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°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ Announces International Day of Peace Celebration Student Award

November 6, 2023


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MACOMB, IL - - °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ celebrated the International Day of Peace and presented °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ Art major Rivers Ashton with the 2023 °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ Peace Award.

Sponsored by the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ Department of Political Science, the College of Arts and Science, the Latin American Student Organization, AMPLIFY and the African Student Association, three student groups discussed reasons why people are displaced from Latin American and African countries. The event included a walk to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ Multicultural Center to deposit candles on an altar designed to honor those who suffer from displacement around the world.

For the first year, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ presented an International Day of Peace Award to a student, Ashton, of Denver, NC, who exemplifies the ideals of peace and social justice.

"Rivers exemplify the ideals of peace and social justice we celebrate on the Peace Day," °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ Professor of Political Science Julia Albarracín said. "She spent countless hours making a drawing of 3-year-old, asylum-seeker, Jismary, who died on a bus sent by Governor Abbott to Chicago, to fulfill the little child's mom's wish to put the drawing on a monument. Students like Rivers make us proud."

The drawing was framed by the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ Art Department and sent to the parents of the child.

For more information on the event or to nominate next year's winner, contact Albarracin via email at j-albarracin@wiu.edu.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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