Originally from Egypt and having lived most of her life in Australia and Britain, Omnia Marzouk (known to many as ‘Mona’) worked as Consultant in Paediatric Emergency Medicine for 15 years at the UK’s busiest Children’s Emergency Department – Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. She served as Clinical Director of the Emergency Department for seven years during which time it was twice recognized as hospital ‘Team of the Year’ for innovation. Omnia is currently Associate Medical Director with a lead role in medical appraisals, job planning and long-term medical workforce strategy.
Omnia was introduced to Initiatives of Change (IofC) while at school in Australia and has been actively involved since. For many years, she has been particularly engaged in intercultural and interfaith dialogue within the UK as well as taking part in similar initiatives in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
At a time when the eyes of the world are once again focused on Egypt’s Tahrir Square, Omnia brings her passion and conviction for the role of IofC at this critical point in history. She says, ‘With an “Arab Spring” still unfolding to an unpredictable endpoint, an economy in crisis and many societies holding pluralism, conflict, and extremism in tension – nothing lasting can be built without solid moral foundations and a desire by people to live differently and exemplify the changes they want to see in society.’ She brings to the role her perspectives as an Arab-Muslim professional woman living in the West, who is used to dealing with a diversity of people and opinions. She also brings her experience of management and leadership, strategic and innovative thinking, and the ability to learn from mistakes as well as successes.
The unanimous election of Dr Marzouk as President by the 31 members of Initiatives of Change International came at the end of a week of meetings, 12-18 November 2011, of IofC’s International Council in Nairobi, Kenya.
Initiatives of Change International (IofC International) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) working for peace, reconciliation and human security worldwide. It has Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and Participatory Status at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. It stresses the importance of personal responsibility, ethical leadership and building trust across the world's divides.
Dr Marzouk succeeds Professor Rajmohan Gandhi as President. Previous Presidents include Ambassador Mohamed Sahnoun, former Special Advisor on Africa to the United Nations Secretary General, and Cornelio Sommaruga, former President of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
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