3-27-08

Media Release

Activist, Author to Speak at OSU on Situation in Darfur

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Noted human rights activist and author John Prendergast will give a free public lecture at Oregon State University on Friday, April 4, that will examine human rights abuse in Darfur.

His free public talk, “Darfur and Beyond: What We Can Do to Confront the Human Rights Crisis in Africa,” begins at 7 p.m. in Austin Auditorium of the LaSells Stewart Center on the OSU campus. The center is located at 26th Street and Western Boulevard in Corvallis.

For more than 20 years, Prendergast has worked to combat genocide and human rights abuses, with a focus on Africa. Associates in his campaign have included American political leaders of both parties, as well as celebrities such as Don Cheadle and Angelina Jolie.

During the current crisis in Darfur, Prendergast has established himself as one of the most important shapers of public and official opinion. In addition to touring Darfur and Chad, he has spoken on many campuses, given countless interviews, and published more than a dozen books, including the best-seller (co-authored by Cheadle), “Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond.”

Prendergast is a co-founder of the ENOUGH Project, a group that seeks to inform the public about genocide and to counter its recurrence.

Sponsors of Prendergast’s appearance include OSU STAND, ASOSU, the OSU Holocaust Memorial Program, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Note to reporters: Prendergast is available for phone interviews; contact Paul Kopperman in OSU’s Department of History at 541-737-1265 to arrange an interview.