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UPDATE

The February 9 evening event featuring Masih Alinejad will now take place via Zoom. Click here to register for this virtual event.

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GENDER
EOUITY

I

I

Empowerment and Solidarity in the Struggle for Justice 

In a world in which divisiveness and conflict dominate headlines, we will uplift the stories of women and girls leading for peace, human rights and dignity for all — sometimes risking their very lives in the process. 

 

Through a variety of speakers and assemblies, queries and workshops, our community will examine ways in which the Quaker testimony of equality manifests in the lives of women and girls who reject gendered expectations of their behavior, their words, and their aspirations and in doing so, inspire, galvanize and lead others toward vital change. 

Keynote Speaker

Iranian Journalist and Activist

Masih Alinejad

Thursday, February 9, 2023
Via Zoom
Interviewed by Lauren Sandler (P '26)

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While the current movement in Iran has rightly gained the international spotlight, our featured Peace Week speaker, Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad, has been an outspoken critic of the compulsory hijab for years. She garnered worldwide attention when she began her My Stealthy Freedom campaign in 2014, launching what became the largest civil disobedience campaign to challenge the compulsory hijab laws in the Islamic Republic.

Masih’s incredible courage and commitment to truth compel her unbreakable spirit and fearless activism. She fights for the rights of women and girls all over the world  and serves as a remarkable example of civic engagement, commitment to democratic freedoms and dignity for all.

Please note: This event is free and open to current students, parents, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, faculty, staff, trustees and members of the 15th Street Meeting and New York Quarterly Meeting. 

Interviewer

Journalist and Author (P '26)

Lauren Sandler

Lauren Sandler is an award-winning journalist and author. She has reported on gender and inequality from the Baghdad to the Bronx. Her essays and investigations have appeared in dozens of publications including The New York Times, The Atlantic, and New York Magazine. She has been a commentator throughout broadcast media, including NPR, where she began her career as a producer. Lauren’s most recent book is the bestselling This Is All I Got: A New Mother’s Search for Home, about a young homeless mother in New York, named a Notable book of 2020 by the New York Times. She’s currently working on a book examining how the US has arrived at the precipice of civil war through the family story of a Christian nationalist pastor and his left-wing kids. She lives in Brooklyn with Justin and Sam Lane, Class of ’26.

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FEATURED EVENTS

Click on a day above to view activities planned.

In a world in which divisiveness and conflict dominate headlines, we will uplift the stories of women and girls leading for peace, human rights and dignity for all — sometimes risking their lives in the process. 

 

Through a variety of speakers and assemblies, queries and workshops, our community will examine ways in which the Quaker testimony of equality manifests in the lives of women and girls who reject gendered expectations of their behavior, their words, and their aspirations and in doing so, inspire, galvanize and lead others toward vital change. There is perhaps no better current example of this than the courageous protest movement in Iran, led by its women and girls. Their bravery and their determination to gain basic human rights has caused the global community to stop and pay attention. 

Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.

Excerpt from United Nations' Goal #5: Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls // Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022

ABOUT PEACE WEEK

For nearly two decades, Friends Seminary has set aside a week devoted to the study of the Quaker testimony of Peace. This observance calls the whole community to reflect on Peace as it relates to a pressing global or national challenge. Through classroom activities, division-wide programs and all-school events, students, parents/guardians, faculty and administrative staff deepen their understanding of core values, sense of social and environmental responsibility and skills for bringing about a world that ought to be. Punctuated annually by an evening speaker, Peace Week brings to campus an intellectual and moral leader of great influence whose visit catalyzes deeper reflection and conversation. 

2022

LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK

Simran Jeet Singh

 

2021

TELL ME WHO YOU ARE

 Sharing Our Stories of Race, Culture & Identity

Winona Guo

Priya Vulchi

 

2020

OUR CLIMATE, OUR FUTURE

David Wallace-Wells

2019

JUSTICE AND MERCY

Transforming Conflict into Connection

Bryan Stevenson

2018

SEEKING REFUGE

The Ethics and Politics of Migration and Immigration
Sonia Nazzario

 

2017

THE NEW AMERICA

Listening Across the Divides 
George Packer

2016

LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK

Chelsea Clinton

 

2015

A PATH APPEARS

Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunites

Nicholas Kristof

Maro Chermayeff

2014

LEGACIES OF PEACE

Choosing to Use the Gift of Our Lives to Make the World a Better Place 
Maggie Doyne 
Neil Blumenthal '98
Dr. Oliver Rothschild '98

2013

BUILDING BRIDGES

Peace Through Understanding

Teri McLuhan

2012

PEACE LIKE A RIVER

Water as Matter and Metaphor 
Michael Arad

 

2011

EDUCATING FOR PEACE

Friends Seminary and 225 Years of Quaker Education 
Steve Emerson 
Irene McHenry 
Bruce Stewart

 

2010

BEYOND THE NUMBERS

The Economics of Peace 
Jeffrey Sachs

 

2009

IN THE PRESENCE OF JUSTICE

The Politics of Peace 
Mary Robinson

 

2008

WAR LETTERS

Both Said and Sung 
Ethan Hawke 
Julianne Moore 
Elizabeth Palmedo 
Crystal Sikora

 

2007

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

A Pathway to Peace 
James Turrell

 

2006

NONVIOLENCE IN THE AGE OF TERRORISM
Arun Gandhi

 

2005

THE DIPLOMAT, THE ACTIVIST AND THE ACADEMIC
Pierre Schori 
Susan Sarandon 
Jessica Tuchman Mathews 

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR PEACE, EQUITY & JUSTICE

Friends Seminary’s Center for Peace, Equity & Justice supports student and faculty development of the core values of equality, diversity, and community engagement, which reflects Quaker testimonies and their accompanying legacy of activism. The Center brings together academic, social, and cultural programs that contribute to wider movements for social change. By connecting theory to real-world practice, the Center stresses learning through action, and equips students and faculty with global competencies that allow them to realize their human capacity to bring about the world that ought to be. Through its programs and course offerings, grounded in Quaker philosophy and practice, the Center seeks to connect ideas, resources, and people to advance social justice, build inclusive and sustainable communities, and foster lifelong commitments to public service.

Learn more about CPEJ here.

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