Women s Empowerment. - a Roadmap to Peace in Palestine. Report from a Bridge-building seminar in Jericho, Palestine December 2007

Transcription

1 Women s Empowerment - a Roadmap to Peace in Palestine Report from a Bridge-building seminar in Jericho, Palestine December 2007 Organised and facilitated by Operation 1325 and WI AM Conflict Resolution Centre in Bethlehem. Funded by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2 Abstract The Swedish umbrella organisation Operation 1325 and the WI AM Conflict Resolution Centre in Bethlehem organised a Workshop in Jericho, Palestine December 2007 where different peace and women s organisations met to train and discuss their strengths and abilities for possible mobilisations and joint peace actions in the region. 22 women representatives from 10 different Palestinian peace and women s organisations gathered in four intensive days to exchange ideas and experiences, to listen and learn from each other, to find new methods and tools to work more effectively in order to set up strategies for possible collaboration. The starting point of the workshop was to introduce UN Security Council Resolution 1325(2000) on Women, Peace and Security which is an important instrument that not just only opens up for support, cooperation and networking on peace building between different peace agents, but which also allows peace and women s organisations to work on a more legitimate and recognised level. The seminar was co- facilitated by Lucy Talgieh, Sawsan Tweme and Sammy Kirreh from the WI AM Conflict Resolution Centre in Bethlehem. The aims of the seminar were the fallowing: -Listen and learn from our experiences and strategies for peace -Empower women on resolution 1325, by Logical Framework Approach- the Appreciative Approach -Discuss and map out future cooperation on resolution Networking Photo: Saba Nowzari

3 Contents Women building bridges as Peace Agents Women, Peace and Security for what reason? Operation 1325 s work on Women, Peace and Security The purpose of the Workshop in Palestine Organisation Gallery The Jerusalem Centre for Women (JCW) The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD) The Palestinian Centre for Peace and Democracy (PCPD) TAM Women Media & Development Holy Land Trust Palestine (HLT) Women s International League for Peace and Freedom the Palestinian section (WILPFP) Rural Women s Development Society (RWDS) WI AM the Conflict Resolution Centre Jericho Benevolent Women s Society (JBWS) Introducing Resolution 1325 The hopes and fears Understanding resolution 1325 Putting forward the importance of the resolution in Palestine Responding to conflict Back to resolution 1325 women as peacemakers in Palestine Introducing the logical framework approach with an appreciative approach Force Field Analysis making the challenges possible by targeting the resources Reporting back from group work using the tool Appreciative Inquiry Approach looking ahead Rapporteur: Saba Nowzari Reference Group: Lucy Talgieh - WI AM Conflict Resolution Centre Anna Sundén,, Karin Axelsson Zaar, Ragnhild Greek, Carin Gardbring Operation 1325 Organised by Operation 1325 and WI AM Conflict Resolution Centre in Bethlehem. Funded by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Operation 1325 is responsible for the content of this report. Photo: Saba Nowzari, Operation 1325 and Sofia Häyhtiö, SEAPPI Layout: Nina Olsson and Saba Nowzari, Operation 1325 Operation 1325, March 2008

4 Women building bridges as Peace Agents Women, Peace and Security for what reason? Only if women play a full and equal part can we build the foundations for enduring peace, development, good governance, human rights and justice. 1 Since the end of the cold war, there has been an alteration of the means and characters of war and conflict. What we are challenged by today is nevertheless the same. The causes and effects have emerged from the same root where the first war arose from. Hence, the reasons of war and conflict still include poverty, the struggle for scarce resources, violations of human rights, and especially the deviation of women s place in society which is something that is not always fully recognized. The sources of war and conflict are vaster than just power and land-profilation. Those that are subjected to violence still have pretty much the same tragic future in common. Nonetheless, the impact of war and conflict hits women disproportionately. This is acknowledged by different international studies and resolutions. The scarcity of this point of view is that it often stops there by just confirming 1 UN Security Resolution 1325(2000) on Women, Peace and Security, page 1 women s fragile state in wartime. The importance of women s equal participation in decision-making processes is seldom highlighted. One of the most important UN Security Council Resolution, which accredits the above mentioned statement, is 1325(2000) on Women, Peace and Security that not only affirms women s fragile situation during war and conflict, but also reaffirms women s important, and yet often unrecognized role, in all work related to peace and security. This resolution, resolution 1325, identifies the importance of women s preventive role and important contribution to the maintenance and promotion of peace and stresses the vitality of women s full participation in the peace process. Resolution 1325 calls for an increased role, participation and influence of women through the whole peace process; in conflict prevention, in conflict management and after conflict in the restructuring of society. Resolution 1325 is unique in the sense that it is the first document to affirm and highlight the work for peace that women have pursued much longer than the resolution has existed. Yet, it is up to different actors, both governmental and non-governmental to take actions in order to implement the aims and goals of resolution 1325 around the world. The resolution on 4

5 Women, Peace and Security is an explicit room for changes which brings an opportunity to enhance actions, actions that organisations within the peace and women s movement have to make use of. Operation 1325 s work on Women, Peace and Security Despite the fact that many studies show that there has been taken several steps towards an implementation of the resolution, women still form a minority of those who participate in peace and security negotiations. Moreover, they receive less attention than men in contemporary peace negotiations, post-conflict agreements, disarmament, demobilisation and reconstruction. The fact that resolution 1325 still is unknown by many, even though it was 8 years since it was internationally introduced, is an additional challenge. With that in mind, a number of peace and women s organisations met in Sweden 2003 to discuss possible ways to contribute to the implementation of resolution Photo: Saba Nowzari The participants agreed on creating a network which would have the implementation of resolution 1325 as its main goal, both nationally and internationally. This network became an umbrella organisation 2006 and is called Operation It is constituted by five Swedish peace and women s organisations and reaches out to more than 1 million women in Sweden. The purpose of the Workshop in Palestine Photo: Saba Nowzari Since 2006, Operation 1325 strives for challenging contemporary structures in order to make a difference when it comes to women s participation and involvement in processes, institutions and mechanisms dealing with peace and security issues as well as prevention of conflict. One method used to reach the aimed goals is training and capacity- building work. It aims towards the concept of Women as Peace Agents. The idea is to train women with diverse backgrounds, origins and experiences. The training is based on a training manual that brings together facts and exercises on mediation, negotiation, conflict 5

6 analysis, and gender equality. It seeks to create awareness amongst women by providing and equipping them with the necessary tools and knowledge they need in order to be well-prepared for participation in decision-making and negotiation processes on peacerelated issue. Ever since this initiative started, the training method has expanded and includes nowadays organizations, methods and experiences from women s groups active in conflict or post-conflict areas. The aim is to map out and recognize different peace and women s organisations in conflict areas in order to create a stronger bonding between them, but also to support them in their work for the empowerment of women in the region. With this overall perspective in mind, Operation 1325 arranged in March 2007 a seminar in Istanbul, Turkey for women and peace activists from Israel, Palestine and Sweden. The outcome of the seminar involved several intrinsic suggestions on how to work with the resolution in a more effective way. At the same time, the participants recognized the need for further discussions in the view of the disastrous situation many Palestinians face everyday in the Middle East. In the light of this important statement, Operation 1325 arranged a workshop for Palestinian women and peace activist together with WI AM Conflict Resolution Centre in order to enable a platform for discussion and most importantly exchanging ideas in order to embark relevant and concrete plans. 6

7 Organisation Gallery The Jerusalem Centre for Women (JCW) It is our goal to stand up to the unjust occupation, oppression, war, apartheid, humiliation, and poverty affecting Palestinian women. Simultaneously, we seek to advance a women s perspective in peace-building with political principles based on respect for human rights, mutual trust, and morality. 2 Photo: Sofia Häyhtiö The Jerusalem Centre for Women is a Palestinian non-governmental women s centre located in East Jerusalem working for the advancement of women and human rights in the region, which amongst other things includes a commitment to a solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. JCW is devoted to enhancing and moving forward joint peace initiatives despite the complex and ever-changing political situation. In the wake of rising political frustrations, JCW remains committed to developing relationships with Israeli peace groups and other organizations who share their vision for a peaceful resolution. As was stressed by JCW s representative at the workshop, women s oppression is borderless in this case, thus besides the occupation, women are also oppressed by the patriarchal system in both societies. The JCW sees its mission as seeking to provide Palestinian women with training opportunities in developing democracy, human rights, advocacy, and other activism skills in order to improve women s status and their role in Palestinian society. This task is mainly realized through programs such as the Peace Building Program and the Female Youth Leadership Development. 2 The quote is taken from JCW website 7

8 The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD) It goes without saying that politics is part of the daily life in Palestine and that real empowerment must involve women in all aspects of life. As one of the most foregoing organisations, PWWSD was founded already in 1981 in Palestine and is today an established feminist organisation that is completely integrated into civil society and represents an inseparable part of the democratic women s development movement, locally, regionally, and internationally. It sees its mission as strengthening and empowering women in order to involve them in the political, social and economic fields. Photo: Sofia Häyhtiö Amongst other things, PWWSD has established several Community Centres for Women and Children in order to engage women, children and youth in the communities. Moreover, the organisation is also committed in working towards eliminating marginalisation, poverty and violence practiced against women as well as resisting the Israeli occupation and fundamental trends. This not only shows the overall work PWWSD carries out but also its ability to accomplish concrete results in different communities. The Palestinian Centre for Peace and Democracy (PCPD) As an organisation dedicated to the active involvement of all Palestinian people in their community, society and government, PCPD seeks to initiate debates and discussions; to organise training courses to reinforce the values and culture of democracy and genuine peace; and to empower women. At the workshop one representative of the PCPD acknowledged the great challenge the organisation is facing due to the siege and closures that are imposed upon Palestinian cities. Despite the fact that the roads are closed and that the communication is limited, PCPD has maintained contact with most Palestinians and governorates of the West Bank. As the 8

9 representative put it, PCPD is persistent to achieve its missions in reaching the marginalized groups in Palestinian society. PCPD is currently working with projects such as; the Civil Society and Democracy Program which involves the consolidation of the Palestinian civil society and the women s rights project; and The Women Program which entails developing leadership and administrative skills but also consolidation of women s political role. also works on developing the ethical and technical skills of media people. As one of the representatives of TAM mentioned, women in media are usually seen through stereotypes where they are marginalized socially, politically and so on. One of TAM s projects deals with this very issue. Through the project Women Oral History, TAM aims at highlighting Palestinian women who have succeeded in defying and changing the status quo. This is realised by giving women the opportunity to talk about their outstanding roles in Palestinian society. In this way, women s voices are heard and a platform for changes is established. The outcome not only changes the view of women, but also brings self-esteem and creates a space for expression. Photo: Sofia Häyhtiö TAM Women Media & Development We work with and trough media, letting the people of Palestine share their stories TAM stands for ''Tanmiyet wa iaâlam al Mar ah'', or Women, Media & Development. Since 2004, the organization has worked with changing the image of women in the media as there is an obvious lack of a gender perspective. TAM focuses on women s empowerment by promoting gender issues, democracy and human rights through media. The organisation Holy Land Trust Palestine (HLT) Holy Land Trust was established 1998 in Bethlehem in order to fulfil its goal to strengthen and improve the lives of families and communities in Palestine. The aim was and is to approach the goal by introducing various programs focused on community development, peace and reconciliation, non-violence training and so on. The organisation reaches out mainly through the Palestine Network News who offers the latest news to all members within the network. 9

10 Women s International League for Peace and Freedom the Palestinian section (WILPFP) Photo: Saba Nowzari Moreover, HLT organizes alternative travels and encounters that also offer a historical background in order to create an understanding for the Palestinian situation. Within the nonviolence department HLT has a women s program where the aim is to empower women in non-violence resolutions. The Palestine Section of WILPF was established in 1988 and has since then been working alongside WILPF International s agenda. WILPF was founded as an international organization to work globally, with its arms in individual countries and towns. The organization works to make women aware of their potentials and unique skills they have, and also Photo: Saba Nowzari of their responsibilities they must assume, to identify the root causes of conflict, prevent war and build peace. WILPF puts emphasis on the linkages among economic, social and cultural issues, and conflict, production and 10

11 sales of arms and war. It works therefore for economic and social justice and the promotion and protection of individual and collective human rights and the rights of women. The main work of WILPF and the Palestinian section is to provide the international community with information, statements and factfinding missions about the current situation in Palestine. The principle aim of WILPFP is the ending of the Israeli occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian state. One of the most important missions of WILPFP is to not only portrait how women become victims of war and conflict, but also the active and crucial role they play in the Middle East. Rural Women s Development Society (RWDS) The Palestinian women do know about their situation but some do still need support, especially the areas with a lot of checkpoints where people are isolated 3 The Rural Women s Development Society is a non-profit organization affiliated with the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC). Its mission is to upgrade the economic, social, and political conditions of the Palestinian women living in the countryside. The main goal of RWDS is to strive at organising rural women and build their capacity in order to enable them to defend their rights and interests. Photo: Saba Nowzari This goal is carried out through, amongst other things, the promotion of the rural women s production abilities by income-generating opportunities, training and education; by facilitating the rural women s outreach to the decision-making circles in governmental and non-governmental organizations and so on. RWDS operates about 150 women community-based centres (clubs) in the West Bank as well as the Gaza Strip. These clubs give women small credits to start a business and help them to market their products. They also offer support for further educational opportunities, hence the villages are often conservative societies that limit women s professional development. 3 The view of WILPF Palestine s representative at the workshop 11

12 WI AM the Conflict Resolution Centre The Palestinian Conflict Resolution Centre is known as "Wi'am", which means "cordial relationships" in Arabic. The Centre helps to resolve disputes within the Palestinian community by complementing the traditional Arab form of mediation, called Sulha, with Western models of conflict resolution. The Palestinian National Authority is being implemented bit by bit, at best. One of the consequences of this situation is that there is no clear means of resolving disputes within the Palestinian community. It is in this context that the Wi'am Centre continues its operation. WI AM has since 1995 established a women s group where women can meet in order to exchange experience and adopt new things. The activities are mainly based on art classes, workshops, training in women s rights etc. The latter is also held in different villages with vocational training. Jericho Benevolent Women s Society (JBWS) Photo: Saba Nowzari JBWC was one of the first women s organisations to be established in Jericho. Since 1963, JBWC has been working with women by; raising their awareness; helping them in their professions by creating job opportunities; and defying them against domestic violence. This work is mainly organized by the educational department which also administrates a day-care and a school with 700 students. JBWC is today constituted by 120 women members who have access to an internet coffee only for women, exhibitions and educational programs such as hairdressing and cooking. Photo: Sofia Häyhtiö Our Kitchen is a project where women cook traditional dishes and sell them in different markets. At the workshop, JBWC representatives believe that participation in networks, training, workshops, and exhibitions can only contribute to participation in society. 12

13 Introducing resolution 1325 Understanding Resolution 1325 Photo: Sofia Häyhtiö The hopes and fears Before the organisers started to address the aims and goals of the workshop, the participants were asked to write down and discuss their hopes and fears for the workshop. The most protruding remarks on the fears were the risk of not following up, not implementing what has been learnt, and not to produce enough. The hopes were to exchange opportunities, future networking and to learn about the resolution on women, peace and security. The participants were asked to do the same exercise at the end of the workshop. The purpose of this exercise was to see if and how the women changed their point of view. At the end, the practice can also be seen as a form of evaluation for the organisers but also an opportunity for the women to see their opinions before and after training. In order to increase the participants knowledge about women, peace and security through resolution 1325 and by that creating a platform for possible ways to use it, the women were asked to read the different paragraphs of the resolution and pick out 4-5 which they believed are important for their cause and for their nation. The organisers did not simply want the participants to adapt and learn about the resolution, but rather to create an opportunity where they themselves could analyse and reflect on which paragraphs they believe are appropriate for their work in the region. In this way they hoped to create a connection between the resolution and the participants so that they could recognise themselves with the resolution. Photo: Saba Nowzari

14 To generate importance, interest and contiguousness is as important as putting across a message. Putting forward the importance of the resolution in Palestine The first group started by sharing a general thought by questioning if the resolution can be implemented at all or rather to whom UN is accountable for when it comes to the resolution. This question was put forward partly because of the current situation in Palestine where Israel neglects other UN resolutions and partly because of the general role of Civil Society Organisations. Who is the watch dog? On the other hand, the group believed that the resolution is an important tool to work with in the Palestinian society despite these remarks. All groups found the paragraphs, 1,7,8,9 and 11 to be the most important ones to implement on a national level but also by civil society. Legitimating women s position in different decision-making processes is a prerequisite for their empowerment. Most groups considered therefore paragraph 1 as being the one that should be implemented nationally and by civil society. The protection of women s rights, as paragraph 9 appoints, is also a crucial point that should be taken in count. As one of the participants put it, the civil society can exert pressure through NGO: s on the government to respect international law. Likewise paragraph 8, which calls on the need of adopting a gender perspective when different parties are negotiating and implementing peace agreements. Hitherto, there have been very poor measures taken to support local women s peace initiatives in Palestine. Photo: Sofia Häyhtiö 14

15 One other important notion was that when organizations within civil society address or work with the resolution, they should dismantle it by workshops, training, seminars, lobbying and by working with the media. In this way the UN resolution 1325 becomes more than just a concept. Palestine is in spite of everything, not considered as an official state which makes it difficult to understand the circumstances of the resolution. As one participant put it, the Palestinian president has recognized resolution 1325, but there is no obligation to go through with it because Palestine does not officially exist. This question also led to the issue of how to measure if there is an impact on the women and society in general, because according to JCW s representative, this is what most of the women s organisations already do. Another issue brought up by one participant was the possible division between political and civil society. Is it possible to approach resolution 1325 by different strategies? Civil society has been working with these issues for ages. The problem is that Palestinian civil society is in a way established by different political parties. The working structure is therefore similar to the political ones. This is one of the reasons why women still are afraid to take part. On the other hand, there is a huge gap between women taking part in political parties and women in civil society. As one of the participants pointed out, the political leaders had already their own agenda at the 2006 elections. They were not aware of the agendas of different women s grassroots. The participant simply said that they have to reconstruct the political agendas and point them towards the needs of the women. Paragraph 8 in resolution 1325 is the very tool. It should be added that empowering men to understand women s affecting part in society is as important as creating awareness amongst women. 15

16 Responding to conflict Sammy Kirreh from the WI AM Conflict Resolution Centre led the second part of the workshop which dealt with the concept of peace and conflict. This part became a foundation for the means of approaching peace but also which perspectives that should be appropriate regarding to women s crucial role in society The idea behind discussing definitions lies in the understanding of what we talk about 4 Kirreh discussed the definition of conflict by interacting with the participants. To admit and search the background of the parties involved, is a way of addressing the conflict. When conflicts are addressed, the parties are dealing with them by managing them or settling them. Photo: Sofia Häyhtiö Photo: Saba Nowzari This theoretical part of the workshop aimed at combining theory with practice by the introduction of several group exercises. The intention was to create a state where the participants themselves could recognize the source of different conflicts. The aim was to examine the reasons laying beneath conflicts but also to find the right tools for reaction. The key questions dealt with; why do conflicts occur and with what tools should we transform them into peaceful conditions; if we understand the source of conflicts can we contribute to a peaceful solution? 4 Sammy Kirreh 16

17 The exercises were about recognizing one s owns actions and the limits of trusting one another. They were also about identifying and discussing peace front figures through history. Most importantly, the participants were given the opportunity to select and discuss a world conflict, modern or ancient, in order to identify its causes and settle possible means of resolving it (if it has not been resolved). At the end, the women analysed and mapped out the current conflict in the region. This helped them to understand the possible ways of approaching the conflict. Photo: Sofia Häyhtiö Back to resolution 1325 women as peacemakers in Palestine Introducing the logical framework approach with an appreciative approach The method Logical Framework Approach with an Appreciative Approach (LFA-AA) was introduced at the third part of the workshop. LFA-AA is a new working method for planning of projects, activities, cooperations etc. It is a working model for amongst other things workshops with the starting point in one s own organisation. Analytical methods normally turn up negatively, especially when the focus is set on the scarcities that slow down many results. With an appreciative approach, LFA brakes that tradition, generates appreciation from within and enables recognition concerning ones owns assets and abilities. Photo: Sofia Häyhtiö 17

18 In this way, the concentration is directed on what is actually working. Considering the ever-changing situation in Palestine, the participants needed to acknowledge the positive aspects of their work. This may change the view of the participants when it comes to the surrounding and the circumstances different attempts are built on. In order to reach concrete ideas on how to work with resolution 1325, there were several steps taken. The first one involved the recognition of resolution 1325 as being the overall goal. Then, each attendant was asked to answer questions such as, how do you experience the situation right now? What effects does this have on you/your organization? Once this exercise came through, the women entered into new groups in order to discuss their thoughts but also to frame what is working poorly and fairly as well as their hopes for the future. Even though there are a large number of marginalized women in Palestine and on top of that neither funds nor means to coup with this issue in a sufficient and serious manner, the participants do think that there are some project that work very well. The active participation of women is very clear for instant, and many times the initiative has already been taken. Some attendants were proud of the fact that there has been a women s committee working with gender issues since the 1920 s. In spite of everything, there are women working with awareness and empowerment programs within different NGO: s. The current situation gives us a motivation to keep the hope alive. The situation gives us the courage to continue and the challenge makes us harder. 5 On the issue of things working poorly or difficult to achieve, there is little reason to believe that a full implementation can be realized as long as the occupation continues. Women are simply not given the opportunity to be effective. The lack of security and the fact that women do suffer more because they are the first to loose their rights to education and working opportunities, are all realities that cannot be neglected. Photo: Sofia Häyhtiö 18

19 A full protection fails even more due to the patriarchal system in Israel and Palestine. Then, there is the earlier stressed issue on women in the parliament. Some participants stated that the women do not work for the cause of other women. It was felt that this is highly connected to the centralisation of the internal decision-making structures. Another participant expressed her feelings towards the concept of women s empowerment and presented a clarification. To empower women means to raise awareness amongst all women, even those that already are involved in different political parties, because most of the time women are marginalized within the frames of the political party as well. They only address the party s agenda and almost never women s issues or gender. 6 Photo: Sofia Häyhtiö To find the tools on how to cope with traditional structures without being forced to adapt them is one of the 5 The statement of one participant 6 The statement of one participant challenges women s organisations face when it comes to programs dealing with decision-making processes. Further on, there is a dilemma between different donors agenda and the agenda of local peace movements. Many times, there is a pressure on the latter to incorporate outlines that do not fully correspond with their aims. One such example is when donors contribute with funding on projects focused on how to deal with the occupation and not how to end it. Despite the above mentioned, many do believe in a brighter future. Effective participation without quotation in different peace processes and political decision-making positions, is one example. The ending of the occupation is evidently a first prerequisite which should be followed up by more women and young people in leadership and decision-making positions. Then it is of course the increased empowerment of women concerning their rights and more occasions to lobby on the national and the international level to implement resolution One participant mentioned the importance of documentary through media which she believed constitutes an important mechanism for documenting human rights violations. On the other hand, media is not giving an accurate picture of the conflict and the circumstances many Palestinians are living under. That is 19

20 why there should be more investments in media training, documentary and providing funds to reinforce the Palestinian media and with it the importance of a gender perspective. Force Field Analysis making the challenges possible by targeting the resources When negative and positive statements were presented, the organisers raised the question if there is a possibility that these can interact. One suggestion that came up was, amongst other things, the combination of media and tourism where the earlier can be used as a tool for documenting stories about the Palestinian people. One of the most important roles of women s organisations is to face the stereotypes within the media and try to change the images of women. Another interaction can be possible when local organisations impose their agendas on the donors by influencing them to go towards their aims and goals. Photo: Sofia Häyhtiö The third step of LFA was to recognize what resources the women and their organization possess. Participants were asked to sit alone quietly for couple of minutes and search their memories for an experience that was a success or a concrete situation that occurred Through the activities we find ourselves and where we are 7 Photo: Ragnhild Greek recently in which they felt that their own organisation went well. The purpose was to target the resources within the participants organisation and not only the things that do not work. The resources that came up turned to be quite many but most importantly, they gave a picture of what sources other organisations have, estimation on how to support the organisational work concerning resolution 1325, and the importance of networking. As one participant put it: 7 Statement of one participant 20

21 Reporting back from group work using the tool Appreciative Inquiry Approach looking ahead With the help of the LFA approach, the final part was set to bring forth concrete short term goals that will help the participants to achieve the overall goal in their work. Later on, the participants also discussed actions and activities that should be taken in order to reach the short time goals. Most of the organisations worked together in order to bring forth ideas that could make networking possible. Two organisations presented the overall goal as empowering and strengthening women within their communities in order to raise their participation in decision-making levels as well as in different peace processes. The short time goal is to create a youth parliament in Palestine which will be lead by young women leaders. This goal is achieved by targeting 50 young females between the ages at different schools. By training them in women s political, social and cultural rights and conflict resolution with nonviolent methods, the organisation believes that this project is a realistic possibility. Other organisations saw the overall goal as creating awareness on resolution 1325 in Palestine. This ought to be put forward through the short term goal to create a team of trainers consisting of 25 women. The outcome Photo: Saba Nowzari should include a chain reaction where each trainer is supposed to train 20 other women about resolution A third team of organisations had the same overall goal but chose to focus on providing with lessons and training on women s basic rights. The focal point of all these suggestions is unfortunately the lack of funding. The women do need some kind of funding in order to arrange training sessions and locate women or coordinate 21

22 organised trips so that women are capable of attending. This is hopefully where the organisations can make use of each other s knowledge and experience but also work together in order to overcome at least some of the challenging barriers. The purpose of this joint action was to enable a platform for discovering ones own assets and abilities and not to deliver statements or large-scale action plans in that extent. To provide the necessary tools for the participants to elaborate on their own actions became as one important aspect of the workshop. To meet and analyse what they could make of this workshop became consequently a result per se. The next step may be networking 8 There was a clear wish of a follow-up where the participants can meet again and hopefully this time also with Israeli organisations. With these last wishful words, the WI AM Conflict Resolution Centre and Operation 1325 would like to thank all the participating women and organisations for their efforts and will to create a successful and peaceful future. 8 Statement of one participant 22

23 What is Operation 1325? Operation 1325 is an umbrella organization gathering five organizations from the Swedish Women s and Peace movement. The member organizations are: Swedish Ecumenical Women s Council The Federation of International Associations for Immigrant Women UNIFEM Sweden Women for Peace Women s International League for Peace and Freedom - the Swedish section We also collaborate closely with the Swedish Women s Lobby. The aim is to contribute to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325:2000 through information, advocacy and training- and capacity-building both in Sweden and other countries. Do you want to know more about us? Please visit our web site send an to the Administrative director at info@operation1325.se or call us on Operation 1325 Gamla Brogatan 27 SE Stockholm Sweden 23