[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 120 (Monday, September 10, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1453-E1454]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO THE WOMEN PEACEMAKERS PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO 
                        ON ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN A. DAVIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 10, 2012

  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I wish to pay tribute today to 
the Women PeaceMakers Program at the University of San Diego, which 
celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
  The award-winning Women PeaceMakers Program, which is based at the 
university's Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice, IPJ, documents 
the stories and practices of international women leaders who are 
involved in human rights and peacemaking efforts in their home 
countries. It was founded on the idea that history is rarely recorded 
from women's perspectives, especially women on the frontlines of 
efforts to end violence and secure peace.

[[Page E1454]]

  In 2011, the power of such documentation was confirmed when three 
women received the Nobel Peace Prize. One was Leymah Gbowee, whose 
story of pushing for peace in Liberia might have been forgotten if not 
for the documentary ``Pray the Devil Back to Hell.'' Similarly, the 
Women PeaceMakers Program in San Diego records the stories that are 
overlooked or neglected in the media and in history books.
  To date, the program has documented the stories of 35 Women 
PeaceMakers from 30 countries. This year it has selected four more 
women, from Colombia, Kenya, Nepal and the Solomon Islands, to reside 
for two months on the campus of the University of San Diego and have 
their stories recorded by professional writers and a documentary film 
team. The location of the university, overlooking San Diego's Mission 
Bay and the Pacific Ocean, is an idyllic one for rest and reflection 
for women who often face violence on a daily basis, and who must 
struggle for space and security to do their work for peace.
  The process of reflection that the women undertake as they share 
their stories, contemplating their motivation to become leaders, and 
why the initiatives they developed were successful teaches them how to 
be more effective peacebuilders when they return to their countries.
  It is not only the professional writers, however, who get to hear the 
women's stories and learn of their methods of building peace. Members 
of the local community, as well as students and professors at the 
University of San Diego and neighboring schools and colleges, have the 
opportunity to attend the Women PeaceMakers' lectures and other public 
events, and those events are often streamed live online for national 
and international audiences as well. Last year, the university received 
the Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award from NAFSA: The Association of 
International Educators, in recognition of the Women PeaceMakers 
Program and its success in internationalizing the campus.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the Joan B. Kroc 
Institute for Peace & Justice and the University of San Diego on a 
momentous 10th year of the Women PeaceMakers Program.

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