The 2005 Nobel Peace Prize Forum will be held February 11 -12, 2005 at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN.

This year's Forum, "Striving for Peace: Uniting for Justice," will honor 2003 Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi, recognized for her efforts for democracy and human rights.

Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer and human rights activist who served as president of the city court of Tehran (1975-79), one the first female judges in Iran. After the revolution in 1979 she was forced to resign and now works as a lawyer and also teaches at the University of Tehran. She is known for promoting peaceful, democratic solutions to serious problems in society both in her research and as an activist. She takes an active part in the public debate in Iran and has provided legal defense for victims of the conservative faction's attack on freedom of speech and political freedom, resulting in imprisonment on a number of occasions. Ebadi represents Reformed Islam, and argues for a new interpretation of Islamic law which is in harmony with vital human rights. She is an activist for human rights including the rights of refugees, as well as those of women and children.

In her acceptance speech, Ms Ebadi stated that her selection “will be an inspiration to the masses of women who are striving to realize their rights, not only in Iran but throughout the region…” “Women constitute half of the population of every country. To disregard women and bar them from active participation in political, social, economic and cultural life would in fact be tantamount to depriving the entire population of every society of half its capability.” Her hope is that her selection will make women believe in themselves.

The 2005 forum will be planned to feature women speaking on a range of human rights issues named by Ebadi in the conclusion of her speech: loss of dignity, deprivation of legal rights, starvation, famine, war, illness, and humiliation.