School of Diplomacy Will Host Major Events this Fall
By Matthew Minor
Staff Writer
September is shaping up to be a busy month for diplos. In the last two weeks of this month, the School of Diplomacy will celebrate the opening of the UN General Assembly, welcome a Nobel Peace Prize Winner and explore Pope Francis’ teachings on peacemaking. Here’s a look at what’s in store.
Forum on Modern Slavery: 21st-Century Solutions
On Friday, Sept. 27, 2019, the School of Diplomacy and International Relations, together with the Slave-Free Community Project, the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking and the International Justice Project, will host the 2019 Forum on Modern Slavery.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad will receive an honorary degree and deliver closing remarks for the Forum. When Murad was 19 years old the Islamic State, commonly known as ISIS, attacked her village and killed 600 Yazidi men, including several of her family members. ISIS took Murad and other Yazidi women prisoners and subjected them to physical and sexual abuse. After three months in captivity, Murad escaped to a refugee camp before moving to Germany.
Murad is now an advocate for awareness about sexual violence and genocide of the Yazidi people under ISIS. In 2018, Murad shared the Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy. Murad received the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize from the Council of Europe, which recognizes “outstanding civil society action in defense of human rights.” In 2016, the United Nations named Murad the first-ever Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of sexual violence and slavery as tools of war.
“Ms. Murad’s courage is inspiring, and it is an honor to welcome her to Seton Hall,” said Elizabeth Halpin, associate dean at the School of Diplomacy and International Relations. “Despite the unimaginable trauma she endured, she has managed to shed light on the suffering of others, whose stories are often kept in the shadows.”
The goal of the 2019 forum is to bring awareness to the issue of modern slavery and discuss 21st-century solutions to the crisis. Experts on human trafficking and the use of slavery as a tool of war will discuss the facts of this crisis and foster discussions to find a solution. The day-long conference will examine topics including the current status of modern slavery in the U.S., slavery as an instrument of war, the impact of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 on slavery and how to combat slavery with education, visual media, and current technology.
Visit https://www.shu.edu/diplomacy/trafficking-forum.cfm to register.
Just Peacemaking Through Nonviolence
Cardinal Peter Turkson will give the opening address at Seton Hall’s Just Peace Through Nonviolence Conference on Monday, Sept. 30 at 6:30 p.m. in Bethany Hall. A Ghanaian Cardinal, Turkson has played a leading role in spreading the Pope’s concern for justice, peace, and human rights.
Cardinal Turkson’s address on the integration of peace and human development begins a two-day event, from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, examining the implications of the messages of peace delivered by Pope Francis.
At a time when the United States is actively negotiating peace in Afghanistan and rethinking its strategy in conflicts around the globe, an interdisciplinary group of scholars will lead a conversation dedicated to deepening the understanding of Christianity by focusing on Pope Francis’s teachings.
Seton Hall’s Peace Conference, which is open to the public, will use Pope Francis’ teachings as a guide for examining what it means to live and promote peace in today’s cultural and social context. Discussions will also be informed by the church’s teaching on aspects of social and cultural life including war, economics, education, inter-religious dialogues and health care. Veterans, families of veterans and members of parishes are warmly welcome.
The conference is sponsored by Seton Hall University’s School of Diplomacy, Center for Catholic Studies, Immaculate Conception Seminary, Jewish-Christian Studies, Department of Religion, University CORE and the Catholic Non-violence Initiative.
