MOU Signed for Cooperation in Women’s Peace Education… Promoting Peace Awareness Based on Civil Society
The International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) Global Region 2 (Director Seoyeon Lee) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in peace education with the Egyptian development NGO “Supportive Homeland Association for Development (SHAD)” on the 13th at Conference Room E of the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA, where the 70th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) was held.
SHAD is a Cairo-based Egyptian NGO established in 2015, working as a development organization with a focus on education, social development, women’s empowerment, and poverty reduction. The organization carries out community-based development projects across seven governorates in Egypt with approximately 900 volunteers, implementing educational programs and activities to promote women’s rights. It also contributes to international cooperation by participating in the Egyptian network of the Anna Lindh Foundation, which promotes cultural exchange and civil society collaboration across the Euro-Mediterranean region.
This agreement was pursued to combine IWPG’s peace education programs with SHAD’s community network to expand peace awareness within local communities and strengthen civil society-based cooperation.
Through the agreement, the two organizations plan to introduce IWPG’s women’s peace education programs to SHAD members and volunteers and expand them into local communities. They will also continue various cooperative activities, including joint side events and roundtable discussions for women’s empowerment, as well as international peace projects focused on intercultural dialogue.
Seoyeon Lee, Director of IWPG Global Region 2, stated, “It is meaningful to collaborate with SHAD, which has been working for community development and the advancement of women’s rights in Egypt,” adding, “We will work together to help citizens understand and practice the values of peace through peace education.”
Dr. Maged Hosny Awad, head of SHAD, said, “Cooperation with IWPG will serve as an opportunity to further expand civil society-based peacebuilding efforts,” adding, “We will strive to create sustainable peace through peace education and civic engagement programs.”
IWPG Global Region 2 plans to use this agreement as a momentum to advance local peace education programs and joint workshops in Egypt, thereby continuously expanding a civil society-based peace cooperation network.
Meanwhile, IWPG is an international NGO registered with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the United Nations Department of Global Communications (DGC), and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of the Republic of Korea. It is working toward the realization of world peace together with 115 branches in 122 countries and approximately 900 partner organizations in 68 countries.