Someone had to drop that slinky in MOVE and leave it to Liana Katherman to be the one to do it (she’s a go-getter, that one). Whether you know her or not, which you probably do (she knows the world), one thing to note about Liana’s journey is her commitment to work toward social justice.
Given her work as the production assistant during MOVE, her stand out role at MOVE:DC, and her dedicated support of Invisible Children prior to interning here last fall, fitting Liana’s story in a single blog post will be a feat in itself. But it’s definitely worth a try.
As a freshman in high school, she was inspired by Invisible Children’s approach of using various media platforms to connect people to an issue thousands of miles away from them and she saw IC as an opportunity to invest herself in social issues. The more she got involved, she felt a greater connection to the children in Uganda. Ultimately, causing her to pursue film and photography as a career path in order to use her skills for a greater good.
Since her initial involvement in the organization, Liana participated in school clubs, volunteered to represent IC at Warped Tour stops, and attended various past events. So deciding to attend the first Fourth Estate Leadership Summit wasn’t much of a dilemma, as much as it was a ‘get me there’ kind of thing.
I recently spoke to Liana to discuss how attending the first Summit motivated her personal goals and how it all translated to her current work at two non-profits.
How would you describe the first Fourth Estate Summit?
The first Fourth Estate Summit, to put it simply, was life changing. Hearing from the speakers and meeting so many people who were just like me, in that they believed in the importance of social justice, was so important for me in the place that I was at in life. After the summit, I decided that I needed to live on purpose and do things with intention. It changed everything for me.
Since attending the Summit, how has it shaped your goals?
After the Fourth Estate, I changed my major to visual journalism and pursued that for about a year before being offered the production assistant internship position at Invisible Children for Fall 2012. After completing the internship in December, I was given the opportunity to move out to Lincoln, NE to run production and social media for an organization called I’ve Got A Name.
What issues and projects does I’ve Got A Name focus on?
We work towards bringing awareness to sexual exploitation and trafficking here in Nebraska.We work with girls who have been sexually exploited, abused, or just have no where to go, and pair them with resources in the city to give them a fresh start and better their lives. We want these girls to see that a better life exists and help them get there. It’s been amazing to meet some of these girls and hear their stories and know that what we are doing is making a tangible difference in their lives.
Honorable mention: the headquarters of said non-profit is located in an indoor skate park and youth drop-in center called The BAY.
I’ve Got A Name at the Nebraska Human Trafficking Summit
Why do you think attending the Summit is important?
I think that a lot of people feel uncomfortable in the world that we live in and feel as if they need to make a difference. The Fourth Estate Summit gives valuable tools to people who are fired up about social justice, but just aren’t sure how to get totally plugged in. Because Invisible Children brought such a huge range of speakers to the Summit, it allowed for those attending to make connections and communicate with others who have similar beliefs and goals.
What didn’t you expect from the Fourth Estate Summit?
I knew that, because it was put on by Invisible Children, it was going to be fun and I was going to meet some awesome people. I didn’t expect to meet people who become my best friends at the Summit, nor did I expect it to make such a positive impact in my life. I honestly don’t know where I would be today if I didn’t attend the Fourth Estate back in 2011.
On August 8-11, 1,400 activists will come together to learn about justice and advocacy through new IC media, key speakers, and tangible action steps. Join us at the Fourth Estate Leadership Summit, where the future of justice is shaped by you.
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(Photo credit: Liana Katherman)
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