2011 Nobel Peace Prize Winners and PBS's Women, War & Peace

The 2011 Nobel Peace Prize has just been awarded to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman “for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace–building work”. Congratulations to these women on their well-deserved recognition for important efforts to promote peace, gender rights, and democracy in Africa and the Middle East.

If you want to learn more about two of the prize recipients, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, you can watch their interviews and their stories in the second episode of Overbrook Grantee Thirteen’s upcoming series Women, War & Peace. This episode, Pray the Devil Back to Hell, examines the obstacles that female Liberian peace activists faced as they challenged Liberian warlords and the regime of dictator Charles Taylor during a violent civil war. These women and their partners are incredible leaders, who achieved an enormous victory for peace in 2003. The second episode premieres October 18, 2011.

On Tuesdays between October 11 and November 8, PBS will air its new five-part series, Women, War & Peace, which examines the position of women as influential leaders and activists in peace movements during brutal wars and their aftermaths around the world. The impact of the series will extend beyond initial viewers through the use of these videos and accompanying learning guides in classrooms across the country. Overbrook is proud to support this powerful series that brings stories of international gender rights to the attention of a broad U.S. audience.

Here is the schedule for those interested in viewing this powerful series:

Tuesday, October 11th - I Came to Testify (Bosnia - Narrated by Matt Damon)

Tuesday, October 18th - Pray the Devil Back to Hell (Liberia)

Tuesday, October 25th - Peace Unveiled (Afghanistan - Narrated by Tilda Swinton)

Tuesday, November 1st - The War We Are Living (Colombia - Narrated by Alfre Woodard)

Tuesday, November 8th - War Redefined (Overview - Narrated by Geena Davis)

Times for these broadcasts can be found in local listings. Also, check out the Women,War and Peace website for more information at www.womenwarandpeace.org. Hope you all can tune in on Tuesday!