How do you win a campaign to repeal the death penalty? While there is no magic answer to this very important question, there is someone who knows a whole lot about it: Shari Silberstein. NADP was lucky enough to have Shari deliver the keynote at our Annual Dinner and Awards Banquet, held on the campus of Nebraska Wesleyan University on October 8, 2010.
Shari is the Executive Director of Equal Justice USA (www.ejusa.org), one of the quintessential national organizations leading the charge in work to end the use of the death penalty. Since joining Equal Justice USA in September 2000, Shari has become a nationally recognized anti-death penalty organizer, campaign strategist, and trainer. She has provided hands-on technical assistance, capacity building, strategic planning, training, and campaign coordination to more than two dozen state organizations working for death penalty reform, moratoria, and abolition. Shari played a leading role in the first two state campaigns that ended the death penalty in the modern era – New York in 2005 and New Jersey in 2007. NADP is proud to have been working with the amazing staff at EJUSA since 2007.
Shari’s hands-on experience in winning campaigns left the crowd deeply inspired to continue the important work at hand in Nebraska. She spoke about the importance of building a strong grassroots constituency of individuals who support an end to our broken death penalty system. We invite you to become a leader in your own community as we build our base of support in Nebraska! There are many ways to be involved in our campaign: identifying and organizing NADP supporters in your area and encouraging them to contact their State Senator and local media outlets; setting up church group meetings, house parties, and community conversations that will facilitate healthy discussions; and becoming a liaison between NADP and your own State Senator. To learn more about getting involved in your local community, please contact Jill Francke, Statewide Coordinator at 402.477.7787 or jill@nadp.net.
NADP was also pleased to honor UNL Law Professor Eric Berger, J.D., with the C.A. Sorensen Award and the Sisters of Mercy with the Angel of Mercy Award. We want to thank all the individuals, organizations, and local businesses who donated to our Silent Auction! The financial support we receive from this event is critical to our success throughout the year, so thanks again to everyone who attended or who sent in a special donation! If you were unable to attend, you can still contribute to our efforts by visiting http://nadp.net/donate.htm or by sending a check to our office at 941 ‘O’ Street, Suite 725, Lincoln, NE 68508.
See more photos here: http://bit.ly/9QFwn1