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Nobel Peace Prize Forum welcomes Gabrielle Giffords, Mark Kelly, and gun violence debate

Former U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords speaks at Augsburg.

Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, retired Naval Captain and NASA Astronaut Mark Kelly, spoke at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum on Augsburg’s campus in September. Following a failed attempt on Giffords’ life in 2011, Giffords and Kelly formed the “Americans for Responsible Solutions”, an organization centered around reducing gun violence. Citing loopholes in current U.S. gun laws, the organization supports legislation for common sense gun laws and reform.

Listen to the replay of their Peace Prize Forum talk, rebroadcast by MPR News.

Hex Houses for Hurricane Victims and Refugees

Hex House
Builders work in Murphy Square Park to complete the “Hex House” model. Photo: Kare 11

This fall’s Nobel Peace Prize Forum showcased the innovative “Hex House,” a pop-up emergency shelter created to help respond to refugee and natural disaster housing crises. As part of Augsburg University’s continued commitment to social justice and technology, this six-sided, 510 square-foot prototype was constructed and on display at Murphy Square throughout the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Forum. The tiny houses can be packed in a kit, shipped flat, and assembled with tools and instructions, much like an IKEA design.

See the stories at Finance & Commerce and KARE 11.

 

World leaders in Minnesota June 6-8 for Peace Prize Forum

Kailash Satyarthi is the honored Nobel Peace Prize Winner who will speak at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum June 6 to 8 in Bloomington, Minnesota

(MINNEAPOLIS) — The 28th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum, an international peace congress, is June 6-8 in Bloomington, Minnesota. Kailash Satyarthi, who was awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for his work liberating more than 80,000 children from slavery in his home country of India, will present each day of the Forum.

Satyarthi will share his work to eliminate child slavery and child trafficking. To date, he and his organization Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childrem Movement) have rescued more than 85,000 children in India from slavery and exploitation, enrolled the children in school, and pioneered India’s first child-protection laws.

“We’re so honored to welcome Kailash Satyarthi to the Forum to share insights and experiences from his life’s work, and to do so at the center of a network of peace builders who are working to ensure more widespread and lasting success on these vital efforts to improve quality of life and opportunity for people around the world,” said Gina Torry, executive director of the Forum.

“It is through an embrace of innovation, collaboration, dialogue and the moral daring exhibited by leaders such as Kailash Satyarthi that we can identify and address peace and security implications of — and connections among — human trafficking, migration, refugees and climate change.”

Continue reading “World leaders in Minnesota June 6-8 for Peace Prize Forum”

Photo Opportunity: Nobel Peace Prize Forum

2014 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Kailash Satyarthi will address issues of child slavery;
peace and security implications of human trafficking, migration, refugees and climate change

(MINNEAPOLIS) — The 28th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum will host Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kailash Satyarthi from June 6-8. Satyarthi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his work liberating more than 80,000 children from slavery in his home country of India. In addition to sharing his work to eliminate child slavery, Satyarthi will identify and address at the Forum peace and security implications of — and connections among — human trafficking, migration, refugees and climate change.

PRIMARY LAUREATE PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: JUNE 6

  • 9 a.m.: Video — Kailash Satyarthi, 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech
  • 9:15 a.m.: Welcome, Gina Torry, executive director of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum
  • 9:20 a.m.: Introduction of Kailash Satyarthi by Asle Toje, research director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute
  • 9:30 a.m.: Address — Kailash Satyarthi
  • 9:45 a.m.: Global Question and Answer with Kailash Satyarthi
  • 11 a.m.: Coffee Break

Satyarthi also will speak on June 7 and June 8. A detailed schedule of events is available on the Nobel Peace Prize Forum website.

Continue reading “Photo Opportunity: Nobel Peace Prize Forum”

Augsburg media expert says sustainable ceasefire agreement in Syria must include end to conflict-related sexual violence used as weapon

Nobel Peace Prize Forum executive director an expert on mediation and conflict-related sexual violence

GinaTorryGina Torry, executive director of the Augsburg-hosted Nobel Peace Prize Forum, is the author of the United Nation’s “Guidance for Mediators: Addressing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Ceasefire and Peace Agreements,” which has been used to end conflict-related sexual violence against women and children.

She is available to address with media:

  • Why an end to sexual violence as a weapon is critical to ceasefire in Syria
  • Methods and tactics of conflict
  • Conflict-related sexual violence waged against civilians
  • How to identify when sexual violence is conflict related
  • Examples where ceasefire has included agreement to end use of sexual violence in conflict zones

“If left unaddressed, sexual violence can be used as a means to continue acts of war outside the purview of agreements and monitoring teams, which can trigger cycles of vengeance and vigilantism, and risk undermining confidence in agreements and possibly the mediation process itself,” Torry said.

Torry has worked closely with the UN, its member states, regional organizations, women’s civil society groups, and networks worldwide. She most recently served as executive director of the Peace Research Endowment, the North American presence of the Peace Research Institute Oslo. Prior to that, Torry worked for several years with the UN Department of Political Affairs Policy and Mediation Division.

To arrange an interview, contact Stephanie Weiss, news and media services director, at 612.330.1476 or by email at weisss@augsburg.edu.

 

Nobel Peace Prize Forum garners range of media attention

2015 NPPFThe Nobel Peace Prize Forum garnered a range of media coverage before and after the event. Some of the coverage is documented below.

March 14

March 7

U.S. President Jimmy Carter, an honored Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, spoke at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum on March 6.
U.S. President Jimmy Carter, an honored Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, spoke at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum on March 6.

March 6

March 5

Bring Me the News: Former President Jimmy Carter to speak at Nobel Prize event in Minneapolis

March 2

JennaFebruary 27

February 25

  • MinnPost: Pamela Espeland’s Artscape round up includes briefs about the Nobel Peace Prize Forum as well as Nobel Creations at the American Swedish Institute

February 19

MPR airs Nobel Peace Prize Forum conversation on refugee crises

MPR's Tom Weber, left, talks with Daniel Wordsworth of the American Refugee Committee.
MPR’s Tom Weber, left, talks with Daniel Wordsworth of the American Refugee Committee.

Minnesota Public Radio aired a presentation from the Nobel Peace Prize Forum by Daniel Wordsworth, director of the American Refugee Committee, about the ARC’s humanitarian programs in 11 countries. After Wordsworth’s presentation, he participated in a question and answer session moderated by MPR’s Tom Weber. Listen to “American Refugee Committee director on the future of refugees” on the MPR website.

NPPF #PeaceItForward campaign featured by Star Tribune

Minneapolis Star TribuneYemi Melka ’15 appeared in a Minneapolis Star Tribune article about the #PeaceItForward campaign linked to the Nobel Peace Prize Forum.

The Nobel Peace Prize Forum held a professional photo shoot at Augsburg College as part of the national social media campaign. Students, faculty, and staff stopped by throughout the day to take photos with hand-written signs displaying how they help to build peace. The participants’ photos will be shown as part of a video at the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize Forum.

The Nobel Peace Prize Forum, sponsored by Augsburg College and other organizations, will feature former President Jimmy Carter as an honored laureate speaker. On the docket for President Carter is a moderated discussion titled, “A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power.”

To read more on the #PeaceItForward campaign, visit the Star Tribune news site. To learn about the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, visit the NPPF site.

MPR mentions Nobel Peace Prize Forum

MPRLogoThe Augsburg College hosted Nobel Peace Prize Forum was mentioned in an MPR News article about an exhibit at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis.

The new exhibit, which originates from the Nobel Museum in Stockholm, Sweden, is titled “Nobel Creations” and features couture garments designed to represent the six different Nobel Peace Prizes – physics, chemistry, peace, medicine, economics, and literature.

More than 120 Augsburg College students contributed to a companion show, “Shaping Peace,” which explores the past 128 Nobel Peace Prize laureates and aims to broaden awareness of the Nobel Peace Prize. To learn more about the exhibits, visit the MPR News site.