Today, we are putting the Peacemaker spotlight on Widad Akrawi. Ms. Akrawi has often found herself in precarious situations, and has used the powerful tool of bearing witness and telling the story to address injustices primarily in the Middle East. Widad Akrawi was born into a secular family in the Kurdistan region of Iraq in 1969. In 1988, she was secretly involved in documenting torture and other violations of human rights throughout Iraq. This has led her on a path committed to the global struggle for human rights, peace, social justice, democratic governance and ethnic reconciliation. You can see more about her work at http://www.widad.org.
Among her many writings of wisdom, for today take a moment to reflect on these two:
“Although peace can be negotiated by governments, it is ultimately the responsibility of the people themselves to make it last. All of us have a role to play to create a world in which peace can flourish”
“If you are positive, you’ll see opportunities instead of obstacles.”
In what ways can simply being optimistic help you to see options for personal action – perhaps at some sacrifice or discomfort – while maintaining your personal footing?
40 Days with Peacemakers 