Musician Chad Stokes of State Radio and Dispatch Teams Up With Amnesty International...

Musician Chad Stokes of State Radio and Dispatch Teams Up With Amnesty
International for June 11 Teach-In On Women's Human Rights

Urges Congress to Pass International Violence Against Women Act

Chad Stokes, lead singer for the socially and politically-charged rock band
State Radio, is teaming up with Amnesty International on Thursday evening,
June 11, for a teach-in on women's human rights. On Friday evening, Stokes
reunites with Dispatch for a sold-out event at the Kennedy Center.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081014/AILOGO)

The Thursday night teach-in is free on a first come-first served basis. The
event will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. at Busboys and Poets @ 5th and K (1025
5th St. NW). Seating will be very limited.

The teach-in will focus on the International Violence Against Women Act, an
unprecedented effort now before the U.S. Congress to address violence against
women globally, along with the work of the women's organization, Women of
Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA). Stokes, who lived in Zimbabwe when he was 18, will play
live acoustic music.

For U.S. concert-goers, Stokes was first known as the voice behind agit-prop
band Dispatch, which sold 600,000 albums by word of mouth.

Stokes is in Washington at the request of Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai, who is meeting with President Barack Obama and Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton this week, and will join Stokes and Dispatch on stage at the
Friday evening event at the Kennedy Center.

Although Dispatch's six-year tenure ended in 2002, its members reunite for
causes, including 2007's three-night sold-out stand at Madison Square Garden
to benefit the plight in Zimbabwe. In lieu of college, Stokes lived in
Zimbabwe when he was 18, and the experience not only galvanized his songs, but
it also shaped his life with a commitment to social, political and
humanitarian causes.

Background: The International Violence Against Women Act is an unprecedented
effort by the United States government to address violence against women
globally. Violence and abuse devastates the lives of millions of women, and
knows no national or cultural barriers, affecting one of every three women
worldwide. Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) is a women's civic movement in
Zimbabwe dedicated to protecting women's human rights. For organizing peaceful
demonstrations to protest the worsening social, economic and human rights
situation in Zimbabwe, WOZA members have been repeatedly harassed,
intimidated, beaten and jailed by authorities. The teach-in will focus on
raising awareness about the international effort to protect women's human
rights and will provide actions for the audience to help make a difference.

What: Teach-in on women's human rights

Who: Musician Chad Stokes and Amnesty International

Where: Busboys and Poets @ 5th and K (1025 5th St. NW)

When: Thursday, June 11

Time: 7-8:30 p.m.

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist
organization with more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and volunteers
in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The
organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the
public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and
dignity are denied.

Please visit www.amnestyusa.org for more information.

CONTACT: Suzanne Trimel of Amnesty International, +1-212-633-4150,
strimel@aiusa.org

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- June 10/

SOURCE Amnesty International