She Is Nectar

I recently discovered a Noble Peace Prize winner ~ the amazing Nadia Murad. After hearing her moving story, I found her to be a beacon of light, unable to turn away from the suffering of her people, the Yazidis, who experienced genocide at the hands of the Islamic State. After experiencing first hand the loss of her mother, six brothers and her brother’s children, she was forced into sex trafficking. Nadia’s spirit, rather than being broken, became increasingly brighter, shining light and awareness on the atrocities of war.

It’s fascinating to watch one of her first interviews in 2014 where a veiled and frightened. Nadia asked the cameras to avoid her face and not use her last name. Since then, she has grown increasingly brave, no longer covering her face and transforming her sufferings into medicine to offer to others who have experienced similar circumstances. Nadia Murad has literally and fuguratively shed the veil and speaks out, refusing to be silenced—an unheard of response from a woman of her culture and background. Her request is twofold:

• International protection for her people, the Yazidis 
• That those responsible for crimes of war be brought to justice

Nadia embodies the North Star qualities of courage, resilience, devotion to her people and a pure-heart. I’m delighted to honor her today in the Freedom Series category of this blog. Here are some Nadia Murad resources to water our seeds of bravery and interconnection: 

Nadia Murad’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech

Nadia’s book: The Last Girl