14 Facts About Ilwad Elman

Ilwad Elman is a Somali-Canadian social activist.

Ilwad Elman was voted the African Young Personality of the Year during the 2016 Africa Youth Awards.

Ilwad Elman's father was an ardent peace activist in the 1990s, who coined the famous mantra in Somalia "Drop the Gun, Pick up the Pen"; he was assassinated in 1996 for his human rights work and is known to this day as the Somali Father of Peace.

Ilwad Elman returned from Canada to Somalia in 2010 whilst the conflict still raged heavily and the majority of Mogadishu and South Central Regions of Somalia were lost to the control of the Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group Al-Shabaab.

On November 20,2019, local authorities confirmed her sister Almaas Ilwad Elman, who had returned to Somalia as an aid worker, had been shot and killed in a car, near the Mogadishu airport.

Ilwad Elman helps run Sister Somalia, a subsidiary of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Center.

Ilwad Elman's work has helped raise awareness locally on the issue, and encouraged changes in government policy.

Ilwad Elman has carried out educational workshops for vulnerable members of society, and designed and implemented projects promoting alternative livelihood opportunities for both young and old.

Ilwad Elman was featured as a guest speaker, where she explained the role of Sister Somalia in the country's post-conflict reconstruction process.

In 2013, Ilwad Elman was featured in the documentary Through the Fire, along with Hawa Abdi and Edna Adan Ismail.

Beyond her duties at Elman Peace, Ilwad is an advocate for the Kofi Annan foundation's latest initiative called Extremely Together, where she and 9 other youth leaders under the mentorship of Mr Kofi Annan are Preventing Violent Extremism by inspiring, engaging and empowering youth globally.

Ilwad Elman briefed the UN Security Council on the Protection of Civilians debate in 2015; it was the first time a civil society representative was invited to speak on this issue before the Security Council, as well as the first time the annual thematic debate focused on women's empowerment and participation.

Ilwad Elman later co-wrote the Youth Action Agenda on Countering Violent Extremism which was cited in the historic UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on youth, peace and security.

In 2014, Ilwad Elman was appointed a YALI Fellow by the United States Department of State.