The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation

KEY POINTS FOR REPORTING ON CONFLICTS / WARS
In the following, we are providing key points for reporting on the genesis
and course of conflicts and wars by our experts. These key points are
structural aids; they need not be “checked off” in order, nor do all
aspects necessarily have to be represented equivalently. We want narrative
stories from our experts.
Genesis of conflict:
� Historical facts which have been seminal for the development of conflicts
– colonial history, victories or defeats in struggles for liberation,
conquest by regional powers or status as a hegemonic regional
power, regional/national “nation-building”, etc.
� The international political context – the effect of imperial powers,
the role of the UN.
� The relationship of power and violence within societies. Family
structures, the intensity of patriarchal power over women and children,
questions of ownership of property, the legal structure, the
role of religion as a tool of power in social relationships (men,
women, children, animals).
� The economic situation: wealth/lack of resources, wealth /poverty
of the society
The trigger of the conflict/war:
� The situation prior to the outbreak of violence: How did the presentation
of the country’s own history change, and who caused that
change? How did power constellations change, and how has violence
been expressed from the outside and within the society?
Were processes destructive to social cohesion apparent?
� What events triggered the violence?
� Was there an obviously identifiable aggressor?
� What were the stages of the escalation of violence?
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