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Let's Talk Peace!

20 October 2014

We attended the Geneva Peace Talks in Geneva at the United Nations to find out how communication tools, techniques, and channels can contribute to resolving conflict. We met speakers from all over the world with different backgrounds and from different sectors, like science, art, and business. They shared their inspiring stories and practical solutions to resolve conflict and how they could play a role in peace process.

TWO COUNTRIES, TWO PEOPLE, ONE PROFESSION

One of the stories we would like to share with you is about two photojournalists from Israel and Palestine, who showed us how they broke boundaries and cultural taboos with their photos and their friendship.

Mati Milstein, used to be a checkpoint soldier at the border between Israel and Palestine, trained to kill people from Palestine. One day he decided to change his life and now is an Israeli Jewish photojournalist, working in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel. On the other side, Eman Mohammed grew up in a permanent war zone and hatred. She spent all her life in Palestine and is Gaza’s only photojournalist.

One day Eman crossed the border to Israel and met her Israeli colleague, realizing that her neighbours were no monsters like she has been told so many times. The process of establishing their cross-cultural friendship was not an easy one, heated discussions were followed by their attempt to make their point of view understood by “the enemy’s side”.

CROSSING BOUNDARIES

Now, these two photojournalists work and grow together, teaching us how essential it is to go back to the roots of the conflict and try to understand your counterpart in order to build peace. This story was particularly interesting for us, as we are actively involved in the peace process in Palestine. We demand an integration of a Human Rights perspective as well as the protection of women in accordance with UNSCR 1325, 2122 and CEDAW GR30. To find out more about our work in Palestine read our Blog about our side event at the latest Human Rights Council session in September!

HOW TO TALK PEACE?

There are various other ways to personally overcome the challenges of communication in peacebuilding and peace negotiations. As an artist performing peace, an interpreter choosing the right words for peace or a mediator understanding both sides for peace and many more.

For nearly 100 years we have been working to end and prevent war, ensuring that women are represented at all levels in a peace-building process. In 2015, we will bring together women peacemakers from all over the world in The Hague, celebrating our 100th Anniversary. We would be happy if you could join us as well.

We believe that every person has a role to play in peace. What is your role in peacemaking? Share your experience with us! female wrestling

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Thank you!

Melissa Torres

VICE-PRESIDENT

Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.

Jamila Afghani

VICE-PRESIDENT

Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

PRESIDENT

Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.

WILPF Afghanistan

In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region. 

IPB Congress Barcelona

WILPF Germany (+Young WILPF network), WILPF Spain and MENA Regional Representative

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Demilitarisation

WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.

Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.

Militarised masculinity

Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.

WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.

Feminist peace​

In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.

In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.

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