Ambassador in Action
Hear from One Young World Ambassador and Founder of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre, Ilwad Elman
Speakers
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Ilwad ElmanChief Operating Officer, Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre (EPC)Ilwad Elman
Chief Operating Officer, Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre (EPC)
Ilwad Elman is Chief Operating Officer of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre, a women-led Somali organization advancing peacebuilding, human rights, and sustainable development. Over 16 years, she has led responses to conflict spanning disarmament, reintegration, mediation, mental health, and economic empowerment. She co-founded Sister Somalia, the country’s first rape crisis centre, and advanced women’s leadership and gender-responsive security sector reform. Her community-based approaches have shaped national policy and international practice. She links recovery with long-term opportunity through social enterprise, job creation, and partnerships spanning business, philanthropy, and the arts. Ilwad has advised two UN Secretaries-General, including on Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, and is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader serving on its Global Future Council on Nature and Security. Her honours include the Right Livelihood Award, Harvard’s Gleitsman International Activist Award, the Hessian Peace Prize, and an honorary doctorate from SOAS.