Actor and Advocate Ashley Judd joins Meridian, Independent Television Service and Corporation for Public Broadcasting in Celebrating ʺA Path Appearsʺ

On January 13, 2015, Meridian was honored to partner with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and Independent Television Service in hosting a celebration of A Path Appears, a special presentation of Independent Lens. Premiering on PBS on January 26th, February 2nd, and February 9th, A Path Appears highlights the harshest forms of gender inequality; the devastating impact of poverty and its ripple effects, including sex trafficking, teen-pregnancy, gender-based violence and child slavery; and the effective solutions being forged to combat sex trafficking.

The evening featured a panel discussion moderated by The Honorable Patricia de Stacy Harrison, President & CEO, CPB and Vice Chair of Meridian’s Board of Trustees. In a vibrant 90-minute conversation, panelists Ashley Judd, Actor and Advocate; Maro Chermayeff, Executive Producer and Director, A Path Appears; Sheryl WuDunn, Co-Author, A Path Appears; and Shana Goodwin, Graduate, Magdalene Program shared their views on the importance of educational opportunities for vulnerable girls and women in combatting gender-based violence and ending sex trafficking. Luis CdeBaca, Director of the Justice Department’s office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) and Stuart Holliday, Meridian’s President and CEO presented opening remarks.

Panelists engaged members of the audience in discussions on the critical role of public broadcasting in shining light on the stories that need to be told. They also put forth a call to action to people around the world to make a difference in the lives of sex trafficking survivors.

A Path Appears, from the creative team behind the series Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, follows Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn and a group of dedicated actor/advocates to Colombia, Haiti, Kenya, and throughout the United States.