Public life today
Ilwad Elman (Ilwaad Cilmaan)
Ilwad Elman (born 1989 in Mogadishu) is a Somali-Canadian peace and human rights worker. She returned to Mogadishu from Canada in 2010 to work with her mother, Fartuun Adan, at the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre, where she leads programmes for survivors of violence and for young people leaving armed groups. She shared the Right Livelihood Award in 2022.
Ilwad ElmanIlwaad Cilmaan · Ilwad Elman Ali
- Lived
- 1989 to today
- Known as one of
- Public life today
- Places
- Muqdisho and Banaadir
- Era
- Rebuilding without a state, 1991 to 2012; Who holds power, 2012 to now
- Sources
- 3 sources
Who is she?
Ilwad Elman is a Somali-Canadian peace builder. She is Director of Programs and Development at the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre in Mogadishu, which her mother Fartuun Adan leads (Wikipedia, Ilwad Elman).
Early life
She was born in Mogadishu on 22 December 1989 (Right Livelihood, 2022 laureates). She is one of four daughters of Fartuun Adan and Elman Ali Ahmed, the peace worker known for the slogan "Drop the gun, pick up the pen" (Wikipedia). Her father was killed in 1996, and she grew up in Canada (same source).
Return to Mogadishu, 2010
In 2010, while fighting was still heavy and much of Mogadishu was held by Al-Shabaab, she came back from Canada to work with her mother (Wikipedia). She has stayed in Somalia since (same source).
Her work
With her mother she co-founded the first rape crisis centre for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Somalia (Wikipedia). She helps run Sister Somalia, which gives counselling, health care and housing support to women in need (same source).
She designs programmes to help child soldiers and adults who leave armed groups to return to normal life, with training and work. She also works to open space for women in peace building and in reform of the security services (Wikipedia). Right Livelihood calls their approach to former fighters, including child soldiers, one of their most important achievements (Right Livelihood).
A voice for young people
She is one of the youth leaders in the Kofi Annan Foundation's "Extremely Together" project, which works against violent extremism (Wikipedia). In 2016 she was named African Young Personality (Female) of the Year at the Africa Youth Awards (same source).
In 2022 she and her mother received the Right Livelihood Award "for promoting peace, demilitarisation and human rights in Somalia" (Africanews, 30 September 2022).
Loss
In November 2019 her sister Almaas Elman, an aid worker, was shot and killed near Mogadishu airport (Wikipedia).
In short
Director of programmes at the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre, which runs a programme for young people leaving armed groups.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Ilwad Elman · en.wikipedia.org
- Right Livelihood, 2022 laureates · rightlivelihood.org
- Africanews, 30 September 2022 · africanews.com
Ilwad ElmanIlwaad Cilmaan · Ilwad Elman Ali
- Lived
- 1989 to today
- Known as one of
- Public life today
- Places
- Muqdisho and Banaadir
- Era
- Rebuilding without a state, 1991 to 2012; Who holds power, 2012 to now
- Sources
- 3 sources
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Where this matters
Same era
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