[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 183 (Friday, December 23, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1737]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IN HONOR OF THE SENECA FALLS DIALOGUES

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 23, 2016

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay 
tribute to the Seneca Falls Dialogues, a conference that fosters a 
dialogue regarding women and gender studies issues, and the Women's 
Initiative for Leadership and Learning, Inc. (WILL) for supporting such 
an important event. Once every two years, dedicated students, faculty 
and activists come together in Seneca Falls, New York, which has been 
associated with women's rights since the Declaration of Sentiments was 
signed in Seneca Falls in 1848 at the first women's rights convention. 
The Seneca Falls Dialogues aim to encourage discussion and research 
concerning equal rights for women.
  In October of 2008, the Seneca Falls Heritage Group, the Friends of 
the Women's Rights National Historical Park, the National Women's Hall 
of Fame, and the Greater Rochester Branch of the American Association 
of University Women, in collaboration with an alliance of western New 
York colleges and universities, came together to create the First 
Biennial Seneca Falls Dialogues. This initial conference was held on 
October 11-12, 2008 in celebration of the 160th anniversary of the 
first women's rights convention and the 60th anniversary of Eleanor 
Roosevelt's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
  Today, the Seneca Falls Dialogues are sponsored by WILL, in 
collaboration with the College Alliance, the town of Seneca Falls, the 
Seneca Falls Heritage Group, the Friends of the Women's Rights National 
Historical Park, the National Women's Hall of Fame, and the Greater 
Rochester Branch of the American Association of University Women. Works 
presented at the Dialogues are archived and serve as an important cache 
of materials used by a network of university Womens and Gender Studies 
programs and enable scholars to do further research.
  Additionally, I would like to recognize the President of Friends of 
Women's Rights National Historical Park, Marilyn Tedeschi, who is also 
the key organizer of the Seneca Falls Dialogues.
  Ms. Tedeschi has served in a number of roles, including urban 
educator, youth advocate, business entrepreneur and social activist. 
Her passions lie primarily in economic development of the working poor 
and their communities. She is a member of several boards that reflect 
this dedication, and is a cofounder of the Community Microenterprise 
Center, a not-for-profit that helps small businesses and serves as a 
Progressive Neighborhood Federal Credit Union for Rochester's lowest 
income families.
  An advocate for women and girls, Ms. Tedeschi is the President of the 
Greater Rochester Area Branch of the American Association of University 
Women and Vice President of the Women's Institute for Leadership and 
Learning, both of which sponsor the Seneca Falls Dialogues.
  This year's WILL award recipient is Brenda Ann Keneally. Ms. Keneally 
is an interdisciplinary artist who captures intrinsic aspects of human 
nature in her photographs. A highly honored photographer, Ms. Keneally 
has pushed the boundaries of art and social documentation by immersing 
herself in the lives and situations of her subjects, and incorporated 
the Internet as a documentation tool. Ms. Keneally also cofounded The 
Raw File, a digital theatre which focuses on expanding recognition for 
socially provocative media.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the Seneca 
Falls Dialogues, Marilyn Tedeschi, and Brenda Ann Kenneally for their 
dedication to fostering civil discourse regarding women's rights, and 
their perseverance and advocacy in the fight to ensure equality for 
women.

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