New York, NY – February 15, 2004 – On Tuesday, February 16 at 7:30 p.m., the Virtue Foundation, in collaboration with The International Rescue Committee, Refugees International, and FilmAid International, will present an all-star panel at The Rockefeller University’s Caspary Auditorium to discuss “The Plight of Refugees in Post-Conflict Development: Rebuilding Shattered Hopes and Dreams.” The panel is expected to draw a number of human rights activists and celebrities, including Matt Dillon.

The program will begin with an introduction by award-winning film producer and founder of FilmAid International, Caroline Baron, who will discuss the experiences that led her to establish FilmAid International. The panel discussion will be moderated by the eloquent Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information at the United Nations, and will feature George Rupp, President and CEO of The International Rescue Committee; Ken Bacon, President of Refugees International; and Ameera Haq, Deputy Assistant Administrator and Deputy Director of the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery at the United Nations Development Programme.

Conceived in the wake of 9-11, the Virtue Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to researching and developing a body of universal ethical principles that transcends such boundaries as race, culture, gender, and religion in order to foster a spirit of solidarity and tolerance among human beings worldwide. Through its diverse multidisciplinary events, the Foundation seeks to raise awareness of global issues and promote the application of universal principles of ethical behavior within the context of daily life.