Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, at DePauw in October, to Receive Tipperary International Peace Award
August 3, 2018
Juan Manuel Santos, the president of Colombia who will come to DePauw University October 22 to present an Ubben Lecture, is the recipient of the Tipperary International Peace Award, "for his efforts in bringing peace to his country and ending over 50 years of guerilla fighting," reports the Irish Times. The award will be presented to President Santos at a ceremony in Tipperary, Ireland later this year.
Martin Quinn, honorary secretary of the Tipperary Peace Convention, stated, "As President Santos prepares to step down as President of Colombia after eight years in office, it is appropriate to recognize the president’s efforts and tremendous vision to bring peace to his country through an agreement that, after almost five years of talks, put an end to more than 50 years of fighting, and has seen some 10,000 former fighters disarm and begin to enter civilian life and 10 former FARC leaders take their seats in Congress."
Quinn added, "President Santos leaves Colombia a much better and decidedly more peaceful country than when he assumed office and without doubt history will judge him kindly for his efforts."
Previous recipients of the Tipperary International Peace Award include several previous Ubben Lecturers at DePauw, among them Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan; Bill Clinton, former president of the United States; Mikhail Gorbachev, who led the Soviet Union; and activist Malala Yousafzai.
Santos, the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, said of this latest honor, "Certainly, the success of the Northern Ireland peace process is a constant reminder of what is possible. It clearly demonstrates the dividends that a peaceful future can deliver. The fact that the achievements of the Colombian peace process are being acknowledged by such a prestigious award in Ireland, has particular significance for Colombians. I am honored to be able to accept the Tipperary International Peace Award on behalf of all the victims of the conflict and the many that have worked tirelessly to bring about peace in Colombia."
Read more here.
His talk, "Global Citizenship: Now More Than Ever," will be followed by a question-and-answer session. The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium, located within DePauw's Green Center for the Performing Arts (605 S. College Avenue), and is free and open to the public.
Established in 1986 through the generous support of 1958 DePauw graduates Timothy H. and Sharon Williams Ubben, the Ubben Lecture Series was designed to "bring the world to Greencastle." The series has presented 111 events over the past 32 years, including talks by Margaret Thatcher, Elie Wiesel, Spike Lee and Peyton Manning.
To view a complete roster of Ubben Lecturers -- which includes links to video clips and news stories -- click here. Video montages of many events are available on YouTube.
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