By Our Correspondent in London
Following International Peace Day , a big forum dubbed “Storytellers forum” on female leadership and interfaith dialogue was organised in Saint Paul church in London by Empower Women Media and Abraham Women Alliance in collaboration with combat Antisemitism movement .
It is the first forum in Europe and London which gathered many women’s rights organizations from MENA ,South Asia and Europe .The European Union (EU) as a beacon of democracy, freedom and human rights has so many inspiring initiatives which support peace ,dialogue, Brotherhood and harmony and contribute to an inclusive society.The forum was introduced by ShirinTaber, Founder of Empower Women Media who stressed the importance of education in implementing religious freedom as well as interfaith dialogue and the need to fight against hate and the rise of Antisemitism in Europe and the US.
The forum included the screening of four movies introduced by Deborah Paul film Director and human rights advocate and three panels with female leaders from Ngo’s, Academia ,business and media.Speakers included Shannon Seban ,EU advisor in combat Antisemitism movement , Ms Manel Msalmi women’s rights defender and Isgap researcher and Ms Fathia Elbushary founder of Sudanese Women of Peace (SWOP).Ms Shannon Seban highlighted the urgent need to fight radicalism and hate speech in France and Europe and contribute to peace and dialogue between the different ethnic groups in France for a more inclusive society. Manel Msalmi stressed the importance of work of Ngo’s and human rights defenders in the Arab and Muslim world who are committed to the fight against extremism, discrimination and antisemitism .She also talked about her work mainly with isgap institute through the Arabic series in which she invited journalists and researchers from MENA who are committed to fighting against Antisemitism and discrimination towards religious minorities.
Ms Fathia Elbushary, who is a Sudanese social and political commentator, uses her platform to raise awareness about the issues affecting her community and her country. For her, awareness is the first step toward change, and she is committed to using her voice to contribute positively to society. As the founder of the Sudanese Women of Peace Organisation (SWOP), she worked to amplify the voices of women and empower them to take an active role in building peace, unity, and stability in Sudan .
Ms Fathia talked about the threat of radical Islam and its impact on women’s rights and minorities in the region and the need to fight against extremism and radical violence in order to implement peace and security in Sudan. The forum ended by highlighting the key role of women in the MENA region and beyond in contributing to peace building and fighting against oppression, discrimination and extremism.
ENDS
