WOMEN of the CONGO

The Congo Committee (from bottom row, left): Tara Taylor, Sarah LeBuhn, Jennifer Williams, Stacey Breckling, Joanne Lee, Julie Chang (second row) Katie Carron, Sharon Kim, Elissa Hecker, Jennifer Crossland, Keira Smith, Sandya Swamy, Stefy Hilmer (third row) Aimee Brady, Natalie Horton, Andrea Perrone, Kelli O'Donell, Jennifer Chalsen (fourth row) Tanya Scholl, Jennifer Oakes, Jane Nadasi, Heather Bancroft (top row) Orit Small, Catherine Kelley, Andrea Moglia, Sandy Lee.

It has been exciting for us to see that if people extend themselves just a little, amazing things can be achieved.  We would like to think our effort is magnified as it ripples outward, that it can be the spark that changes the way others think…and act.  Beyond the event, beyond the funds collected, raising awareness of this issue may prove to be our greatest achievement.

The speakers, supporters and guests that joined us made the evening possible and truly memorable.

 Thank you for opening your hearts and pockets.

Abimbola Bamgboye, Adam and Lori Gottbetter, Adam Glassman, Adam Hoffman, Adam Rosenberg, Adam Savarese, Adam Sheer, Ahovi G. Kponou, Aimee Brady, Akir Gutierrez, Alan Chao, Alejandro Gonzalez, Alexander Marrs, Alexandra Schlesinger, Alexandra Wilson, Alexis Downing, Alicia Doughty, Alison Cawley, Alison Pack, Alison Wade, Alison Zoellner, Allison and Ed Kelley, Allison and Roberto Mignone, Alonna Travin, Alyssa Pizzolanti, Alyssa Zeller, Amit Pandya, Amy Earle, Amy Gross, Amy Hing, Amy Wenz, Ana Jovancicevic, Andrea Gonzalez, Andrea Moglia, Andrea Perrone, Andrea Sanchez, Andrew Brenner, Andrew Shinn, Angela Basile, Angela Landess, Anita Mehta, Anita Sands, Anja Baeuerle, Ann Makome, Anthony Azziz, Ashley Siebert, Barbara Crossland, Barbara Duffy, Barbara Leigh Flayton, Barbara Noseworthy, Barbara Van Bramer, Beatrice Fiedorowicz, Benji Cheung, Benton Brown, Beth Weissman, Bill Ng, Bobbi Gstalder, Bonnie and Peter Rofe, Brett Muney, Brian Colby, Brian Daniels, Brian Smith, Brooke Bresnan, Brooke Simonson, Bruce Smith, Bryan and Christine Fay, Caithlin Rueter, Candice O'Connor, Carey Taylor, Carlos Rodrigues, Caroline Shippey, Catherine Burke, Catherine Geggie, Catherine Kelley, Cecile Chong, Charles Green, Charlie Wright, Chhomthyda Chhuan, Chris Hagstrom, Chris Hogan, Chris Mulligan, C hrista Teter, Christel Williams, Christina Norris-Watts, Christina Zanetos, Christine Ayers, Christine Scanlon, Christopher Buckle, Christopher Burke, Christopher Friend, Christopher Galiani, Cindy Chen, Claire Cleary, Claudia Mahedy, Colin Sim, Colleen Scanlon, Comfort Lamptey, Conor Kennedy, Conor Lyons, Corey Taylor, Courtenay Morris,  Courtney Morgan, Courtney Morgan-Kuebler, Craig Brown, Crista Merendino, Cynthia Winings, Dana & Randy Wiston, Dana Unger, Danielle Claro, David Choi, David Oakes, David Strauss, David Yim, Dayle Haddon, Deborah Goldfarb, Deborah Way, Debra Barrett, Debra Zimmerman, Dee Boukouzis, Deirdre McDonald, Desiree Gordon, Desre Quaife, Donald Young, Donna Souza, Dorthy Doughty, Dr. Bernard, Dr. Lee Hudson, Eddy Zervigon, Edgar Sabounghi, Edward Yu, Ekta Jaisinghani, Elaine Hannigan, Elissa Strauss, Elizabeth Brody, Elizabeth Frederick, Elizabeth MacClean, Emil Costa, Emile Holmes, Eric Norquist, Erik Oley, Erik Zamkoff, Erin Dolan, Erin Kenney, Esther Wasserstein, Ethan Garber, Eugene Linden, Eve Ensler, Evelyn Bell, Felicia Graziano, Francisca Vigaud-Walsh, Frank Zaldo, Fransisca Vigaud-Walsh, Frederick Haddad, Freeman White, Gabriela Bockhaus, Gail Oakes, Gayle King, Genevieve White, George Bilanko, George Gancsos, Georgine Chalsen, Gerald Stanton, Gerald Stanton, Gerard Falcone, Gisela Ferrer, Guy Crasnier, Harriet Gamper, Harrison Tsai, Heather Bancroft, Holly Quattrocchi, Ian Sandler, Ibolya Gancsos, Ibrahim Ndoye, Ignacio Lopez Gaffney, Ilan Friedman, Ilaria Fleischer, Inger Brodal, Ingrid Scholl, Irene Lihau-N'Kanza, Irina Bilanko, Ivan Katz, Ja Behi, Jack and Lauren Gorman, Jack Hirschowitz, James O'Connor, James Zaslavsky, Jande Wintrob, Jane Furey, Jane Kim, Jane Mastropietro-Nadasi, Janet Riech, Janet Wolff, Janine Friedman, Jarret Yoshida, Jason Duko, Jeffrey Gettleman, Jeffrey Kurzon,  Jeffrey Levin, Jen Sclafani, Jennifer and Chip Brown, Jennifer Barnett, Jennifer Chalsen, Jennifer Convery, Jennifer Crossland, Jennifer Kasoff, Jennifer Klot, Jennifer Kohl, Jennifer Liddy Green, Jennifer Oakes, Jennifer Park, Jennifer Smith, Jennifer White, Jennifer Williams, Jens Menke, Jerry Popescu, Jess Gaitan, Jessica Adams, Jessica Manzi, Jessica Suh, Jill Van Praagh, Jim Boyle, Jim Waters, Jitendra Jaisinghani, Joan Galiardo, Joanna Fields, Joanne Lee, Joe Furlong, Johanna Verley, John Carron, John D Taylor, John DiRocco, John Doughty, John Herron, John Holmes, John Mahedy, John Nadasi, John Price, Jonathan Hochhauser, Joseph Breda, Joseph Griffo, Joseph Mbangu, Jovita Gill, Joy & Dermott Rigg,  Judy Boyle, Julia Wexler, Julie Chang, Julie Whang, Julien David, Justin Rumack, Kabasomi Kakoma, Kalman Vidomlanski, Karan Hennessy, Karen Gstalder-Dring, Kari Juncker, Karin Landgren , Kat Lemcke, Kate Burns, Kate Malin, Katharine Bicknell, Katherine M. Carron, Katherine Malin, Katherine Wentzell, Kathleen Duffy, Kathryn Civitello, Kathy Westerhoff, Katie Brown, Katie Carron, Keira Smith, kelley d'angelo, Kelli O'Donnell, Kelli Servatius, Kelly Pavoni, Ken Mastropietro, Ken Morris, Ken Torosian, Kim Longo, Kimberly Delancey, Kimberly Hogan, Kimberly Meisner, Kimberly Simpson, Kirsten Brady, Koa Sallas, Kristen Stops, Kyong eun Kang, Lady Holmes, Lanre Tomori, Lara Bonomo, Lars Van Dooren, Laura Drago, Laura Johnston, Lauren Malafronte, Lauren Norquist, Laurie Freelove, Lee Budington, Leon Eastmond, Lesley Hiel, Leslie Liao, Linda and Peter Halstead, Linda Lenkowsky, Linda Pace, Lisa F. Jackson, Lisa Gustavson, Lisa Jensen, Lisa Von Redden, Lisa Waters, Lisa Wolfe, Liz Gilbert, Liz Holtz, Lucia Lopez Gaffney, Lucinda Malin, Lynn Yen, Malone Hart, Mamie Healey, Mamie McDonald, Manal Hegazy, Marcy Wade, Margaret Flather-Rogers, Margaret Walsh, Maria Betancourt, Maria Buyalskaya, Maria Hayata, Maria Sutherland, Marian Hoffman, Marianne and John O'Neil, Marina Ancona, Marisa Bangash, Mark Ahern, Marty Malloy, Mary Lockhart, Mary Makary, Mary Nangah, Mary Rasenberger, MaryJane Byrnes, Matt Heckler, Matthew Crossland, Matthew Deleon, Matthew Emry, Matthew Kaitz, Matthew Landess, Matthew Rosen, Matthew Spencer, Mavis Morris Wright, Meg Flather, Meghan Snow, Melinda Williams, Melissa Klurman, Michael Henderlong, Michael Hoffman, Michael Stanton, Michael Weir, Micheal Trafton, michel pyles, Michelle Torosian, Mike Eilert, Mitchell Chalsen, Mohammed Keita, Molly Gulati, Monica Corton, Mr. Luis Cambiasso,  Mrs. Cambiasso, Mrs. Van Der Auweraert, Nancy Abraham, Natalie Horton, Neal Tandon, Neetu Chugh, Neil Maher, Nicole Keller, Nicole Nakashian, Nicole Ragolia, Niti Tandon, Noah Heller, NYCD Inc, Olaitan Senbanjo, Orit Small, Owen Kenny, Paige Sollecito, Pam Delargy, Pascal Kabemba, Patricia Devaney, Patricia Elliot, Patricia Pina, Patrick O'Donnell, Paul Fruchbom, Paula Veale, Pauline Davies, Peggy Kerry, Penny Muise, Peter Breckling, Peter Giller, Peter Halstead, Peter Taylor, Peter Van Der Auweraert, Peter Westerhoff, Phil Horton, Purva Panday, Rachel Busman, Rachel Meisel, Rachel Parker, Rehana Wijenayake, Rella Fogliano, Renate Giller, Richard LeBuhn, Richard Levine, Ritu Sharma, Robert Clinton, Robert Rogan, Roberto Perrone, Robin Williams, Robyn Kerner, Roger Gilbert, Rosanna Quezada, Rudy Scholl, Ruslana Popkova, Sacha Hales, Sal Crespo, Samantha Tarricone, Sanam Akhlagh, Sandy Lee, Sandya Swamy, Sara Weiss, Sarah Betancourt, Sarah Falcone, Sarah LeBuhn, Sarah Sherwood, Sean & Aimee Brady, Sean Jennings, Sevil Miyhandar, Seyhan Musaoglu, Shannon Ng, Shara Motola, Sharon Cleary, Sharon Kim, Sharon Weldon, Shelley Sawers, Songyun Kang, Special Hagan, Stacey Breckling, Stacy Brown, Stacy Coleman, Stefan Makuch, Stefy Hilmer, Stella Schuhmacher, Stephanie Ragolia, Steven & Jill Van Praagh, Susan Bernardi, Susan Boyle, Susan Cheung, Susan Kaplan, Susan Scanlon, Susan Williams, Suzzane K. Stroebe, T Hodge, Tanya Hunt, Tanya Scholl, Tara Fitzpatrick, Tara Taylor, Taylor Graham, Teresa Delgado, Terre Lundy, Tessa Edick, Theresa Scott, Thomas Barrett, Thomas Byrnes, Thomas Foertsch, Thomas Meisner II, Tom and Anne MacCowatt, Toni Blackman, Tonnie Robinson, Tony Manterani, Tricia Park, Tristin Rumack, Troy Willitt, Ursela Taylor, Valerie Monroe, Vanessa Kelly, Vesna Dojcilovic, Victoria Marsh, Virginia Morris, Wayne Printz, Wendy and Milton Lewin, Wendy Treichler, William Goebelbecker, William Ng, William Wisse, Yaa Adjei, Yaron Schwartzman, Young-yi Clinton, David Yim

…The 2008 Women of the Congo benefit was a great success. The elegant Manhattan ballroom was pulsing with African music, waiters serving drinks on silver trays, guests bidding on silent auction items, art students proudly explaining the meaning of the works they had created in honor of the event. More than $150,000 was raised and at least 400 people attended, including Jeffrey Gettleman and representatives from the United Nations, the U.S. State Department, and the New York mayor's office.”reported by O, The Oprah Magazine, October 2008.

Click below to play video.

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The speakers, supporters and attendees included:

• Eve Ensler, V-Day Founder and Playwright
• Nancee Oku Bright,  Chief of Staff, United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad
• Jeffrey Gettleman, Journalist and East Africa Bureau Chief of the New York Times
• John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator for the United Nations
• Peter Van Der Auweraert, Member of the Board of Directors of Avocats Sans Frontières
• Lisa F. Jackson, Director of "The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo" 
• Kate Burns, Senior Policy Officer, Gender Equality, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
• Pam Delargy, Chief of the Humanitarian Response Unit, United Nations
• Peggy Kerry, State Department NGO Liason at the US Mission
• Comfort Lamptey, gender advisor to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations
• Karin Landgren, Chief of Child Protection, UNICEF
• Stella Schuhmacher,  Child Protection, UNICEF
• Dr. Lee Hudson, Deputy Commissioner of Public Affairs at the New York City Commission on Human Rights
• Nancy Abraham,Vice President of Original Programming, Documentaries at HBO
• Dr. Cheryl Bernard, Writer and wife to US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad