| Press Release | Source: Saddleback Church |
Kay Warren Joins CNN Inspire Summit at New York's Time Warner Center
Friday October 13, 10:56 pm ET
AIDS Advocate and Pastor's Wife Honored for Far-Reaching Inspiration and Influence as a Voice for Individuals Infected and Affected by the World's HIV/AIDS Pandemic
Friday October 13, 10:56 pm ET
NEW YORK, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- International AIDS advocate Kay Warren was joined by seven other women being recognized this week at the CNN Inspire Summit at the Time Warner Center in New York. The women were acknowledged for their impact on
global issues through political, social and humanitarian efforts that have inspired others to get involved. This live event, produced by CNN Special Projects and hosted by CNN Ad Sales, paid tribute to women of achievement and the women they, in turn, find inspiring and who they feel have the power to shape the future for women today.
Mrs. Warren is Executive Director of the Saddleback HIV/AIDS initiative for ![]()
![]()
the California-based Saddleback Church, which she founded, along with
her husband, Pastor Rick Warren, author of the best-selling book, "The Purpose Driven Life." She brought as her guest on the program Madame Jeannette Kagame, First Lady of Rwanda, with whom she has collaborated in marshaling resources to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa, and who has been an inspiration in responding to the urgency of this worldwide pandemic.
Honorees at this inaugural women's empowerment conference included social entrepreneurs, activists, writers, political and business leaders and survivors from all walks of life and all corners of the world. Each of these women have made a difference through their unique voices, courageous actions and unyielding commitment to today's biggest challenges. The CNN Inspire Summit provided a forum through which these women could encourage and inspire more women to collaborate for change through their positive
example.
The evening was opened by CNN anchor Paula Zahn and moderated by veteran CNN International Correspondent Zain Verjee. Issues discussed during the program ranged from religious and government sanctioned violence against women; the women's movements taking shape in the Middle East and Asia; the AIDS pandemic; and the role of women in sustaining national security.
Participants also included author and Afghanistan Activist Sarah Chayes; social entrepreneur and war survivor advocate Zainab Salbi; former Dutch politician and filmmaker Ayaan Kirsi Ali; philanthropist and co-founder of the Michael And Susan Dell Foundation Susan Dell; Executive Director of the Susan & Michael Dell Foundation Janet Mountain; and U.S. Marine Corps Col. Adele Hodges, the first female commanding officer of Camp Lejeune. In addition, the evening's program included pre-produced profiles honoring breast-cancer survivor and author Elizabeth Edwards and the Honorable President of
Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, among others.
During her 20-minute interview portion of the program, Mrs. Warren explained her own journey and experience in AIDS awareness and action, which began when she became a "seriously disturbed woman" after reading a news article about the 12 million children orphaned by this global pandemic.
"If we are not disturbed by what we see in this world, we become complacent and lose our focus," Mrs. Warren said. "I will never forget the first woman I met living with HIV. It was horrifying to know I had no medicine to make her well, but I realized I could give her my presence. I put my arms around her, prayed for her told her I loved her.
"I came back home, and thought I needed to do something in our community," Mrs. Warren continued. "Now, we are caring for people both locally and globally, because that level of disturbance keeps on growing." She went on to affirm Mrs. Kagame's courageous and compassionate leadership
among women across Africa following the genocide in Rwanda that killed more than one million people.
"There is another side of our country that people do not know," Mrs. Kagame said. "Our people have decided to move forward. I am optimistic that people who hated each other have now come together, and we have every reason to be hopeful about our life. Today, more than 97 percent of our people are not infected by HIV/AIDS. More than 50 percent of individuals in need of treatment are on retro-antivirals, with a goal to reach 100 percent by next year. I want to thank Kay Warren for standing with us in this fight."
On November 30 and December 1, Saddleback Church will host, on its Lake Forrest, CA campus, its second annual Global Summit on AIDS and the Church, to mobilize congregations and faith-based organizations to become involved in caring for individuals infected and affected by
AIDS.
Sharangabo Rufagari
Share your photos with the people who matter at Yahoo! Canada Photos
_______________________________________________ Ugandanet mailing list [email protected] http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet % UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/
The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. ---------------------------------------
