Advocates to speak about nonviolence

Camelia Anwar Sadat and Mairead Corrigan Maguire will deliver a message of tolerance and nonviolence through their dialogue on "Waging Peace for the 21st Century" at 8 p.m. today in Eisenhower Auditorium.

Sadat is the daughter of the late Egyptian president Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat and founder of the Sadat Peace Institute, said Megan Mead, co-chair of the Distinguished Speaker Series Committee. Sadat also improved the relationship between Lybia and its former ruling nation, Italy. Sadat facilitates negotiations between the Arab and Israeli nations, she added.

Maguire became an advocate for peace after the getaway car of an Irish Republican Army (IRA) gunman killed her nephew and two nieces, Mead said. Since the tragedy, Maguire co-founded Peace People to carry out peace initiatives and was named joint recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976.

Jennifer Keller, president of Hillel, said Sadat and Anwar's presentation will help students understand tolerance and the differences between people.

"We live in a very diverse society, but we need to understand tolerance and each other's ethnic backgrounds to do that," she said.

The event is part of the Distinguished Speaker Series and sponsored by Student Activities and Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life.

Admission to the event is free and tickets will be available at the door. For more information, call the Office of Student Activities at (814) 863-3786.

--by Alexandra Rodriguez