The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation

ANNEX
PROJECT CONCEPT
Women’s Contribution to Peace and Reconciliation:
Attempt of a systematic analysis in order to formulate key
elements for a gener al concept of civil conflict prevention
and resolution
The project is based on the fact that it is in particular women who over
and over give brave and dauntless examples of civil action against war
and violent conflicts. In the aftermath of the Yugoslav wars the courage
of women to speak about their suffering has led to the inclusion of sexual
violence in the International Criminal Court catalogue of Crimes against
Humanity. However, this has been the only case where an aspect of female
peace activities has found its way into the legislative framework of
the UN. A few of these brave women are given awards for their work and
for a short time the mass media tell their story. The prize money then
helps them to continue their work. But it is not being talked about what
can be learned from their activities and from the work of many other unnamed
peace and reconciliation fighters. For example one could learn that
armed internal conflicts often have a long background, or that subsidies
in war situations often don’t serve the development of civil structures but
the increase of power and violence of warlords.
The project “Women’s´ Contribution to Peace and Reconciliation”
collects women’s testimonials from two different sources:
Personal interviews and
Reports about possible steps to the resolution of violent conflicts,
on how to come to terms with the past and how to create peace
for the following generations.
In the beginning the project will focus on the four regions:
Israel
Palestine
Former Yugoslavia
Somalia
Rwanda
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