10th Annual Children’s Unit Luncheon
From Harm to Home

Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Noon-2 pm

Metropolitan Club
One East 60th Street, New York City

Hosted by:

Scott Pelley, CBS 60 Minutes Correspondent
Pelley has visited IRC programs in several countries and recently won an Emmy for his report, “Searching for Jacob.”

Featuring:

Ishmael Beah, Author of, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. 
A former child soldier from Sierra Leone, Mr. Beah now lives in the United States, and, in November 2007 was appointed as an official UNICEF advocate.  He has also mentored in the IRC Refugee Youth Program in New York working with young people from West Africa in after school programs. 

Christina Harmon, IRC Education Officer, Liberia
Christina Harmon was forced to flee from Liberia during the conflict to a refugee camp in Guinea where she became a teacher with the IRC.  With peace, she was able to return home to Liberia, where she continues to work to improve the lives of some of the most disadvantaged children through IRC’s CYCLE program, a project aimed at ending the worst forms of child labor.

Each year, the Children’s Unit Luncheon raises vital funds for IRC’s work with refugee children and their families in 25 countries.  Now, our needs are as great as ever, with millions of children around the world, affected by armed conflict.

At this year’s luncheon, we will follow the journey of two refugees—one from life in a refugee camp back to her home country, the other to a new home in the U.S.  Through their stories we will learn about the innovative work of the Children’s Unit and how the IRC supports refugees and their families on their journey from harm to home.

For more information, please contact:

Christine Madden
212-725-7139 (phone), 212-725-7149 (fax), IRC@cmaddenproductions.com