Michael Coates
Former CISO at Twitter; Co-founder & CEO at Altitude Networks
Recipient of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize thanks to her fight for democracy and women's rights in Yemen. Speaker Tawakkol Karman ended up in jail several times due to her pro-human rights and pro-democracy protests. Organizations book Tawakkol Karman to learn about human rights and democracy, women's rights, being a fearless leader, and the importance of education to achieve sustainable development.
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Nobel Prize speaker Tawakkol Karman received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 thanks to her fight for democracy and women’s rights in Yemen. Tawakkol ended up in jail several times due to her pro-human rights and pro-democracy protests.
The Yemen’s Youth movement refers to her as the Iron Woman. They also call her the Mother of the Revolution and the Lady of the Arab Spring. Furthermore, speaker Tawakkol Karman is a journalist, human rights activist, and politician. She also established the Tawakkol Karman International Foundation and the Peaceful Youth Revolution Council.
Tawakkol Karman has received numerous awards and accolades for her courage and activism, including being named one of TIME Magazine’s Most Rebellious Women in History and one of Foreign Policy Magazine’s Top 100 Global Thinkers. In addition, she has held influential positions such as being a member of the United Nations High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on Post-2015 Development and the Transparency International Advisory Council. She has also earned multiple Honorary Doctorates in fields such as International Law, human rights, Journalism, and women’s rights. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in administration and education psychology, respectively, from the University of Science and Technology and the University of Sana’a.
Tawakkol Karman often speaks for global universities and organizations. In 2019, she received the Social Entrepreneur of the Year award. Above all, Tawakkol Karman defines herself as a universal citizen with a message of equal citizenship and humanity, advocating for co-existence between different cultures, religions, and politics. She strongly opposes authoritarianism, dictatorship, and oppression, and supports the Arab Spring uprisings.
Tawakkol Karman discusses the current state of the world, which is facing political instability and economic decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of authoritarian regimes. She emphasizes the importance of democracy and human rights in addressing these issues and notes the threat of racism, fueled by some politicians, parties, and media, to democracy. Karman also discusses the impact of authoritarian regimes on peace and development, and the need to isolate and pressure them to adopt reform policies. She also addresses the issue of landmines, both literal landmines and metaphorical ones such as authoritarian and extremist regimes, and the role of Nobel Prize laureates in addressing these issues. Finally, Karman encourages the promotion of democracy and human rights through peaceful means and calls for solidarity among the international community.
In this speech, Tawakkol Karman shares her experiences and insights on what it takes to be a fearless leader. Karman is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist from Yemen who has dedicated her life to promoting democracy and equality. She discusses the importance of standing up for one's beliefs, even in the face of opposition or danger, and how this requires courage, determination, and a strong sense of purpose. Karman also touches on the role of education and personal development in becoming a fearless leader, and shares examples from her own life and activism to illustrate her points. Through her engaging and inspiring words, Karman encourages listeners to embrace their inner strength and leadership potential and make a positive impact in the world.
Tawakkol Karman discusses the rise of populist movements in Western democracies, arguing that it is not solely due to misinformation but also a consequence of a retreat from democracy and human rights values in Western policies. She attributes the rise of racist populism in Western countries to a lack of addressing this issue early on and the adoption of racial isolationist policies that incite hatred against refugees, migrants, and certain population groups. Karman also argues that Western democracies have preferred their narrow interests over the values of freedom and human rights and have participated in demonizing the Arab Spring and working with tyrannical regimes in the Middle East, leading to the rise of populism. She calls for the creation of a global political environment based on the criteria of freedom, democracy, and human rights, as well as measures to create a credible information environment.
In this speech, Tawakkol Karman discusses the ongoing discrimination against women, particularly in relation to personal status laws and invisible conflicts such as those faced by displaced or refugee women. She highlights the exploitation of women by extremist and armed groups and the impact of wars and armed conflicts on women, including in Syria and Ukraine. Karman also addresses the issue of men receiving more privileges than women, including in terms of access to aid, loans, and travel documents, and the need for a more thorough examination of each case rather than assuming that men are more deserving. She discusses the exploitation of women's rights in some Middle Eastern countries for propaganda purposes and the crackdown on women in political or human rights fields. Karman calls for a concerted effort to address discrimination against women and promote their rights, including through education and media awareness campaigns.
In this speech, Tawakkol Karman highlights the importance of education in achieving sustainable development and emphasizes the role it plays in personal and societal progress. She discusses the efforts made by the United Nations to increase access to education and reduce the number of out-of-school children, but also notes that conflict and emergencies have led to an increase in this number. Karman also touches on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education and the need to address the challenges it has posed in order to avoid negative effects on development. She emphasizes the importance of investing in education and providing labor market training in order to reduce poverty and achieve economic development. Karman also highlights the role of education in promoting peace and stability within countries experiencing conflicts.