2006 Annual Conference Plenary Speakers

The conference plenaries showcase the knowledge, views, and achievements of national and international leaders, as they discuss the complexities of global forces affecting international education and exchange. All of the plenary sessions are open to all conference registrants.

Watch Video of the Plenaries - FREE
Canada’s Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) videotaped several plenary speeches during NAFSA’s 2006 Annual Conference in Montreal held May 21–26. Videos of Wangari Maathai and Mary Robinson are now available for viewing on the CPAC Web site free of charge.

	Tuesday, May 23 Wangari Maathai: Nobel Prize for Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2004 for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace, stemming from her work on community empowerment and environmental conservation. She is the first African woman to receive this prestigious award. Today, Wangari Maathai is an elected Member of Parliament and serves as Deputy Minister of Environment in Kenya's government, and she is a Visiting Fellow at Yale University's Global Institute for Sustainable Forestry. Changing the World, One Seedling at a Time: An Interview with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai, from the March/April issue of International Educator.
	Wednesday, May 24 Mary Robinson: First Female President of Ireland Mary Robinson, the first female President of Ireland and formerly the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has spent most of her life as a human rights advocate. She is the superb example of a woman politician who puts her humanity at the forefront of her politics. She now chairs the Council of Women World Leaders and is a member of the Global Commission on International Migration. Recently, President Robinson was named a Hero and Icon as one of Time magazine's 2005 top 100 men and women whose power, talent, or moral example is transforming the world. Speaking Out for the Voiceless: An Interview with Mary Robinson, former Irish president and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from the May/June issue of International Educator.
	Thursday, May 25 Dan Buettner: Explorer Dan Buettner is an explorer, Guinness Book of Records holder, and founder of LifeQuest expeditions, which are sponsored by and featured in National Geographic magazine. He is currently leading Blues Zones Expedition, a project that, in partnership with the National Institute on Aging and the University of Minnesota, is exploring the world's longest-lived regions to distill a cross-cultural longevity formula for American audiences. A pioneer in both exploration and education, he has set several world records for endurance cycling and created one of the nation's premier adventure learning programs.
	Friday, May 26 Shirin Ebadi: Nobel Peace Prize Laureate On December 10, 2003, Shirin Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace, becoming the first Persian and the first Muslim woman to receive the prize. A lawyer and human rights activist, Ebadi entered the law department of the University of Tehran in 1965, and participated in the entry exam for judges immediately after graduation in 1969. Ebadi is the first woman in Iranian law history to serve as a judge. Toward Equality for All: An Interview with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi, from the July/August issue of International Educator.