Joseph Chenelly is the national executive director of American Veterans (AMVETS), the nation’s most inclusive Congressionally-chartered veterans service organization, representing the interests of more than 19 million American veterans and their families. A combat veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Chenelly enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1998. Before becoming a veterans advocate, Chenelly was a Washington-based reporter for Gannet’s newspapers. He was named one of the “most influential journalists covering armed violence” in 2013.
The effort to eradicate hate requires the active participation of every component of our society, to include governments, the private sector, communities of faith and indeed every aspect of civil society. There is no more urgent task in front of us. The organizers of the Eradicate Hate Global Summit are doing the United States and the world an enormous service by tackling hatred and extremism with a focus on honest dialogue and conversation, genuine learning and practical solutions. This will not happen overnight, but the Pittsburgh community’s leadership in this effort is genuinely inspiring and motivating.
