Just two and a half years ago, the night of the 2016 Presidential election, I stood under the largest glass ceiling in the world in New York’s Jacob Javits Center, anxiously awaiting the arrival of our country’s first female president. Standing no more than fifty feet from the podium, I watched the big screen hovering […]
Tag: Peace Heroes
Peace Heroes: Why Nancy Yammout Met with Extremists in Lebanese Prisons
Lebanon’s prison cells are home to many extremists. Nancy Yammout and her sister, Maya, decided to reach out to them and see if they could be convinced to move away from their radical and violent pasts.
Peace Heroes: Deeyah Khan is Deconstructing Extremism with Documentary Film
Renowned documentary filmmaker Deeya Khan is recognized as a leader in the entertainment industry and on the human rights and peace-building scene. She spoke to Ms. about her work, her vision and what she’s learned about extremism by confronting it face-to-face.
Peace Heroes: How Psychologist Fatima Akilu Rehabilitated Nigeria’s Extremists
In 2012, Dr. Fatima Akilu was appointed to run Nigeria’s first official counter-extremism program in the wake of Boko Haram’s grip on the nation—and integrated de-radicalization and prevention programs across the prison and education systems.
Peace Heroes: Mobina Jaffer is Canada’s Women, Peace and Security Champion
Canadian Senator Mobina Jaffer’s life and career capture the spirit and essence of International Women’s Day. We talked to her about her experiences as a female envoy and mediator and her persistent struggle to ensure women’s participation in peace-making.
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Peace Heroes: Rodolfo Domínguez Márquez Fights Femicide with Accountability in Mexico
Every 24 hours, seven women are murdered in Mexico; the nation ranks 16th in femicide incidences. Rodolfo Domínguez Márquez is a leading figure in the fight to demand accountability on this crisis.
These Pakistani Women Are Cutting Off Extremists’ Resources—One Thread at a Time
Mossarat Qadeem and the Tolana Mothers convinced a dozen women to stop stitching suicide jackets for extremist groups.
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Peace Heroes: How Hamsatu Allamin Changed Boko Haram to Boko Halal
“Nobody else was doing anything, so I said, this is a period where someone has to engage with them. This mad circle of violence has to be stopped. I started my work.”
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Peace Heroes: Ahlem Nasraoui Fights Terrorism in Tunisia with Entrepreneurship
Tunisia ranks among the highest per capita exporters of extremists in the world. Ahlem Nasraoui believes youth bear the torchlight for change.
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Peace Heroes: Pakistani Activist Mossarat Qadeem Responds to Donald Trump
President Donald Trump has accused Pakistan of providing “safe havens to terrorist organizations.” But Pakistani peace practitioners like Mossarat Qadeem have been putting their blood, sweat and tears into doing the exact opposite.