South African media personality, businesswoman and humanitarian Carol Bouwer took centre stage at the UN General Assembly, addressing global leaders in a moving tribute to South African Heritage Day, hosted in partnership with the UN Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF).
Speaking as a UN WPHF global luminary, Bouwer delivered a searing reflection on the state of global conflict, rising nationalism and the often-overlooked role of women peacebuilders. Her speech, “Peace Is All of Us,” was both a call to action and a deeply personal account of resilience, justice and legacy.
“The world is experiencing the highest number of conflicts since World War 2,” Bouwer said, referencing a recent UN report. “From Palestine to Myanmar, Haiti to Sudan, almost 19% of the world’s children now live in conflict zones.”
Drawing powerful parallels between the apartheid era in South Africa and today’s crises in regions like Gaza, Bouwer warned against global apathy and divisive leadership, especially where women and children bear the brunt of violence.
“Killing women and children cannot continue on our watch,” she urged. “We must lean into our innate Ubuntu — that deep belief that I am because you are.”
Bouwer, co-founder of African Odyssey, thanked her partner Carl Nelson and lauded the leadership of UN WPHF Head of Secretariat Angel Tonni Brodber, for amplifying women’s voices in humanitarian spaces.
She emphasised that real peace isn’t the absence of war but the presence of justice: “Peace is the pursuit of justice — even when the convenient choice would be to turn a blind eye to injustice.”
Citing the heroic example of Winnie Mandela, Bouwer reminded the audience of the intergenerational duty to support peacebuilders, especially women, whose leadership is often undervalued and underfunded.
Looking ahead, she invited the international community to join her and partners in South Africa this November during the G20 meetings, where African Odyssey, WPHF, Brand South Africa, and academic institutions will convene to further mobilise support for women in peacebuilding.
From the teargas-lined streets of apartheid South Africa to the diplomatic halls of the UN in New York, Bouwer’s journey is a reminder that peace, though fragile, is possible — but only if we choose justice, inclusion and courage over comfort and complacency.
