Human Rights Activist John Prendergast to Speak on February 14

When he’s in Africa, human rights activist John Prendergast often hangs out with George Clooney, Don Cheadle, and Ryan Gosling, not to mention African rebels and officials alike. On February 14, 2014, he’s going to be hanging out with College of Charleston students. The Department of Political Science is hosting Prendergast as this year’s Convocation of Majors speaker where he will present “10 Building Blocks for Making a Difference: In Africa and in Your Own Neighborhood.” The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 3 p.m. in Physician’s Memorial Auditorium (3 College Way).

John Prendergast is a human rights activist and best-selling author who has worked for peace in Africa for more than 25 years. He is the co-founder of the Enough Project, an initiative to end genocide and crimes against humanity affiliated with the Center for American Progress. With the Enough Project, Prendergast has traveled to Africa with celebrities like George Clooney and NBA star Tracy McGrady, as well with NBC’s Dateline, ABC’s Nightline, The PBS NewsHour and CNN’s Inside Africa.

“Students who major in political science are often looking for a way to make the world a better place,” explains Professor Christopher Day. “Our hope is that John will remind them that there’s still a lot of work to be done and will give them some ideas and inspiration.”

Each year, the Department of Political Science chooses a theme around which events and discussions are planned. This year’s theme is global engagement. Day says political science is a natural major for aspiring activists because it gives exposure to the world, to public policy, and provides a path to graduate programs geared towards non-profit management, government, and public administration.

Event sponsors include: the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Honors College, First-Year Experience, African Studies Program, Office of Institutional Diversity, Joseph P. Riley Jr. Center for Livable Communities, and Political Science Club.

For more information about the event, contact Chris Day at dayc@cofc.edu or 843.953.6617.

About John Prendergast

John Prendergast has worked for the Clinton White House, the State Department, two members of Congress, the National Intelligence Council, UNICEF, Human Rights Watch, the International Crisis Group, and the U.S. Institute of Peace. He is the author or co-author of ten books and has appeared in four episodes of 60 Minutes. Prendergast has been profiled in The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, Men’s Vogue, Time, Entertainment Weekly, GQ, Oprah Magazine, Capitol File, Arrive, Interview, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.