Nobel Peace Laureate to address Universities Ireland event
22 September 2009
The 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr Shirin Ebadi from Iran, will address the launch of the Scholars at Risk Ireland Section, which is being run by Universities Ireland, in Trinity College Dublin on Tuesday 22 September. Scholars at Risk is an international network of higher education institutions committed to defending the rights of university scholars and academics worldwide, and providing international protection to those scholars persecuted in their own countries. Universities Ireland has agreed to become its Irish section.
Dr Shirin Ebadi is the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. A human rights lawyer, university lecturer and author, she was awarded the Prize for her pioneering efforts to promote democracy and human rights in Iran. Made Iran’s first woman judge in 1975, she has become known worldwide for her courageous public confrontations with the country’s ruling clerics over human rights and children’s rights abuses. She has spent time in prison and survived multiple death threats. Her work for human rights has won her admiration and respect across the globe.
Dr Ebadi’s address will be at 4.30 pm. The Scholars at Risk Ireland Section launch is jointly sponsored by Universities Ireland, Scholars at Risk Network, Amnesty International, Trinity College Dublin and NUI Galway. Those wishing to attend should register online at www.scholarsatrisk.org