Media

For Immediate Release:
February 14, 2005

Contact: Adrienne Verrilli
at: 212-819-9770 x325

12 Extraordinary Young People from the U.S. to Join European Youth For Youth Advocacy Summit in Brussels

Young People to Explore Reproductive Health Programs and Policies Globally

New York, NY - The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS) has selected 12 young people out of nearly 150 applicants from across the country to join young people from the United States and European countries for the first-ever Euro-American Youth Advocacy Summit. On February 15 and 16, 50 young people 25 from the U.S. and 25 from Europe will gather in Brussels, Belgium to work on issues concerning young people's sexual and reproductive health and rights. This groundbreaking summit is co-organized by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), Advocates for Youth, Marie Stopes International, and YouAct, the European Youth Network on Sexual and Reproductive Rights.

"We are thrilled to have these 12 extraordinary young people as part of the U.S. delegation participating in this exciting opportunity," said Bill Smith, vice president for public policy at SIECUS. "As public debate intensifies on both sides of the Atlantic regarding young people's rights to medically accurate sexuality education and access to contraceptive methods including condoms, the voices of youth too often remain absent from the conversation," Smith continued. "We hope this Summit will foster dialogue and learning between U.S. and European young people and will serve to broaden the discussion and raise new voices in the fight to support comprehensive approaches to reproductive and sexual health and rights," Smith said.

During December 2004, SIECUS invited young people ages 18 to 25-years-old from around the country to tell us in an essay about their efforts to advocate for access to reproductive health education and services, and how that work relates to sexual and reproductive health and rights internationally. The 12 chosen winners will be flown to Brussels along with the SIECUS international policy staff. The young people on the SIECUS delegation include:

Max Ciardullo, 22, Washington, DC
Megan Cuilla, 23, Spokane, WA
Gabrielle Durr, 18, St. Paul, MN
Elizabeth Leahy, 22, Washington, DC
Vanessa Long, 23, Austin, TX
Latrice Montgomery, 21, Chicago, IL

Beth Myrick, 18, Portland, OR
Kate Pyle, 25, Brooklyn, NY
Praveen Rao, 21, New York, NY
Meghan Rapp, 20, Norfolk, VA
Chinue Richardson, 25 Washington, DC
Tiana Kai Wilkinson, 25, Hadley, MA

"Today young people across the globe have much to lose with the Bush Administration's and its allies' continued assault on sexual and reproductive health and rights. This Summit will provide an opportunity for young people from the U.S. and throughout Europe to engage one another and develop advocacy strategies to help assure that access to a full range of sexual and reproductive health services is a right, not a luxury," Smith said.

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