The Next Millennium Conference:
Ending Domestic Violence
When conference organizers at the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services began planning this conference they wondered if they would attract 800 attendees. The actual attendance ended up at 1800 and included a broad range of individuals, organizations, and groups representing a cross-section of cultures, ethnicity, and professions.
Held in Chicago on August 29th through September 1, the first evening was a celebration banquet with the world premier showing of Polaroid's new video. "A History of the Battered Women's Movement in America." Barbara J. Hart gave the keynote address "Reflections on the Struggle: Glimpses of Liberation." Barbara, who has done domestic violence training in Hawaii, is the Legal Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Associate Director of the Battered Women's Justice Project. She is co-founder of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and she served as a leader in the national effort to implement )he Violence Against Women Act.
Other speakers included The Honorable Secretary Donna Shalala, the longest serving Secretary of Health and Human Service in U.S. history; Jeremy Travis, Director, U.S. Dept. of Justice, National Institute of Justice; and Dr. Mark Rosenberg, Director, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The four-day event included over 100 workshops, theatre performances, panel discussions and exhibitions.
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and the staff of the Mayor's Office on Domestic Violence hosted a fun-filled celebration at Chicago's historic Navy Pier's Crystal Garden. It was a beautiful day for this outdoor event to honor the achievements of those working to address domestic violence.
The conference was part celebration and acknowledgment for the achievements of the past 25 years and part hard work as we continue to grapple with ways to make our communities safer places for women and their children.
Everything at the conference was audio taped and the tapes were available for purchase. I brought many of them home and hope to excerpt some of them for future newsletters. Polaroid will be forwarding a copy of their video to the League office. If anyone is interested in any of this material or more information on the conference please call me at 735-5998 or leave a message the League office 531-7448
Suzanne Meisenzahl
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Spring 1999
Summer 2000
Campaign Spending Commission - Fair Campaingn Practices (Jean Aoki)