Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian lawyer, human rights activist, and recipient of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, will engage students, faculty, and community members through a lecture on international human rights on Friday, March 26, from 2:30-4 p.m., in the theatre of Lone Star College-Montgomery (Building D).
 
Ebadi’s talk, which will be translated into English, is co-sponsored by The Institute for Sustainable Peace, the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, and the World Affairs Council of Houston. Dr. Austin A. Lane, president of LSC-Montgomery, will introduce Ebadi. While the presentation is free and the public is invited to attend, event registration is encouraged.  
 
In 2003, Ebadi became the first Iranian, as well as the first Muslim women, to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Honored for her pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, Ebadi received the award for her resolute dedication to strengthen the legal status of women, children, and refugees in Iran.
 
Born in 1947 to a highly educated family, Ebadi earned her law degree from Tehran University and in 1975, became the first female in the history of Iranian justice to serve as a judge. However, in 1979, when conservative clerics placed severe restrictions on women’s roles in society, Ebadi was forced into early retirement.
 
Ebadi used that time as an opportunity to write several books and publish many articles in Iranian journals, all while fighting for the chance to practice law in Iran.
 
In 1992, Ebadi was finally successful in obtaining her lawyer’s license. Since then, she has taken on many nationally known and controversial cases and has spent time in prison for her work.  
 
Ebadi has also established the Society for Protecting the Rights of the Child, a non-governmental organization that promotes the principle rights of children in Iran, and the Defenders of Human Rights Center, Iran’s leading human rights organization.
 
For more information about Shirin Ebadi’s presentation and to register for this free event, please visit www.LoneStar.edu/highlights.
 
LSC-Montgomery is located at 3200 College Park Drive, one-half mile west of Interstate 45, between Conroe and The Woodlands. For more information about the college, call (936) 273-7000, or visit www.LoneStar.edu/montgomery.
 
Lone Star College System consists of five colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, and LSC-Tomball, six centers, LSC-University Center, LSC-University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. With more than 62,000 students in credit classes this spring, LSCS is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and third largest community college system in Texas. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.