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Women in Public Policy Organization Hosts Humanitarian Aid Consultant Andrea Capachietti

In times of armed conflict, the bigger story of international conflict often obscures the smaller stories of individual civilians caught in the fray. On Wednesday, Apr. 1, student organization Pepperdine Women in Public Policy hosts acclaimed humanitarian aid consultant Dr. Andrea Capachietti for a discussion addressing the violation of human rights inflicted on women in regions of armed conflict. "See No Evil: Armed Conflicts and Violence Against Women," begins at 12 noon in the Drescher Graduate Campus Auditorium.

"As SPP students we are all too familiar with the heinous violation of human rights that are occurring every day in places like Darfur, the Congo, Afghanistan, and Iraq, to name just a few," says Women in Public Policy president, Arundhati Pal. "The real victims of these armed conflicts are often neglected simply because they are women; they are lower on the social strata as compared to men, and usually their plight is unseen."

She adds, "Acclaimed humanitarian aid consultant, Andrea Capachietti, will be addressing the issue of armed conflicts and the devestating impact it has against women in those regions."

While thousands of women struggle to escape absolute injustice, there are those struggling to raise awareness and act in their defense. As a university lecturer, Capachietti is an expert on human rights issues surrounding armed conflicts including refugee resettlement, women's rights, and child protection. She recently graduated from the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma's Global Mental Health: Trauma and Recovery training program.

Capachietti's prolific research and activism includes membership in a number of professional organizations such as Women in International Security Network (WIIS) and the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), as well as continued work against human trafficking and the prostitution of minors. She has served on a delegation representing Women for Women International, an organization that supports women in post-conflict economies. She traveled to Bosnia and Rwanda in 2006 and 2007 to meet with women helped by the organization.

She received her bachelors of science from the Sargent College of Allied Health Professions at Boston University, and holds both a masters of science and a doctorate from the University of Southern California.

The Women and Public Policy (WPP) is graduate student organization, which was established to promote the development of women in the academic and professional arenas. Through a blend of guest speakers, social activities and seminars, WPP supports and encourages women as they tackle unique challenges in public policy. WPP meets at the School of Public Policy bi-monthly during the academic year.

For more information about Andrea Capachiettia, visit her Web site. For more information about this event, contact Women in Public Policy at (310) 506-7490.