Peace, Nobel and Gbowee: “I expected to find bitterness and hatred -- what I found instead was strength”

Leymah Gbowee Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2011

On Saturday May 5th, I was given the chance of a lifetime – to hear 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Leymah Gbowee speak.  Gbowee was awarded the Nobel for her efforts as a Liberian peace activist responsible for leading a women's peace movement that brought an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003.  This led to the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia, the first African nation with a female president.  She was absolutely sensational.   

But what made the event even more special, was being able to hear it with fifteen of my classmates and two professors.  Rotary was able to get us extra tickets to the event, and although it was with less than 24 hour notice, our program showed up in strong numbers to hear Ms. Gbowee speak – and she certainly did not disappoint.  

Her words brought instant goose bumps, her emotions were felt by everyone in the audience and as we hung on the edge of our chairs waiting for her every word, you couldn’t help but be engulfed by the passion that she radiated from that stage.  

For the fifteen of us that were able to make her event, her passion for change, her commitment to changing the world, and her will to help those in need could not have come at a more better time, seeing as we were in the middle our second set of final exams, term papers, and theses proposal defenses.  It was easy to get lost in the chaos, stress and massive amounts of work, but with Gbowee’s words, we were transfixed, and shaken to realize exactly why we were doing what we were doing.  

Students from the MAIDS program at Chula who were lucky enough to attend Leymah's speech - thanks to Brad from Rotary International (center).  Thank you so much Brad for giving us this opportunity!

She spoke about the realities of conflict, development and change – and stated that there is no way you can talk about peace without addressing politics.  She spoke of the recent International Criminal Court ruling on Charles Taylor, the man who came to rule Liberia for years while employing child soldiers and committing atrocities not only in Liberia but neighboring countries as well, who was recently found guilty for aiding and abetting war in Sierra Leone.  She said, “justice is served only when justice can be felt by the victims.  Go to the amputee camps in Sierra Leone (where Taylor and his army brutally dismembered thousands of innocent villagers) and see how their lives are devastated as a result of the conflict.  Justice can only be served when it is felt by those victimized.”

Leymah receiving thanks from prominent Rotarians onstage

However, my favorite quote of Gbowee’s came in response to a question regarding the place of women in conflict resolution.  Gbowee noted that there is a tendency to need women in the protesting stage of conflict, but as soon as there are peace negotiation talks and a transformation of power, woman are again pushed to the back.  So she said, “Ladies, put your platforms [demands, plans of action] in your skirts and in your bras…and be ready.”

She said, “My purpose here is to inspire where inspiration is needed, to encourage where encouragement is needed, and to raise up where complacency has set in,” said Gbowee.

And while I can’t speak for everyone in the crowd that day, I can say that for the fifteen of us present from our program, she was inspirational, encouraging and made a strong call to action.