 |
| Photo by zibik on Unsplash |
Thirty years after the Beijing Platform for Action, the world still grapples with the same questions: how do we make peace real, and how do we make it inclusive? These were the questions that anchored a powerful consultative session convened by the NGO CSW/NY Peace and Gender Equality Working Group, a space where advocates, researchers, and practitioners came together to reflect on what peace truly means for women and girls in today’s world.
Ramatu Ada Ochekliye and Bitto Bryan on the ADBN Morning Express Talk Show on World Day for Peace
By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye
On September 22, 2025, I joined Bitto Bryan on the Advocacy Broadcast Network (ADBN) Morning Express show to mark the International Day of Peace. The theme for the 2025 International Day of Peace is “Act Now for a Peaceful World’’, which emphasizes urgent action to promote peace and unity globally.
 |
| Photo by Adedire Abiodun on Pexels |
By Adetayo Adetokun
Today, we remember the people of Africa and beyond, whose lives have been marred by the relentless scourge of insurgency and terrorism. Our hearts turn to Nigeria, where the shadow of Boko Haram has loomed large, leaving destruction and grief in its wake. We mourn for the grieving families in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, who bury their children far too soon as terrorism tightens its grip across the Sahel. We remember Somalia, where decades of conflict under the terror of Al-Shabaab have left communities in a constant state of fear and displacement. We honor the people of Libya, whose dreams of stability have been shattered by ongoing civil war and insurgency, and Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado, where the horrors inflicted by militants have devastated countless lives. We extend our thoughts to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where protracted violence has left countless dead and displaced, to Chad, where conflicts have deepened existing vulnerabilities, to Cameroon, where regional tensions have escalated into violence, and to Sudan, where conflict and political upheaval have overshadowed hopes for peace.
 |
| Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels |
By Cynthia Umeh
We exist in a world that is overwhelmed by chaos and challenges, and the concept of peace can easily get lost. Yet, what if peace was not just an abstract idea, but a tangible reality we can create?
 |
| Photo by Emmanuel Ikwuegbu on Unsplash |
Imagine a world not too distant from our own, where the shadows of conflict cast a pall over communities. Amid this turbulence, educators and visionaries emerged as storytellers, crafting a narrative where classrooms became sanctuaries, not merely for the transmission of knowledge, but as spaces for understanding, healing, and unity.
 |
| Photo by Monstera Production on Pexels |
By Cynthia Umeh
Maria and Ahmed are from rival communities. They grew up hearing stories about their forefathers' disputes and conflicts. The memories of a fragmented past left lasting wounds on their communities: wounds that time had yet to cure completely. Nonetheless, Maria and Ahmed dared to hope for a better future.
