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| Dear John, |
| Welcome to AJC Virtual Global Forum 2020! |
| It is strange to think that just three months ago AJC Global Forum 2020 was to take place for the first time ever in Berlin. |
| While the COVID-19 pandemic required that we change our plans, we are excited to be coming together online, with an even larger audience, to address the most pressing issues of our time. |
| Throughout AJC Virtual Global Forum, thousands of participants across the United States and around the world will mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II by bearing witness to multigenerational Holocaust stories from the AJC community. Together, we will hear from world leaders, watch spirited debates on AJC’s priority issues, and reaffirm the values that we hold dear. |
| Today’s Opening Plenary, which will begin at 12:00 p.m. ET (18:00 Berlin, 19:00 Jerusalem), will set the stage for the next five days. |
We’ll witness moving Holocaust testimonials and hear from:
- H.E. Dr. Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor of Germany
- The Honorable Michael R. Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State
- H.E. Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary General of the Muslim World League and Chairman of the Centre for Responsible Leadership
- Bawa Jain, Secretary-General of the World Council of Religious Leaders
- David Harris, AJC Chief Executive Officer, Edward and Sandra Meyer Office of the CEO
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| Following the Opening Plenary, our second AJC Virtual Global Forum session—and our first debate—will be at 3:00 p.m. ET (21:00 Berlin, 22:00 Jerusalem). |
“The Hate Speech Debate: Should Free Speech Be Limited?”, a conversation on how democracies should grapple with the challenges posed by hate speech, will feature:
- Nadine Strossen, John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law, Emerita, New York University; President of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) (1991-2008)
- Dan Shefet, President of the Association for Accountability and Internet Democracy
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| To watch all AJC Virtual Global Forum sessions, please visit AJC.org/VirtualGlobalForum2020, where you can also view the full Virtual Global Forum schedule and register for the sessions that most interest you. |
| Please note: Once you register, you will receive an email shortly before the start of the program with the link to access the session. Alternatively, you can go to AJC.org/VirtualGlobalForum2020 to watch all of the programs. |
| Should you have any questions or require any assistance, please email [email protected]. |
| Thank you for joining us. We hope you enjoy the week! |
| The AJC Global Forum Team |
