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“I want to be the last girl in the world with a story like mine.”
“Survivors do not want pity. We want justice. We know the brutal consequences of inaction.”
These are the words of Nadia Murad, human rights champion. Born in the village of Kojo in Northern Iraq, Murad is an advocate for survivors of atrocities such as rape, human trafficking, and ethnic cleansing. In 2018, she won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to end sexual violence as a weapon of war.
In 2014, ISIS attacked Nadia’s Yazidi community in an attempt to exterminate it. After witnessing the brutal murders of her mother and six siblings, she was abducted and forced into sexual slavery.
Her assailants meant to shame and dehumanize their targets, but Nadia would not be silenced. She escaped with a determination to end rape as a weapon of war – and she uses the law to seek justice.
Nadia is a plaintiff in a lawsuit against Lafarge, a global cement giant accused of aiding ISIS through financial transactions. This case helps illuminate how “neutral” third parties often fuel atrocities by funneling money to criminal groups. By pursuing accountability for corporations that profit from war crimes, Nadia strives for justice to extend beyond perpetrators to enablers.
At Project Expedite Justice (PEJ), we honor human rights advocates, their work, and their stories. We recognize, in Nadia’s words, that “when we fail to hold [perpetrators] accountable, we invite future groups to commit the same horrendous crimes.”
Like Nadia Murad, PEJ works to build legal systems that provide access to justice for all – systems that provide swift, certain redress and deter would-be perpetrators.
“We must help survivors and the communities that have suffered to go back and not just survive but also thrive.”
Join us as we celebrate Nadia Murad, a human rights hero. We commend Nadia’s resilience and share her determination to stop war crimes.
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