Peace Prize Forum 2001: Overview

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Peace Prize Forum 2001
The Thirteenth Annual Peace Prize Forum:
Striving for Peace: Crossing Borders, Challenging Boundaries

Luther College, Decorah, IA
March 9-10, 2001

"Striving for Peace: Crossing Borders, Challenging Boundaries" is the theme of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize Forum, honoring the 1999 laureate, Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders). The forum will examine issues related to international humanitarian aid and explore the politics, risks, and ambiguities affecting international cooperation in a globalized economy where borders are vanishing and nation-states find it difficult to maintain their sovereignty.

Founded in 1971, Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has taken a radical approach to aiding victims of war and natural disasters. Unwilling to accept the constraints of geography and sovereignty, the organization demands that governments honor international humanitarian law and respect the rights of those in need to receive aid.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee chose to honor MSF not only because of its effective and timely humanitarian aid delivery, but also because of its clear and unwavering human rights advocacy. In that sense, the organization has challenged the boundaries of what was thought to be the limits of humanitarian aid concerns. The 2001 Nobel Peace Prize Forum will also consider how other kinds of institutions--educational, social, political; local, national, international--might challenge existing boundaries to help achieve a more peaceful and humane world.

Finally, the forum will consider theological and vocational themes associated with challenging boundaries. Many skilled professionals put themselves at great personal risk to assist those in need, responding in a courageous, self-sacrificing manner that puts human ties above national ties. How can people of all ages be inspired, called, and trained to serve in a world in critical need of hope, peace, and reconciliation?

Held in cooperation with the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo, this series of forums was created to offer the opportunity for Nobel Peace Prize laureates, diplomats, scholars, and the general public to share in a dialogue on the underlying causes of conflict and war in modern society and on the dynamics of peacemaking.

Peace Prize Forum: Archives

For historical information on the previous Peace Prize Forums, please visit the *Archives*, which contain information from all of the past forums, including speaker lists and other historical records.
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