iStand 2019:
Hope on the Horizon!
Join fellow parents and friends of internationally-abducted children in Washington DC, May 22-24
The schedule is in development, and we’ll be announcing speakers soon.
Check out past conferences schedules for 2016, 2017 and 2018 and get ready for an expanded and more powerful gathering in May!
Register today!
iStand 2019 ~ Hope on the Horizon
The 2019 International Parents Conference & Embassy Walk harnesses the power of love and collective action to empower parents of children who are internationally abducted or wrongfully retained. Now in its fifth year, the Conference is the premier annual gathering of parents and families of abducted children.
Parents engage with each other, members of Congress, federal agency officials, diplomats, NGOs, and other key stakeholders to prevent and end International Parental Child Abduction (IPCA) and to bring children home.
Wednesday, May 22
Capitol Hill Advocacy Day
& White House Candlelight Vigil
Parents meet on Capitol Hill for pre-arranged Constituent Calls and meetings with key House and Senate offices for personal cases and cause-related advocacy. iStand Parent Network is coordinating with each attendee to schedule meetings in advance. The evening ends with a moving Candlelight Vigil in front of the White House.
Thursday, May 23
6th International Parents Conference
U.S. Institute of Peace
The annual conference begins with an International Coffee Hour with invited guests from the U.S. Depts. of State and Justice, and continues as a full day of workshops and presentations on IPCA prevention and return and domestic and international policy reform. The Keynote Conversation and iStand Awards Luncheon engage participants in a provocative dialogue on IPCA and honors those who work tirelessly to end this crime against children.
Friday, May 24 - Knocking on Doors of Nations ~ Embassy Walk
The Embassy Walk is our direct engagement with nations in which our children are held. Parents attend pre-scheduled meetings with embassy officials to seek assistance in returning their children home. The Embassy Walk occurs rain or shine.
Kids & Sibs Track: This year, we're SUPER excited to have a Kids & Sibs' track for returned children, their siblings, and the children left behind as their brother or sister was kidnapped abroad.
We're pleased to welcome the iStand Student Network at Ohio Valley University as hosts for Kids & Sibs. iStand Student Network members include representatives from the OVU Delta Social Club, who raised funds to sponsor this new addition to the Conference. They're planning awesome stuff to do at the conference and in DC!
Legal Reform Track: The legal reform track begins after the Keynote Conversation and Awards Luncheon and runs parallel to afternoon Conference sessions.
The track is designed to strengthen connections among attorneys, judges, and advocates who work on IPCA, share successful legal strategies, public policy improvements and emerging practices that parents can use to fight for their children, and identify domestic and international legal reform opportunities for stakeholders to improve IPCA prevention and returns.
Accommodations
Parents typically share the cost of accommodations through AirBnB lodging. After ticket purchase, you will receive a link to complete your registration. Please indicate your interest in AirBnB lodging when you complete the form. We also recommend the Hotel Harrington as an economy tourist hotel that is centrally located to the U.S. Institute of Peace and the White House.
Register today and join us for iStand 2019: Hope on the Horizon!
$50 covers three days of advocacy, engagement and empowerment for our children!
