Asian Cardinal Highlights Women’s Role in Peacebuilding and Dialogue

An Asian cardinal has highlighted the crucial role of women in promoting peace and dialogue in a world marked by conflict and division.

Speaking at a conference in Rome on March 6, Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, emphasized that women’s leadership and dialogue are essential for building bridges between cultures and societies, according to Vatican News.

The conference, titled “Women, Leadership, and Dialogue: Bridges Between Knowledge, Cultures, and Society,” was held in the Chapter Room of the Cloister of the Convent of Santa Maria in Rome. It brought together diplomats, political leaders, academics, and representatives of civil society to reflect on the role of women in fostering peace, cooperation, and social transformation.

The Indian cardinal from the Syro-Malabar Church stressed that the path to peace requires more than technological progress or military strength.

“While modern warfare increasingly relies on technology and advanced weapons, peace demands a deeper disarmament of the heart, mind, and life,” he said, as reported by Vatican News.

According to the cardinal, such a transformation calls for leadership shaped by education, cultural dialogue, and the active participation of society.

Cardinal Koovakad also underscored the historic and ongoing contributions of women in peacebuilding. He cited figures such as Saint Catherine of Siena, who mediated among powerful leaders in her time, and Eleanor Roosevelt, who played a major role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

He also recalled the words of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, who once said humanity must rise to “a new level of consciousness” and give hope to one another.

“That time is now,” the cardinal said, pointing to the many women currently engaged in peace initiatives across the world.

Among them, he noted, are Israeli and Palestinian women participating in movements such as Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun, which seek dialogue and diplomatic solutions to the long-standing conflict in the region.

Cardinal Koovakad observed that women often bring distinctive qualities to leadership, particularly in times of crisis. These include empathy for the suffering of others, resilience in the face of adversity, and the courage to rebuild broken relationships.

Women leaders, he said, frequently show an ability to overcome prejudice, involve both allies and adversaries in dialogue, and promote justice, care for the environment, and the common good.

Reflecting on today’s global challenges, the cardinal noted that humanity must rediscover its identity as one human family sharing a common planet.

Promoting women’s leadership, he said, is therefore not only a matter of justice but also “a guarantee for the future,” Vatican News reported.

He concluded by stressing that building a peaceful world requires the commitment of everyone.

“Building a future of peace, fraternity, and solidarity requires the commitment and synergy of all hands and all hearts,” he said. “Only together can we overcome prejudice, sow seeds of hope, and contribute to a more humane and fraternal world.”