In the Words of Rawan Yaghi: “If you have the passion to build peace, it becomes a second skin. It’s no longer a role – It’s a way of being.”

Rawan Yaghi, 49 years old, is a peacebuilder and educator from Baalbek, Lebanon. Leveraging her background in public policy and civic engagement, she founded USPEaK, a local organization empowering women and youth while championing inclusive governance in Lebanon’s marginalized communities. As a member of the Women Peacebuilding Network in Lebanon (WPNL), supported by UN Women, Rawan has opened pathways for hundreds of women across Lebanon to lead, build peace, and shape their futures.

^{Rawan Yaghi, training women and girls on conflict resolution. Photo: USPEaK} 

“I grew up in Baalbek during Lebanon’s civil war {1975 -1990}. But I didn’t need textbooks to understand conflict - it was right outside our door. My father - respected community mediator – was often called to help resolve disputes between families. That experience shaped my worldview. It made peace personal.

As I got older, I sought out conversations, first at university, {where she majored in education} then through exchange programs and dialogue groups. I remember taking a taxi twice a month from Baalbek to Beirut {around 88 km} just to attend peacebuilding meetings – a Moral Re-Armament initiative, which brought people from very different backgrounds together to talk about war, forgiveness, and healing. They weren’t always easy, but they meant the world to me. That’s where I learned how to truly listen- not to argue, but to understand.

Over time, I was determined to turn passion into purpose. I became a trainer in conflict resolution and pursued public policy studies at the University of Minnesota. I co-authored civic education materials that blend language learning with rights, dialogue, and peacebuilding. Eventually, that work led me to UN Women and the Women Peacebuilding Network in Lebanon (WPNL)[1] – and that changed everything.

WPNL was and still is a space where I see myself reflected in other women – each one facing different realities, but all working toward peace. Being part of that network gave structure to what I believed in. Now, every program at USPEaK – which I founded in 2009, building on my activism in women’s empowerment through education, protection, entrepreneurship, and political participation – includes a component on peace, leadership, or social cohesion. It’s not a side topic, it’s part of who we are.

One of my proudest achievements is the Peacebuilding Academy for Young Women in Baalbek built on the belief that young women shouldn’t have to wait for permission to lead. We gave them tools, confidence, and a community – and now they’re organizing dialogues, launching projects, and shifting mindsets.

^{Rawan Yaghi with the Lebanese Armed Forces - bridging women and security. Photo: USPEaK} 

Through USPEaK, I’ve engaged 90 schools across Lebanon in peacebuilding activities , trained over 700 women on UNSCR 1325, and supported campaigns of 9 women who ended up winning municipal elections. We also created bridges between women and the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces – resulting in 29 women applied to join, with a third being accepted. 

Yet what stays with me most is the everyday strength of women and youth in Baalbek. Their dreams, their efforts, their dignity… it humbles me every single day. Leadership, to me, starts with empathy. It means standing with people, not above them.

To young women stepping into leadership my advice is clear: you don’t need to be loud to be powerful. You just need to show up – fully, honestly, and with the belief that peace is not abstract. It’s built in the spaces we create, the stories we tell, and the lives we touch.

Lebanon is full of challenges, yes – but also full of possibility. If you have the passion to build peace, it becomes a second skin. It’s no longer a role – It’s a way of being. If you feel called to this work, follow it. Peace is not a project. It’s a practice. And your voice matters more than you know.”