Nominated Peacemakers (Get Nomination Forms here)
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I nominate Immaculee Ilibagiza to be the 2009 Peacemaker. Immaculee libagiza is a survivor of the genocide in Rwanda who wrote a book about her experience entitled "Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust." Her mother, father and two brothers were killed. She survived along with a brother who had been studying in Senegal. She credits saying the rosary nonstop for saving her. She met with the man who killed her mother and brother and forgave him. She said,“Forgiveness is all I have to offer. Anyone in the world can learn to forgive.” It was not easy. She prayed to trust that God would help her to forgive those who had killed 800,000 Tutsis, including members of her family.
Now she travels worldwide to share her story. She encourages faith, prayer and tolerance in our global community as the means to achieve peace among all peoples.
Category: Deceased
William Stafford _I nominate
him for Peacemaker because as a conscientious objector back during the
World War II era ( a most unpopular stance during those times ), and
later a Poet Laureate of U.S., his writings and lectures made ongoing
contributions to the cause of World Peace. His poetry, still timely
today, stands as a call for harmony, tolerance and understanding amongst
all people of the world. His nature-related works exuded a sense of
peace, contentment and love.. (see his works at
http://www.wmstafford.org/
)
I nominate Jean Vanier, of Trosly-Breuil, France, who founded the L'Arche communities, which now consist of 132 communities in 34 countries, and Faith and Light communities. L'Arche provides homes for people with intellectual disabilities.
A celibate spiritual leader who is not a priest, a philosopher with a doctoral degree who is not a professor, Vanier is not easily categorized. When he turned 80 in the fall, the Canadian Globe and Mail newspaper commended his peacemaking, ecumenism and humanitarianism. The editorial endorsed Vanier as a worthy candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize, created to honor those who have “greatly contributed to fraternity among human beings across the world.” ....
Vanier’s life offers one example of a new way of living. For him, life’s work is not simply internal growth or accepting one’s humanness. We each have something to offer. “The fundamental principle of peace is a belief that each person is important,” writes Vanier. “Even if you cannot speak, even if you cannot walk, even if you’ve been abandoned, you have a gift to give.”
Quoted from an article by Carolyn Whitney-Brown in America Magazine 12/22/08.
See who won the 2009 Peacemaker Prize !
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