Yale University Honors Marie De La Soudiere

	Marie de la Soudiere at the ceremony at Yale. (Photo: IRC)

Marie de la Soudiere received an Honorary Doctorate in Social Sciences from Yale University on May 22, 2000. The honor acknowledged her accomplishments and the level of needs and disaster that a child faces during armed conflict. 

Marie has been the Director of the Children's Unit at IRC since 1997. She has a Masters in Social Work, and a long history in international humanitarian work. Marie began her career in 1979 with IRC in Thailand, organizing one of the first education programs for refugee children. She subsequently worked with UNHCR in the Balkans and East Africa for many years. She has been a consultant for children's programs for UNICEF in Kenya, India, Pakistan, and Sudan, and is highly sought out to consult for national NGOs who are working with refugee children in their own country. For 12 years she has been President of Thread of Hope for Economic Advancement Foundation, Inc, in Manila, it assists poor at-risk children.

	Marie de la Soudiere with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a previous Yale honorary degree recipient. (Photo: IRC)

Other honorary degree recipients included Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Frank O. Gehry (the architect of the Guggenheim Bilbao), playwright Sir Tom Stoppard, William F. Buckley Jr, and Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. 

Among Ms. de la Soudiere's accomplishments:

• Changing international policy to provide special protection and assistance to all children separated from their parents in conflict.

• Creating innovative tracing methods used throughout the relief community.

• Increasing the use of local customs and practices during war to manage children's issues.

• Drawing attention to the problems of children worldwide.