Zuhal Sultan accepts Visionary of the Year Award; watch videos and listen to interviews from the tour
Learn more about the 2015 Visionary of the Year
The 2015 Visionary of the Year Speaking Tour spanned 17 days of travel and included talks in 8 cities, with media appearances and interviews sprinkled in for good measure. All involved agree it was a resounding success. Zuhal Sultan's message-- of peace and reconciliation, perseverance in the face of incredible odds, and uncovering existing unity when all signs point to entrenched divisions-- was spread across the country to diverse audiences.Not only were those attending her talks or listening to her interviews inspired, but Zuhal herself came away from this experience reinvigorated about the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq. Buoyed by the support she received along the tour, she aims to once again take up this work of building a community and showing Iraqis how much they have in common, even as ISIS threatens to do the opposite.That's how we know this is working. Euphrates' goal to inform an American audience about visionaries in the Middle East achieving remarkable peace naturally sustains and celebrates the work of those very peacebuilders. Shining a spotlight on their stories is a privilege and an inspiration. We can't wait until next year.
LISTEN:
- Hear Ari Shapiro's thoughtful interview with Zuhal on NPR's All Things Considered!
- Find out more about the orchestra on the Arabology podcast recorded at Stanford University.
- Tune in to Don Marsh's summary of Zuhal's work and Euphrates' mission in this interview on St. Louis Public Radio.
WATCH:
- Check out this awesome behind-the-scenes look at our day at the United Nations!
- See Zuhal be officially awarded as the 2015 Visionary of the Year in Redding, CA.
- Take in Zuhal's full presentation in Washington, DC at the National Defense University.
- Witness her excellent moderating in the full-length video at the United Nations on the International Day of Peace [see 1:24 and 2:25].
READ:
- Learn about the reaction at the Principia Upper School, where Zuhal spoke to an audience mainly comprised of high-school students and received a standing ovation!
- See what local media in Redding, CA wrote about Zuhal here and here.
- Get an in-depth perspective of the tour "from the road" in these blog posts from Week One, Week Two, and the Final Presentation.