Brazile, who joined Al Gore's campaign in October 1999, has a reputation as a tenacious political organizer and is the first African American woman to head a major contender's presidential campaign.  She and NOW President Patricia Ireland will speak on grassroots organizing to maximize women's political power.

Brzonkala, who became the first person to sue her attackers under the Violence Against Women Act, took her quest for justice all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in the landmark Brzonkala v. Morrison case.  She will be honored with NOW's Woman of Courage Award for her heroic efforts to end violence against women.

Local women who will be honored as Women of Courage are the late Miami Beach state representative Elaine Gordon for her twenty-two years of supporting women's rights in the Florida state legislature, and Julia Gabriel for her fight to improve the lives of  farm workers.

Director and actor Lily Mariye, who plays the role of Nurse Lily Jarvik on the NBC television series "ER," will be on hand to talk about the pitfalls and pratfalls of women in film.  She has guest starred in more than 25 television shows, including "Chicago Hope" and "Murphy Brown."  Mariye will screen her first short feature film, "Shangri-la Café," which takes a compelling look at racism as it tells the story of one woman's struggle and the difference she makes.

Miami's homegrown talent, U.S. Representative Carrie Meek (D-Fla.) and Florida State Senator Kendrick Meek (D-District 36), will be honored at a pre-conference NOW/PAC reception on Thursday, June 29.  The mother-son duo have distinguished themselves as champions of affirmative action and other women's and civil rights issues.

Other conference highlights include a Political Institute to prepare activists for campaign work, a plenary devoted to the global struggle for women's equality and NOW's Virtual Village, hands-on help with electronic organizing.

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