"Information, education and technology are the vehicles of democracy yet there can be no democracy without the participation of women in the decision-making process. There is no democracy in any society that excludes half of its inhabitants from active involvement in its development and leadership. [We must] broaden the perspective of leadership development by addressing the energies, skills and unique visions that women bring to leadership on a community, national and global level."–Vadis Finnbogadóttir

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, fourth president of the Icelandic republic, was the first woman in the world to be elected head of state in a parliamentary democracy. During her sixteen years in office she enjoyed unparalleled levels of popular support, while at the same time overseeing radical changes in the function and perception of the presidency. Since 1978 she has served as chair of the Advisory Committee on Cultural Affairs of the Nordic Council (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden).

Cosponsored by: Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures, Department of History, Department of Political Science, International Programs and Studies, Women's Studies Program, Icelandair

Of related interest: MillerComm on April 25 with Ensemble Sequentia