Women Leading Change for Peace – IWPG at HWPL 11th Anniversary
A Global Stage for Women’s Voices
At the 11th Anniversary of the HWPL Peace Summit, the voices of women resonated powerfully through the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG). As one of the “two wings” of HWPL, IWPG brought forward not only testimonies of personal transformation but also the leadership of women shaping peace at the policy level. Together, these sessions painted a picture of how women’s efforts extend from families and classrooms to the highest levels of governance.
Peace Education That Transforms Lives
The Women Peace Education Session highlighted how learning about peace becomes a lived reality:
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Colombia: More than 1,000 women completed IWPG’s peace education, with many forming local peace committees and preparing to launch new branches. “When we open the door of peace education to women, it changes not just one person but entire generations,” said one participant.
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Myanmar and Korea: Women spoke of family conflicts turning into conversations of understanding through active listening and respect.
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Yemen: A journalist shared how peace education reshaped her work, moving from divisive reporting to using media as a tool for coexistence.
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India: A school principal explained how inner peace transformed his leadership, helping thousands of students embrace values of empathy and reconciliation.
These stories affirmed that peace education is more than theory — it is a way of life that ripples outward from individuals to families and societies.
Women’s Leadership on the Global Stage
Another session placed the spotlight on women leaders — from first ladies and government ministers to parliamentarians and NGO leaders. They emphasized that peace cannot be achieved or sustained without women’s full participation.
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Mali and Libya: Women political leaders from conflict zones testified to the urgent need for women at negotiation tables, where decisions on war and peace are made.
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Grenada and Chile: Ministers and first ladies shared how women’s leadership drives reconciliation and reforms, linking local policies to global cooperation.
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South Africa and the Philippines: Officials presented models of women-led peacebuilding that turn community resilience into national progress.
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Global NGOs like WILPF and AU CIEFFA: Advocates called for embedding women’s voices in international law, education, and governance to ensure peace is not symbolic but systemic.
Their message was clear: women’s leadership is not an option, but a necessity for justice, inclusion, and sustainable peace.
Education and Leadership: Two Paths Toward One Vision
The two IWPG sessions together revealed a powerful truth — peace is built both from the ground up and the top down.
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Education nurtures the inner transformation of individuals, families, and local communities.
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Leadership reshapes structures of governance, law, and international cooperation.
When these two paths converge, they create a holistic model for sustainable peace. This vision reflects HWPL’s mission: empowering citizens while also working toward institutional change through the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW).
Passing Peace to Future Generations
Through both personal stories and global leadership, IWPG demonstrated at the HWPL 11th Anniversary that women are not only participants in peace — they are its builders, teachers, and leaders. From living rooms to parliaments, women are ensuring that the legacy passed on to future generations will not be conflict, but peace.
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