Greenwich Discussion: Women as Gatekeepers of Peace

An announcement from the Junior League of Greenwich.

Join the Junior League of Greenwich and the Greenwich Library for a discussion presented by Izumi Nakamitsu, on her experience as a woman working in the field of global crisis response and those she serves.

Ms. Nakamitsu has twenty-five years of experience working for NGOs in the fields of International Relations and Development. She has specialized in crisis response, operating in a number of countries experiencing political and social conflict and working with governments and aiding refugee populations in an effort to stabilize their environments. Ms. Nakamitsu will talk about her experience as a working mother and trying to create balance in her life. She will also touch on working in a male-dominated field, one that is highly stressful and involving intense international travel. She will discuss her experience working in war-zones, crisis response and about those that she serves. Her recent work and travels have covered Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, dealing with issues such as population displacement, security and health stabilization, including the Ebola outbreak.

Izumi Nakamitsu is currently the Assistant Secretary-General for Crisis Response in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Prior to this, she was Director, Asia and the Middle East Division of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Director, Division of Policy, Evaluation and Training. Before her time in Peacekeeping Operations, she was in her native Japan as Professor of International Relations at Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo, and during the same period she was also a member of the advisory council to the Japanese Foreign Minister, and a visiting senior advisor on peacebuilding at Japan International Cooperation. Prior to her return to Japan, she held a number of positions in the UN system, including: head of UN High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) offices in Sarajevo and Mostar; Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the former Yugoslavia; Special Assistant to the Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees for Policy and Operations, and First Officer at the UN Reform Team in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General Kofi Annan. She holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from Georgetown University. She is married and has two daughters.

The event will be held on Tuesday, January 27, 2015, at the Greenwich Library’s Cole Auditorium. A light dinner will be served from 6:00 pm -7:00 pm and the presentation will follow with Q and A from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm.

Admission is free, but seats must be reserved. Please contact the Junior League of Greenwich for reservations at (203) 869-1979.

Junior League of Greenwich

The Junior League of Greenwich has been bettering the community for over 50 years. It is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained individuals. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. If you are interested in joining the Junior League of Greenwich and making a difference in our community, contact the JLG Office at (203) 869-1979 or visit our website at www.jlgreenwich.org.

Contributed photo.