This may take 3 months or more, since drafts are reviewed in no specific order. There are 2,653 pending submissions waiting for review.
If the submission is accepted, then this page will be moved into the article space.
If the submission is declined, then the reason will be posted here.
In the meantime, you can continue to improve this submission by editing normally.
Where to get help
If you need help editing or submitting your draft, please ask us a question at the AfC Help Desk or get live help from experienced editors. These venues are only for help with editing and the submission process, not to get reviews.
If you need feedback on your draft, or if the review is taking a lot of time, you can try asking for help on the talk page of a relevant WikiProject. Some WikiProjects are more active than others so a speedy reply is not guaranteed.
To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags.
If you would like to continue working on the submission, click on the "Edit" tab at the top of the window.
If you have not resolved the issues listed above, your draft will be declined again and potentially deleted.
If you need extra help, please ask us a question at the AfC Help Desk or get live help from experienced editors.
Please do not remove reviewer comments or this notice until the submission is accepted.
Where to get help
If you need help editing or submitting your draft, please ask us a question at the AfC Help Desk or get live help from experienced editors. These venues are only for help with editing and the submission process, not to get reviews.
If you need feedback on your draft, or if the review is taking a lot of time, you can try asking for help on the talk page of a relevant WikiProject. Some WikiProjects are more active than others so a speedy reply is not guaranteed.
To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags.
Comment: Wikipedia doesn't host resumes. This needs a complete re-write if it is even notable. ~WikiOriginal-9~ (talk) 21:09, 29 November 2023 (UTC)
Comment: the lead section needs to summarise what she does and why she is notable NOT list where she has lived. Theroadislong (talk) 21:08, 29 November 2023 (UTC)
Azza Karam (born 1968, Cairo, Egypt) is an Egyptian professor, CEO, and author, known for being the first woman executive director of Religions for Peace.
Early life and education
Karam was born in Egypt,[1] but lived in New Delhi, India, till the age of 4.[2] She grew up in a conservative Egyptian Muslim family,[3] but had an Hindu nanny while living in India.[2] Karam has said that seeing both salat and puja from a young age sparked her interest in religion and religious collaboration.[2] Her father was a diplomat, so Karam traveled frequently throughout her childhood.[4]
When she was older, Karam became interested in the intersection of religion and politics when she saw her religious aunt struggle to obtain a divorce in Egypt in the 1970s.[2]
She attended St George's English School,[citation needed] before going on to earn a bachelor's degree in Economics, Business Administration, and Political Science from American University in Cairo.[4] She earned a master's degree in Politics of Alternative Development Strategies from the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam.
While Karam was researching her PhD at the University of Amsterdam's then International Center for Development Research (InDRA), she was also working with the Netherlands based Humanistich Overleg Mensenrechten (HOM) and the Arab and Egyptian Organisations for Human Rights. Dr. Karam co-founded the Muslim Women's Network in the Netherlands, and represented it at both the UN International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo in 1994, as well as the Fourth Beijing Women's Conference in 1995.[5] During the 1990s, she completed a number of consultancies and trainings on gender and international development, with the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the OSCE and UND, among others.[6]
Karam founded and Co-Directed four Programmes: Deep-Rooted Conflict, Women and Politics, Democratization in the Arab World, and Applied Research.
Karam compiled Policy Research and Authored White Papers on gender mainstreaming, women, peace and security, political Islam, cultures of democracy (among others).
Karam co-led Democracy Assessment missions to South Africa, India, Morocco, Egypt, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.[7]
United Nations work
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Karam coordinated the production and global launches of the Arab Human Development Reports (on governance and Gender) ("the most downloaded report in UNDP's history"). She represented the Arab Regional Bureau in coordination of, and presentations at, United Nations Inter-Agency Task Forces. She also represented key governmental and non-governmental partnership strategy meetings in Algiers, Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Casablanca, and Dubai.[8]
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
In the late 2000s, Karam began working as Senior Advisor on Culture at the UN Population Fund.[2] In 2010, She founded and chaired the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on FBOs and Sustainable Development (UNIATF).[2] In 2018, UNIATF established the Multi Faith Advisory Council with 45 international faith-based organisations.[2][9]
Secured UNFPA's first Global Interfaith Network on Population and Development with over 600 global faith-based development NGOs.
Provided training and capacity building for UN Staff and civil society partners on religion, development and humanitarian work, and intercultural and multicultural management and leadership initiatives.
Provided strategic policy advice to UN and non-UN development partners, on religion, culture and development;
Supported colleagues in representation functions on respective Inter-Agency bodies and other non-UN bodies on development-related dynamics.[10]
Supported colleagues on substantive matters relating to social and cultural dynamics of development – including strategic partnerships with faith-based NGOs and Religious Leaders – on human rights and gender equality;[11]
High Level-Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism
Karam has been a member of the High Level-Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism since April 2022.
"The High-Level Advisory Board was established to build on the ideas in Our Common Agenda – including the centrality of women and girls, and the need to take into account the interests of young people and future generations – to make concrete suggestions for more effective multilateral arrangements across a range of key global issues."[12]
The Routledge International Encyclopaedia of Women
The Encyclopaedia of Women in Islamic Cultures
Publications:
Transnational Political Islam: Religion, Ideology and Power. Editor and Contributor, London: Pluto Books, 2004.[19]
A Woman's Place: Religious Women as Public Actors. Editor and Contributor. NY: WCRP.1998.
Women in Parliament: Beyond Numbers. Stockholm: International IDEA. (Editor) June 1998. (Translated into Bahasa Indonesian; Spanish and French).
Women in Parliament: Beyond Numbers. 2nd Edition. Co-edited with Julie Ballington (2007).
Women, Islamisms and the State. London: Macmillan, and New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998.[20]
Nisaa fi Muwajahat Nisaa – in Arabic (Cairo: Sutour Press, 2003).
Religions for Peace
Karam first became involved with Religions for Peace in 2000, as Director of the Global Women of Faith Network and Advisor on Middle East Interreligious dynamics. She stayed in the position until 2004.[2]
Established and served the first Global Network of Religious Women's Organizations with over 1,000 religious women's organisations representing all major religious traditions around the world;
Served as President of the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, Coordinated membership outreach, designed programmes, and conducted advocacy and relationship building with the United Nations.
Served as the Special Advisor to the Secretary General on Middle East Affairs (conflict, HIV/AIDS, women's empowerment, and establishment of Interreligious Councils).[13]
Set up the Iraqi Inter-Religious Council/Iraqi Council of Religions for Peace in 2003, including managing the first interreligious conference with the then Iraq Coalition Provisional Authorities.
Negotiated contracts with Inter-religious structures and senior-most religious leaders across the MENA region (including Israel and Iran).
Enabled and positively transformed the management capacities of women of faith networks in 4 regions, so they could deliver effective programmes on mediation, peace education, children's welfare and advocacy for rights, and nuclear disarmament.
Set up of a 'Religion and Gender' Seminar Series with a regular Newsletter.
Prepared and published a bi-monthly Newsletter and two books ("Global Directory of Women of Faith"; "A Women's Place");
Developed Manuals on Gender Mainstreaming and conflict transformation within religious communities;[2]
Karam founded and Coordinated the first ever Global Women of Faith Network[13]
In August 2019, Karam was elected Secretary General of Religions for Peace, becoming both the first woman and the first Muslim to hold the position.[3][14]
During her time with the organization, Karam helped create the " first multi-religious council of leaders within the UNHCR".[14] Karam also advocated for equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, spoke out against vaccine hesistancy justified by religion, and aided in mpox prevention efforts.[3][14] In relation to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Karam urged organizations and policymakers to not generalize religious leaders in the country, and recognize religious diversity in order to meaningfully address the situation.[3][15]
Karam built the first (ever) Multi Religious Humanitarian Fund - and through it, secured humanitarian relief services to 30 countries, reaching hundreds of thousands of recipients throughout the Covid lockdowns.
Codified the first Global Code of Conduct for Inter-religious Collaboration.
Strengthened communication and accountability mechanisms within and with over 90 Inter-religious Councils (IRCs) in 90 countries through over 40 trainings.[16]
Produced the first knowledge Hub on inter-religious collaboration with the World Economic Forum.
Successfully expanded global partnerships with the private sector, with diverse UN bodies, and with international NGOs.
Organized the first global Conferences on Faith and Diplomacy and on women of faith with the German government and over 3000 daily participants globally (virtually) and in person.
Received two international awards in recognition of the organisation's efforts.[17]
Karam taught at West Point University from 2002 until 2018.[18]
Professor of Religion and Development at the Free University AmsterdamVrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU). 2019-Present
Personal life
Karam became a citizen of the Netherlands in 1996.[1] She moved to the United States in 2000.[1]
Publications
Karam has been published on a wide scope of areas including democratization, human rights, peace and security, gender, religious engagement, and sustainable development.[1]
Awards
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from John Cabot University (Rome, Italy) in 2022.
International Religious Liberty Award. Awarded by the International Religious Liberty Association, Washington DC, 2023.
The Spirit of the United Nations Award (2015), Committee for Spirituality and Global Concerns at the United Nations.
Distinguished Alumni Award (2009), American University in Cairo
Bright Young Scholars Award (1997) - Ford Foundation, Boston, USA.
Special NGO Representation Grant (1994), the International Conference on Population and Development, ICPD, Amsterdam University.
Special NGO Representative Grant (1995), to Beijing Women's Conference from Mama Cash, Amsterdam.
Ph.D. Research Scholarship (1990) Stichting De Zaaier, The Hague.
Comment: Wikipedia doesn't host resumes. This needs a complete re-write if it is even notable. ~WikiOriginal-9~ (talk) 21:09, 29 November 2023 (UTC)
