It is an extraordinary pleasure to announce today the lineup of newsmakers and world opinion leaders confirmed for The Women's Conference 2010. The Conference will be held from Sunday, October 24 through Tuesday, October 26 at the Long Beach Convention Center, and I cannot wait to experience three amazing days of empowerment, inspiration and education with all of you- either in-person on online via our live Web cast on our Web site. I so am honored to again be hosting what has become the nation's premier forum for women.
Me on the Main Stage of The Women's Conference 2009
Our theme this year is 'It's Time' - and we are hoping The Women's Conference inspires women to see this challenging moment in history as an opportunity to come together and transform ourselves, our communities and our world as Architects of Change.
When coming up with this year's theme I wanted to find a phrase that all of us use daily without much thought - one that has meaning but that we take for granted. "It's Time" is just that kind of phrase. We often say, "It's time for me to go back to school or get a new job or be a mom or fight for what I believe in..." I like how decisive that phrase makes us. We just know when It's Time. And that's what the conference has always been about -- inspiring people to take action and become Architects of Change in their own lives, each in their own way.
I hope we can all ask ourselves, what is it time for ME to do?
We'll be exploring that theme at The Women's Conference 2010, where we will showcase more than 140 speakers and participants.
I could not be more proud to disclose this amazing lineup, which will be led by Laila Ali, Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz, Martha Beck, Mary J. Blige, Erin Brockovich, Campbell Brown, Deepak Chopra, Rosario Dawson, Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis, Linda Ellerbee, Giselle Fernandez, Sally Field, Jane Fonda, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Gregory, Arianna Huffington, Women for Hire CEO Tory Johnson, Donna Karan, Billie Jean King, New York Times Columnist Nicholas Kristof, Matt Lauer, Omega Institute Co-Founder Elizabeth Lesser, Journalists Laura Ling and Lisa Ling, Jillian Michaels, former Xerox Chairwoman & CEO and Save the Children Board Chair Anne Mulcahy, The Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor, Poet Mary Oliver, Suze Orman, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Tony Robbins, Al Roker, Diane Sawyer, The Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop and Primate The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Howard Schultz, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Katherine Schwarzenegger, Jessica Simpson, Anna Deavere Smith, Disney/ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney, "The Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro, Kerry Washington, Ali Wentworth and Oprah Winfrey.
We'll kick the Conference off on October 24 with Maria Shriver's March on Alzheimer's and candlelight vigil in Long Beach, which I will emcee with Leeza Gibbons, Peter Gallagher and Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines. Alzheimer's is a mind-blowing disease that disproportionately impacts women - both as victims and caretakers of loved one's suffering from it. With more than 5 million people diagnosed with Alzheimer's in this country and a new diagnosis every 70 seconds, I believe it's time to pick up the pace and start marching to defeat this devastating disease. You can register for the walk now or simply make a donation here.
Me testifying before the Senate Special Committee on Aging about Alzheimer's
Then on Monday, October 25, the second day of the conference will begin with A Day of Health, Wellness & Transformation, with our theme "It's Time...To Take Action." The event will feature more than 20 world-class issue experts leading interactive sessions packed with practical tips, tools and takeaways for how attendees can transform themselves personally and professionally and become Architects of Change in their lives.
The conference's second day will be capped off with the third-annual Night at The Village which will transform the Long Beach Convention Center's exhibit hall into an over 160,000 square foot women's village for more than 10,000 attendees. With our theme of "It's Time...To Experience the Best," the event will feature stage conversations with prominent speakers, notable personalities and women entrepreneurs whom I so admire such as Paula Deen, Jessica Simpson, Jane Fonda, Donna Karan and Giada De Laurentiis; stage interviews and book signings with more than 20 best-selling authors such as Caroline Kennedy, Jamie Lee Curtis, Meghan McCain, Kim Barnouin, Cat Cora, Fresh Mexico Author Marcela Valladolid, Holly Robinson Peete & Rodney Peete and Katherine Schwarzenegger; live entertainment, a fashion show and cooking exhibitions; and interactive shopping experiences with women-focused products, services and information from more than 330 exhibitors.
The Exhibit Hall at The Women's Conference 2009
On Tuesday, October 26, more than 70 world opinion leaders and approximately 14,000 attendees will gather at the conference's Main Event. Organized around the theme of "It's Time...To Be An Architect of Change," the Main Event will once again be a place for the conference's signature once-in-a-lifetime conversations and news-making moments that combine the world's most authentic and influential voices in discussions about the issues that matter most to women and shape their lives. Program highlights from the Main Event's main stage conversations and 14 "breakout conversations" include:
- Diane Sawyer will moderate a "once-in-a-lifetime conversation" between The Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg;
- A "kitchen table conversation" between Matt Lauer and Arnold Schwarzenegger where the Governor will reflect on lessons learned from his seven years in office and discuss what's next;
-Dr. Oz and Lisa Oz will moderate a conversation titled "It's Time to Talk About Marriage and Relationships: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly" between Al Roker & Deborah Roberts and Hal Rubenstein & David Nichols;
-Campbell Brown will moderate a conversation titled "It's Time to Talk to Women Who Know Firsthand What It Takes to Lead" between Carol Bartz, Anne Mulcahy, The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori and Anne Sweeney; and
-The Women's Conference will honor the year's most remarkable women with the presentation of the prestigious Minerva Awards during the afternoon main stage session of the Main Event. The special ceremony will be hosted by Maria Shriver and will feature remarks by Mary J. Blige and the five 2010 Minerva Award honorees Oprah Winfrey, The Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor, Oral Lee Brown, Sister Terry Dodge and Carolyn Blashek. The Minerva Awards ceremony will culminate with a special concert event that will be announced at a later date.
Tickets will be available for purchase online next Wednesday, June 23 at 9:00 a.m. PDT at www.WomensConference.org.
Me with Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger, Warren Buffett and Jennifer Lopez backstage at the 2008 Women's Conference
If you are not able to come to the conference this year, I do hope you will join us on the Web for our live Web cast. WomensConference.org -- The Home for Architects of Change -- has become a thriving online community of more than one million women who visit the site to be empowered with daily editorial and video content, inspirational conversations and stories, and life-changing tips, tools and resources.
We are also offering two complimentary passes every month through September with our Great Giveaway- this month, you can win an opportunity to interview the amazing Dr. Oz.
Me and Dr. Oz - Win a chance to interview him with our Great Giveaway!
I'll see you in Long Beach or on the Web in October!
-Maria
Follow Maria Shriver on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mariashriver
Out of the aside discussion has grown an article I've posted on my quite modest blog, under the title: "High Profile Gatherings on Behalf of Human Cause; Pizazz on Behalf of Nitty-Gritty, Is There an Alternative?"
Some of you may be interested: http://thoughtsfromthewell.wordpress.com.
As for "What is it time for you to do?," most Californians are so busy working hard and hoping not to lose their jobs or their 401ks that answers might include "Get more sleep" or "Try not to worry about the terrible state our state is in."
They do not seem to notice contradictions between their claimed "deep belief" (in, for example, "Christ's" teachings.), and their enthusiastic harsh judgment against others.
But it's my experience that plenty of women of limited formal education support, for example, a single-payer health plan. They idea of a non-profit system that everyone pays into makes sense to them; they look forward to participating. To my knowledge, they do not support Palin, do not see her as role model.
I know tea party enthusiasts who have university degrees. They often have very comfortable incomes; see no problem with "for profit" health care; are fearful of increased taxes; and of "free-loaders" taking advantage. They are likely to support Palin because she represents their economic views. (They've likely read Ayn Rand, also.)
I've stayed awake a night or two imagining the worst. I've done a little bit of research into how Germany and Italy managed to vote themselves into fascism. If I understand what happened, a significant portion of the populations wanted to hang onto what they were fearful of loosing. They 'bought' into what seemed promises to maintain status quo. It is this part of the population that concerns me - those who "could and should" be interested in common weal issues, but who don't want to lose what they've accumulated.
Ego trip and look at who's who and who I hang with
I know of no good reason why the conference would include someone who works to get more Americans turning away from local, fresh, healthful, e.g. real food, to eat more packaged, processed pseudo food, full of artificial ingredients, colors, GMOs, and other additives. The conference promoters must not know how harmful this kind of eating has been to the collective health of our nation, our family farms, and our environment. They also must not have read anything written by Michael Pollan, or Mark Bittman, or watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.
Furthermore, in featuring Dahm, the Women's Conference completely disregards Nestle's notorious history of convincing poor mothers in developing nations that its infant formula is better for their babies than breast milk. Infant formula, which, by the way, has to be mixed with clean water, which many of these women have no access to; the number of babies who have died as a result is countless. (Learn more at http://boycottnestle.blogspot.com.)
Are these speaker slots open to corporate bidding? I see that Lean Cuisine, a Nestle product line, is listed as a sponsor on the conference website. Coincidence? What else explains this woman's presence at what I thought was an esteemed gathering of forward thinkers?
What's it time for me to do? Add the Women's Conference to my boycott list.
What a disappointment!
We already are well aware of mega-corporate/legislative intermixing in Washington; we know by common sense of human behavior that the same kind of mixing (money/power + public policy shaping) happens at other governmental levels.
So long as we "excuse" a "certain amount" of conflict of interest 'here and there', telling ourselves it "can't be helped", "it's human nature", "it's the way of the world" - the 'world' as we know it will remain very much the same!!
Our penchant for defining "success and excellence" as best shown by "wealth and power" is part of why this conference annoys those who define success and excellence differently.
Everyone, including Christine Dahm, can be found to have wonderful humanitarian qualities in some aspects of their lives, and none of us will be found "perfect" by virtue of modesty of 'ordinary' roles and incomes. BUT - we don't serve ourselves, or the future, if we persist in equating "success" with "wealth and power".
Co-dependency between those with wealth/power and those who seek the same to "experience success" needs more discussion. Wonder if it's a conference topic?
Shirley Fisk offers herself as a speaker on homelessness through comments here. Good for her! Wonder how the conference addresses homelessness and other issues related to poverty. Wonder who tells the story.
It will feature Bobby Flay and the Jonas Brothers and that guy who wrote the book on how to cut your toenails.
It's gonna be awesome!
From my point of view on the world, the only issues that matter for women (and for men) are:
• World population/global poverty
• Global climate change
• Carbon based fuel energy (peak oil)
All else is just distraction. Working on anything else is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Looking at our political system, expecting anything useful from a politician, a lobbyist, a big business
person, or a socialite is like waiting for Godot.
All meaningful change begins at the individual level. For the individual, focus on doing what can be
done effectively for yourself and your friends/community, and what is best for the world, and don’t be
distracted by things that are beyond your control.
Always vote; pick the least damaging politician or policy, but always vote. Even though government is
totally ineffective on these most important issues, maybe the potential for damage can be minimized.
Also, vote with money. For instance, I cast my money votes in this order 1) Co-ops & Credit Unions,
2) Employee owned businesses, 3) locally owned small businesses, and 4) the “greenest” “large”
businesses I can find. (have to do my homework here)
As the hippies used to say, think globally, act locally.
This past winter, I found out that many Indians on the Pine Ridge Reservation didn't have heat, so I wrote about it on Daily Kos. Within days, a group of people had come together, and we were matching people who wanted to help with families who needed help. No red tape -- just people calling the propane company and paying someone's bill. Well, Keith Olbermann saw what we were doing, talked about it on his show, and $185,000 was raised in one night. (We were up to $14,000 on Kos.) Anybody can post on Kos, and it can make a difference.
This week, I found out that an inmate in one of our state prisons was pretty much being tortured in solitary confinement without any charges. So, I called the Department of Corrections and threatened to write about it if they didn't do something within 24 hours. The guy was moved that night. This inmate has been spending his time in prison coming up with creative plans to house homeless people. Who knows how many people he might help once he gets out.
And, you don't have to be rich or famous to get things done. A good month for me is one where I don't run out of money from my paycheck at the beginning of the month before my couple hundred bucks in book royalties comes in near the end of the month.
I'm curious how you 'found out' about these issues. Tracking websites?
...am close to 'burned out' for today - but wanted to post this thank you for your info here. (Also, finally saw the 'become a fan' link and am following through!)
Thanks for your commitment and encouragement to the rest of us!)
?
This conference would have been very appropriate in 1952. Fortunately we had a whole women's movement in between then and now and women should NOT have to do all the volunteer work (nor all the marriage work) in the world.
And you should feature women in government leadership positions (NOT HUSBANDS) and have panels discussing how we can support each other into real decision making roles, but I remember you don't believe in that.
Yes, I'm talking about La Palin.
Men, have you awoken from your enduring identity crisis yet? Are you ready to embrace both the yin and yang in you? Are you ready to surrender to the Great Spirit, to Gaia, to the Ancestors, to the Angels, to God? Are you ready to take up a crusade on behalf of our planet?
http://blog.soul-therapy.com/2010/05/are-women-hope-for-our-future.html
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Soul-Therapy/278635488830
http://www.soul-therapy.com/
I'll bring my crystals, and you bring some organic incense.
It is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.
2) sex education
3) able to support themselves independently
4) birth control
5) morning after pill
6) abortion by whoever wants it assuming whoever is a woman.