WUNRN
1000 PeaceWomen Across the Globe - We
seek to make the daily peace work of women worldwide visible. We are creating a
platform where women can network regionally and thematically, share methods and
strategies of work and develop common projects. We seek to incorporate women’s
expert knowledge into all relevant decision-making and peace building
processes.
Women
Peace Mediators - Strengthening Women in Peace Processes
Women must urgently be
included to a greater extent in conflict resolution and peace processes.
Although this is widely recognized, they are highly under-represented at peace
negotiations. This is due to discriminatory norms and patriarchal structures,
as well as to the fact that there are not enough well-trained women peace
mediators. PWAG and its Indian partner organization SANGAT want to rectify this
situation by holding mediation courses that address women’s specific needs and
potential in peace processes. The aim is not merely to teach content, but also
to set up pools of competent female mediators who will network among each other.
The first Women Peace Mediators Course (WPMC) took place in
Why have a mediation
course for women?
Mediators
play a crucial role in peace processes. By mediating between the parties and
helping them to draw up agreements that are acceptable to both sides, mediators
make a significant contribution to conflict resolution. Techniques, approaches
and skills that have been tried and tested internationally help mediators in
their challenging work and can be learned in training courses. In most parts of
the world, however, it is far more difficult for women than it is for men to
obtain access to training. Furthermore, women’s rights are rarely seen as a
priority in mediation processes, and there is often no gender-sensitive
approach whatsoever in conflict analysis and transformation. PWAG and SANGAT
therefore developed a course for women peace mediators that takes these
elements into account and is free of charge for the participants.
Holistic and
participatory
The
WPMC in
Networks as an
important goal
One
of the most lasting ways of providing mutual support and multiplying activities
is to set up networks. During the course, the participants formed national
groups, analyzed their programs, identified gaps in their activities, and drew
up action plans on how they intended to apply what they had learned after the
course. The Women Peace Mediators Network in
The
multitrack approach as a factor of success
The
call for applications for the Women Peace Mediators Course was only announced
in
[1][1] The term
“tracks” is used in diplomacy to describe various intervention levels in society.
The “multitrack approach” combines several of these levels, which are divided
into the government, (influential elements of) civil society, and the community.