Liberian Human Rights Activist to Speak Feb. 9 at Nebraska Union

WHEN: Monday, Feb. 9, lectures at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m., film screening at 3 p.m.
WHERE: Auditorium, Nebraska Union, 1400 R Street

Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 26, 2004 -- The founder and executive director of the Boston-based Universal Human Rights International will speak at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Feb. 9 as part of Black History Month activities.

Torli Krua, a citizen of Liberia, will talk about human rights with a focus on Africa. He will also discuss the historical and cultural connections between Liberia and the United States, particularly among the African-American community, and show a PBS documentary film titled "Liberia: America's Heritage."

All Feb. 9 events are in the Nebraska Union Auditorium, 1400 R St., and are free and open to the public. From 1:30-2:30 p.m., Krua will speak on human rights with an emphasis on Africa; a question-and-answer session follows. From 3-4:30, he will show the film: "Liberia: America's Heritage." From 7:30-9, he will speak on "The Historical and Cultural Connection between Liberia and the United States" with a discussion following his presentation.

Krua is a survivor of the civil war that began in 1990 in Liberia, killing 250,000 people and forcing 1.2 million out of the country as refugees. Krua settled in the United States, later brought his parents, and founded Universal Human Rights International, which seeks to unite Liberian families separated by war and promote human rights in Africa and refugee and immigrants' rights in the United States.

CONTACT: Peter Levitov, Assoc. Dean, International Affairs, (402) 472-5358