Harrisburg (June 14, 2014) – On Saturday, June 14th, Peace Islands Institute Center for Social Affairs co-sponsored The Second Annual International Women’s Conference, with the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg, and Pinnacle Health. The conference was held at Temple University Harrisburg.

The well attended event included four panel discussions: Overview of Issues Facing Women at Home and Around the Globe – with speaker James Hamerstone of Gettysburg College – Issues of Women and Power: At Home and Abroad – covering subtopics Empowering Women in Healthcare, Empowering Women in Developing World, Empowering the Next Generation, and Empowering Immigrant Women. The speakers for this panel were Dr. Oralia Garcia-Dominic, Suzie Wilmot of Solidarity Uganda, Ashley Company of Jelani Girls, and Selma Onal of Lutheran Refugee Services. The panel was moderated by Anne Deeter Gallaher, author of “Women in High Gear.”

The next panel was Women and Power in Politics: Personal Stories of Struggle and Perseverance. This panel featured speakers: Jackie Z. Parker – Former Mayor of Lebanon, and Executive Director of Community and Economic Engagement for the City of Harrisburg – Mona Johnson – Susquehanna Township Commissioner – and Jeanette Krebs, of PA Women’s Forum. The panel was moderated by Cumberland County Commissioner Barbara Cross.

After lunch, there was a video “Not My Life,” about human trafficking, and a discussion lead by: Terri L. Hamrick of Survivors, Inc., and Bethany Woodcock.

The last panel was Women and Power: The Male Perspective. The speakers were: James Hamerstone, Harun Alacadag – PII New Jersey’s Director of Center for Interfaith Affairs – and Dr. Nirmal Joshi – author of “Three Drops of Estrogen.” The panel was moderated by Dr. Mehdi Noorbaksh of Harrisburg University.