Bringing The World’s Attention to Humanitarian Emergencies March 3, 2008

Who: Jan Egeland, former UN Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs & Emergency Relief Coordinator

Event: As one of the closet advisors to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Jan Egeland was at the center of coordinating the UN’s response and massive international relief efforts during one of the more challenging periods in its recent history. He has traveled extensively to the frontlines of conflicts zones and regions ravaged by natural disasters, consistently acting as an assertive international spokesman for civilians caught in the crossfire of strife, victims of catastrophes, and displaced people. Sometimes controversial, he has made a point of eschewing diplomatic niceties and using direct language to get his points across to national governments and heads of state. Jan Egeland joins the Council to discuss his new book, A Billion Lives, where he offers a very up-front account about his travels to the most desperate and violent places in the world to negotiate relief efforts and cease fires, as well as to deal with the perpetrators and their victims.

When: Monday, March 3; Registration: 5:30pm; Program: 6pm
Where: World Affairs Council, 2nd Floor Auditorium, 312 Sutter St. San Francisco
Admission Costs: Council Members: FREE; Students: $5; Nonmembers: $15

Official Website: http://www.itsyourworld.org/