contributions

Aung San has become an international symbol for peace, and her self-sacrificing approach to the non-violent movement keeps hope alive for many in Burma and around the world. Upon her return to Burma in 1988, she wrote an open-letter calling for a multi-party political system. Not only does she demonstrate the independence and education of such a strong woman, but she stands as a historically recognized human being. Aung San Suu Kyi has wond numerous prizes the Sakharov Prize (1990), the Thorolf Rafti Memorialize prize the same year, followed by the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, among other forms of recognition for her humanitarian philosophy and dedication to strong values. She sits in solitude in her home, but she is in the hearts and minds of her fellow Burmese; in essence, she embodies a strong and beautiful form of resistance that makes it acceptable to hope that the world can change for the better. At a time in history where there seems to be so much confusion and violence, Aung San Suu Kyi continues to lead the way to a better, and possible, future, that will stand against all odds without showing weakness in her convictions. If the 1990 elections had been respected, she would have become the leader of her country, the female heir to her father’s dream of a free Burmese population in the post-colonial era. At a time when many of the so-called “first world” countries have never elected a female leader, Aung San Suu Kyi holds universal appeal in a place where she is a glimmer of hope in a hopeless political situation.