It was a packed house at Wilfrid Laurier University on Wednesday night, with many sitting in to listen to a key note speech by a peace activist known around the world as ‘the girl in the picture’.
Kim Phuc Phan Thi became a symbol of the horrors of the Vietnam War.
She was photographed running from her village after being burned in a Napalm attack. Her speech kicked off a three-day student led international conference held by International Students Overcoming War (ISOW) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
“It’s a humanitarian mission where we provide scholarships to students from conflict, so we wanted to share those lived experiences as well,” said Brittany Ferguson, VP of ISOW.
“Ms. Kim Phuc shared her story of how she really wants to pursue her education but because she was displaced and the consequences, as the legacy of conflict that she faced, she was unable to access education. So we wanted to share that message with Laurier,” said Oshish Ugras, global partnerships coordinator with ISOW.
The keynote address was followed by a reception, book signing, and photo exhibit.
