Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Laureate for her work to ban landmines, will be Commencement Speaker at Soka University on May 22, 2015 at 2 pm at Soka Performing Arts Center.
Online, March 14, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Daniel Habuki, PhD, president of Soka University of America, is honored to announce that Jody Williams, who received a shared Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her work to ban landmines through the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, will be SUA's Commencement Speaker on May 22, 2015. Jody Williams was the third US woman to receive the Peace Prize. She chairs the Nobel Women's Initiative, which works to support and amplify the efforts of women around the world working for sustainable peace with justice and equality.
Beginning in early 1992, with two non-governmental organizations and a staff of one, Jody Williams oversaw the International Campaign to Ban Landmines' growth to over 1,300 organizations in 95 countries. She also served as strategist and spokesperson as the Campaign achieved its goal of an international treaty banning antipersonnel landmines in 1997.
Williams holds the Sam and Cele Keeper Endowed Professorship in Peace and Social Justice at the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston where she has been teaching since 2003. In academic year 2012-2013, she became the inaugural Jane Addams Distinguished Visiting Fellow in Social Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her memoir, My Name is Jody Williams: A Vermont Girl's Winding Path to the Nobel Peace Prize, was published in 2013.
"We're very proud that Soka University is welcoming Jody Williams," added Dr. Habuki. "Our mission is to foster a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life. Discussions on peace and non-violence are central to our core values. We hope that this Commencement will help empower students to face the challenges they will find as they work for peace in their communities and countries." Commencement will be held at 2 pm at Soka Performing Arts Center and admission is by ticket only.
Soka offers an 8:1 student/faculty ratio, average class size of 12, and study abroad for every undergraduate student (included in tuition.) Admitted students whose annual family income is $60,000 or less may be eligible for Soka Opportunity Scholarships which cover full tuition. Additional scholarship opportunities are available for higher income levels. About 60% of Soka University's students come from the US and 40% have come from more than 40 other countries. www.soka.edu
Source URL: http://prweb.com/releases/2015/03/prweb12584353.htm
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