Lejla Hasandedic-Dapo
United Religions Initiative (URI) Europe Liaison Officer, board member of European Interfaith Youth Network (EIYN), Religions for Peace
Musimbi Kanyoro
Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro was President and CEO of Global Fund for Women from 2011 to 2019. She is globally recognized for her leadership of organizations and initiatives that advance women’s and girls’ human rights, and philanthropy for communities. Musimbi is passionate about using philanthropy and technology to drive social change.
During her time at Global Fund for Women, Musimbi saw the organization surpass $140 million in grantmaking and spearheaded a successful merger with another non-profit. She expanded the organization’s influence through her participation in major international dialogues, frequent contributions to major media outlets, and speaking engagements in prominent global forums. Before joining Global Fund for Women as CEO, Musimbi was Director for Population and Reproductive Health at David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
Musimbi was appointed general secretary (CEO) of the World YWCA in 1998, the first non-white woman to hold the role after 150 years of existence. During her tenure, she made the organization a go-to organization for young women’s leadership and for HIV prevention and care. She also transformed the World YWCA into a young-women-led organization, with young women under 30 making up 55% of the Global Board of Trustees. Based in Geneva, Musimbi also worked as the Executive Secretary for Women in Church and Society at the Lutheran World Federation for 10 years, where she influenced numerous policies including ensuring an equal 50% of women on governing boards and allocating no less than 40% of the Federation resources to causes that impact women’s lives.
Musimbi’s early work focused on the self-determination of African peoples and the abolition of apartheid in South Africa. She was a national student leader who quickly took leadership on a wider stage, serving on United Nations and other International and Ecumenical Youth Forums, including an early role as the National Executive Secretary for the United Nations Student Association.
Dr. Kanyoro has worked and lived in Geneva, Nairobi, and in Cambridge, New York, Austin, and San Francisco. She has written and published extensively on matters affecting the lives of women and children and has spoken at numerous forums including the UN General Assembly and TEDWomen. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Texas, Austin, and a doctorate in Feminist Theology from San Francisco Theological Seminary. She was a visiting scholar at Harvard University, and has received several recognitions and awards, including a leadership award from the Kenya Government, and recognition as one of the 21 women leaders for the 21st century by Women’s E-News. In 2015, Forbes magazine named her one of 10 women “power brands” and in 2016, she was named to the Forty Women to Watch Over 40 list for making an impact in philanthropy and gender equality. In 2018, Apolitical honored her on their list of the 100 most influential people in gender policy.
Musimbi serves on the UN Women Civil Society Advisory Board; the World Bank Gender Advisory Board; the Boards of CARE, Landesa, and Sheryl Sandberg’s OptionB.Org; Aspen Leaders Council; the Global Citizen and CHIME FOR CHANGE Girls’ and Women’s Committee; and the Reference Group of FP 2020, an initiative of the Gates Foundation, UKAID, USAID, and UNFPA, managed by UN Foundation. She is also a Champion for SheDecides.
Day 1: Panel Discussion: Voices from Women Leaders - Women, Faith & Diplomacy 2020
Speakers
Maria Cristina Kaveri Cantoni
Member executive board, Religions for Peace Italy
Chairperson, RfP European Women of Faith Network
Ms. Ana Maria Daou
Community Engagement Senior Coordinator, Adyan Foundation
Deputy Coordinator, International Youth Committee
Ms. Fatima Hallal
Junior Researcher, Hartford Seminary-Interreligious Relations
Member, International Youth Committee
H.E. John Cardinal Onaiyekan
Archbishop of Abuja, Archdiocese of Abuja
Honorary President, Religions for Peace
Mirian Akuaba De-Souza
Youth Representative, Ghana Conference of Religions for Peace
Member, International Youth Committee
Prof. Evelin Lindner
Founding Director and President, Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies, Germany
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati
President, Divine Shakti Foundation
Secretary-General, Global Interfaith WASH Alliance
Prof. Dr. Riem Spielhaus
Professor of Islamic Studies and Education, George-August University Göttingen
Dr. Salim M. AlMalik
Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO)
Irmgard Maria Fellner
Director for Cultural Relations Policy and Deputy Head of the Directorate-General for Culture and Communication at the Federal Foreign Office
Nihal Saad
Chief of Cabinet and Spokesperson to the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilization (UNAOC)
Renz C. Argao
Director, Argao Center for Psychological Services
Coordinator, Religions for Peace International Youth Committee
Grandmother Marie-Josée Rankin-Tardif
President, Kina8at Together
Elder from the Anicinape (Algonquin) tradition
H.E. Metropolitan Emmanuel Adamakis
Metropolitan of France, Ecumenical Patriarchate Religions for Peace
Prof. Takaaki David Ito
Professor of Spiritual Care at the Graduate School of Applied Religious Studies
Annette Schavan
Chairmanship of the Foundation Peace Dialogue of the World Religions and Civil Society
Laura Vargas
Inter-Religious Council of Peru – Religions for Peace, Interfaith Rainforest Initiative
Bishop Munib Younan
Bishop Emeritus President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
Honorary President, Religions for Peace
Prof. Anantanand Rambachan
Professor of Religion, St. Olaf College
Co-President, Religions for Peace
Karima Bennoune
UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights
Homer G. Angelo & Ann Berryhill Endowed Chair & Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law at UC Davis
School of Law
Rabbi David Rosen, KSG, CBE
International Director, Department of Interreligious Affairs in the American Jewish Committee
Co-President, Religions for Peace
Dr. Suphatmet Yunyasit
Representative of Thailand to the ASEAN Women of Peace Registry; Human Rights and Peace Studies, Faculty, Mahidol University; Secretary-General, Religions for Peace Interreligious Council of Thailand; Member, RfP International Women’s Coordinating Committee
Düzen Tekkal
Journalist, Filmmaker, War Reporter, Human Rights Activist,
Founder, Hawar Help and German Dream
Rev. Dr. Antje Jackelen
Lutheran Archbishop of Uppsala Primate of the Church of Sweden
Co-Presiden, Religions for Peace
Bishop Margot Käßmann
Former Chairperson, Evangelical Church of Germany
Co-President, Religions for Peace
Rev. Sr. Agatha Ogochukwu Chikelue
Nun of the Daughters of Mother Mary of Mercy; Co-Chair Nigerian & African Women of Faith Network
Executive Director Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace (COFP)
Chair, Religions for Peace International Women’s Coordinating Committee
H.E. Ib Petersen
Assistant Secretary-General, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
H.E. Gillian Triggs
Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
H.E. Michelle Müntefering
Minister of State for International Cultural Policy at the Foreign Office, Germany
Rev. Kosho Niwano
President-Designate, Rissho Kosei-Kai, Co-Moderator, Religions for Peace, Buddhist, Japan