Guiding Lights Weekend March 8-10 at Seattle Center Sparks National Movement to Reimagine Citizenship

SEATTLE, March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT:
The seventh annual Guiding Lights Weekend conference on creative citizenship will bring together hundreds of leaders and change-makers from across the United States to inspire each other to reclaim democracy. The Guiding Lights Weekend has become the nation's most creative, cross-sector convening for civic activists, educators and entrepreneurs. Three days of event programming will include inspirational speakers, educational workshops and celebratory plenaries.

WHO:
The Guiding Lights Network, the event's organizer, is an organization dedicated to promoting great citizenship through mindful mentoring, imagination and passionate engagement in public life.

This year's 64 conference speakers and performers include:

• Eric Liu, founder of Guiding Lights Network and Guiding Lights Weekend
• Van Jones, green energy activist, founder of Rebuild The Dream
• Annie Leonard, co-director of The Story of Stuff Project
• Jose Antonio Vargas, journalist and co-founder of Define American
• Mary Gordon, founder and president of Roots of Empathy
• Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, co-founder and director of MomsRising.org
• Ai-jen Poo, founder and director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance
• Lawrence Lessig, Harvard Law professor and campaign finance reform activist
• Mark Meckler, co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots
• Mayor Marilyn Stickland of Tacoma
• Gerda W. Klein, celebrated author, Holocaust Survivor and proud naturalized citizen 

WHEN:
Thursday, March 8, 7:00pm to 9:00 p.m. at SIFF Cinema Film Center
Friday, March 9, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Fisher Pavilion
Saturday, March 10, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Fisher Pavilion and Seattle Center Northwest Rooms

A full conference schedule is available at: http://guidinglightsnetwork.com/schedule-thursday.

WHERE:
Seattle Center; on-site press registration at Fisher Pavilion
Seattle, WA

PHOTO AND VIDEO OPPORTUNITIES:

• Friday, March 9, at 4:30 p.m. at Fisher Pavilion: The closing plenary will include a vocal performance by Pat Wright, founder of the Total Experience Gospel Choir, and a U.S. naturalization ceremony.
• Saturday, March 10, at noon at Fisher Pavilion: A plenary lunch and performance will include a performance of "Arguendo" by Elevator Repair Service from New York and music from local bluegrass band Pickled Okra. KING 5 TV's Shaniqua Manning will emcee.
• Saturday, March 10, at 5:15 p.m. at Fisher Pavilion: The sworn-again American ceremony will include music performances, and attendees will swear publicly to become more active citizens.

ONLINE RESOURCES:
For more information on Guiding Lights Weekend, visit: http://guidinglightsweekend.com
Twitter hashtag for Guiding Lights Weekend: #glwknd
Twitter handle for Guiding Lights Weekend: @gl_weekend
Facebook page for Guiding Lights Network: https://www.facebook.com/GuidingLightsNetwork

Media interested in speaking with a Guiding Lights representative or luminary speaker should contact Beth Evans at 206.323.3733 or [email protected]. 

SOURCE Guiding Lights Network