CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The 17th Annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum, Feb. 11-12 at Augsburg College, Minneapolis, will feature a series of speakers who will focus on human rights issues named by Shirin Ebadi, 2003 Nobel Peace Prize recipient. These issues include loss of dignity, deprivation of legal rights, starvation, famine, war, illness and humiliation.
The Forum, "Striving for Peace: Uniting for Justice," recognizes Ebadi, a human rights activist and one of Iran's first female judges.
The Nobel Peace Prize Forum is held in cooperation with the Norwegian Nobel Institute, the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Consulate General and five Midwestern colleges of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Augsburg College; Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn.; Luther College, Decorah, Iowa; and St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.
This year's plenary speakers are Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and former U.N. high commissioner for human rights; Davar Ardalan, National Public Radio reporter and producer, who also lived in Iran under both the Shah's reign and the reign of the ayatollahs; Dr. Sima Samar, chair of the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission; and Frances Moore Lappe, author of "Diet for a Small Planet" and "You Have the Power: Choosing Courage in a Culture of Fear."
Representing Norway will be Ole Mjos, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, and Terje Rod-Larsen, director of the Fafo Institute for Applied Social Science, Oslo, Norway.
The opening ceremony on Friday will be a festive event, featuring a concert by "Yawo," a West African band, and dance, plus an award-winning theater piece by Zaraawar Mistry, co-founder and the artistic and managing director, Center for Independent Artists, Minneapolis.
Saturday sessions will include interactive workshops dealing with a variety of issues: supporting women in Afghanistan; peace in the Persian Gulf; building community; human rights issues; women in a time of change; and forgiveness.
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Information about the Forum, including registration information, is at http://www.augsburg.edu/ppf on the Web.
*Judy Petree is news service/media relations manager for Augsburg College, Minneapolis.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
