John Prendergast

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John Prendergast
Campus Progress Conference Washington, D.C. July 2008

John Prendergast (born March 21, 1963, in Indianapolis, Indiana) is a human rights activist and author. His current activism focuses on Sudan, Somalia, northern Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad and Zimbabwe.

Contents 1 Activism 2 Works 2.1 Books 2.2 Selected articles 2.3 Video and multi-media 3 References 4 External links 4.1 Speeches. interviews and panels

[edit] Activism

Prendergast is Co-Founder of the Enough Project,^[1] an initiative to end genocide and crimes against humanity. During the Clinton administration, he was involved in a number of peace processes in Africa,^[2] while he was director of African Affairs at the National Security Council^[3] and Special Advisor at the Department of State. Prendergast has also worked as a youth counselor^[4] and basketball coach.^[5]

He has authored eight books on Africa, including Not On Our Watch, a New York Times bestseller^[6] and NAACP non-fiction book of the year that he co-authored with actor Don Cheadle.^[7] Prendergast is currently working on two new books for publication by Random House, one that focuses on his 25 years in the Big Brother program and the other on human rights and peace activism.^[8]

He has helped create several documentaries, including George Clooney's Sand and Sorrow,^[9] Don Cheadle's Darfur Now,^[10] Tracy McGrady's 3 Points^[11] and Emmanuel Jal's War Child.^[12] He also co-produced Journey Into Sunset, about northern Uganda.^[13]

Prendergast consults on scripts for movies and for television shows, including an episode of NBC's Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,^[14] which focused on child soldiers. He has taken a number of television news programs to Africa, including Nightline^[15] and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer ^[16] and has been part of a series of episodes of CBS 60 Minutes,^[17][18] which earned an Emmy Award^[19] for Best Continuing News Coverage. In his most recent collaboration with 60 Minutes, Prendergast takes them to the Democratic Republic of Congo to investigate how the mining of precious minerals in eastern Congo and our demand for electronics helps fuel the violence that contributes to the world's deadliest war since WWII.^{[20] [21]}

With NBA stars Tracy McGrady, Baron Davis and Derek Fisher, he co-founded the Darfur Dream Team: Sister Schools Initiative, which connects schools in the United States with schools in Darfuri refugee camps. He also helped create the RAISE Hope for Congo Campaign, aimed at ending violence against women and girls in the Congo and is currently helping to produce a series of videos highlighting the issue of Congo’s conflict minerals.

His op-eds have appeared in various news outlets, including The New York Times,^[22] The Wall Street Journal^[23] and The International Herald Tribune.^[24] He has been profiled in, among others, Vanity Fair,^[25] Men's Vogue,^[26]Entertainment Weekly,^[27] O, The Oprah Magazine^[28] The Washington Post,^[29] the Los Angeles Times^[30] and The Philadelphia Inquirer.^[31]

Prendergast travels regularly to Africa's war zones on fact-finding missions, peace-making initiatives and awareness-raising trips.^[32] He is part of a fellowship program at St. Mary's College of Maryland^[33] and a visiting professor at the University of San Diego,^[34] Eckerd College^[35] and the American University in Cairo.^[36]

[edit] Works

[edit] Books

• Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond, by Don Cheadle, John Prendergast, published by Hyperion, 2007 ISBN 1401303358, 9781401303358
• Crafting Peace: Strategies to Deal with Warlords in Collapsing States, by Sasha Lezhnev, John Prendergast, published by Lexington Books, 2006 ISBN 0739117653, 9780739117651
• God, Oil & Country: Changing the Logic of War in Sudan, principal author, John Prendergast, published by Crisis Group, (Africa Report, 39), January 28, 2002 ASIN: B000FPCBP
• Crisis Response: Humanitarian Band-aids in Sudan and Somalia, principal author, John Prendergast, Inc NetLibrary, NetLibrary, Inc., published by Center of Concern, 1997 ISBN 0585380309, 9780585380308
• Frontline Diplomacy: Humanitarian Aid and Conflict in Africa, by John Prendergast, Center of Concern (Washington, D.C.), published by L. Rienner, 1996 ISBN 155587696X, 9781555876968
• Civilian Devastation: Abuses by All Parties in the War in Southern Sudan, by Jemera Rone, John Prendergast, Karen Sorensen, Human Rights Watch/Africa, Human Rights Watch (Organization), published by Human Rights Watch, 1994 ISBN 1564321290, 9781564321299
• Without Troops & Tanks: The Emergency Relief Desk and the Cross Border Operation Into Eritrea and Tigray, by Mark R. Duffield, John Prendergast, published by The Red Sea Press, 1994 ISBN 1569020035, 9781569020036
• Peace, Development, and People of the Horn of Africa, by John Prendergast, Bread for the World (Organization). Institute on Hunger & Development, Center of Concern (Washington, D.C.), published by Center of Concern, 1992 ISBN 0962805823, 9780962805820

[edit] Selected articles

Articles authored or co-authored by John Prendergast and published by notable publications or news sites.

• "60 Minutes Takes On Congo's Conflict Minerals, Cont'd" by John Prendergast and Laura Heaton Huffington Post, November 30, 2009.
• "From Camp David to Darfur, With 17 Camels" Huffington Post, November 20, 2009.
• "New Legislative Action Tackles Congo Conflict Minerals", Huffington Post, November 19, 2009.
• "To Obama in China: Don't Shy Away From Sudan, Congo", Huffington Post, November 16, 2009.
• "Will Obama Finally Pay Attention to Sudan?", Op-Ed, The Wall Street Journal, October 21, 2009.
• "The Fierce Urgency of Implementation: Obama's New Sudan Policy", Huffington Post, October 19, 2009.
• "Sudan's State-Sponsored Pyromania", Opinion, LA Times, October 19, 2009.
• "Were Darfur Promises for Real?" by John Prendergast and Dave Eggers, CNN.com, September 2, 2009.
• Opinion:"Electronics companies and consumers can help stop Congolese bloodshed" by John Prendergast and Sasha Lezhnev, Silicon Valley Mercury News, July 28, 2009.
• "Stop Your Gadget Greed From Fueling Tragedy in Congo" by Sheryl Crowe and John Prendergast, Op-Ed, Christian Science Monitor, April 30, 2009.
• "Obama Can Make a Difference in Darfur" by John Prendergast and Jim Wallis, Op-Ed, The Wall Street Journal, April 12, 2009.
• "Obama Can End 'Reign of Terror", Op-Ed, CNN.com, April 9, 2009.
• Commentary: "Stop the 'vampires' in the Congo" by Javier Bardem and John Prendergast, CNN.com, October 21, 2008.
• "The Scorched Earth of Darfur" by Samantha Power and John Prendergast, in What Matters, edited by David Elliot Cohen, New York : Sterling Publishers (2008), ISBN 978-1-4027-5834-8.
• "Blowing the Horn" by John Prendergast and Colin Thomas-Jensen, Foreign Affairs, March/April 2007.

[edit] Video and multi-media

• "Congo's Gold", 60 Minutes, November 29, 2009.
• Conflict Minerals 101 November 19, 2009.
• Ask The Expert- John Prendergast on the Obama Administration's Sudan Policy, Center for American Progress, October 20, 2009.
• Can One Story Change the World? A Conversation between Photography and Policy Presented by Art Works Projects and VII Photo, October 13, 2009.
• Crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, The Diane Rehm Show, August 13, 2009.
• US Policy and Ending the War in Eastern Congo, Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, June 25, 2009.
• Darfur, Southern Sudan and Northern Uganda: The Quest for a Comprehensive Peace , Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, February 07, 2005.
• Ripples of Genocide: Journey Through Eastern Congo with Angelina Jolie and John Prendergast, September 2003.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Enough Project
• Profile and articles at The Huffington Post

[edit] Speeches. interviews and panels

• The "US Launches New Strategy for Dealing with Sudan", Interview on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, October 19, 2009.
• Darfur Dream Team co-founders Tracy McGrady and John Prendergast, Interview on The Rachel Maddow Show, September 23, 2009.
• "Mobilizing the Will to Intervene: Leadership and Action to Prevent Mass Atrocities", with John Prendergast, Lieut. General (retired) Roméo Dallaire, Michael Gerson and James Traub, United States Institute of Peace, September 21, 2009.
• Sudan Analysis/John Prendergast, Interview on Inside Africa, August 16, 2009.
• Interview with Andrea Mitchell about African issues, Andrea Mitchell Reports, August 5, 2009.
• "Ante Up for Africa -- Chat with An Activist for Change: John Prendergast", CardPlayer.com, July 2, 2009.
• "How It Ends", Invisible Children conference and advocacy event in Washington, D.C., June 23, 2009.
• "RefugeeDayLive": John Prendergast and Rahma conversation, June 22, 2009.
• "Honor the Past, Act Now for Darfur", Washington, D.C., April 19, 2009.
• "The Darfur Debate, Columbia University, April 14, 2009.
• Interview about Darfur, Morning Joe, July 31, 2008.
• Discussion of the International Criminal Court, Citizens for Global Solutions, January 14, 2008.
• Enough Project Launch, May 8, 2007.