On Wednesday, October 29th a group of 30 students headed towards a very inspiring and powerful evening set to take place at SOKA University. Current students and staff member from SOKA greeted our group with huge smiles and a very welcoming attitude. This great visit would start with some great information about SOKA University alongside some tasty treats and the company of other young attendees from other schools as well. All students were excited and were attentive during dinner as the SOKA staff and students begun sharing their stories and the great possibilities and benefits that exist from being a part of SOKA. After some great information the students were asked to proceed to the beautiful auditorium to continue with the most exiting part of the evening which was to hear from an actual Nobel Peace recipient.
The lectured begun with a very nice musical piece by SOKA students as to blessed the lecture it self. Soon after the Moderator Ross Frennet introduced him self along with the special guest Leymah Gbowee: 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate, Liberian Social Worker, women’s rights advocate and mother who mobilized women across ethnic and religious dividing lines to end the war in Liberia, and played a pivotal role in electing the first female president in Africa and Karima Bennoune: International La Professor, former Amnesty International Legal Advisor, and Author of Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here: Untold Stories from the Flight Against Muslim Fundamentalism.
The lecture was incredible inspiring without a doubt and the students were able to hear how these two amazing women each took and continue to take the necessary steps to empower their communities as well as the rest of the world with their work in Human Rights activism. This was and incredible trip and the students were extremely grateful for the opportunity and the privilege of attending such an amazing evening.