Weaving the Tapestry of Dissent A quilt. A comfort furnishing, something you can snuggle in, and feel secure in its enveloping warmth, like a father’s hug. Ironic then, that a type of quilt was the epicentre of a resistance movement in Chile in response to the disappearance of scores of fathers, brothers and sons (not … More Champions of Peace: Chilean Arpilleras
Save Thy Neighbour: A Besa-ic Philosophy The year was 1943. The place was Puka, a small village in Northern Albania. When the day dawned, it promised to be just another in the life of Ali Pashkaj, an Albanian Muslim who owned a general store and tavern. Hours later, he was staring down the barrel … More Champions of Peace: Albanians During WW II
Defying death with a book and pen An October afternoon in 2012, life took a drastic turn for Malala Yousafzai. It was just a normal school day, until a Taliban gunman shot her three times and one bullet hit her head. She was in critical condition and was later moved to England for intensive rehabilitation. … More Champion of Peace: MALALA YOUSAFZAI
The noblewoman who made possible the Nobel Peace Prize! The Nobel Prize has become a benchmark of excellence the world over. The Peace Prize has been one of the most keenly watched and bitterly debated. Indians or India-related personalities have been the recipient of the Peace Prize three times: Kailash Satyarthi in 2015, the Dalai … More Champion of Peace: Bertha von Suttner
From Peace to Prosperity: Emperor Asoka Ask anyone what they know about Emperor Asoka, and this is likely what they will come up with: He became a peaceful king after the Kalinga War and he planted trees all along roads. Those two facts, seemingly unconnected, describe the life of Emperor Asoka (304-232 BC), one … More Champion of Peace: Asoka the Great
It can be difficult to forge peace with your best friend if he hurts you and kills your father. But that is exactly what Sahr did: forgave his friend Nyumah, in an attempt to restore their friendship. It was all possible when the friends, who were torn apart during the war in Sierra Leone, came … More Champion of Peace: Fambul Tok
Explosions Within and Without: The MLK Lesson Peace. It’s an elusive word. And when the going is tough, it’s tougher to uphold. When we’re in relative comfort and without anyone repeatedly challenging our basic civil liberties, it is relatively easy to espouse peace. But the litmus test of peace is during times of crises. Great … More CHAMPION OF PEACE: MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Tegla Loroupe: No Friction, Please! When Tegla Loroupe runs, it is as if she propels forward, with zero friction to the ground. A concept she believes in wholeheartedly not just for the marathons she runs, but for communities in conflict as well. The Kenyan is the world record holder for 20, 25, and 30 kilometre … More Champion of Peace: Tegla Loroupe
Florence Nightingale: More than the Lady with a Lamp We know of Florence Nightingale as the ‘Lady with the Lamp’, and imagine her feminine figure walking among wounded soldiers. Did you know that she was also one of the brightest people of her time and that she was a sharp statistician and organizer as well? … More Champion of Peace: Florence Nightingale
Nelson Mandela: A Convert to Peace Ever heard of a “troublemaker” transforming the landscape of a country, showing the way to the entire world? Well, that is the story of Nelson Mandela, the first Black president of South Africa. Working for equal rights of black people, he shared the Nobel Prize for Peace with F.W. … More Champion of Peace: Nelson Mandela
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