With the blessing of Father Stephen Lyness, chaplain at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Rudy Schlosser, the campus minister at the college, chaperoned six Catholic students for the United Nations “The Role of Women in Peace Building” conference, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City during spring break from March 4-9.

The students endured a 13-hour drive from Atlanta to the Big Apple and, upon arrival, immediately attended the conference’s first session. From that time, until their departure on the morning of Saturday, March 8, they had few breaks aside from sleep and visits to Times Square, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and a few other essential New York City sites like Pronto’s Pizza.

Student delegates from all over the world were on hand for the event, and the GSU representatives were able to sit in on the concluding sessions of the peace building conference. During the final session, they had the opportunity to meet many women leaders from all over the world and even had time to discuss a few issues with the papal nuncio, Archbishop Celestino Migliore.

Accounting major Ikenna Iloabuchi found the trip “interesting and informative,” adding, “From the trip and the various study sessions we attended, I came to terms with the efforts and programs the international community has put in place through certain organizations to help Third World countries. … Through the study session I now have an idea about the progress they are making in these unstable regions and how they plan to sustain this development.”

Marianne Seoh, another GSU student, said that she was “very pleased with the U.N. study session on the topics of the women’s status.” She “realized that the privilege given to us in this country is not equally shared in some parts of the world and felt very grateful for them. This experience definitely widened my perspective and vision towards the world and had helped me to understand the importance in women’s role in the family to make a better and harmonious future.”