Nobel Peace Prize laureate appointed to Seton Hall School of Diplomacy board of advisers

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall University School of Diplomacy and International Relations has announced the appointment of 2011 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian peace activist, social worker and women’s rights advocate, to the school’s board of advisers.

“Madam Gbowee’s willingness to serve on the school’s board is testament to the global impact being made by our faculty, alumni and students,” board Chairperson Richard Gannon said. “Her energy, experience and accomplishments will inspire future generations at Seton Hall.”

Gbowee is best known for leading a nonviolent movement that brought together Christian and Muslim women to play a pivotal role in ending Liberia’s 14-year civil war in 2003. This historic achievement paved the way for the election of Africa’s first female head of state, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Gbowee has been a friend to the school for many years, having been featured by the school’s World Leaders Forum speaker series in 2014. Since that time, the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa-USA, founded by Gbowee, has hosted Seton Hall School of Diplomacy interns nearly every semester. The foundation provides educational and leadership development opportunities for women, girls and youth.

School of Diplomacy board of advisers member and diplomacy alumna Gail Thornton was instrumental in creating the school’s internship program with the Gbowee Peace Foundation and nominated Gbowee to serve on the board. 

“Having first met Leymah at a School of Diplomacy event, it has been my privilege to now have been working with her for years,” Thornton said. “Bringing our talented students into the important work of the foundation gives me great pride. I am thrilled that we can further this partnership through Leymah’s service on the board.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Madam Gbowee back to campus. I look forward to the incredible impact her advice will add to the board and, most importantly, to our students through her vast experience and expertise,” acting Dean Courtney Smith said.

With the advancement of this partnership between Gbowee and the school, she will serve as a visiting scholar in the 2022-2023 school year. In addition, the school and the board will work to secure additional scholarships for African students to pursue a degree from the school. The school’s partnership with the Gbowee Peace Foundation will continue and expand in the coming years.

“Access to education and the importance of diplomacy are universal issues,” foundation Executive Director Sarah Jewell said. “Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa-USA has been thrilled to partner with Seton Hall University to offer internships to students and to offer on-the-job experience that contribute to ensuring scholarships for young people in Liberia. It’s exciting to see another connection form between the School of Diplomacy and Liberia, with the appointment of our founder and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee to the board of advisers. Ms. Gbowee is a passionate advocate for grassroots feminist activism and for the future of Africa — themes that I’m sure she’ll continue to explore through her new role at Seton Hall.”

In addition to her many accolades, Gbowee is the proud mother of a Seton Hall School of Diplomacy graduate, Leemu Madison, ’19.

  Seton Hall University