Finding Strength in Vulnerability | Omar Alshogre

The College Freedom Forum is an initiative of the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), an organization that promotes the defense of human rights around the world. In the sixth edition of the event held at the Francisco Marroquin University, activists from different countries present their experiences in the pursuit of freedom and the fight against human rights violations.
The forum begins with a reflective question made by the speaker, Omar Alshogre: if you had the chance, would you go back in time and change anything about your past? In order to answer, he shares three different stories to help illustrate his perspective on hardship, love and resilience. These stories also show the lessons he had to learn throughout his life, and how they influenced and shaped his journey.
The first story happened when he was 13 years old, and he fell in love with a girl in his class. Omar states that, as a kid, he was shy and had already faced many rejections. However, he had continued writing love letters to said girl for over two years until his feelings were finally reciprocated by her. Omar says, then, that this experience taught him about hope, determination, and the power of never giving up and persisting in what you want to have in life, no matter how discouraging the situation may seem at first.
”I can try forever until I got what I want, until I get that love I felt I deserved.” - Omar Alshogre
The second story happened when he was 15 and his life took a big turn during a protest Omar was participating in. Initially, he had joined the protest not because of political reasons, but because he was still focused on the love the had for the girl. Therefore, the protest was considered a gathering of people having a good time, with flowers being handed to everyone and the energy of a lot of people. However, the atmosphere changed abruptly when soldiers came in and loaded their weapons. This was the first time Omar witnessed violence and death, and was, as a consequence, arrested and tortured. This experience was traumatic and marked the end of his innocence as a young boy, and the beginning of his fight for justice and freedom.
This experience also caused the change of focus in Omar’s life. He wrote a last letter to the girl the loved and said he could no longer focus on his personal feelings while his country was suffering. Instead, he started dedicating his time and life to activism, and became determined to bring freedom and dignity for his people.
“I had to do something that has more meaning for me, for my family, for my country, for everyone.” - Omar Alshogre
The third experience happened when he was arrested again, at the age of 17, and imprisoned for three years. During this time, he was in great suffering, watching his family and people he cared about die. This experience gave him emotionally scarred, as he realized there was no place for love or happiness in that place. Nonetheless, this experience helped him become resilient and strong, skills that would later define his future.
“Life doesn’t always offer a way out, sometimes the only way is through. Through pain, suffering, hardship and challenges you become who you are today.” - Omar Alshogre
Finally, Omar concludes his speech by highlighting the importance of both joy and pain in shaping someone. He emphasizes that he would not change a thing about his past, for what he has been through was necessary for his personal growth.
We invite you to watch the lectures and interviews from the College Freedom Forum 2020. bit.ly/40eTRm1
Organized by Francisco Marroquin University and the Human Rights Foundation
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