AOWA is pleased to announce its membership in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Commission on Education and Communication (IUCN CEC).
The Afghanistan Organization Women Arise (AOWA) is pleased to announce its membership in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Commission on Education and Communication (IUCN CEC), a global network of professionals committed to using education, communication and knowledge-sharing to advance sustainability and positive change for people and the planet.
The IUCN Commission on Education and Communication brings together professionals from different countries, disciplines and cultural backgrounds who contribute their expertise voluntarily in pursuit of sustainability. The Commission promotes creative, participatory and effective approaches to education and communication that encourage positive social and behavioural change and strengthen action for nature.
AOWA’s membership in this global network represents an important institutional milestone and strengthens the organization’s connection with international knowledge, expertise and communities of practice working in environmental education and communication.
Afghanistan is experiencing increasingly serious environmental pressures, including drought, flooding, water scarcity, land degradation and the depletion of natural resources. Addressing these challenges requires more than technical interventions. Communities must also have access to understandable information, practical learning opportunities and safe platforms through which they can participate in environmental decision-making and action.
Through its Climate Resilience and Environmental Action Strategy 2026–2030, AOWA is working to integrate environmental education, community communication, disaster-risk awareness and locally led climate action into its programmes. The organization places particular emphasis on ensuring that women, young people and climate-vulnerable communities can access information, contribute local knowledge and participate meaningfully in developing solutions.
AOWA also mobilizes young people through the Afghan Youth Action (AYA) Network, its national youth empowerment programme connecting more than 20,000 registered young people across all 34 provinces. Through climate education, community environmental campaigns, local risk identification and youth-led initiatives, AYA helps translate environmental knowledge into practical community action.
Participation in the IUCN CEC network will enable AOWA to exchange experience with environmental educators and communication professionals from around the world, learn from innovative approaches and contribute perspectives from Afghan communities. AOWA will particularly seek to contribute in the areas of nature-based education, youth engagement, community environmental awareness, citizen and community knowledge, behavioural change communication and inclusive approaches to conservation.
This membership will also support AOWA in increasing the visibility of Afghanistan’s environmental challenges and sharing locally generated knowledge and solutions with a wider international audience.
AOWA looks forward to actively participating in the IUCN CEC community and collaborating with fellow members to promote environmental learning, strengthen public engagement and inspire collective action for a more resilient and sustainable future.