2010 Nobel Peace Prize Forum — 'Striving for Peace: A Question of Will'

Two days in two words = "very inspiring!!" I attended the 22nd Noble Peace Prize Forum at Augsburg College. It was a great pleasure to meet President Martti Ahtisaari, the 2008 Noble Peace Prize laureate at the 2010 Noble Peace Prize Forum in Augsburg College. Being able to listen and talk to a person that has resolved international conflicts and contrubuted to world peace..was just so priceless. This is a man who spent more than 3 decades resolving many conflicts in Namibia, Kosovo, Indonesia and Iraq. He spoke about his life experience and the ways to approach general global issues pertaining to conflict and the making of peace. " All conflicts can be resolved. Wars & Conflicts are not inevitable. They are caused by human beings....peace is a question of will"-- Martti Ahtisaari.





I was also fortunate enough to meet and talk to the other plenary speaker Kjell Magne Bondevik, former Prime Minister of Norway from 1997-2005. In his speech, he also focused on the issues pertaining to global conflicts and the involvement of Norway to world peace. I was able to talk to him right after his speech to get some of my questions answered. Since he also focused on missionary works and their contributions in developing countries, I asked him about his thoughts on missionary works in terms of creating a huge culture of dependence amongst many 3rd world societies. He thought not many countries have been able to escape this culture of dependence, but a well-skimmed missionary work is one way of elevating conflicts.





This was not the end of the two fabulous days. Leymah Gbowee, a trauma counselor during the civil war in Liberia who worked with the ex-child soldiers of Charles Taylor's army, was also present. Her speech was one of the most touching and inspiring speeches I've ever heard. She is currently creating so much awarness and taking measures for numerous oppressed women in African countries. She is the current executive director of the Women Peace and Security Network Africa, based in Accra. There is an award winning documentary called "Pray the Devil Back to Hell", which tells the story of the women's peace movement in Liberia and shes is the central character of this documentary so I'm going to watch it very soon.



I was invited to present the "Collaborating on Irrigation to Fight Hunger" Project that my colleagues and I implemented last summer in Ethiopia. So it was great to share it with people who came to my presentation including Richard Torgerson, President of Luther College. I was also very happy to meet Elias Wondimu, a fellow bright Ethiopian Publisher and Editorial Director of Tsehai Publishers, The Marymount Inistitute Press and African Academic Press. He came to my presentation and gave me so much compliments. Afterward, we had coffee drinks and general conversation about our backgrounds and interests.





It was a very uplifting and inspiring event. I look forward to the 23rd Noble Peace Prize Forum, which is to be held at Luther College on the 5th-6th of March 2011. President Barrack Obama might come so mark your calenders.