Last modified: Thursday, February 14, 2008
Human rights activist Prendergast to speak at IU about genocide and atrocities in Africa
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 14, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- John Prendergast, an American human rights activist currently focusing his activities on genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, violence against women in eastern Congo and atrocities in Chad and northern Uganda, will speak at Indiana University at noon on Tuesday (Feb. 19).
Prendergast was co-author of the book, Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond, with actor Don Cheadle.
Prendergast is a co-founder of the Enough Project, an initiative to end genocide and crimes against humanity that is a joint initiative of the International Crisis Group and the Center for American Progress. He will speak in the Oak Room of the Indiana Memorial Union, 900 E. Seventh St., on the Bloomington campus. The event is open to the public.
His presentation is sponsored by IU's African Studies Program, the Office of the President, Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice President of International Affairs.
During the Clinton administration, Prendergast was involved in a number of peace processes in Africa as director of African affairs at the National Security Council and special adviser at the Department of State. He also has worked for members of Congress, the United Nations, human rights organizations and think tanks.
A visiting professor at the University of San Diego and the American University in Cairo, Prendergast is the author of eight books on Africa, including Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond (Hyperion, 2007), a New York Times bestseller he co-authored with actor Don Cheadle.
He also appeared in the award-winning HBO documentary in 2007 about Dafur, "Sand and Sorrow," narrated by actor George Clooney. He produced, with Cheadle, Journey into Sunset, a 2006 documentary on the sad fate of children in Northern Uganda. He's been involved in three other documentaries on the two countries.
Prendergast also will visit Manchester College the day before (Feb. 18) and will speak twice at two public events on its campus.
