Retired Army , Foreign Diplomat to Speak on Peace, Dissent and Foreign Policy at UC San Diego

April 22, 2008

Jan Jennings

A retired Army colonel and foreign diplomat who resigned from the U. S. Foreign Service in 2003 in disagreement with the Bush administration decision to go to war in Iraq will speak on peace and foreign policies at 7 p.m. April 28 in the Price Center at the University of California, San Diego.

Peace activist Ann Wright will address Dissent: Voices of Conscience at a panel discussion sponsored by the UC San Diego Women's Center, California Cultures in Comparative Perspective, and the Cross-Cultural Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Wright and panel will tell the stories of the men and women who leaked documents, spoke out, resigned, or refused to deploy, risking careers and reputations, to protest government actions they felt were illegal.

Wright resigned as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in in 2003 in protest of Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq without the authorization of the UN Security Council, the lack of effort in resolving the Israel-Palestinian situation, and the lack of policy on .

Wright joined the Foreign Service in 1987. She served as Deputy Chief of Mission of U.S. Embassies in , Micronesia and briefly in . She received the State Department's Award for Heroism for her actions during the evacuation of 2,500 persons from the civil war in Sierra Leone. She was on the first State Department team to go to Kabul, Afghanistan, helping to reopen the U.S. Embassy in December, 2001.

Her other overseas assignments include , , , , and . Before entering the Foreign Service, she served in the Army with a combined regular Army/Army Reserve time of 29 years.

Wright earned master's and law degrees from the University of and a master's degree in National Security Affairs from the U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I. She has been featured in articles in the Washington Post, the Government Executive Magazine, the Foreign Service Journal; has been interviewed by radio and TV, and participated in the documentary film, Uncovered: The Truth About the .

Wright lives in Honolulu and writes on current U.S. foreign policy and speaks to university classes and civic groups in the and internationally.

Wright's April 28 visit to UC San Diego is part of the Asian and Pacific-Islander American Planning Committee's second annual Spring Roles. This year's theme is Building Bridges, Maintaining Visibility, Exploring Identities, and Creating Consciousness. Activities include poetry readings, lectures, films, cultural tributes, culinary events, and an awards presentation.

"The aim of this celebration is both to increase campus awareness of Asian and Pacific Islander American concerns and to celebrate the diversity of the cultures and traditions of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans on campus and in the San Diego community," says Emelyn de la Pena, director of the UC San Diego Women's Center.

For further information on Wright's discussion, contact de la Pena at (858) 822-1476 or [email protected].

Media Contact: Jan Jennings, 858-822-1684