Nobel Peace Prize Winners Among Subjects of Upcoming Living Peace Series 'Women, War & Peace' Panel

The Center for Living Peace, a non-profit peace education organization in partnership with the University of California, Irvine, present the first Living Peace Series event in the 2011-2012 year: Women, War & Peace, a panel discussion based around the bold, new five-part documentary by PBS SoCal

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Living Peace Series is proud to present the first installment of the 2011-2012 year, "Women, War & Peace," on Thursday, October 13, 2011.

Abigail Disney, the Executive Producer behind the documentary, "Pray the Devil Back to Hell," one of the five films in the PBS television series, "Women, War & Peace," chronicles the rise of newly announced Nobel Peace Prize laureates and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee as they fight for women's rights in their war-torn country.  Disney, along with Academy Award-winner, Geena Davis and UC Irvine Professor, Roxanne Varzi, moderated by Center for Living Peace Founder and philanthropist, Kelly Thornton Smith, will weigh in on the Southern California debut of "Women, War & Peace," a timely challenge to the idea that war and peace is a man's domain. The panel is co-sponsored by UC Irvine, Center for Living Peace and PBS SoCal.

The Living Peace Series event follows the announcement on Friday, October 7, of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to three women in acknowledgment of their role in promoting peace, democracy and gender equality. The prize was split between Sirleaf –  Africa's first elected female president, Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee and Yemeni pro-democracy campaigner Tawakkul Karman.

Disney explains in an interview with Contribute, that she was inspired to tell Sirleaf and Gbowee's story when she heard about how these women decided to take over peace talks in Liberia that the government and warlords were unable to provide for them.

Ticket information is available on the Living Peace Series website: www.livingpeace.uci.edu.

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR LIVING PEACE

The Center for Living Peace is a non-profit peace education organization in Irvine, California. The concept driving the organization can be summed up in one phrase: "Good Happens." The organization provides a beautiful place where children, families and adults can connect to self, spirit and the world. Their classes focus on: inner work, peace making & communication, safeguarding the environment and arts & culture. The Center for Living Peace also encourages engagement in service opportunities. By providing this, the Center for Living Peace hopes to empower people to make good happen and as Gandhi said, "Be the change they want to see in the world."

To learn more, visit us at 4139 Campus Drive, Irvine, California 92612 or at www.goodhappens.org

Contact: Ariana Morin (949) 854-5500 /// [email protected]

SOURCE The Center for Living Peace