Rebekah T. Ali-Gouveia - Attorney-at-Law, Founder and Managing Director - The Elpis Centre and Conference Visionary and Organiser
Rebekah Ali-Gouveia is a Christian and a proud mother of 4 who has been married for over 11 years. Rebekah obtained her LLb from the University of London in 1999 and was called to the Bar of Trinidad & Tobago in 2006 after completing her legal practice course with distinction at the University of Staffordshire, UK. Prior to becoming an Attorney, she worked for over 10 years in a major company moving up the ladder to function in human resource management and strategic planning. Apart from Law she holds a post graduate certificate in Business Administration from the Heriott-Watt University. Rebekah has also completed several professional development courses which includes Human Capital measurement from Kingston University, Canada, as well as Industrial relations practices locally and employment law in the UK. She has a commitment to education which is demonstrated in her talks as well as in her role as part time lecturer in family law and policy at Oasis University.
Working to improve the lives of others has always been a part of her; starting from Sunday school when care packages were sent to children in need to helping run a home for displaced children while working full time and pursuing her law degree.
In 2007 she began researching abortion and other issues affecting youth, women and the natural family, and by July 2009 “The Elpis Centre” was launched. “Elpis” is a Greek word which means “hope” and this is what the Centre strives to give to women (and families) dealing with crisis pregnancies. As its Managing Director, Rebekah, having trimmed her legal practice, works tirelessly with her team of hardworking and committed volunteers to provide practical help and support to women and families coping with crisis pregnancies and post abortion stress. She also consistently seeks to provide sound and cutting edge education on issues such as abstinence and sexuality, pregnancy, post abortion stress, healthy parenting, challenges to the natural family and the case for life.
Rebekah is passionate about defending and promoting life from the moment of conception to natural death as well as the natural family as the stabilizing force of a civil society. She was one of the civil society delegates at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009 and has presented on the sanctity of human life, the natural family and parenting at several churches and conferences including at Life International’s annual event in 2010, the regional Hospital Christian Fellowship gathering in 2010 and the children at risk/compassion international forum in 2011. She has also shared on the sanctity of human life several times on the airwaves via ISAAC 98.1 FM and Life Radio 95.5 FM and once as a guest on EWTN TV.
In 2009, she attended the World Congress of Families in Amsterdam and was the lone participant from the Caribbean region. This experience was phenomenal and helped to consolidate her calling and helped fuel her work when she returned to Trinidad. The impetus to plan the Caribbean Conference on Life & Family Values 2012 evolved from the need to inform the general public, leaders and other interested persons on the principles of the sanctity of human life and the natural family.
Her husband, children and extended family stand with her and together as a team they fulfill the mandate given to them.
Working to improve the lives of others has always been a part of her; starting from Sunday school when care packages were sent to children in need to helping run a home for displaced children while working full time and pursuing her law degree.
In 2007 she began researching abortion and other issues affecting youth, women and the natural family, and by July 2009 “The Elpis Centre” was launched. “Elpis” is a Greek word which means “hope” and this is what the Centre strives to give to women (and families) dealing with crisis pregnancies. As its Managing Director, Rebekah, having trimmed her legal practice, works tirelessly with her team of hardworking and committed volunteers to provide practical help and support to women and families coping with crisis pregnancies and post abortion stress. She also consistently seeks to provide sound and cutting edge education on issues such as abstinence and sexuality, pregnancy, post abortion stress, healthy parenting, challenges to the natural family and the case for life.
Rebekah is passionate about defending and promoting life from the moment of conception to natural death as well as the natural family as the stabilizing force of a civil society. She was one of the civil society delegates at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009 and has presented on the sanctity of human life, the natural family and parenting at several churches and conferences including at Life International’s annual event in 2010, the regional Hospital Christian Fellowship gathering in 2010 and the children at risk/compassion international forum in 2011. She has also shared on the sanctity of human life several times on the airwaves via ISAAC 98.1 FM and Life Radio 95.5 FM and once as a guest on EWTN TV.
In 2009, she attended the World Congress of Families in Amsterdam and was the lone participant from the Caribbean region. This experience was phenomenal and helped to consolidate her calling and helped fuel her work when she returned to Trinidad. The impetus to plan the Caribbean Conference on Life & Family Values 2012 evolved from the need to inform the general public, leaders and other interested persons on the principles of the sanctity of human life and the natural family.
Her husband, children and extended family stand with her and together as a team they fulfill the mandate given to them.
_Christopher Carmouche - Founder and President of GrassTopsUSA
Christopher Carmouche is the founder and president of
GrassTopsUSA, an Internet lobbying firm. Chris was educated at Washington and Lee
University. He graduated
in 1986, earning a B.A. (cum laude) in both journalism and theater. He also
received an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) from Virginia Commonwealth Union in 1989.
Chris served in the United States Army from 1991 to 1995. While still a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, Chris began doing volunteer work for the Christian Coalition – starting chapters in California and Virginia. In 2000, he joined the Coalition’s national staff and was responsible for the design of the Christian Coalition Voter Guide, 70 million of which were distributed that year.
In 1995-1996, Chris also served on the National Board of Directors of Young Americans for Freedom – one of America’s leading conservative youth groups. He was the organization’s National Executive Director 1995-1996 and 1999-2000.
Chris founded GrassTopsUSA in 2004. GrassTopsUSA is a tax-exempt organization which is totally Internet based. It pioneered the dynamic of FAXing members of the United States Congress on timely concerns, and helped to generate millions of FAXes from ordinary citizens to their elected representatives. GrassTopsUSA worked to defeat ObamaCare in 2009 and 2010.
Chris has been a World Congress of Families leader since 2007. He served on the International Planning Committee for World Congress of Families V and helped to run the newsroom at the Amsterdam Congress. He was also a speaker at World Congress of Families IV (Warsaw, 2007) and World Congress of Families V (Amsterdam, 2009). Chris spoke at The World Congress of Families Dialogue of Civilizations, co-sponsored by the Foundation for African Cultural Heritage (June, 2009) in Abuja, Nigeria, as well at the Second Riga Family Forum in Riga, Latvia and the Family Values Conference, London – both in 2010. In Nigeria and London, Chris spoke on the devastating worldwide impact of Internet pornography.
GrassTopsUSA was one of the first organizations to become a World Congress of Families Partner, when the Partner program was launched in 2007.
Chris served in the United States Army from 1991 to 1995. While still a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, Chris began doing volunteer work for the Christian Coalition – starting chapters in California and Virginia. In 2000, he joined the Coalition’s national staff and was responsible for the design of the Christian Coalition Voter Guide, 70 million of which were distributed that year.
In 1995-1996, Chris also served on the National Board of Directors of Young Americans for Freedom – one of America’s leading conservative youth groups. He was the organization’s National Executive Director 1995-1996 and 1999-2000.
Chris founded GrassTopsUSA in 2004. GrassTopsUSA is a tax-exempt organization which is totally Internet based. It pioneered the dynamic of FAXing members of the United States Congress on timely concerns, and helped to generate millions of FAXes from ordinary citizens to their elected representatives. GrassTopsUSA worked to defeat ObamaCare in 2009 and 2010.
Chris has been a World Congress of Families leader since 2007. He served on the International Planning Committee for World Congress of Families V and helped to run the newsroom at the Amsterdam Congress. He was also a speaker at World Congress of Families IV (Warsaw, 2007) and World Congress of Families V (Amsterdam, 2009). Chris spoke at The World Congress of Families Dialogue of Civilizations, co-sponsored by the Foundation for African Cultural Heritage (June, 2009) in Abuja, Nigeria, as well at the Second Riga Family Forum in Riga, Latvia and the Family Values Conference, London – both in 2010. In Nigeria and London, Chris spoke on the devastating worldwide impact of Internet pornography.
GrassTopsUSA was one of the first organizations to become a World Congress of Families Partner, when the Partner program was launched in 2007.
Dr. Nanci Coppola - Program Reach Inc. and the Healthy Respect Program
_Dr. Nanci Coppola (Executive Director) has served as the Executive Director of Program Reach, Inc. and the Healthy Respect Program since 2008. She combines her medical training with an extensive background in teaching and curriculum development including authoring the Healthy Respect Youth Development program, three levels of health education curricula for 7th - 11th grade students. (Making Healthy Choices For My Life, Discovering the Path to Your Future, and Taking Control of My Future.) The curriculum is a groundbreaking health program that meets the requirements for health education through the New York State Department of education and the US Department of Education. A widely sought after speaker in the fields of sexual health education and youth development she has spoken to audiences of all sizes in the U.S. and abroad. Coppola has published several articles in both medical and social science journals. She has been in private practice as a Podiatric Surgeon and also has over twenty-nine years of teaching experience. She has trained students as young as High School and as advanced as Physicians completing Continuing Education Credentials. In addition to her medical and educational background she holds a Master’s Degree in Community Health Administration and Health Education. Coppola received her undergraduate training at the University of Rochester where she received degrees in Biology and Psychology with distinction.
Prior to joining Program Reach, Inc. in 2005 Coppola served as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biology at Mercy College for 13 years. She has also served as the Vice President of Academic Affairs for a National Health Care Education Institution, and as the Director of HeartSavers of America, Inc. a CPR and First Aid training institute. In January of 2011 Coppola was honored by the Advocates for Life during Yonkers Respect Life week sponsored by Mayor Phil Amicone. In August 2011 she was presented with the Mott-Stanton-Anthony award and was named the Westchester County Woman of the Year.
Prior to joining Program Reach, Inc. in 2005 Coppola served as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biology at Mercy College for 13 years. She has also served as the Vice President of Academic Affairs for a National Health Care Education Institution, and as the Director of HeartSavers of America, Inc. a CPR and First Aid training institute. In January of 2011 Coppola was honored by the Advocates for Life during Yonkers Respect Life week sponsored by Mayor Phil Amicone. In August 2011 she was presented with the Mott-Stanton-Anthony award and was named the Westchester County Woman of the Year.
_Janice Shaw Crouse, Ph.D
_ Senior Fellow at the Beverly LaHaye Institute, the think tank for Concerned Women for America, is a recognized authority on national and international cultural, children’s and women’s concerns, including sex trafficking, the United Nations, and U.S. domestic issues. Alongside Chuck Colson as Man of the Year, she was the Centers for Decency 2008 Woman of the Year. She has twice served the President as an official delegate to the United Nations (2002 and 2003). Her book, Children at Risk, was released by Transaction Publishers, the publisher of record for social science research. She is a weekly columnist and a popular speaker at national and international events. The National Press Club’s compendium of experts describes Dr. Crouse as having “brought insight, keen perception and wisdom to domestic, family, political and women’s issues since the early 1990s as a Presidential speechwriter for Bush 41, United Nations delegate, think tank fellow, television commentator, speaker, author and columnist. Her common sense, refreshing honesty and intriguing perspective on cultural and political issues expose spin to reveal truth in a way that has earned respect and made her a popular cultural analyst. Known for applying her strong intellect and articulating her solid faith with candor and humor, she is a conservative leader who appeals across ideological and religious barriers.”
During the first Bush Administration, she was a Presidential Speech Writer, authoring major presidential policy addresses. Currently, she is a columnist for United Press International. In addition she writes a weekly column for Townhall.com, American Thinker,and HumanEvents.com. Her opinion editorials and columns appear in major newspapers across the nation as well as in journals and magazines – including the Washington Post and the Washington Times. She appears on all the major television networks –– ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX News, C-SPAN, MSNBC, and CNN –– as a commentator on contemporary events and as an expert on issues like sex trafficking and how cultural influences are robbing children of their childhood. She has been featured in numerous publications, including Congressional Quarterly and Christianity Today. She has authored scholarly and think-tank publications and Congressional Testimony.
She is frequently a guest lecturer on college campuses –– including most recently Princeton, Harvard, Tulane, Erskine, Asbury, and Georgetown –– and at United Nations related conventions like the World Congress of Families in Warsaw, Mexico City and Geneva. She was a major speaker at the concluding plenary session at the World Congress of Families V in Amsterdam in August 2009. She was a featured speaker at the commemoration of the International Year of the Family in Kuala, Lumpur and at the World Evangelical Fellowship in Cyprus where she spoke about “The Church’s Response to Violence Against Women.” She is author of “Gaining Ground: A Profile of American Women in the Twentieth Century” and Children at Risk. The book that she co-authored, “A Different Kind of Strength,” was a Conservative Book of the Month selection in 2000 and has been printed in two foreign editions. “A Woman’s Path to True Significance” was released in June, 2007. The just released 3-volume compendium, “The Family in the New Millennium,” includes a chapter by Dr. Crouse.
Dr. Crouse was selected to launch CWA’s think tank in May 1999 in recognition of the need for a conservative organization solely devoted to conducting quality research on contemporary issues. Believing in the unity of truth, the Institute recognizes the power of good data and analysis to inform and substantiate policy positions. Before coming to BLI, Dr. Crouse was President of Crouse Communications, a public relations and political analysis firm serving organizations in the United States and throughout the world. Dr. Crouse also directed the work of the Ecumenical Coalition on Women and Society, a project of the Institute on Religion and Democracy.
Previously, Dr. Crouse was Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Taylor University where she directed the work of a 94-member faculty. She was formerly Professor and Debate Coach at Asbury College and at Ball State University where she was selected as a mentor teacher and her debate team was ranked in the top ten nationally. She received a National Community Leadership Award and Woman of the Year Award from the United States Chamber of Commerce. She is listed in Who’s Who Among American Women. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of Asbury College and The Institute on Religion and Democracy. She is on the Board of Advisers for the Christian Film and Television Commission. She serves on four national Task Forces and Coalitions on national and international issues: Against Sexual Trafficking, Against Abuse of Women, Promoting Human Rights, and Promoting Religious Freedom. The Heritage Foundation nominated her for the 2003 Bradley Prize for her influence on contemporary issues.
During the first Bush Administration, she was a Presidential Speech Writer, authoring major presidential policy addresses. Currently, she is a columnist for United Press International. In addition she writes a weekly column for Townhall.com, American Thinker,and HumanEvents.com. Her opinion editorials and columns appear in major newspapers across the nation as well as in journals and magazines – including the Washington Post and the Washington Times. She appears on all the major television networks –– ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX News, C-SPAN, MSNBC, and CNN –– as a commentator on contemporary events and as an expert on issues like sex trafficking and how cultural influences are robbing children of their childhood. She has been featured in numerous publications, including Congressional Quarterly and Christianity Today. She has authored scholarly and think-tank publications and Congressional Testimony.
She is frequently a guest lecturer on college campuses –– including most recently Princeton, Harvard, Tulane, Erskine, Asbury, and Georgetown –– and at United Nations related conventions like the World Congress of Families in Warsaw, Mexico City and Geneva. She was a major speaker at the concluding plenary session at the World Congress of Families V in Amsterdam in August 2009. She was a featured speaker at the commemoration of the International Year of the Family in Kuala, Lumpur and at the World Evangelical Fellowship in Cyprus where she spoke about “The Church’s Response to Violence Against Women.” She is author of “Gaining Ground: A Profile of American Women in the Twentieth Century” and Children at Risk. The book that she co-authored, “A Different Kind of Strength,” was a Conservative Book of the Month selection in 2000 and has been printed in two foreign editions. “A Woman’s Path to True Significance” was released in June, 2007. The just released 3-volume compendium, “The Family in the New Millennium,” includes a chapter by Dr. Crouse.
Dr. Crouse was selected to launch CWA’s think tank in May 1999 in recognition of the need for a conservative organization solely devoted to conducting quality research on contemporary issues. Believing in the unity of truth, the Institute recognizes the power of good data and analysis to inform and substantiate policy positions. Before coming to BLI, Dr. Crouse was President of Crouse Communications, a public relations and political analysis firm serving organizations in the United States and throughout the world. Dr. Crouse also directed the work of the Ecumenical Coalition on Women and Society, a project of the Institute on Religion and Democracy.
Previously, Dr. Crouse was Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Taylor University where she directed the work of a 94-member faculty. She was formerly Professor and Debate Coach at Asbury College and at Ball State University where she was selected as a mentor teacher and her debate team was ranked in the top ten nationally. She received a National Community Leadership Award and Woman of the Year Award from the United States Chamber of Commerce. She is listed in Who’s Who Among American Women. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of Asbury College and The Institute on Religion and Democracy. She is on the Board of Advisers for the Christian Film and Television Commission. She serves on four national Task Forces and Coalitions on national and international issues: Against Sexual Trafficking, Against Abuse of Women, Promoting Human Rights, and Promoting Religious Freedom. The Heritage Foundation nominated her for the 2003 Bradley Prize for her influence on contemporary issues.
_Rev. Arnold M. Culbreath - Urban Outreach Director of Life Issues Institute
_Rev. Arnold M. Culbreath is the Urban Outreach Director
of Life Issues Institute, Inc., an organization established to serve the
educational needs of the pro-life movement, internationally
headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. He oversees its Urban Outreach
Initiative, Protecting Black Life, with a primary objective of reaching the black community with the pro-life message.
Holding degrees in Architectural Engineering and
Theology, Arnold has worked simultaneously in both fields for many
years. Throughout his life, he has been intentional in promoting racial
reconciliation and developing cross-racial relationships, positively
impacting lives on many different levels. He was the Kroger Company’s
first African-American draftsman, and also designed and managed
construction projects for The City of Cincinnati. He is an ordained
minister with 22 years experience, having served as Senior Pastor of the
Tryed Stone Baptist Church and the First Liberty Baptist Church, both
located in Cincinnati, OH. He also served as Urban Youth and Family
Pastor of the University Christian Church (Cincinnati, OH), and was the
first African-American on their pastoral team. He is currently an elder
at the Heirs Covenant Church of Cincinnati, overseeing the Music,
Worship and Arts Department, along with his wife. Arnold is a
professional saxophonist, and has touched audiences locally, nationally
and even internationally.
Arnold is dedicated to protecting unborn babies and their parents from abortion. He frequently travels, educating audiences about abortion’s devastating effects on both mother and child. As he extends Life Issues Institute’s urban outreach efforts, he is partnering with pro-life leaders across the country to multiply the number of baby’s lives saved. As Urban Outreach Director, Arnold carries out this mission by:
Arnold is dedicated to protecting unborn babies and their parents from abortion. He frequently travels, educating audiences about abortion’s devastating effects on both mother and child. As he extends Life Issues Institute’s urban outreach efforts, he is partnering with pro-life leaders across the country to multiply the number of baby’s lives saved. As Urban Outreach Director, Arnold carries out this mission by:
- Developing pro-life educational literature exclusively for the black community.
- Speaking at local and national gatherings.
- Operating educational booths at key events.
- Organizing educational groups and events.
- Collaborating with pastors and community leaders in the development of life-affirming strategies to reduce and eventually eliminate abortion.
- Encouraging and inspiring people to choose life.
Dr. Maria Dillon-Remy
_Dr. Dillon Remy holds an MB.BS. from the University of the West Indies, Mona Jamaica as well as an MRCP (UK) Pediatrics, a Diploma in Child Health (London) and a Diploma in Tropical Child Health University of Liverpool. She also holds a Masters in Organizational Leadership from Oxford Graduate School and attended the Cohort 4 Caribbean Health Leadership Institute (CHLI) in 2012. She is a Member of the Board of Directors Family Life – Trinidad and Tobago, a Member of Board of Hospital Christian Fellowship Trinidad and Tobago and the immediate past president of the Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association. Dr. Dillon-Remy is currently the Clinical Consultant to Commissioning/Decommissioning Secretariat for Scarborough General Hospital.
Don Feder - (USA): President, Don Feder Associates, PR Director for WCF (Former syndicated columnist. Free-lance writer)
___A Boston Herald editorial
writer and syndicated columnist from June 1983 to June 2002. He is
admitted to the practice of law in New York and Massachusetts. Besides
practicing law and writing a syndicated column, Feder served as executive
director of Citizens for Limited Taxation, executive director of the
Second Amendment Foundation and editorial director of WEEI Newsradio in
Boston.
He has a media consulting firm, Don Feder Associates and a website, donfeder.com. In late March, Feder began a daily radio show on WROL, 950 AM in Boston. In September, his third book, "The Tattered Flag: The Fight for America in the 21st Century," is due out from Smith and Kraus Publishers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Feder
He has a media consulting firm, Don Feder Associates and a website, donfeder.com. In late March, Feder began a daily radio show on WROL, 950 AM in Boston. In September, his third book, "The Tattered Flag: The Fight for America in the 21st Century," is due out from Smith and Kraus Publishers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Feder
_Sarah Flood Beaubrun - Attorney-at-Law and former St Lucia MP
__Sarah Flood Beaubrun is a Saint Lucian lawyer. She is the sixth of eight children and was born in Saint Lucia on January 8, 1969. She is married with two children.
Flood-Beaubrun was educated at the Castries Comprehensive Secondary School and Sir Arthur Lewis Community College in St. Lucia and subsequently at the University of Hull, United Kingdom, where she obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB-Hons). She did post graduate Law at the University of Westminster leading to a degree of Utter Barrister and was called to the Bar of England and Wales (1995) and the Bar of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (1995).
She was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 1997 and was subsequently re-elected in 2001. She served approximately eight years as a Government Minister. From May 1997- Dec 2001 as Minister of Health, Human Services, Family Affairs and Gender Relations and Dec 2001 – Jan 2004 as Minister of Home Affairs and Gender Relations.
In her various capacities as a Minister she oversaw the construction of the first new correctional institution in Saint Lucia for over 100 years, the complete upgrading and revamping to international standards of the main intake area of the islands primary medical institution, the establishment of the 1st women’s support center for abused women, the creation of the 1st Mother to Child HIV Prevention of Transmission Program in Saint Lucia. Under her focus and leadership she brought a completely new concentration on the appallingly ignored issue of mental health treatment and incarceration of the mentally ill in Saint Lucia. This focus and spotlighting subsequently led to the establishment of a new mental health institution.
In December 2006 Sarah Flood Beaubrun was historically selected as Saint Lucia's first female Speaker of the House of Assembly. In September 2008 she was subsequently appointed Deputy Permanent Representative for Saint Lucia at the United Nations in New York.
Flood-Beaubrun has established a strong reputation in Saint Lucia, the Caribbean and internationally as a persuasive defender of human rights and human dignity. She has spoken in various Caribbean fora on these issues and their relation to good governance in the region
Flood-Beaubrun was educated at the Castries Comprehensive Secondary School and Sir Arthur Lewis Community College in St. Lucia and subsequently at the University of Hull, United Kingdom, where she obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB-Hons). She did post graduate Law at the University of Westminster leading to a degree of Utter Barrister and was called to the Bar of England and Wales (1995) and the Bar of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (1995).
She was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 1997 and was subsequently re-elected in 2001. She served approximately eight years as a Government Minister. From May 1997- Dec 2001 as Minister of Health, Human Services, Family Affairs and Gender Relations and Dec 2001 – Jan 2004 as Minister of Home Affairs and Gender Relations.
In her various capacities as a Minister she oversaw the construction of the first new correctional institution in Saint Lucia for over 100 years, the complete upgrading and revamping to international standards of the main intake area of the islands primary medical institution, the establishment of the 1st women’s support center for abused women, the creation of the 1st Mother to Child HIV Prevention of Transmission Program in Saint Lucia. Under her focus and leadership she brought a completely new concentration on the appallingly ignored issue of mental health treatment and incarceration of the mentally ill in Saint Lucia. This focus and spotlighting subsequently led to the establishment of a new mental health institution.
In December 2006 Sarah Flood Beaubrun was historically selected as Saint Lucia's first female Speaker of the House of Assembly. In September 2008 she was subsequently appointed Deputy Permanent Representative for Saint Lucia at the United Nations in New York.
Flood-Beaubrun has established a strong reputation in Saint Lucia, the Caribbean and internationally as a persuasive defender of human rights and human dignity. She has spoken in various Caribbean fora on these issues and their relation to good governance in the region
Stephanie Luck
After graduating high school as valedictorian, Stephanie Luck studied international relations, economics, and history at Franklin College Switzerland, obtaining a B.A. with distinction from the honors program. During law school, she served on the staff of the Journal of International Law and Commerce, acted as a founding member and executive for Impunity Watch, and received awards for her performance in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot competition. She also participated in the Alliance Defense Fund’s Blackstone Legal Fellowship. Stephanie obtained her J.D. (cum laude), along with a certificate in Global Law and Policy, from Syracuse University and was called to the New York bar. In September 2008, Stephanie began working for the Christian Legal Fellowship (Canada) where she remained until February of this year. She is now living in her home state of Colorado.
Pastor Dr. Anthony Oliver
__Married with two children, Pasor Dr. Anthony Oliver is currently the senior pastor at the Westside Community Church in Westmoorings, Trinidad and since 1983 has held several pastoral positions in both Trinidad and Jamaica. Pastor Oliver began his theological studies in 1982 and in 1998 he attained a DPhil in Theological Studies (with concentration on the Old Testament).
He is an accomplished educator in Theological Studies having helped to attain accreditation for several such programmes at the udergraduate and graduate level in the Caribbean. At the Caribbaen Graduate School of Theology he has served as Academic Dean and Acting President. He was also the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Prior to that he was the Academic Dean and Dean of Students then President at Jamaica Bible College while also serving as an Adjunct Professor at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. Most recently he was a member of Caribbean Evangelical Theological Association accreditation assessment team.
On numerous occasions, Pastor Oliver has been the keynote speaker and/ or the representative for Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and the Caribbean in general, at church and para-church organizations both inter-regionally, intra-regionally and internationally. He has also been the author of several creative works sush as:
Pastor Oliver recently held a "Children at Risk" conference in conjunction with Compassion International and has a heart for the family.
He is an accomplished educator in Theological Studies having helped to attain accreditation for several such programmes at the udergraduate and graduate level in the Caribbean. At the Caribbaen Graduate School of Theology he has served as Academic Dean and Acting President. He was also the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Prior to that he was the Academic Dean and Dean of Students then President at Jamaica Bible College while also serving as an Adjunct Professor at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. Most recently he was a member of Caribbean Evangelical Theological Association accreditation assessment team.
On numerous occasions, Pastor Oliver has been the keynote speaker and/ or the representative for Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and the Caribbean in general, at church and para-church organizations both inter-regionally, intra-regionally and internationally. He has also been the author of several creative works sush as:
- “Salvation as Justice in Amos 5:18-27: Implications for Jamaica.” M.A. Thesis. Unpublished thesis, Caribbean Graduate School of Theology, 1991.
- “Creation and Redemption in Amos: A Multifaceted Approach with Special Focus on the Hymns.” Dissertation Director: Prof. Willem VanGemeren. Second Reader Associate Professor Dennis Magary. (1996).
- “The Righteousness of God in the Prophets,” BINAH, Kingston, Jamaica (1998).
- Entry # 61, The New Bible Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, ed. by Willem VanGemeren. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1998.
- “A Biblical Basis for Spiritual Formation,” a paper presented at the Biennial Conference of the Caribbean Evangelical Theological Association held in Barbados, West Indies, March 1999.
- “The Righteousness of God in the Prophets” (Binah, Kingston, Jamaica, 1998)
- “The Triple Context of the Message of Amos,” Paper delivered at Contextualization Conference at Denver Theological Seminary, Denver, Colorado, February 2001.
- “Creation and Redemption in Amos,” A Presentation to Faculty at Eastern Mennonite University, Spring 1995.
Pastor Oliver recently held a "Children at Risk" conference in conjunction with Compassion International and has a heart for the family.
Kim Olson
For almost two decades Kim has devoted her heart and ministry efforts to those who have come to regret their decisions to choose abortion.
In 1994 she began leading abortion recovery groups at the Pregnancy Resource Center in Charlotte, NC. Then Kim served 8 years as Director of the Abortion Recovery Ministry at Real Options for Women in Plano, TX followed by serving for 5 years as Director of Hope for the Heart’s Abortion Recovery Ministry in Dallas, TX. While there, she co-authored with Angie Cote and Teri Reisser the Abortion Recovery Peer Counselor’s Manual (4th edition revised) and the Abortion Recovery Trainer’s Manual (4th edition revised). Kim’s relationship with Hope for the Heart continues on a contract/consultant basis. In 2012, Kim joined the staff of Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship as Program Director of Journey to Freedom.
Today, Kim provides training both nationally and internationally and has trained for such organizations as Care Net, Heartbeat, Life International, and Africa Cares for Life.
Kim and her husband Jim live in Alabama. She describes her husband as the “wind beneath her wings” who continues to encourage and support her efforts in this vital ministry.
In 1994 she began leading abortion recovery groups at the Pregnancy Resource Center in Charlotte, NC. Then Kim served 8 years as Director of the Abortion Recovery Ministry at Real Options for Women in Plano, TX followed by serving for 5 years as Director of Hope for the Heart’s Abortion Recovery Ministry in Dallas, TX. While there, she co-authored with Angie Cote and Teri Reisser the Abortion Recovery Peer Counselor’s Manual (4th edition revised) and the Abortion Recovery Trainer’s Manual (4th edition revised). Kim’s relationship with Hope for the Heart continues on a contract/consultant basis. In 2012, Kim joined the staff of Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship as Program Director of Journey to Freedom.
Today, Kim provides training both nationally and internationally and has trained for such organizations as Care Net, Heartbeat, Life International, and Africa Cares for Life.
Kim and her husband Jim live in Alabama. She describes her husband as the “wind beneath her wings” who continues to encourage and support her efforts in this vital ministry.
Sharon Slater - President, Family Watch International
Sharon Slater is the president of Family Watch International (www.familywatchinternational.org), a nonprofit organization that works to protect the institution of the family by defending marriage, life, religious freedom and parental rights. She is also the author of Stand for the Family: A Call to Responsible Citizens Everywhere (www.standforthefamily.org), a “family defense handbook” which equips people with the tools they need to effectively defend the family.
For the past ten years Sharon has been leading pro-family advocacy teams at the United Nations that have impacted a number of important international policies affecting families worldwide. She and her team have been invited to brief voting blocs at the United Nations, and they regularly provide UN Member States with research and statistics that have been used on the UN floor during negotiations to protect the institution of the family.
Sharon writes a regular column for “The Family Watch” newsletter that is read in over 170 countries and she has been a featured speaker at World Congress of Families conferences in Nigeria, Amsterdam and London. She has given speeches on the UN floor calling upon the UN to stop the radical sexualization of children through graphic sex education programs and has been a featured UN panelist on the critical role of mothers. Sharon was selected as the 2007 Arizona Mother of the Year, and she and her husband Greg have seven children, three of whom were adopted from Mozambique.
For the past ten years Sharon has been leading pro-family advocacy teams at the United Nations that have impacted a number of important international policies affecting families worldwide. She and her team have been invited to brief voting blocs at the United Nations, and they regularly provide UN Member States with research and statistics that have been used on the UN floor during negotiations to protect the institution of the family.
Sharon writes a regular column for “The Family Watch” newsletter that is read in over 170 countries and she has been a featured speaker at World Congress of Families conferences in Nigeria, Amsterdam and London. She has given speeches on the UN floor calling upon the UN to stop the radical sexualization of children through graphic sex education programs and has been a featured UN panelist on the critical role of mothers. Sharon was selected as the 2007 Arizona Mother of the Year, and she and her husband Greg have seven children, three of whom were adopted from Mozambique.
Godfrey St. Bernard - Senior Fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies
Godfrey St. Bernard is a Senior Fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (formerly, The Institute of Social and Economic Research), The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. He obtained his Ph. D in Social Demography from the University of Western Ontario in 1993. His current academic interests include problems related to population and development, applied statistical analysis, research methodology, evaluation research and social policy.
His current research interests focus upon return migration, Caribbean population policy, violence prevention and safety promotion, and the measurement of social phenomena. He has presented numerous papers at seminars and conferences within the Caribbean Region and internationally. His publications cover a range of issues including population and development, Caribbean family structures, adult literacy, social measurement ethnicity and youth. He is also the co-author of a book entitled: Behind the Bridge - Politics, Power and Patronage in Laventille, Trinidad.
In addition to his academic work, Dr. St. Bernard has served a number of public interests either as a Technical Advisor or as a Chairperson. He has also worked as a consultant for a number of inter-governmental organizations such as the United Nations (UNECLAC, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA), the Inter-American Development Bank, CARICOM, the Caribbean Development Bank and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
He has been an active member of the Caribbean Studies Association since 1994 and in 2006 served as the Chairperson of the Local Organizing Committee that hosted the 31st Conference of the Caribbean Studies Association in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago between May 29th and June 2nd 2006. In his capacity as the Local Chairperson, Dr. St. Bernard pursued a vigourous fund-raising campaign that augured well for the success of the 31st Conference. Moreover, he was instrumental in overseeing the establishment of the CSA Secretariat in the St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies. Dr. St. Bernard is currently the Vice President of the Caribbean Studies Association.
His current research interests focus upon return migration, Caribbean population policy, violence prevention and safety promotion, and the measurement of social phenomena. He has presented numerous papers at seminars and conferences within the Caribbean Region and internationally. His publications cover a range of issues including population and development, Caribbean family structures, adult literacy, social measurement ethnicity and youth. He is also the co-author of a book entitled: Behind the Bridge - Politics, Power and Patronage in Laventille, Trinidad.
In addition to his academic work, Dr. St. Bernard has served a number of public interests either as a Technical Advisor or as a Chairperson. He has also worked as a consultant for a number of inter-governmental organizations such as the United Nations (UNECLAC, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA), the Inter-American Development Bank, CARICOM, the Caribbean Development Bank and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
He has been an active member of the Caribbean Studies Association since 1994 and in 2006 served as the Chairperson of the Local Organizing Committee that hosted the 31st Conference of the Caribbean Studies Association in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago between May 29th and June 2nd 2006. In his capacity as the Local Chairperson, Dr. St. Bernard pursued a vigourous fund-raising campaign that augured well for the success of the 31st Conference. Moreover, he was instrumental in overseeing the establishment of the CSA Secretariat in the St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies. Dr. St. Bernard is currently the Vice President of the Caribbean Studies Association.
Piero A. Tozzi - Alliance Defense Fund
__Piero A. Tozzi (TOTE’-see) serves as senior legal counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund at its headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he plays a key role with ADF-Global. Since joining ADF in 2010, Tozzi has focused his litigation efforts on international human rights law. Tozzi earned hisJ.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 1996, where he made the dean’s list, received a scholarship, and served as associate editor for the Fordham Law Review. Prior to joining ADF,
Tozzi served as the executive vice president and general counsel for the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM) while running its New York office, where he lobbied the United Nations on social policy issues and established C-FAM’s public interest law arm, the International Organizations Law Group. As founder of the group, Tozzi submitted amicus briefs and reports to the National Supreme Court of Justice in Mexico and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, advocating proper interpretations of international law. He also practiced law with the firms Torys LLP and the prestigious Winston & Strawn LLP in New York, where he litigated commercial suits, along with some pro bono religious liberty and pro-life cases.
Among his work at these firms, Tozzi represented a crisis pregnancy center pro bono after it was subpoenaed by former New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in a case that garnered national attention. He also represented the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights and Campus Crusade for Christ, arguing that a New York state statute requiring religious organizations—such as Catholic Charities—to provide contraceptives for their employees is unconstitutional. Tozzi has also worked with the Christian Legal Society and has won asylum for victims of religious persecution abroad. He received a B.A. in History and East Asian Studies from Columbia University in 1988.
Tozzi has practiced law since 1997 and is admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. He is a member of the International Law and Practice Section of the New York State Bar Association, which recognized him for his commitment to pro bono legal representation. Born and raised in New York City, he currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife, Carrie.
Tozzi is the author of law review articles appearing in the Journal of Catholic Legal Studies and the Fordham Law Review. He has authored numerous articles on conscience rights, constitutional law, Chinese law and politics, and on legal issues impacting religion. Furthermore, Tozzi has written and lectured extensively around the world on the topics of international human rights laws, constitutional law, rights of conscience, and religious liberties. Having previously lived in Taiwan, he speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese, and he is also proficient in Spanish. Tozzi served on the working board of the Guild of Catholic Lawyers of the Archdiocese of New York and is past chairman of its Young Lawyers Committee. He is also a board member of Program Reach, Inc.—a Bronx-based not-for-profit that promotes character education and abstinence among at-risk youth—and sits on the Ave Maria School of Law Board of Visitors.
Tozzi served as the executive vice president and general counsel for the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM) while running its New York office, where he lobbied the United Nations on social policy issues and established C-FAM’s public interest law arm, the International Organizations Law Group. As founder of the group, Tozzi submitted amicus briefs and reports to the National Supreme Court of Justice in Mexico and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, advocating proper interpretations of international law. He also practiced law with the firms Torys LLP and the prestigious Winston & Strawn LLP in New York, where he litigated commercial suits, along with some pro bono religious liberty and pro-life cases.
Among his work at these firms, Tozzi represented a crisis pregnancy center pro bono after it was subpoenaed by former New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in a case that garnered national attention. He also represented the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights and Campus Crusade for Christ, arguing that a New York state statute requiring religious organizations—such as Catholic Charities—to provide contraceptives for their employees is unconstitutional. Tozzi has also worked with the Christian Legal Society and has won asylum for victims of religious persecution abroad. He received a B.A. in History and East Asian Studies from Columbia University in 1988.
Tozzi has practiced law since 1997 and is admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. He is a member of the International Law and Practice Section of the New York State Bar Association, which recognized him for his commitment to pro bono legal representation. Born and raised in New York City, he currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife, Carrie.
Tozzi is the author of law review articles appearing in the Journal of Catholic Legal Studies and the Fordham Law Review. He has authored numerous articles on conscience rights, constitutional law, Chinese law and politics, and on legal issues impacting religion. Furthermore, Tozzi has written and lectured extensively around the world on the topics of international human rights laws, constitutional law, rights of conscience, and religious liberties. Having previously lived in Taiwan, he speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese, and he is also proficient in Spanish. Tozzi served on the working board of the Guild of Catholic Lawyers of the Archdiocese of New York and is past chairman of its Young Lawyers Committee. He is also a board member of Program Reach, Inc.—a Bronx-based not-for-profit that promotes character education and abstinence among at-risk youth—and sits on the Ave Maria School of Law Board of Visitors.
Professor William Wagner
_ William Wagner is a Christian. He married his bride, Marilyn, almost twenty-five years ago and together they home schooled their children. William currently holds a tenured law school professorship teaching ethics and constitutional law. A frequent speaker at world conferences, Professor Wagner has a special interest in the protection of free expression and the free exercise of religious conscience. As lead amicus counsel in various matters before the United States Supreme Court, he authored briefs on behalf of various Christian organizations. He also authored a brief in the Swedish Supreme Court, written testimony submitted to the U.S. Congress, and presented evidence before U.K. Parliament. He has further addressed various executive, legislative, parliamentary, and judicial audiences throughout the world, and presented at various diplomatic forums including the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Professor Wagner’s public service includes serving as a Federal Judge in the United States Courts, as Legal Counsel in the United States Senate, as Senior Assistant United States Attorney in the Department of Justice, and as an American Diplomat. Professor Wagner received the post-doctoral Danforth Fellowship in Law after earning his J.D. in 1986. After graduation he founded, and continues to lead, Salt and Light Global, serving Christian ministries, government, academia and businesses. He currently serves as the national Vice-President for ParentalRights.org
E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 517. 371-5140 ext. 2815
E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 517. 371-5140 ext. 2815
Sally Winn - Vice President, Feminists for Life
_Feminists for Life Vice President Sally Winn has been an outspoken advocate for women and children since 1996. She has served as the executive director of both Democrats for Life of America and Women and Children First. She later chaired the National Pro‐Life Democrats Committee and was a board member of the Feminism and Nonviolence Studies Association. In her work for women, Ms. Winn held the positions of Executive Director of the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace and Museum and Director of Operations for Florence Crittenton’s Center for Pregnant and Parenting Teens.
Hired as FFL’s VP in 2001, Sally Winn knows the challenges of pregnancy and parenting in college firsthand. In addition to covering 200 years of pro‐life feminism, Winn emphasizes solutions for pregnant and parenting students and staff in her lecture, "Refuse to Choose: Reclaiming Feminism." Ms. Winn has presented to colleges across
the United States and Canada and to Members of Congress and their staff on Capitol Hill. She also serves as a moderator for Feminists for Life’s groundbreaking Pregnancy Resource Forums. A graduate of Indiana University, Ms. Winn lives in the Pacific Northwest and is the proud mother of two budding, teenage feminists.
Hired as FFL’s VP in 2001, Sally Winn knows the challenges of pregnancy and parenting in college firsthand. In addition to covering 200 years of pro‐life feminism, Winn emphasizes solutions for pregnant and parenting students and staff in her lecture, "Refuse to Choose: Reclaiming Feminism." Ms. Winn has presented to colleges across
the United States and Canada and to Members of Congress and their staff on Capitol Hill. She also serves as a moderator for Feminists for Life’s groundbreaking Pregnancy Resource Forums. A graduate of Indiana University, Ms. Winn lives in the Pacific Northwest and is the proud mother of two budding, teenage feminists.
Christine Vollmer - Latin American Alliance for the Family
_Christine de Marcellus de Vollmer is the California-born daughter of a French military officer and English mother. She has lived in Venezuela for the past 45 years, she is married to Ambassador Alberto J. Vollmer and is the mother of seven.
Mrs Vollmer is the founder and president of the Alliance for the Family, an organisation that is dedicated to guiding children and young people towards healthy, happy and stable family and community life. She is also the founder and president of the Latin American Alliance for the Family.
Mrs Vollmer has been a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family for over 15 years and she is a founding member of the Pontifical Academy for Life. She has served as a member of the delegation of the Holy See to the United Nations from 1990-1995.
As President of the World Organisation for the Family and Member of the World Congress of Families Planning Committees, Mrs Vollmer has organized conferences on the family all over Europe and Latin America.
In April 2010, Mrs Vollmer was awarded with the Global Leadership Award, a recognition for her impact on the international pro-family movement and the unifying element between religious groups in the defense of the natural family. This award underlines Mrs Vollmer‟s successful promotion over the years of the anthropological and social understanding of the importance of the natural family for the survival of humanity and our civilization.
Since 1984, with in the Alliance for the Family, a team headed by Christine Vollmer has developed a new pedagogy to effectively teach children and young people the necessary values, virtues and skills for successful married and family life. This ground-breaking new pedagogy, centered on the Alive to the World curriculum, is now international and welcomed by people of all faiths.
Mrs Vollmer is the founder and president of the Alliance for the Family, an organisation that is dedicated to guiding children and young people towards healthy, happy and stable family and community life. She is also the founder and president of the Latin American Alliance for the Family.
Mrs Vollmer has been a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family for over 15 years and she is a founding member of the Pontifical Academy for Life. She has served as a member of the delegation of the Holy See to the United Nations from 1990-1995.
As President of the World Organisation for the Family and Member of the World Congress of Families Planning Committees, Mrs Vollmer has organized conferences on the family all over Europe and Latin America.
In April 2010, Mrs Vollmer was awarded with the Global Leadership Award, a recognition for her impact on the international pro-family movement and the unifying element between religious groups in the defense of the natural family. This award underlines Mrs Vollmer‟s successful promotion over the years of the anthropological and social understanding of the importance of the natural family for the survival of humanity and our civilization.
Since 1984, with in the Alliance for the Family, a team headed by Christine Vollmer has developed a new pedagogy to effectively teach children and young people the necessary values, virtues and skills for successful married and family life. This ground-breaking new pedagogy, centered on the Alive to the World curriculum, is now international and welcomed by people of all faiths.