Won Buddhism of Manhattan

Women's Empowerment: Role of Women in Poverty Eradication
Mon, Feb/27/2012, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Church Center of the UN (44th St & 1st Ave), 10th Floor
A parallel event at the 56th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations

Won Buddhism UN Office and three co-sponsoring organizations will host the panel discussion on Monday afternoon, February 27, 2012. A parallel event to the 56th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), this workshop will focus on 'Women's Empowerment: Role of Women in Poverty Eradication.

Moderator:

Alison Van Dyk, Executive Director, Temple of Understanding

Ms. Van Dyk became the Executive Director and Chair of the Board of the Temple of Understanding (TOU), an organization started by her close friend Juliet Hollister in 2002. She has focused the work of the TOU on diversity and global leadership programs for high school youth; a young adult program at the Rubin Museum and an adult lecture program in the New York area, including the Paley Center for Media, among others. The TOU’s United Nations Representative, Sr Joan Kirby has concentrated on Interfaith Dialogue, Human Rights and Sustainability. Ms. Van Dyk is on the Board of the Hartley Film Foundation and The Advisory Board of the Early Child Institute at Sarah Lawrence College.   

Speakers: 

Robin Andrews, Town Supervisor of Claverack, New York

Robin Andrews was elected two years ago to serve her first 4-year term as Supervisor of the Town of Claverack, a rural town of 6,000 in Columbia County, NY. With the unexpected defeat of a 13-year incumbent, she became the first and only Democrat elected in the town in 35 years. She is also the first elected female Supervisor in the history of the town. As a County Board of Supervisors legislator, she became the Deputy Minority Leader after her first year of office. She is Deputy of the County Health Committee, and is now the day-to-day liaison for the Health Dept.  She also sits on the Economic Development, Negotiations, Insurance and Budget & Salary committees. Prior to her current role as Supervisor, she served as Village Trustee, Chair of the Main Street Committee, founding President of the Local Development Corp and member of the Comprehensive Planning Board. In addition, she has served as the first Chair for KCC, an organization for professionals committed to the practice of spirit in their work and lives, and Treasurer for the non-profit Avanse, an arts center in Haiti. She's a graduate of NYU Business School and currently lives in Philmont, NY, within the town of Claverack, with her spouse Chris Lastovicka.

Azza Karam, Ph.D., Senior Technical Advisor, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Azza Karam, Ph.D. serves as a Senior Technical Advisor, at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). She coordinates global activities around mobilizing ‘cultural agents of change’, manages the Global Interfaith Network for Population and Development, and coordinates the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Faith-Based Engagement. She served as the Senior Policy Advisor in the regional Bureau for Arab States at the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). With the support of the Ford Foundation, she founded the first Global Women of Faith Network during her tenure at Religions for Peace, while also advising on interfaith development work in Muslim nations, and served as the President of the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations. In various countries in the Middle East, Europe and Africa, she has managed global developmental programmes, taught at a number of universities, and published widely on political economy,

 

Ven. Chun Ohun Lee, Ph.D., Executive Director, UN & Interreligious Work, Won Buddhism International

Ven. Chung Lee, Ph.D. is the founding head minister and guiding spiritual teacher of Won Buddhism of Manhattan (WBM), established in 1994. Chung Ok Lee is a recognized international leader in interreligious dialogue and cooperation.  She has represented Won Buddhism at the United Nations since 1992. Important UN committee positions included: co-convener of the conference on Advancing Cooperation between the United Nations and World¹s Religions (2008); Chair of Intercultural Dialogue at the UN (2004); Chair of the Universal Ethics Millennium Conference at the UN (2000); President of the Committee of Religious NGOs at the UN (1995-1997); and Founding Co-Chair of the Values Caucus at the UN (1994-1995).  Ven. Lee is the Co-President of Religions for Peace since 1999. Dr. Lee edited, "Vision for a New Civilization: Spiritual and Ethical Values in the New Millennium. She received full ordination in Won Buddhism in 1981, in Iksan City, South Korea. She holds a Ph.D in Religious Education from NYU.

Organized by Won Buddhism International

Co-Sponsors

Temple of Understanding

United Religions Initiative

Women's Program of Religions for Peace

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