Tahani Yaghshi is from Damascus, Syria. She has a BA in English Language and Literature from Damascus University. During her senior year, the war in Syria broke out and she felt responsible to volunteer and helped displaced people inside Damascus and conducted first- aid and evacuation measures workshops for youth. After graduation, she taught English at Damascus University. She decided to leave teaching and follow her passion for community development and peacebuilding. For the last seven years, she has been volunteering and working with different community-based organisations and youth teams inside Syria. She is a board member of Hayat Association that works to empower youth and support women. She works as a facilitator and communication assistant at Mobaderoon to support and sustain peaceful coexistence in Syria. In recognition of her peace work in Syria, she was invited to meet the noble peace prize winner his holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in his residence in Dharmsala, India in 2019. 

Tahani believes in the Arabic ancient proverb that says “People are enemies to what they are ignorant of.” In her opinion, the majority of conflicts that have happened or are ongoing in the world result from a lack of knowledge and ignorance, which is why she pledges to spread authentic knowledge between different people, cultures, and beliefs. A knowledge that is based on personal and honest communication and real experiences. She works towards using the power of dialogue and to bring people together.

Participant in: November/December 2020 Fellowship: Peacebuilding and Women’s Meaningful Participation in Peacebuilding Processes