When it was announced that the theme of the 2009 Peace Colloquy at the Community of Christ Church would be “Justice for Women, Dignity for All,” it was clear that the recipient of the annual International Peace Award would have to fit that description.
“The theme for this year’s colloquy is focusing on women’s justice, so we knew that choosing a woman recipient was quite important,” said Andrew Bolton, director of the 2009 Peace Colloquy. “The definition of colloquy is conversation, so this weekend is all about a conversation of peace. With the theme, we are discussing on how to create a more just world for women and for everyone.”
The 2009 Peace Colloquy begins at 9 a.m. Friday with Prayer Practices for Peace. Registration for the event closes at 5 p.m. Thursday. For more information, visit the Community of Christ Web site at www.CofChrist.org/PeaceColloquy. More than 500 people are expected to attend this year’s colloquy.
The centerpiece of the Peace Colloquy is the Community of Christ International Peace Award Ceremony, which is 7:15 p.m. Friday at the Community of Christ Temple.
This year’s recipient is Dr. Halima Bashir. A medical doctor in Darfur, Sudan, Bashir, 29, provided care for soldiers and civilians on both sides of the country’s conflict. But when she spoke out against the abuse she was seeing, she was abducted and gang-raped for three days, seeing her village destroyed and her father murdered by the Janjaweed. She then fled Sudan when she discovered the government was seeking to kill her.
Bashir continues to speak out against the genocide, rape of women and children and the forced relocation of those in Darfur.
The International Peace Award has been given since 1993 and ranks among the highest of non-governmental international and U.S. peace awards. It includes a $20,000 to $30,000 grant, sponsored by Bank of America, to be donated to the charitable peace, justice or environmental organization of the recipient’s choice. Past honorees include Jane Goodall, Dolores Huerta and James Lawson.
“She is a wonderful choice to receive this recognition,” Bolton said. “She spoke out about how the people of Darfur were not getting a fair deal and was then raped repeatedly for three days. Yet she still speaks out. She is a very courageous woman.”
The Peace Colloquy continues Saturday with a keynote address by Deborah L. Hughes entitled “The Susan B. Anthony Story: Lessons for Today” at 9 a.m. and another by Rupa Kumar of Community Organization and Resource Development India, Felipa Xico of Women in Action in Guatemala and Becky Savage, First Presidency, Community of Christ, entitled “Justice For Women, Dignity for All,” at 1:15 p.m.
