The Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) considers it important to document and disseminate activists’ experiences and stories, to raise awareness about the importance of women’s participation in, and leadership during peace processes.
Here you can find video's, photo galleries and audio fragments of the activities of WPP. Watch, listen and look to learn more about Gender-Sensitive Active Nonviolence (GSANV) and the activities of WPP!
WPP is active on several levels: Capacity building; networking and movement building; documentation and dissemination; and joint lobby and advocacy for the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda. Read more about the work of WPP in the Activities section.
Hold Your Peace, a film by the Women Peacemakers Program, highlights how responses to terrorism have, in practice, squeezed women’s rights organisations and their defenders between terror and counter-terror. As a direct and indirect result of these rules, women activists are increasingly facing NGO restrictions, have lost critical access to resources, as well as the ability to fully use banking facilities; all of which circumscribe how, where, and in some cases, even if, they can undertake their core work on mobilizing human rights, gender equality, and advancing peace in their communities.
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Reflecting on the assassination of her friend, Hajer Sharief reveals the deeply personal nature of her peace activism. Looking beyond the role of women civil society organisations in the implementation of UNSCR 1325, she also discusses the importance of the inclusion of women at the political level and diplomatic level in Libya.
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Relating UNSCR 1325 implementation to the Iraqi context, Suzan Aref emphasizes the urgent need for policies that cater to the needs of women locally. For her, this means that the implementation addresses long-term strategies for peace as well as provides immediate support for women on the ground.
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Jasmin Nario-Galace recounts how her childhood experiences with bullying and discrimination have fed her passion for peace and tolerance education. She emphasizes the importance of education for men and women as a tool to create and promote a culture of peace.
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Thinking back on his first experiences with discrimination, Anand Pawar discusses the importance of applying feminist values in analyzing and dealing with injustices. When it comes to conflict, he says, feminist organizing and the adherence to principles of participation, justice, and nonviolence are more empowering to all involved.
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Reflecting on the roots of her own activism, Sophie Toupin talks about media as a tool for development, empowerment and self-organization. She also looks at the importance of “the collective” in achieving social change, especially with regards to implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
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Netsai Mushonga speaks on active nonviolence as an element of women’s activism for peace in this powerful video. She argues for a definition of peace that is not restricted to the absence of war, but also includes the elimination of militarization and violence in all levels of society.
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In order to create sustainable peace, the discourse on security must be changed from the ‘power over’ to the ‘power with’ model, argues Anthony Keedi. He examines the current violent, patriarchal ways of dealing with conflict and argues for a better way forward that addresses the root causes of violence.
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Reflecting on her origins in the women’s movement in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Karen McMinn discusses what this has taught her about women’s capacity to build bridges during conflict. She examines the main obstacles for women’s participation in decision-making processes and discusses the way forward. Karen McMinn is the Research Consultant on the action research ‘Candid Voices from the Field’, coordinated by the Women Peacemakers Program (WPP), the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), and Cordaid.
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Looking back the disappearance of her son, a Sri Lankan military officer who was reported Missing in Action, Visaka Dharmadasa talks about how it shaped her drive to work for peace in her country. She speaks on the role of women peacemakers in situations of conflict and what will happen if the world adopts women’s definition of security.
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From March 9-20, 2015, the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) took place at the UN Headquarters in New York. Besides participating in several lobby and advocacy meetings for a transformative Women, Peace and Security agenda, WPP organized and participated in three panel discussions. Get an impression of the panels from the pictures and make sure to read the press releases and policy briefs of the panels!
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Women peace activists are at the heart of the recent events in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA); using innovative strategies for implementing a Women, Peace & Security agenda while facing multiple challenges of a rapidly changing society. During the panel discussion “Amplifying the Voices of Women in the MENA Region”, women peace activists from the MENA region expanded on the challenges and opportunities of implementing UNSCR 1325.
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The Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) looks back at a fantastic Global Consultation on “Gender & Militarism: Analyzing the Links to Strategize for Peace”, with a lot of informed discussions, creative thinking, and energetic strategizing. This Consultation brought together almost 70 activists and academics from over 25 countries to discuss and analyze the links between gender & militarism. The Consultation took place from July 2-4 in Cape Town, South Africa.
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Get an impression of the Panel Discussion on "Involving Religious Leaders in Women's Rights Work. Innovative Challenges and Opportunities from the Field", jointly organized by the the Women Peacemakers Program (WPP), Cordaid, the City College of New York, ABAAD – Resource Center for Gender Equality, and the Ecumenical Women’s Initiative (EWI). The event took place during the 58th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York. View the photo's, read the quotes and get to know about the recommendations for the Post 2015 process!
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On the occasion of the 13th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325, the Women Peacemakers Program (WPP), the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) and Conciliation Resources organized a public event on gender, peace and security, hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UN in New York. The event took place on October 30, 2013. Watch the video with the highlights here!
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To celebrate May 24 – International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament – the WPP, in cooperation with Humanity House, organized the public event “Peace: Men & Women as Allies”. Over 15 activists, men and women from all over the world, shared their personal story on gender-sensitive active nonviolence from a masculinities perspective with a packed Humanity House. Get an impression of the event and the May 24 Pack launch!
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In a response to women's voices in the field, the Women Peacemakers Program initiated a pilot Training of Trainers cycle for 19 male peace activists from 17 different countries in 2009 / 2010, entitled "Overcoming Violence: Exploring Masculinities, Violence, and Peacebuilding". Watch the video about the rationale of the Training of Trainers Cycle, as well as reflections of the trainees about the added value of the training.
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