Alaa Murabit has become one of the most inspiring women leaders nowadays. She is a founder of the Voice of Libyan Women, the youngest appointee of the UN Global Sustainable Goals Advocates and in March 2016 she was named UN High-Level Commissioner on Health Employment and Economic Growth.

In the age of only 21 she founded the Voice of Libyan Women, an organization promoting human rights and gender equality, fighting for full participation of women in conflict resolution and peace processes. Embracing window of opportunity after the revolution in 2011, the Voice of Libyan Women was able to launch the largest ever campaign in Libya, the Noor campaign. The campaign heavily challenged misinterpretation of the role of women in religion and pushed for change in how women are viewed in faith. Across many different communities, it has brought together over 600 local leaders. This approach has been replicated in more than 24 countries since then.

Alaa Murabit believes that sustainability and peace are achievable only through communities as a key stakeholders. By strengthening local leaders, women in particular, we give them tools to change their communities from within. In her famous TED speech she pointed out: „ We have no other option than to reclaim the message of human rights, the principles of our faith, not for us … but for societies that would be transformed with the participation of women.“

Murabit’s TED Talk, released in July 2015, “What my religion really says about women” was selected as the TED Talk of the Day and one of four moving TED Talks you should watch right now by The New York Times.

In January 2016 Dr. Alaa Murabit became the youngest appointee of 17 UN Global Sustainable Development Goal Advocates and in March 2016 she was named a UN High-Level Commissioner on Health Employment and Economic Growth. Murabit is an advisor to many international security boards, think tanks and organizations, including the UN Women Global Civil Society Advisory Group and Harvard’s Everywoman Everywhere Coalition. An Ashoka Fellow, Murabit won the Trust Women Hero Award in 2013.

At the conference Development and Democracy Alaa Murabit will talk about her experiences with humanitarian aid, conflict resolution and leadership. Continuously, she will share her ideas about Sustainable Development Goals and the ways how to make the world a better place for everyone.

Alaa Murabit will appear at the conference as a speaker within the Kapuscinski Development Lectures Programme, which is a joint initiative of the European Commission, the United Nations Development Programme and the Pontis Foundation. More about Kapuscinski Development Lectures and planned events: http://kapuscinskilectures.eu