FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC–

The highest-ranking female officer in her country.
The Commander of the Electronic Warfare Operational Unit.
The Director of Maritime Security & Arctic Region Policy on the National Security Council.

These are just a few of the accomplishments of the 2020 cohort of the Halifax Peace With Women Fellowship. The program, now in its third year, experienced the most competitive selection process to date with a record number of countries submitting applications.

Peter Van Praagh, President of Halifax International Security Forum, today announced the class, saying:

“Now more than ever, the international security community needs to work closely to meet the many global challenges to democracies. This year, we add three new nations and again have all of the Five Eyes – United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand – participating in the Peace With Women Fellowship, which is a testament to the critical need for such a program. We are proud to have such an accomplished and diverse group of senior officers in the class of 2020. These 12 officers join our 18 alumnae as part of an international network of women who will lead and promote a modern vision of security. Halifax International Security Forum looks forward to witnessing their growth and their contributions to the field.”

The 2020 cohort is comprised of 12 women from 11 NATO member and partner countries.

Group Captain Carol Abraham Royal New Zealand Air Force	Colonel Katharine Barber United States Air Force	Colonel Rejanne Eimers-van Nes Royal Netherlands Army	Colonel Melissa Emmett British Army
Colonel Ivana Gutzelnig Slovak Republic Air Force	Colonel Dr. Stephanie Krause German Army	Colonel Geneviève Lehoux Royal Canadian Air Force	LTC Lene Sonne Lillelund Royal Danish Army
Colonel Valérie Morcel French Ground Army	Captain Rebecca Ore United States Coast Guard	Major General Germaine Seewer Swiss Air Force	Colonel Rebecca Talbot Australian Army

The Fellowship is a three-week executive program for senior active-duty female military officers from NATO member and partner countries. It begins October 27 and concludes at the 2020 Halifax International Security Forum from November 20-22. Participants will visit Washington DC, Silicon Valley, Toronto, and Ottawa.

About the Fellowship

Fellows will meet with government officials, military leaders, and experts from a variety of fields as they travel through the political and technological capitals of the United States and Canada. The program is designed to deepen their understanding of NATO’s strategic challenges, as well as the cutting-edge technologies transforming the realities of national security. At Halifax International Security Forum, they will be joined by the Fellowship’s alumnae, further expanding the network of leaders through this program.

Watch this video about the impact of the Fellowship.

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For more information, please email fellowship@halifaxtheforum.org.

About Halifax International Security Forum 

Halifax International Security Forum is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization based in Washington, DC. Its annual Forum in the Nova Scotia capital is recognized widely as North America’s leading foreign affairs and defense conference.  The Forum attracts senior politicians – including a significant delegation from the United States Congress — top military commanders, strategists, thinkers, influential journalists, and business leaders from across the democratic world. Halifax also convenes high-level meetings in Washington DC, London, and elsewhere, as well as produces public policy recommendations and strategic advice on major geo-political challenges.