The Education of An Idealist: A Conversation with Samantha Power

Foundation, Center for International Studies, Bedrosian Center, and Visions & Voices. We are thrilled to present to you The Education of An Idealist: A Conversation with Samantha Power.
Date: October 8th, 2019
Where: Bovard Auditorium
Doors Open At: 6:30 pm
Guests: One guest allowed per USC Student/Faculty/Staff. Guest must be accompanied by USC Student/Faculty/Staff upon entry.
The event is FREE for all USC Students/Faculty/Staff. Please present your USC ID to check in. All attendees will also receive a free copy of Amb. Power’s book The Education of An Idealist (limited supply) and the event will be immediately followed by a book signing.
Event Description:
Irish-American academic, author, and diplomat, Samantha Jane Power served as the 28th United States Ambassador to the United Nations. As the youngest ever U.N Ambassador, Power dealt with a range of issues, working on United Nations reform, women’s rights, LGBT rights, the global response to the refugee crisis, reducing human trafficking and promoting democracy. Amb. Power, a Pulitzer-winning author, will be discussing her recently released memoir The Education of An Idealist which chronicles her transition from activist outsider to government insider and explores the impact one person can have on the world.
About the Book:
In her memoir, Power offers an urgent response to the question “What can one person do?”— and a call for a clearer eye, a kinder heart, and a more open and civil hand in our politics and daily lives. The Education of an Idealist traces Power’s distinctly American journey from immigrant to war correspondent to presidential Cabinet official. In 2005, her critiques of US foreign policy caught the eye of newly elected senator Barack Obama, who invited her to work with him on Capitol Hill and then on his presidential campaign. After Obama was elected president, Power went from being an activist outsider to a government insider, navigating the halls of power while trying to put her ideals into practice. She served for four years as Obama’s human rights adviser, and in 2013, he named her US Ambassador to the United Nations, the youngest American to assume the role.
A Pulitzer Prize–winning writer, Power transports us from her childhood in Dublin to the streets of war-torn Bosnia to the White House Situation Room and the world of high-stakes diplomacy. Humorous and deeply honest, The Education of an Idealist lays bare the searing battles and defining moments of her life and shows how she juggled the demands of a 24/7 national security job with the challenge of raising two young children. Along the way, she illuminates the intricacies of politics and geopolitics, reminding us how the United States can lead in the world, and why we each have the opportunity to advance the cause of human dignity. Power’s memoir is an unforgettable account of the power of idealism—and of one person’s fierce determination to make a difference.
About Samantha Power:
The former U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (2013–2017), Samantha Power is a leading figure in international affairs and human rights advocacy. As a member of President Obama’s cabinet, Power was the public face of U.S. opposition to Russian aggression in Ukraine and Syria, negotiated the toughest sanctions in a generation against North Korea, lobbied to secure the release of political prisoners, and helped build new international law to cripple ISIL’s financial networks. Her book A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide won the Pulitzer Prize in 2003. She is currently Anna Lindh Professor of the Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School.