Fort Benning institute to host ‘Women, Peace and Security Symposium’

Some top women speakers will be at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation on Thursday for “Women, Peace and Security Symposium.”

The 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. at the institute’s auditorium on Baltzell Avenue is titled “The Empowerment of Women - the Role and Importance of Women in Peace and Security. It marks the institute’s implementation of the Department of Defense guidance on the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.

Six women with focus on topics ranging from civil rights and national security to gender issues at Fort Benning. Speakers include Brig. Gen. Clara Galvis, a medical doctor in the Colombian Defense Ministry, on “Women’s Roles in the Colombian Peace Accord; Michelle Hernandez de Fraley, superintendent of police of Puerto Rico and a retired U.S. Army colonel, speaks on “Women’s Role in Resolving Civil Rights Challengers in High Crime Areas”; Bina Patel Ph.D., organizational ombudsman at the National Ground Intelligence Center, talks about “Women’s Roles in National Security Threats”; Crystina Wyler, founder and director of “The Artful Communicator,” addresses “Women in Humanitarian Assistance Activities with update on Lebanon and Syria” ; Ana Talamoni, gender issues director at the Joint Peacekeeping Training Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, presents the “UN’s Approach to Gender Issues and their Resolution” and Col Claudia Veras, a member of the Dominican Republic Army and director of the institute’s Faculty and Staff Development at Fort Benning, talks about “Gender Issues” with a focus on the Dominican Republic Armed Forces.

The event is open to the public as well as students and faculty of the institute. A number of colleges, including Columbus State University, Central Texas College, Troy University-Fort Benning and LaGrange College have been invited to send those interested in women and their effect on peace and security.

Although the event is conducted primarily in Spanish, receivers will be available to listen to interpretation of the speakers.

This story was originally published March 29, 2017 at 8:53 PM with the headline "Fort Benning institute to host ‘Women, Peace and Security Symposium’."