Rachel Briggs has been invited to be the keynote speaker at the March, 30th meeting at the Rotary Club of Washington, D.C. She will discuss Hostage US and the need for support for families of hostage victims.

On Tuesday, May 3rd, at 4pm the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation will screen the film Jim: The James Foley Story at the Newseum at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC in celebration of World Press Freedom Day. There will be a panel discussion with the following panelists immediately after the film: Diane Foley, Board of Directors for JWFLF John Foley, Board of ... Read More

Join the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation as they celebrate World Press Freedom Day at the James W. Foley Freedom Awards. Honorees are David Bradley of Atlantic Media, David Rohde of Thomson Reuters and Nadia Alawa of NuDay Syria for continuing Jim's legacy of compassion, courage, commitment and advocacy for American hostages, freelance conflict journalists, and vulnerable children. Register for the ... Read More

Rachel will present Hostage US at the 157th Individual Mobilization Augmentee Detachment (IMAD) meeting in Washington, D.C.

Rachel Briggs will be a featured speaker at OSAC’s next Faith-based Organizations Working Group (FBOWG) meeting. It is being hosted by the Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA) at the Seventh Day Adventist Church World Headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland from May 24-25, 2016.  All of OSAC’s faith-based constituents are invited to attend. Please see the link below to the OSAC ... Read More

On Thursday, June 9th, Hostage US held a daylong seminar in Washington, D.C., focusing on how organizations can effectively respond to kidnapping and the best practices in family support and hostage reintegration. More than 100 were in attendance at the inaugural event. The seminar answered key questions facing those responsible for kidnap response with organizations from security, legal and HR ... Read More

Rachel Briggs will lead a discussion alongside Roy Hallums in a session titled "Family and Returning Hostages Support". Roy is a former hostage who spoke at the Hostage US seminar earlier this year. All OSAC constituents are invited to attend this one and a half day program on crisis management August 24-25, 2016 in Arlington, Virginia. Visit the OSAC website ... Read More

The James Foley Legacy Foundation is holding a 5k in Rochester, New Hampshire and a virtual 5k for those who cannot make is to Rochester. In 2015, they held a typical 5K road race in Rochester, NH to benefit the James W Foley Legacy Foundation. This year, they have included the virtual 5k because people all over the world want ... Read More

The International Security Management Association (ISMA) and The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) are hosting the Latin America Regional Security Meeting in Mexico City from March 5 – 7 2017. Amy Manson, Secretary of the Board of Directors at Hostage US will be moderating the panel on Kidnap & Ransom on March 7th from 11-12pm. Amy has 30 years of experience ... Read More

Wednesday, March 29, 2017, Goldman Sachs, 200 West St, New York, NY 10282. Click here to see the agenda Click here to view photos from this event. Hostage US will hold a daylong seminar in New York focusing on how organizations can effectively respond to kidnapping and the best practices in family support and hostage reintegration.   The seminar will ... Read More

  “A Luke Somers Retrospective: A Day in the Life of Yemen” will be on exhibit in the Seattle University from April 29-May 1st from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM.Luke Somers, a photojournalist, was abducted in Yemen in 2012 by tribesmen belonging to al-Qaeda. He was killed during a failed rescue attempt in December 2014, but his legacy lives on ... Read More

Bringing Hostages Home: Developing Effective American Strategy Since 2001, terrorist and militant groups have taken almost 1,200 Westerners hostage abroad, with 90 being murdered. American hostages have been killed at disproportionate rates - accounting for nearly half of those murdered. The failure of US policy regarding hostages has resulted in an outcry from the families of those taken, and the ... Read More

Thursday, June 15, 2017, K&L Gates LLP, 1601 K St NW # 1, Washington, DC 20006 Hostage US is holding a daylong seminar in Washington, D.C. focusing on how organizations can effectively support families of employees taken hostage and help employees reintegrate back into the workplace after captivity. Download the agenda here. Christopher Costa, Special Assistant to the President and Senior ... Read More

Hostage US will speak at the GBTA 2017 Global Business Convention in a session called "When an Employee Becomes a Hostage – What Every Employer Needs to Know" When an Employee Becomes a Hostage – What Every Employer Needs to Know Despite having a robust travel risk management program and the best travel assistance and security providers, you have an ... Read More

What Security Managers Need to Know When an Employee is Taken Hostage Session Number: 6203, Panel Discussion Despite a robust travel risk mitigation program, an employee is taken hostage. What’s next? Many organizations have plans to get a hostage home. But most have not thought through how they will support that employee’s family during the crisis or what will happen once ... Read More

Hostage US will speak at the OSAC International Development Working Group (IDWG) annual event on Wednesday, October 11 in Washington, DC. The IDWG is convening an all-day training of trainers workshop so that members can better prepare for crises. There will be various speakers to speak on different components of crisis management and communications. Hostage US will share families experiences when a loved one ... Read More

Hostage US is holding a daylong seminar in Chicago, focusing on how organizations can effectively support families of employees taken hostage and help employees reintegrate back into the workplace after captivity. Wednesday, October 18, 2017 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (registration beginning at 8:30 AM) Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, 311 S Wacker Drive, Suite 4300, Chicago, IL 60606 (map directions) Best Practices in Family Support and Hostage ... Read More

Five Years a Hostage Join Alan Gross, held captive for five years by Castro’s Cuba, and his wife Judy Gross in a unique discussion exploring the different perspectives of a hostage situation. Alan will discuss his experiences of being a hostage and the specific challenges he faced in rebuilding his life after captivity. Judy will discuss how she handled the case back ... Read More

Best Practices in Family Support and Hostage Reintegration Hostage US will hold our Annual Summit in Washington, D.C., focusing on how organizations can effectively support families of employees taken hostage and help employees reintegrate back into the workplace after captivity. It will include a variety speakers with expertise in the challenges facing employers when an employee is taken hostage. It will answer key questions ... Read More

Join Hostage US, Carolyn Klamp, Klamp & Associates and Lydia Lin, duty of care expert for a half-day workshop focusing specifically on your duty of care in relation to hostage taking. Carolyn and Lydia will share important information to remember through case studies and lessons learned. The workshop will help you to understand how to translate the legal framework into ... Read More

  Business Executives for National Security members and guests will hold a luncheon discussion on the kidnapping threat worldwide, how the United States government responds, how you can better protect yourself and how you can support the hostage and their family through the ordeal with Meredith Wilson of Emergent Risk International and Rachel Briggs of Hostage US.   According to the ... Read More

Your Duty of Care for Employees Returning from Captivity American corporations, non-profits and faith-based organizations increasingly operate in kidnap hotspots. While many have long-term security programs, including preventive and kidnap operational response plans, few have procedures to support employees returning from captivity. Failure to meet this aspect of duty of care can leave organizations exposed to legal challenges. This two-hour ... Read More

Tuesday, August 21, 2018 Hostage US is pleased to invite you to the Sony Studios on Tuesday, August 21, 2018 for a special intimate event to honor the work of Hostage US and raise much needed funds for its vital mission. Register early as space is limited. The event will start with an exclusive private tour of the world-famous Sony Pictures Studios. ... Read More

Hostage US will hold a daylong seminar in New York focusing on how organizations can effectively respond to kidnapping through family support and hostage reintegration.   View Agenda   Lisa Monaco, former Assistant to President Obama for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, will be the keynote speaker and will offer reflections on handling hostage cases from within the government and key ... Read More

Rachel Briggs will participate in the a forum for present and future women leaders in international security on April 25, 2019 in Washington, DC hosted by the World Bank Group.  

Hostage US is holding our inaugural Annual Reception on April 30, 2019 in Washington, DC. It will be an evening that will bring together senior representatives from across public and private sectors along with former hostages and their families. The reception is kindly hosted by Sidley Austin LLP, 1501 K St NW, Washington DC 20005. Honorary Organizing Committee Hostage US ... Read More

  May 2, 2019 6:30-8:30pm A fireside chat on hostage situations around the world, co-presented with Hostage US, featuring Michael Scott Moore and Rachel Briggs. It is estimated that up to 200 Americans are kidnapped overseas each year—taken by terrorists in places such as Afghanistan and Syria and by criminals in countries such as Mexico and Central and South America. Others are ... Read More

Best Practices in Family Support and Hostage Reintegration Hostage US will hold a seminar in Washington, D.C., focusing on how organizations can effectively support families of employees taken hostage and help employees reintegrate back into the workplace after captivity. It will include a variety speakers with expertise in the challenges facing employers when an employee is taken hostage. It will ... Read More

No one knows where they’ve been taken or if they’re alive. Or, maybe their story has been broadcast to the world? A story about intimacy, surrender, and the will to live. Read the New York Times review here

Do you have employees working abroad at risk of being illegally detained by foreign government or taken hostage by gangs or terrorist organizations? While you may have plans in place to get your people home, have you considered how you will effectively deliver support to your employees and their families should someone be taken hostage?   Join us on Tuesday ... Read More

  Topical Discussion Taken Hostage: The Silent Victims of Kidnapping Abroad Schedule Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | 11:30 am-1:15 pm Lunch & Networking: 11:30 am-12:00 pm Program: 12:00-1:15 pm Venue ASU Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Room 601 111 E. Taylor Street Phoenix, AZ 85004 PARKING INFO & DIRECTIONS Registration Member Registration: $20 Non-Member Registration: $25 About the Event It ... Read More

A lunch conversation on hostage situations featuring Governor Bill Richardson, Special Agent Kieran Ramsey, and Ambassador Dr. Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani. Unfriendly relationships between the United States and other countries or organizations put U.S. citizens and companies at risk of being targeted for kidnapping and violence. Negotiating the release of prisoners and hostages in these situations is a dangerous and poorly understood ... Read More

      Please join BENS for lunch on Wednesday, February 26th as we host Rachel Briggs, Founding Executive Director of Hostage US. Each year, an estimated 200 Americans are kidnapped overseas. Their families suffer in silence and returning hostages face months of recovery to rebuild their lives. Ms. Briggs will discuss the support and guidance needed to recover from ... Read More

Due to COVID-19, the DC Rock n' Roll Marathon series canceled their events in DC. A few fundraisers will still get outside near their homes and run a 5K keeping a safe distance from others.  This is our third annual running fundraiser and we are immensely grateful to our supporters who continue to sponsor us as we run each year. ... Read More

This event was held April 2, 2020. Find the video of the event here. -- Please note that this event will be online only. You can join the event via Zoom by clicking here. We recommend you join by computer, however if you are unable, you can join by phone: +1-929-436-2866. International dial-in numbers can be found here. The meeting ID ... Read More

Hostage US 2nd Annual Reception April 28, 2020, Washington, DC, 5:30pm - 8:30pm Hostage US has cancelled its 2nd Annual Reception on April 28. If you bought a ticket and would like a refund, please contact Arielle at arielle@hostageus.org. We are grateful that so many of our sponsors have insisted we keep their money to support our vital mission. Please ... Read More

Liz Frank, Executive Director of Hostage US and Josh Geltzer, former Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, will be in conversation with Michael Scott Moore,  journalist and former hostage held in Somalia for over two and a half years. Hear about Michael Scott Moore’s experience and the needs of former hostages. Hostage US is a 501c3 nonprofit ... Read More

Join Liz Frank, Executive Director of Hostage US for our second virtual event as she hosts Jessica Buchanan, a former hostage who was taken in October of 2011 while working on a demining project in Somalia, and Matt Espenshade, former Assistant Special Agent in Charge and Legal Attaché for the FBI. This is the second event in the three-part series. ... Read More

Run, Walk, and Raise Funds for Hostage US! Hostage US is holding a month-long virtual fundraising event concluding on our 5th anniversary, April 12, and we need your help! Log your miles from March 12 to April 12 to help us reach our goal of collectively running or walking 200 miles to call attention to the estimated 200 Americans taken ... Read More

Join us on April 12 at 4:30 PM ET for our Virtual Annual Reception to celebrate our 5th anniversary! Register   The program includes an interview with: Judy Woodruff, Anchor and Managing Editor of the PBS NewsHour David Rohde, Executive Editor for News of NewYorker.com, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, and former hostage held in Afghanistan for seven months With ... Read More