Customized peace education for Lebanon to be promoted… Expected to expand a culture of peace based on women’s leadership
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 Lebanese humanitarian organization “Himaya Daeem Aataa Association (HDA)” on the 12th at the East Lounge 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.
HDA is a Lebanese humanitarian NGO established in 2000. Centered in Zgharta in northern Lebanon, it has carried out activities to protect women’s rights, respond to sexual and gender-based violence (GBV), and support vulnerable populations. In particular, through cooperation with international organizations such as UNICEF and the European Union (EU), it has promoted refugee assistance and community development projects, continuing active efforts in the protection of women and children in Lebanon. The organization has also built a nationwide network by engaging in exchange and cooperation with approximately 300 organizations.
This agreement was established as part of international cooperation to promote a culture of peace and protect women’s rights in Lebanon, where conflict and social tensions persist.
Through this agreement, the two organizations plan to combine HDA’s local network with IWPG’s peace education programs to cooperate across various areas, including: ▲ implementing tailored peace education for Lebanon ▲ operating capacity-building programs for the protection of women and children ▲ proposing peace-related policies to the international community.
Seoyeon Lee, Director of IWPG Global Region 2, stated, “This agreement was concluded to advance practical peace education in Lebanon, where communities are facing difficulties due to conflict and social tensions,” adding, “In cooperation with HDA, we will actively support Lebanese women in growing into leaders who can spread peace within their families and local communities.”
Jeanne Kaadou, founder and head of HDA, said, “Cooperation with IWPG will serve as an opportunity to add the value of sustainable peace to the humanitarian work we have been carrying out in Lebanon,” adding, “We hope that the collaboration between our two organizations will bring positive change not only to Lebanon but to communities more broadly.”
IWPG Global Region 2 plans to use this agreement as a momentum to advance local peace education programs and joint workshops in Lebanon, thereby expanding its peace cooperation activities.
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.