Southern California Regional Meeting

November 1, Alhambra, CA

SPEAKER VIOLETA KRASNIC:

Violeta joined the Global Fund for Women in September 2010 bringing more than 15 years of experience as a human rights advocate, gender-based violence counselor, non-profit management trainer, and video producer. She was born in Macedonia, grew up in Kosovo and Serbia, and has worked throughout Central and Eastern Europe and in the U.S. At the beginning of ’90s, Violeta worked as a gender-based violence counselor in the former Yugoslavia where she also organized outreach and humanitarian support services for women violence survivors and refugees, as well as campaigns to strengthen civil initiatives against nationalism and war. In the U.S., Violeta has conducted research and advocacy on the impact of U.S. foreign policy on women's human rights globally. Prior to the Global Fund, Violeta worked at WITNESS, an international advocacy organization which empowers human rights defenders to use video as a tool for justice. Violeta oversaw WITNESS’ program activities in Europe and the former Soviet Union, including partnerships with locally based human rights organizations and trainings through regional and thematic networks. Videos she has produced have been screened at the US Congress, the State Department, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and at advocacy events worldwide. Violeta holds an MA from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and a BA in Psychology (Phi Beta Kapha), also from Columbia. Her native language is Serbian; she is fluent in Croatian and Bosnian, and proficient in Russian, Spanish, and Macedonian. Violeta is a certified yoga teacher who enjoys crocheting (on subways in New York) and sailing (in San Francisco Bay). Watch or read an interview with Violeta Krasnic >>

BALKAN DELEGATION: The Balkans Delegation, June 2012, visited areas near where Violeta grew up.  And they met with Women’s Groups helped by the Global Fund for Women