“Speaker: Dr. Samantha Nutt, Founder of War Child

 

In 1995, as a recent medical school graduate, Dr. Samantha Nutt volunteered with UNICEF in Baidoa, Somalia, also known as the “City of Death.” War-related famine and disease ravaged Baidoa, killing 300,000 people in the early 1990s. Impassioned and emboldened by what she witnessed there, Dr. Nutt began to advocate for children’s and women’s rights in war zones around the world.

 

In 1999, she founded the international humanitarian organization War Child (North America – Canada and U.S.). The organization looks at the long-term challenges of war and helps children and their families survive the trauma of armed conflict and rebuild their lives. War Child also works to improve women’s and children’s access to education, justice, and opportunity while reducing poverty through skills training programs.

 

A leading authority on war, current affairs, and international policy as they relate to children, Dr. Nutt is a fearless and respected humanitarian. Her passion for children’s and women’s rights and expertise on international aid are why we celebrate her as part of our 2017 Upstander Speaker Series.”