ADL Young Leaders Return from Summit in DC Empowered and Energized

  • May 9, 2014

A delegation from the Philadelphia Region joined hundreds of ADL leaders and activists from across the country at the ADL Shana Amy Glass National Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. on April 27-29 to hear from administration officials, policy experts, Members of Congress, social media executives, government leaders and others.

The Summit kicked off with interactive workshops with in-house experts on issues ranging from hard questions about Israel, Zionism, and defining anti-Semitism to participants’ role in ADL advocacy to ADL’s role in the fight for civil rights and justice for all.

In one session, participants learned about how ADL partners with law enforcement to counter extremist violence. In another session, the focus was on empowering youth to fight bias and bullying.  ADL supports the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2011 and the Safe Schools Improvement Act. Both pieces of legislation provide an important frame to complement ADL’s education and training initiatives, namely the League’s annual National Youth Leadership Mission in DC.

The second day of ADL’s Summit began with Israel’s Ambassador Ron Dermer at the Middle East policy plenary.  “Preventing a nuclear Iran,” Amb. Dermer reiterated, “remains the single most important challenge for Israel.  The truth of the matter is – Iran doesn’t need and doesn’t want a peaceful program, but continues to develop ICBMs whose only purpose is to carry nuclear warheads.”

ADL National Director Abraham Foxman gave a moving tribute to Deputy Sec. of State William J. Burns presenting him with the 2014 ADL Distinguished Statesman Award.  He then introduced the panel discussion on U.S. policy in the Middle East jam-packed with the nation’s foremost experts on the subject.

Next, the expert panelists addressed U.S. foreign policy as it relates to the conflict in Syria, the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, the developments in Egypt, the increasing challenges in Turkey, and the current situation in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Afterwards in concurrent workshops, experts shared insights with Summit participants in pressing issues of the day, including strategies to fight terror and violent extremism and new tactics on fighting global anti-Semitism. Participants heard from law enforcement, the business community, and the faith community on prospects for comprehensive immigration reform in 2014.

A special highlight was FBI Director James Comey who spoke about preventing terrorism, extremism and hate crimes. The partnership between the FBI and ADL is strong because both are committed to preserving freedom.  Every FBI agent visits the Holocaust Memorial Museum to see what abusive power looks like and goes through ADL law enforcement training.

The second day of the Summit culminated with a moving reflection on the meaning of the Civil Rights Act on its 50th anniversary by Secretary of Labor Tom Perez. He noted that “Civil rights continue to be the unfinished business of America. I am asking you for a huge favor: Please continue your advocacy on behalf of people that need your help day in and day out.”

Three of America’s leading civil rights voices engaged in a riveting discussion about how to advance progress on civil rights today. They discussed a broad range of “unfinished business” on the civil rights agenda and gave participants fresh inspiration for their lobbying visits the following day, including insight pertaining to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 (ENDA).

On the following day, ADL honored Cathy L. Lanier, Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Chief of Police, with the ADL William and Naomi Gorowitz Institute Service Award in recognition of her work to combat terrorism and service as an “extraordinary law enforcement leader.”

During that same final day of the Summit, participants took ADL’s message to Capitol Hill and met with Members of Congress.

The Anti-Defamation League is one of the nation’s premier civil rights/human relations agencies fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defending democratic ideals and protecting civil rights for all.