudan and the political situation in Darfur. He will also sign his book, New York Times bestseller, The Enough Movement: Fighting to End Africa's Worst Human Rights Crimes, which was co-written by actor Don Cheadle, in the lobby of Thorne Hall immediately after his talk.
Prendergast will present his talk as a First Tuesday speaker. The longtime series, sponsored by the Remsen Bird Fund, brings a dynamic speaker to Occidental on the first Tuesday of every month. The series' events are free and open to the public.
Under the Enough Project, Prendergast helped to create a number of peace initiatives. With George Clooney, he launched the Satellite Sentinel Project, which aims to prevent conflict and human rights abuses through the use of satellite imagery. With NBA players such as Tracy McGrady, Prendergast co-founded the Darfur Dream Team Sister Schools Program to fund schools in Darfurian refugee camps and create partnerships with U.S. schools. He also helped launch two campaigns on ending civil war and violence against women: the Raise Hope for Congo Campaign and Sudan Now.
In addition, Prendegast has worked for the Clinton administration, UNICEF, Human Rights Watch, the International Crisis Group, and the U.S. Institute for Peace, among other groups. He has been a Big Brother for more than 25 years, as well as a youth counselor and a basketball coach. Prendergast's next book, which will be available in May, is Unlikely Brothers, a memoir he co-authored with his first little brother in the Big Brother program.
For directions to Occidental College, visit /x119.xml. Parking is available in the visitors parking lot.
