EAIE keynote speaker in Nantes in 2010 wins 2011 Nobel Peace Prize

The EAIE is pleased to report on the exciting news that Leymah Gbowee has been jointly awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize together with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 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".
Leymah Gbowee was the leader of the women’s movement that ended the 14-year civil war in Liberia, and the EAIE was fortunate to have Leymah Gbowee as a keynote speaker at the 22nd Annual EAIE Conference in Nantes in 2010. During her unforgettable opening speech, Leymah Gbowee moved the audience with her account of the struggle for peace in Liberia, and her relentless work on enhancing the influence of women in West Africa.
Leymah Gbowee was also interviewed in winter Forum (2010), where she spoke of her current community development projects in Liberia, and of her dreams for more universities in the West to partner with those in Africa. You can read the full interview here.
Together with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf – the Liberian President and Africa’s first female elected head of state, and Tawakkul Karman – a leading figure in Yemen's pro-democracy movement, the three influential women were honoured with the award on Friday 7 October 2011.
The EAIE sincerely congratulates Leymah Gbowee on the award and looks forward to building on the request that she made for the EAIE to utilise its knowledge capacities and international network for the benefit of African higher education.