Former Hostage Talk with Jessica Buchanan & Jason Rezaian
Image courtesy of ALX Community
Join Jessica Buchanan and Jason Rezaian for this intimate discussion about being kidnapped and held captive – one by a criminal group and the other by a foreign state actor – and the challenges they faced when returning to life at home. This in-person event, organized by Hostage US in partnership with ALX Community, is a unique opportunity to hear directly from these two former hostages as they describe their paths of healing, surviving survival, and the importance of community support during and after a kidnapping. There will be time for Q&A.
About Jessica Buchanan:
- While on a routine field mission in Somalia working as the Education Advisor for her NGO, Jessica was abducted at gunpoint and held for ransom by a group of Somali pirates for 93 days. Forced to live outdoors in deplorable conditions, starved, and terrorized by more than two dozen gangsters, Jessica’s health steadily deteriorated until, by order of President Obama, she was rescued by the elite SEAL Team VI on January 25, 2012.
- Jessica is an author, public speaker, co-founder of The Project You Collective and of The PYC Speaker’s Academy, and co-host of the podcast, We Should Talk About That.
- www.jessicabuchanan.com
About Jason Rezaian:
- For 544 days, Jason Rezaian was held hostage in Iran’s notorious Evin prison. Interrogated. Sealed off from the outside world. He was accused of being an American spy, though his formal title was Washington Post Tehran Correspondent. His is a story about government and family and journalism, and what it took to free an innocent man… all while navigating the high-stakes world of nuclear diplomacy.
- Jason is a writer for Global Opinions at The Washington Post, and is a CNN contributor. He served as The Post's correspondent in Tehran from 2012 to 2016. Learn more about his story in his recent podcast, 544 Days.
- www.washingtonpost.com/people/jason-rezaian/ and https://gimletmedia.com/shows/544-days
Presented by Hostage US (hostageus.org) in partnership with ALX Community (alxcommunity.com/).
Mask Guidelines: Those who are not fully vaccinated or remain unvaccinated are required to wear a mask; those who are fully vaccinated are encouraged to wear a mask while indoors at the event.
