September 4, 2013— Author and human rights activist John Prendergast will be the keynote speaker at the annual World Leaders Lecture Forum, sponsored by the University of Utah’s Tanner Humanities Center. Titled “A Changing Africa,” Prendergast’s lecture will be held Wednesday, Sept. 11, 11 a.m., in Libby Gardner Hall, 1375 E. Presidents Circle. The event is free and open to the public.

In his lecture, Prendergast will show how Hollywood portrays Africa in a hopeless state and then reveal the contrasting reality.

“John is one of the key voices addressing the state of human rights in Africa and around the world,” says Bob Goldberg, professor of history and director of the Tanner Humanities Center. “His tireless work has had an immense impact by spreading awareness and promoting concrete actions to tackle the major humanitarian issues of our time.”

Prendergast is a human rights activist and best-selling author who worked for peace in Africa for more than 25 years. He is the co-founder of the Enough Project, an initiative to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Prendergast is co-author of “Unlikely Brothers,” New York Times best-seller “Not on Our Watch” and “The Enough Moment: Fighting to End Africa’s Worst Human Rights Crimes.”

In addition to the World Leaders lecture, the Tanner Center and Salt Lake Film Society will present a free screening of “War Child,” a documentary co-starring Prendergast on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m., at the Broadway Centre Cinemas, 111 E. 300 S. “War Child” is rated PG-13 and tells the story of hip hop artist Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier in Sudan’s brutal civil war, who now works to bring peace to his country and build schools throughout Africa.

About the Obert C. and Grace A. Tanner Humanities Center

The Obert C. and Grace A. Tanner Humanities Center was founded in 1988 by the faculty of the College of Humanities at the University of Utah.  For 25 years, the Tanner Center has fostered innovative humanistic inquiry and scholarship. The center’s programs, which include public lectures and symposia, humanities education for teachers, screenings of British theater productions, community concerts and fellowships, create opportunities for lively dialogue among scholars, students and citizens on issues (from ancient to contemporary) pertaining to the human condition.