The Wallenberg Medal has been awarded for the last 25 years to those who, like Raoul Wallenberg, define what it means to be an outstanding humanitarian. On Jan. 30, the tradition of Wallenberg will come back to campus for its second year. An address given by last year’s winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, will be shown to the public.

The Wallenberg Medal has been part of the University of Michigan for the past 25 years, commemorating the acts of Raoul Wallenberg and those who follow in his footsteps. However, this is only the second year it has come to Flint. Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat and architect who rescued tens of thousands of Jews from Nazi-occupied Hungary at the closing of World War II. He would shelter them in Swedish housing and provide protective and, ultimately, life saving passports. He was later captured and detained by the Soviet Union on suspicion of espionage. Wallenberg would die in prison, the truth of the cause of his death remaining a mystery.

Peggy Kahn, professor of political science, was the one to first bring the tradition here. She has attended the ceremony on and off for years, she says, but the turning point came after seeing a cer-tain speaker who truly struck her. She wanted students to have the same opportunity.

“It’s so important to have direct exposure to human beings, to listen to how they talk, and how they recognize these terrible problems,” Kahn said. “These medalists are people who have spent decades working towards their cause, someone with an overall extraordinary legacy.”

Last year’s winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, is a political activist in Burma. Her entire life she has been working to bring Burma into democracy, and has suffered greatly for it. In 1988, Kyi returned to Burma for personal reasons. In the same year, the military party, which was controlling the country, disbanded, leaving Burma in a state of chaos. Kyi, following both her Buddist beliefs and the teachings of Mahatma Ghandi, began working for non-violent democratization. She also helped to found the National League for Democracy. Two years later, she would almost win the general election for parliament in Burma, but the ruling military junta refused to hand over power. They subsequently gave her the ultimatum of leaving the country, or house arrest. She would choose the latter.

Jen Hogan, executive director for University Relations, also helped bring Wallenberg to Flint.

“Aung San Suu Kyi is a leading political activist of our time, and this university is meant for the exchange of ideas and dialogue,” Hogan said. “We have to be aware of what is going on, and what can be done. Everyone here, unlike many other places, is free to express and explore. We’re lucky to have people here who make that happen.”

The University of Michigan sent a film team to Burma to speak with Kyi, due to her fear of being put back on house arrest. The DVD, as well as an introduction to the meaning of the Wallenberg medal, will be shown on Jan. 30 in French Hall.

Natalie can be reached at nbroda@umflint.edu