Minnesota, April 10, 2014 (SPS) - The Saharawi activist and defender of human rights Mrs. Aminatou Haidar has arrived in the State of Minnesota, as part of her visit to the U.S. to aware about Morocco’s human rights violations in Western Sahara.
At an invitation by the University of Minnesota, one of the famous universities that deal with human rights issues, Aminatou Haidar took part at a conference under the theme “Iberian colonialism: Spanish people of Arab descent and the state of Western Sahara”, held on current April 4th.
Mrs. Haidar, also president of the Collective of Saharawi Human Rights Defenders (CODESA), presented a lecture entitled “Saharawi women and peaceful resistance”, during which she shed light on the suffering experienced by Saharawi woman in the occupied part of Western Sahara.
Kicked off by the Director of the Human Rights Program at the University of Minnesota Mrs. Barbara Frey, conference brought together professors and students from the University of Minnesota, political, media, cultural and human rights activists, in addition to representatives of Minnesota civil society.
Other lectures, including “U.S. policy on Western Sahara from 1975 until today” by Professor Stephen Zunes, “Saharawis’ forgotten history in Cuba” by Professor Raul Marrero Fente, “Americans will never forget the Saharawis” by Not Forgotten International’s Director Ms. Janet Lenz, “Western Sahara: letters of solidarity” by Assistant Professor Mr. Adolfo, also presented.
At the end of the conference, the audience was able to see the documentary “Sons of the Clouds: the Last Colony in Arica” by the Spanish Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem. (SPS)
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