Ware Lecture on Peacemaking

Hosted annually by the Center for Global Understanding and Peacebuilding, the Judy S. '68 and Paul W. Ware Lecture on Peacemaking is the Center's signature event. The lecture is made possible by a generous grant from Judy S. '68 and Paul W. Ware of Lancaster, Pa. The Ware Lecture has brought Nobel Peace Prize recipients, influential journalists, and political leaders from around the world to Elizabethtown.

2025 Ware Lecturer: Nadia Murad

April 10, 2025 7 P.M.

Leffler Chapel and Performance Center

Nadia’s Initiative: Rebuilding Communities, Protecting Survivors

Human rights activist and recipient of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, Nadia Murad is a leading advocate for survivors of genocide and sexual violence. Her New York Times bestselling memoir, "The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State," is a harrowing account of the genocide against the Yazidi people of Iraq and Nadia’s imprisonment by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). In this conversation, Nadia outlines the programs to promote health, relocation, justice, and reparations for the thousands of displaced survivors. She calls for worldwide concerted humanitarian efforts — overcoming all political and cultural divisions — to create a better future for women, children, and persecuted minorities.

Founded in 2018, Nadia’s Initiative is dedicated to rebuilding communities in crisis and advocating globally for survivors of sexual violence. Its work is focused on the sustainable redevelopment of the Yazidi homeland in Sinjar, Iraq, where Nadia Murad grew up. When ISIS launched their genocidal campaign, they not only killed and kidnapped Yazidis, but also destroyed the Yazidi homeland to ensure the community could never return. All of Nadia's Initiative programs are community-driven, survivor-centric, and work to promote long-term peacebuilding. In line with a grassroots approach to sustainable development, the organization works with the local community and a variety of implementing partners to design, support, and implement projects that promote the restoration and improvement of education, healthcare, livelihoods, women’s empowerment, and cultural preservation. Nadia's Initiative advocates for governments and international organizations to support rebuilding efforts in post-conflict communities such as the Sinjar region, seeks justice for Yazidis by holding ISIS accountable for their atrocities and advocates globally for survivors of genocide and sexual violence.

Tickets and more information can be found on our Lecture Series page .

Judy S. Ware '68 on the Ware Lecture:

Past Ware Lecturers

2023 - Jemele Hill, Emmy Award-winning Journalist and Webby Award Winner
2022 - Valerie Jarrett, New York Times Best-Selling Author and Chief Executive Officer of the Barack Obama Foundation
2021 - Karima Bennoune, Longtime Human Rights Advocate and Former Amnesty International Legal Advisor
2020 - Jeremy Gilley, Founder of Peace One Day
2019 - Silkroad Ensemble, Musical organization created to promote Cross-Cultural Understanding and Peacemaking
2018 - Karen Armstrong, Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and founder of the Charter for Compassion
2017 - Jonathan Haidt, Professor of Ethical Leadership at the NYU School of Business
2016 - Kim Phuc, Vietnam War survivor, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and founder of the Kim Phuc Foundation International
2015 - Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer Prize-Winning New York Times Columnist
2014 - Tawakkol Karman, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
2013 - Leymah Gbowee, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
2012 - Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and founder of Grameen Bank
2011 - Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and founder of the Association for Support of Children's Rights in Iran
2010 - Terry Waite, founder of Hostage UK and Y Care International, and U.K. Ambassador for the Freeplay Foundation
2009 - Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and chairman of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
2008 - F. W. de Klerk, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and former president of South Africa
2007 - Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and chair of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Global Initiative