Elizabeth Krishna, 52, of Fiji,who works through the Catholic Church to combat unemployment and crime and close the gap between rich and poor, was one of 16 women from five regions in the South Pacific who attended the 2013 Summer Peace building Institute (SPI) at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU), May 6 -June 14.
Krishna says, ” for me, it’s always [an] exciting and enriching experience to be able to share the work that I do.”
During the program, Krishna had a chance to share her work with Winston Thompson, Fiji’s ambassador to the United States, who visited EMU on June 2.
“I felt great that he was here,” she said. “That feedback from him will go back to our minister of foreign affairs, so that’s a great opportunity.”
Equality and respect for women – rather than violence inflicted upon them – ranks high as an aspiration of women from the Pacific who attended the 2013 Summer Peacebuilding Institute. Their other goals included:
- respect for human rights and restorative justice instead of police brutality and imprisonment without due process;
- true democracy instead of military, dictatorial, or colonial rule;
- sustainable development that benefits the islands’ inhabitants, instead of environmentally destructive extraction of natural resources by foreign companies;
- and healing for current and historical trauma.
- respect for human rights and restorative justice instead of police brutality and imprisonment without due process;
- true democracy instead of military, dictatorial, or colonial rule;
- sustainable development that benefits the islands’ inhabitants, instead of environmentally destructive extraction of natural resources by foreign companies;
- and healing for current and historical trauma.
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