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In
cooperation with the Norwegian Nobel Institute, five Midwestern
colleges of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America sponsor the
annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum. This prestigious event is the Norwegian
Nobel Institute's only such program or academic affiliation outside
Norway.
The
colleges, all founded by Norwegian immigrants, sponsor the forum
to give recognition to Norway's international peace efforts and
to offer opportunities for Nobel Peace Prize laureates, diplomats,
scholars, and the general public to share in dialogue on the dynamics
of peacemaking and the underlying causes of conflict and war.
Begun
in 1989 with generous annual support from Lutheran Brotherhood (now
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans), the Nobel Peace Prize Forum's
stimulating array of programs have involved over 21,000 participants
and reached a much broader audience through national and regional
media coverage.
Among
the many who are inspired by the forums, students perhaps receive
the greatest impact. Exposure to world leaders who work tirelessly
for peace can be life-changing as young people learn that peacemaking
is both possible and honorable. When students and other forum participants
see and hear the likes of Elie Wiesel, Oscar Arias Sanchez, Jody
Williams, and David Trimble, the messages of peace and peacekeeping
become even more personal and powerful. In fact, the colleges note
a connection between the Nobel Peace Prize Forum and the increasing
number of their students studying abroad or pursuing volunteer service
at home or overseas upon graduation.
With
the invaluable assistance of Dr. Geir Lundestad, executive director
of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, the forums have benefited from
the participation of a host of Nobel laureates and other thought-provoking
speakers. The sponsoring colleges are indebted to Dr. Lundestad,
Thrivent, and members of the Executive Committee for 15 years of
support. The Nobel Peace Prize Forum is a unique, transformative
learning opportunity for U.S. citizens; it provides an unparalleled
opportunity to inspire future generations to become full participants
in peacemaking efforts round the world.
1989
Striving for Peace: Past, Present, Future
St. Olaf College
· Norman Borlaug, 1970 laureate
· United Nations Peace-Keeping Operations, 1988 laureate
(group) represented by Marrack Goulding
1990
Striving for Peace: Human Rights in the Global Village
Augsburg College
· Dr. Andrei Sakharov, 1975 laureate, represented by widow
Yelena Bonner Sakharov
· Amnesty International, 1977 laureate (group) represented
by Peter Duffy
· Additional Speaker: President Jimmy Carter
1991
Striving for Peace: Leadership in Peacemaking
Luther College
· Oscar Arias Sanchez, 1987 laureate
· Betty Williams, 1976 laureate
· Additional Speakers: Vice President Walter Mondale and
Luigi Einaudi, U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States
1992 Striving for Peace: Resolving Cultural Conflicts
Augustana College
· Elie Wiesel, 1986 laureate
· Mairead Corrigan Maguire, 1976 laureate
· Additional Speakers: Camelia Sadat, president, Sadat Peace
Institute, and Cheryl Crazy Bull, vice president, Sinte Gleska University
1993
Striving for Peace: The United Nations in a New World
Concordia College
· UNICEF, 1965 laureate (group), represented by James P.
Grant
· Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, 1954
and 1981 laureate (group), represented by Sadako Ogata.
· U.N. Peace-Keeping Forces, 1988 laureate (group), represented
by Hisako Shimura
· Additional Speakers: Vladimir Petrovsky, Undersecretary-General
for Political Affairs for U.N. and Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
1994
Striving for Peace: Sowing the Seeds of Global Justice
St. Olaf College
· Rigoberta Menchu, 1992 laureate
· Additional Speakers: Rev. Bernice King, orator and co-founder
of AMEN, and Edgar Stoesz, Chair, Habitat for Humanity International
1995
Striving for Peace: Searching for Common Ground
Augsburg College
· Speakers: The Hon. R.F. "Pik" Botha, South African
Minister of Mineral and Energy Affairs, representing Nobel laureate
Frederik deKlerk, the Hon. Franklin Sonn, South African Ambassador
to the U.S., representing Nobel laureate Nelson Mandela, and Naomi
Tutu, economist, daughter of Desmond Tutu
1996
Striving for Peace: From National to Common Security
Luther College
· Speakers: The Hon. Yehuda Avner, personal consultant to
Nobel laureate Shimon Peres, Dr. Al-Kidwa, representing Nobel laureate
Yassir Arafat, and the Hon. Samuel Lewis, former U.S. Ambassador
to Israel and past president of the U.S. Institute
of Peace
1997
Striving for Peace: Science and Ethics in International Affairs
Augustana College
· Dr. Joseph Rotblat, 1995 laureate
· The Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, 1995
laureate (group), represented by Dr. Francesco Calogero, general
secretary
· Additional Speaker: Terry Waite, former envoy to the Archbishop
of Canterbury and hostage negotiator
1998
Striving for Peace: Visions of Authentic Development
Concordia College
· Jose Ramos-Horta, 1996 laureate from East Timor
· Additional Speakers: Nien Cheng, author and human rights
activist, and Dr. Ishmael Noko, General Secretary of Lutheran World
Federation
1999
Striving for Peace: The Morality and Machinery of Modern Conflict
Augsburg College
· Jody Williams, 1997 laureate
· International Campaign to Ban Landmines, 1997 laureate
(group), represented by Steve Goose
· Additional speakers: John Hamre, deputy secretary for the
U.S. Department of Defense, and Larry Rasmussen, the Reinhold Niebuhr
chair of Christian Ethics, Union Theological Seminary
2000
Striving for Peace: Risk and Reconciliation
St. Olaf College
· David Trimble, 1998 co-laureate
· Denis Haughey, representing Northern Ireland political
leader John Hume, 1998 co-laureate
· Additional Speakers: J. Bryan Hehir, Harvard Divinity School,
and Sissela Bok, Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies
2001 Striving for Peace: Crossing Borders/Challenging
Boundaries
Luther College
· Médicins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without
Borders, 1999 laureate (group), represented by Dr. Morten Rostrup,
International President
·Additional Speakers: Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, human rights activist,
J. Brian Atwood, former head of U.S. Agency for International Development
2002
Striving for Peace: Who is Responsible?
Augustana College
·Sung Chul Yang, South Korean Ambassador to the United States,
representing 2000 laureate Kim Dae Jung, President of South Korea
·Additional Speaker: Craig Kielburger, Free the Children
founder and children’s rights spokesperson
2003
Striving for Peace: A World Without Borders
Concordia College
·U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, 2001 laureate (invited)
·Additional Speakers: Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, Dr. Geir
Lundestad, and Vice President Walter Mondale
2004
Striving for Peace: Roots of Change
St. Olaf College
· President Jimmy Carter, 2002 laureate
· Additional Speakers: Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, The Foundation
for International Community Assistance (FINCA), Dr. Eboo Patel
2005
Striving for Peace: Uniting for Justice
Augsburg College
· Shirin Ebadi, 2003 laureate (invited)
· Additional Speakers: Davar Ardalan, NPR producer; Mary
Robinson, former president of Ireland and UN high commissioner for
human rights; Dr. Sima Samar, director, Afghanistan Independent
Human Rights Commission; Frances Moore Lappé, author and
speaker.
2006
Striving for Peace: Uniting for Justice
Luther College
· Wangari Maathai, 2004 laureate
· Additional Speakers: Christine Todd Whitman, former governor
of New Jersey and EPA chief in the bush administration; Michael
Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious disease Research
and Policy and internationally recognized expert in epidemiology
and public policy, bioterrorism and public health preparedness.
2007 Striving for Peace: The Impact of One
Augustana College
· Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), 2005 laureate
· Other speakers: The Honorable Kjell Magne Bondevik, former Prime Minister of Norway, and Founder and President of the Center for Peace and Human Rights in Oslo, Norway; Laban Coblentz, speech writer and communication advisor to Mohamed ElBaradei.
2008 Striving for Peace: Investing in Community
Concordia College
· Dr. Mohamed Yunus, 2006 laureate
· Other speakers: Greg Mortenson, author of "Three Cups of Tea" and founder of nonprofit Central Asia Institute and Pennies for Peace; and Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research and former adviser to the IMF, the World Bank, the OECD, WHO, and the UN Development Program.
Nobel
Peace Prize Forum Executive Committee:
Dr. Paul C. Pribbenow, President, Augsburg College
Dr. Robert Oliver, President, Augustana College
Dr. Pamela Jolicoeur, President, Concordia College
Dr. Richard Torgerson, President, Luther College
Dr. David R. Anderson, President, St. Olaf College
The Hon. Robert Flaten
The Hon. Arlen Erdahl
The Hon. Roger Moe, Honorary Norwegian Consul
The Hon. Martin Sabo
The
Hon. John Tunheim
The Hon. Emily Ann Tuttle
The Hon. Rolf Willy Hansen, Consul General for Norway
Dr. J. Brian Atwood
Dr. Geir Lundestad, The Norwegian Nobel Institute
Dr. Maureen Reed
Ms. Carol Engebretson Byrne
Mr. Gary Smaby
Mr. Eric Utne
Mr. Frank Wright
Ms. Kathleen Tuckner, Executive Secretary
Forum
Coordinators:
Susan Carlson, St. Olaf College
Orval Gingerich, Augsburg College
Brad Heegel, Augustana College
Tracy Moorhead, Concordia College
Karen Martin-Schramm, Luther College |
