Every day, women around the world are leading movements to create enduring, peaceful societies. Yet all too often, women’s roles in ending and preventing conflict go unnoticed. The U.S. Institute of Peace is committed to changing that. With the inaugural Women Building Peace Award, USIP honors the inspiring work of women peacebuilders whose courage, leadership, and commitment to peace stand out as beacons of strength and hope.

From Africa and the Middle East to Southeast Asia and South America, USIP’s 10 2020 Women Building Peace Award finalists have overcome conflict and violence to forge hope for a brighter future. Watch the 2020 Women Building Peace Award celebration to hear the finalists’ inspiring stories and learn about their efforts to build a more peaceful world. The program concludes with the announcement of Rita M. Lopidia of South Sudan as the inaugural award recipient.

Ms. Lopidia is the executive director and co-founder of the Eve Organization for Women Development, which supports women displaced by South Sudan’s conflict. She is recognized for leading a coalition of women’s organizations to champion women’s participation in the 2018 revitalized peace agreement in South Sudan.

Join the conversation on Twitter with #WomenBuildingPeace.

Speakers

Leymah Gbowee
2011 Nobel Peace Laureate
Founder & President, Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa (GPFA)
@LeymahRGbowee

Geena Davis
Academy Award Winner
Founder, Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
@GDIGM

Sanam Naraghi Anderlini, MBE
Founder & CEO, International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)
Director, Centre for Women, Peace and Security, London School of Economics and Political Science
@sanambna

Nancy Lindborg
Former President & CEO, U.S. Institute of Peace
Honorary Chair, Women Building Peace Council
@nancylindborg

Congratulatory Remarks by

Megan C. Beyer
Co-chair, Women Building Peace Council

Marcia Myers Carlucci
Co-chair, Women Building Peace Council

Ambassador Johnnie Carson
Senior Advisor, U.S. Institute of Peace

Ambassador Kelley E. Currie
Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, U.S. Department of State
@StateGWI

Admiral Michelle J. Howard
Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.)

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