May 24 celebration in South Korea
Report on the public event to celebrate International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament in South Korea – by Gyunglan Jung and Minjung Choi
In South Korea, Women Making Peace has celebrated International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament through seminars; statement issuance for peace and against war; peace vigils; and sending milk powder to North Korean children individually or with other groups.
This year, the 1325 Network, together with Women Making Peace, organized a public event at the National Human Rights Commission of Korea on May 22. The Korean Foundation for Women sponsored the event. The title of the event was “UNSCR 1325 and Korean Women”.
Currently, the South Korean government is developing a National Action Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (NAP 1325). Since January this year, the 1325 Network has been actively engaged in this process. It consists of 43 CSOs, including Women Making Peace, Korean Women’s Associations United, Korea YWCA, and Korea Women’s Hot Line. The network urged the South Korean government to organize a consultative body among the South Korean government, civil society organizations and academics in order to jointly develop the NAP. Currently the government considers organizing a UNSCR 1325 working group as a consultative body.
South Korea is a UN Security Council non-permanent member; one of the executive board members of UN Women; the 10th highest donor country to UN PKO budgets; an OECD-Development Assistance Committee (DAC) member and a member of Friends of 1325. A South Korean NAP on UNSCR 1325 will hence be very influential nationally and internationally, as it will have great effects on women in South and North Korea, troop dispatching countries and developing countries that South Korea assists.
The objectives of the May 24 public event focused on identifying the meaning of a South Korean NAP in the context of a divided Korea; exploring the directions of the South Korean women’s activities to implement UNSCR 1325 by reviewing NAPs of other countries; and making suggestions for women’s participation in the process of developing the NAP.
At the public event, Mr. Luis Teodoro Cruz, the Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines, gave congratulatory remarks and Ms. Sanghee Kim, chairwoman of the Committee on Gender Equality and Family of the National Assembly, sent a congratulatory message to the conference. Ambassador Luis Cruz underlined that the Philippines was the first country to adopt a National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 in Asia. “The Philippine Action Plan calls for a close collaboration between government institutions and civil society groups to fully comply with the government’s commitment to increase participation in peace processes and address sexual violence against women in armed conflict situations.” He also expressed his support for the South Korean women’s endeavor to come up with a NAP.
Congresswoman Sanghee Kim pointed out that the South Korean National Assembly passed a resolution in February 2012, urging the South Korean government to adopt a NAP 1325. In December 2012, the South Korean government adopted the 4th Basic Plan on Women’s Policy, which included the development of a NAP as one of the tasks. She asked women to actively work for reducing tensions on the Korean peninsula and divert a confrontation between North and South Korea.
At the presentation, Ms. Hyunsook Lee, Executive Director of Women’s Forum for Peace and Diplomacy, and Gyunglan Jung, co-representative of Women Making Peace, gave presentations to the public. Ms. Hyunsook Lee gave a presentation on “Overcoming Division of the Korean Peninsula and National Action Plan on UN Security Council Resolution 1325”. She pointed out that the South Korean context was not properly reflected in the draft NAP, underlining Korea’s divided situation and its experience with sexual violence during World War II. Women suffered seriously from various conflicts, mentioning war widows, Japanese sexual slavery, women in sex industry near US military bases and so on. Overcoming the division of Korea is connected with addressing women’s problems. Women should recognize that women’s lives are affected by peace and security sectors. She also underlined that men’s views have been repeatedly used within conflict resolution efforts between North and South for 60 years, but have not been effective. The current insecurity in Korea is proof of the failure of a male centered diplomacy and security policy. Women should raise attention for this problem and work as peacemakers.
Ms. Gyunglan Jung gave a presentation on “National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 and Women’s Participation”. She stressed the importance of women’s participation in the peace process. “Women’s participation in peace processes is a right of women, as they represent half of the population and will have positive influence on the parameters of politics, economy, security and socio-cultural reforms in a post conflict society.” She urged South Korean women to actively participate in the process of developing a South Korean NAP and suggested to develop a women’s vision on peace or a people’s vision on peace. She gave examples of women’s active participation in developing a NAP in the Philippines and the Netherlands. She made three suggestions on women’s participation in the process: broad networking, thematic approaches on peacekeeping, peace processes, sexual violence and humanitarian assistance, and governance structures based on UNSCR 1325.
Four discussants gave comments on the presentations. Ms. Eunjoo Kim, Director of the Center for Korean Women & Politics, criticized the South Korean NAP draft for not reflecting the South Korean context and underlined that the process of developing and implementing a 1325 NAP should be a process to promote peace sensibility and women’s participation in peace making and human security.
Mr. Daehoon Lee, member of the UN Advisory Group on Women, Peace and Security in the Asia and Pacific Region, emphasized that in developing the Nation Action Plan, there is a need to consult with all stakeholders and groups concerned and collect their opinions. In addition, equal and just international relations need to be considered for the compliance with all international human rights and international humanitarian laws for adopting an effective and participatory National Action Plan.
Ms. Elli Kim, professor of the Ehwa Institute for Leadership Development, raised a question on how 1325 NAP will change women’s lives under the current security paradigm, which is not a peace paradigm. She commented on the importance of qualitative change in women’s lives through the development of a NAP. “Development of a NAP should draw not only on the increase of numbers of women in participation but also on the quality change of women’s lives.”
Ms. Soonduk Woo, co-representative of the Alliance for the Human Rights of Gijichon Women, pointed out that the South Korean government constructed Gijichon (US military camp in the South Korea) for the US military in South Korea after the Korean War. She urged the NAP to include the South Korean government’s support to Gijichon Women.
Participants came to the conclusion that women need to actively participate in the process of developing the NAP as peacemakers and to empower women’s capacity.
WPP May 24 publication launch
A packed Humanity House for the May 24 public event
To celebrate May 24 – International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament – the Women Peacemakers Program, in cooperation with Humanity House, organized the public event “Peace: Men & Women as Allies”.
Over 15 activists, men and women from all over the world, shared their personal story on gender-sensitive active nonviolence from a masculinities perspective with a packed Humanity House.
A speech contextualizing the work on masculinities from a feminist perspective and two panel discussions, the first focusing on men and women working as allies for gender-sensitive peacebuilding and the second highlighting the different regional contexts of working on masculinities and advancing women’s leadership within peacebuilding, informed the public on the theory and practices of the theme.
Here are some quotes of the speakers:
“No talking masculinities without feminisms” – Anand Pawar, India
“As we interact as a man and woman in a respectful manner, I have seen a change in the community, as we are a role model for working together” – Seconde Nyanzobe, Burundi
“If we raise our children with violence and wean them with aggression, they will have no appetite for peace” – Alimou Diallo, Guinee
“First we as women did not see the added value of working with men, but the transformation of the young men by the training of WPP convinced us”- Netsai Mushonga, Zimbabwe
Isabelle Geuskens receiving the May 24 publication from Joost Andriessen
The evening also marked the launch of the annual WPP May 24 Publication – “Men and Women working as Partners for Gender-Sensitive Active Nonviolence. Stories from the Field” – by Joost Andriessen, Director Stabilisation and Humanitarian Aid Department of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This year’s publication features the personal stories of men trained on gender-sensitive active nonviolence and reflections of pioneering women peacemakers on the stories of the men.
“With UNSCR 1325 as the cornerstone for involving women in peace processes, the International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament becomes more acknowledged. I encourage WPP to carry on their work, because recognition of women’s leadership in peacebuilding has still a long way to go.” – Joost Andriessen, the Netherlands
The WPP May 24 Publication 2013 can be retrieved here: http://www.womenpeacemakersprogram.org/May%20Pub%202013%20web.pdf
May 24 – International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament.
As every year, the Women Peacemakers Program celebrates the International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament on May 24. This day is important to us, as it highlights a key component of UNSCR 1325: It pays tribute to the important work of women peace activists all over the world, who work in difficult environments as agents of change for peace in their communities.
Working together for peace
On the occasion of this year’s May 24, we also think about all the violent conflicts in the world – some make the headlines; some don’t – and commend the women who work in these violent environments for nonviolent solutions and simultaneously strive for gender equality, often at the expense of their own safety. In their work, they bravely challenge social norms that promote the use of violence and militarism to settle conflict.
The message of May 24 is not only by and for women and the women’s peace movement –it is a message about creating sustainable peace for all. And as allies of women activists, men have an important role to play – and much to gain – in sharing and promoting this message.
In 2009, WPP started with a pilot Training of Trainers (ToT) Cycle, entitled “Overcoming Violence: Exploring Masculinities, Violence and Peacebuilding” to train male peace activists in the field of gender-sensitive active nonviolence and integrating a masculinities perspective in their work for peace and gender justice. The training focused particularly on the importance of men working together as allies with the women’s peace movement. This year’s edition of the annual WPP May 24 publication features the stories of the male trainees, who reflect on the impact of this training cycle on their personal lives and professional work. The men’s testimonies pay tribute to the power of transformation that lies in gender-sensitive active nonviolence.
On May 28, the WPP, in cooperation with Humanity House in The Hague, will launch its publication during a public event, called ‘Peace: Men & Women working as Allies’.
WPP partners from all over the world will be sharing their experiences in the field of gender-sensitive peacebuilding and working together as allies for the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. Over 70 people will be present, including representatives of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and civil society representatives of the Dutch Women, Peace and Security field. You can find more information on the event here.
Sneak Preview May 24 publication
The activists will also participate in the WPP Global Consultation Meeting in The Hague, which takes place between 26 and 29 May. A selection of trainees and trainers of the 2009-2010 ToT Cycle, as well as the recent Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Asia ToT Cycles (2011-2013) will share their views and experiences during the Consultation. The Consultation aims to assess the longer-term effects of the 2009-2010 pilot Training of Trainers and integrating a masculinities approach in gender-sensitive peacebuilding. Based on this joint analysis, a strategy forward will be created as to further develop this area of work during upcoming years.
Of course WPP is not the only organisation celebrating May 24. We are happy to highlight the public event of Women Making Peace, our partner in South Korea, which is organizing an event on UNSCR 1325 on May 22, together with UN representatives and representatives of civil society. In our next CtL you will be able to read more about this event. Another event will take place in Leicester, where civil society is organizing an anti-drones protest march on May 24. We look forward to hearing from you what you are planning to do for this year’s May 24, and wish you an inspiring International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament!
Masculinities in the Middle East
The past few years, the Middle East has witnessed an incredible amount of changes. The energy and the hope, generated by the people’s uprisings during the Arab Spring, came hand in hand with insecurity and instability in the region. The Middle East is amongst one of the least peaceful regions in the world, with the drop in rankings for the Arab countries reflecting the turbulence since the Arab Spring(1). The military spending in the Middle East rose by 8,4 per cent in 2012 to $138 billion (2).
In this highly militarized and conflict-ridden region, an excessive amount of discrimination and violence against women is taking place. While women have been on the forefront during the Arab Spring demonstrations, they faced sidelining and undermining of their rights during the aftermath of it. For example, sexual harassment has risen tremendously in Egypt.
CSO’s and women have been working for years to advance the position of women in the region. Recently, some human and women’s rights groups realized that a different strategy might be needed to strengthen their work for gender equality. In this highly patriarchal region, discussions have started about the role men can (and should) play in ending violence against women and eliminating gender inequality.
One of the forerunners in these discussions is the Lebanon-based group ABAAD – Resource Center for Gender Equality. Since 2011, the WPP has been partnering with ABAAD for its regional capacity building program in the Middle East, which included a regional Training of Trainers Cycle on masculinities and gender-sensitive active nonviolence (GSANV) and the organization of a consultation meeting to explore the relevance of regional networking for GSANV in the region.
On 10th and 11th April 2013, the WPP participated in a pioneering international seminar, organized by ABAAD, entitled “Masculinities and Ending Violence against Women in the Middle East and Abroad”. Participants came from Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sweden, South Africa and the USA to share their experiences and reflections on the topic. ABAAD shared its innovative and groundbreaking work on masculinities and ending violence in the region, including the establishment of a center for men in Beirut, as well as its work with religious leaders and youth in Lebanon.
The cultural meanings of being a “real man” in different cultural contexts as well as how societies teach their children to become women and men around the world were discussed during the meeting. Guest speakers Gary Barker and Oswaldo Montoya of Promundo and MenEngage, and Dean Peacock of Sonke Gender Justice Network offered insightful experiences from Brazil, South Africa and Nicaragua. Through audio and video material, they shared examples of male change makers who challenge the connection between violence and masculinities: men who refuse to abide by masculine norms that equate being a man with being strong, powerful, heterosexual, successful, and entitled to privileges over women. Change makers who don’t believe that men may use violence towards women, children, or other men if those people do not live up to social norms or if the men feel that they are being challenged.
During the seminar, participants were invited to discuss if and how they could engage men in their own work, and what kind of challenges and obstacles they face in doing this in their own context. The potential of and the need for engaging men in the region was highlighted by the participants. The various Arab male participants shared insights from their own experiences in the region as male change makers speaking out against violence against women. A Jordanian male activist shared how he clearly notices in his work that Arab culture “applauds women who stay calm while being subjects to violence, women who are patient and don’t speak out against it”. He shared how he encourages his female students to speak out when they are violated – in contrast to cultural expectations – because “nobody should stay in a pattern of violence”. The specific and strong role religious leaders play in the region was highlighted by various participants also.
At the closing comments, one participant reiterated the words of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish – the interconnectedness of the jailer and jailed and the sense that their destinies are inextricably – and related this to how women’s and men’s roles are linked and how both are ‘ victims of socialization’.
Future plans
To be able to share thoughts with people from so many different countries was an enriching experience. Participants emphasized the need to analyze the different strategies discussed – including the use of art, media and social media, and the collection of clear social, cultural and health data on the benefits of gender equality for men and boys, women and girls – and to strategize on how these can be adapted and used in our own context.
All the participants expressed a strong willingness to continue the discussions and networking in order to advance the work of engaging men in the MENA region. The WPP is looking forward to continue her work in the region with the various partners!
Next month, from 26-29 May, the WPP is organizing an Global Consultation meeting in The Hague, with several of its partners in the field of GSANV and masculinities coming together to discuss the impact in the field, as well as design a long-term strategy to continue this important area of work in upcoming years.
Early 2014, the WPP will organize another MENA Consultation to analyze specific needs in the region and decide collaboratively on a strategy to advance the work of gender sensitive active nonviolence in the region.
Please keep an eye on our website and Facebook for the latest updates!
Website of ABAAD: http://www.abaadmena.org/
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1 Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/jun/12/global-‐peace-‐index-‐2012
2 Source: http://www.sipri.org/media/pressreleases/2013/milex_launch
Celebrating the WPP Asia events with Ambassador de Zwaan
During the closing ceremony of the WPP Asia Training of Trainers cycle and the WPP Asia Consultation Meeting on 11 April, WPP and the WPP Asia network were honored by the presence of Ambassador of the Netherlands, his Excellency Tjeerd de Zwaan. His visit was a recognition of the hard and valuable work of the ToT participants and the WPP Asia network members in the field of peace and security. It enabled the network to thank the Dutch government for its support throughout the years. It was also a great opportunity to highlight the impact of a gender-sensitive active nonviolence approach in Asia.
The Closing Ceremony – on the right Ambassador de Zwaan
The Dutch Government has supported the Women Peacemakers Program ever since its establishment in 1997, and its support has been one of the certainties WPP could rely on in its ground-breaking work in the Women, Peace and Security field. It allowed the WPP to invest in capacity building programming for women peace activists and awareness-raising on women’s peace efforts and the importance of integrating a gender perspective in peacebuilding (UNSCR 1325).
Ambassador de Zwaan was welcomed by Isabelle Geuskens, WPP Director, and Carla June Natan, Chair of the Asia Mother Board. In her opening speech, Carla June Natan reflected on the two-day Asia Consultation Meeting. She noted that, although the members of the network work in different contexts, the similarities in challenges and opportunities reinforce the need for a strong gender-sensitive active nonviolent network in the region. The WPP Asia network is of an added value for the region, as it provides a space wher
e the activists can support each other in their passion and determination to achieve change. Carla stated that she has high hopes for the future and looks forward to the network’s activism in the upcoming years.
Isabelle Geuskens commended the pro-active approach of the Government of the Netherlands in the Women, Peace and Security field. According to the WPP Director, the innovative and flexible stance of the Dutch Government contributed greatly to the success of WPP’s work.
“Most importantly, the Dutch Government’s flexible approach as a donor has allowed WPP to remain a learning organization, one which is deeply rooted in the realities of activists’ life and work, and one which can be flexible in terms of responding to ever-changing political and social dynamics. This has enabled us to be innovative and introduce the concept of integrating a masculinities perspective in gender-sensitive peacebuilding, a completely new concept in our field of work since there was no previous track record to build on. Our successful pioneering in this area has contributed to the opening up of the women, peace and security agenda, and a growing awareness on the importance of working with gender-sensitive male allies in creating a more gender-just and peaceful world.”
Isabelle Geuskens invited the Asia network members and ToT participants to share experiences with gender-sensitive active nonviolence and the impact the WPP trainings had on their lives and communities. Examples ranged from being empowered as a young woman by WPP to organize a youth peace camp for girls in India; to introducing gender-sensitive active nonviolence to Indonesian media; to providing resource materials and support for working on positive masculinities in a conservative area in Pakistan.
Receiving the well-earned ToT certificates
Ambassador de Zwaan could relate to many of the participants’ testimonials as he himself has worked in countries such as India, Pakistan and Egypt. In his speech the Ambassador underlined the importance of empowering women in society, specifically in conflict situations. The Dutch Government has a long track record in funding and supporting women’s organisations to work for gender equality, female leadership and the implementation of UNSCR 1325. Looking at the future, stakeholders will need to explore new opportunities for the advancement of the women’s agenda. An example is the use of media, where he mentioned an Afghan radio station managed by women and producing radio programs for women, financially supported by the local Dutch Embassy. According to the Ambassador, working with masculinities is a relatively new area to advance the women’s agenda, and he applauded WPP for its pioneering role in this field. He was proud that the Dutch Government could contribute to the work of WPP, specifically in the Asia region. The Ambassador looked forward to hearing more of the WPP Asia network soon.
Following Ambassador de Zwaan’s speech, the ToT participants received their well-earned certificate for completing the Asia ToT on gender-sensitive active nonviolence. The participants spoke warmly about their colleagues, showing the bonds of friendship that developed during the program and the determination to work together for gender-sensitive peace.
The WPP team and the WPP Asia network would like to thank Ambassador de Zwaan for attending the closing ceremony of the events in Indonesia, and look forward to welcoming him at future events.
Reflections on the WPP Asia Consultation Meeting
WPP Asia Consultation Meeting. 10-11 April 2013
It was a joyous mix of reconnecting with old partners and meeting new members at the beginning of the WPP Asia Consultation Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Consultation Meeting took place after the closing of the 2012-2013 Asia Training of Trainers cycle. With the experience of older members of the Asia network and the new insights of the ToT participants, who also joined the Consultation, the two days together promised to be filled with connecting, reflecting, planning and strengthening the WPP Asia Network for the upcoming years.
Group photo with all the consultation partipants
The aim of the Consultation Meeting was to review the activities of the Asia network of the last two years, evaluate the network processes, and use these lessons to strategize for the next couple of years. The Consultation was designed in such a way as to enable full participation of all the attendants, who were encouraged to dream while remaining realistic about what could be achieved. The active participation and enthusiastic group dynamics resulted in the identification of a broad range of lessons learned, as well as challenges and opportunities for the WPP Asia network to take along for the upcoming years.
To support the internal reflection and planning process, it always helps to hear inspiring stories about women’s role in peacebuilding from fellow activists from the region. WPP invited Shadia Marhaban, the only female negotiator during the peace talks between the Government of Indonesia and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) of 2005, to talk about her experiences. Her story was very inspiring, stressing the fact that women’s participation should go beyond the negotiation table, and should also be included in the peacebuilding and reconstruction processes after the peace agreement has been signed. Apart from the peace talks, Shadia also shared practical tips and tricks for future negotiators, especially for female negotiators. She underlined that, in order to be able to demand for a gender-sensitive peace agreement, female negotiators have to be knowledgeable about international instruments on women’s participation in peacebuilding, such as UNSCR 1325, and need to have sufficient negotiation skills. Shadia’s experience touched many of the participants, who were very eager to talk to her after her presentation.
During the Consultation, we had many useful discussions about network dynamics and the different political challenges and opportunities arising in the Asia region. Drawing upon the experiences of participants who are also part of other network-settings, one of the discussions focused on the topic of “visibility with integrity”. Networks always face the dilemma of the need to be visible as a strong network – for donors, public outreach, and making an impact – and individual members’ need to be properly recognized in their identity as well as credited for their accomplishments. The importance of transparency in sharing information with the whole network was stressed, including the necessity to recognize and credit the work of all the stakeholders. The discussions provided a lot of valuable input for the network principles and internal procedures, and provided a sound basis for our future collaborations.
Presenting the visibility strategy and activities
One of the central activities during the Consultation was a joint SWOT analysis. The WPP Asia Network draws its strength from WPP’s 16 years experience with gender-sensitive peacebuilding and UNSCR 1325, and particularly its flexibility and courage to address new topics within the women, peace and security agenda, such as masculinities. In addition, the different areas of expertise of the network members, and the strong local/ national networks they are part of, provide a strong basis for regional mobilization for gender-sensitive active nonviolence. The growing attention for UNSCR 1325 and positive masculinities in the Asian region; the democratisation processes in several countries; and new communication and advocacy tools are several of the many opportunities emerging in the Asia region for the network to jump into. There are also internal weaknesses to address and external threats to divert, but the network members were determined to look at the future through the positive lenses of strengths and opportunities. We eventually used the SWOT analysis as the basis for developing comprehensive strategies and activities for the upcoming two years.
Together we identified three strategies and already came up with a list of concrete activities for the network. During the upcoming weeks these will be worked out in detail, but we would like to give you already a glimpse at what we are up to:
For consolidating the Asia network, both financially and practically, we will focus on establishing stronger ties between the members on a national and regional scale. Organizing capacity building on gender-sensitive active nonviolence will be a key point here. Through effective information exchange, including the appointment of national and sub-regional focal points, and an Asia mapping on UNSCR 1325, the members will be able to strengthen their connections. We are also looking into joint projects on gender-sensitive active nonviolence, with the possibility of organizing a network conference on masculinities and UNSCR 1325 in 2014! To increase our visibility, we explored how to best make use of social media and building an online platform to broaden our public outreach. So be prepared to hear more from us in the future!
All in all, the two days provided much food for thought! The face-to-face interactions made the event very successful. Just imagine: activists from countries such as Pakistan and India, South Korea and Indonesia, brainstorming, connecting and coming up with ideas for a strong gender-sensitive nonviolent network and impact in Asia.
Thank you, all the activists at the Consultation! We are looking forward to working with you in the near future!
Closing the Training of Trainers Cycle
An energetic sit-in during the role play
The 9th of April was the last day of the WPP Training of Trainers Cycle. A one-year cycle had come to an end, but not before participants shared many laughs during their nonviolent action exercise, and looked at the Asia regional training manual on this last day.
During the first session of the day, participants focused on the planning of nonviolent actions. The participants were divided into two groups. Each group had to think of a social or political problem in their country, and come up with a nonviolent action to address the injustice. After their brainstorming, the groups were asked to demonstrate their nonviolent action in a role-play. Both groups were very creative and made effective use of the training tools they had received over the course of this and last year’s training to plan a nonviolent action. Even the trainers and WPP staff ended up participating in the role plays, demonstrating the mass mobilization and energizing effects that come from active nonviolence. It was a great closure of the GSANV sessions of the Training of Trainers.
After a lot of laughs generated by the role-playing, the participants went into the final ToT session, which focused on the production of a training manual from the ToT Cycle. Trainees brainstormed about the specific elements that should be incorporated in the manual in order for it to be useful in their specific contexts.
One of the trainers, Netsai Mushonga from Zimbabwe, shared with us her ideas and thoughts about the 2013 Asia training and the Asia ToT cycle in general:
The trainers, Netsai and Raziq, preparing the final session
“I have just completed facilitating the follow-up Asia ToT training on Gender-Sensitive Active Nonviolence with participants from the Asian region. I am very hopeful after this follow-up training. The first training was held in the Philippines last year, where participants were introduced to active nonviolence. The first response from some of them was that it could not be done in Asia. However, after a year, participants were able to give cases of successful active nonviolence from their regions. Some had even participated in the activities. The whole mood of the training was positive, there was an undercurrent of excitement and determination with implementing gender-sensitive active nonviolence to challenge injustice and violence at all levels in their communities. As I leave for the airport, I am hopeful that WPP has planted seeds of peace in Asia. The seeds of active nonviolence are after all in India where Ghandi led the nonviolence struggle to get rid of the colonial government. I will continue to watch the space…”
From the systematization of the final evaluation questionnaire, we learned that the participants valued the ToT very much. They gave the training an average score of 8,5 out of 10! Here are some examples of the positive feedback we received:
“I do thank WPP for the great opportunity given to me, and would love to give back my knowledge or skills; looking forward to our countries’ collaboration.”
“Thank you for the commitment. It was a lifetime experience exploring myself, especially the masculinities side of my existence and being.”
“The whole cycle was remarkable, to understand masculinity, and nonviolent peacebuilding among such diverse people.”
WPP looks back to a very interesting week full of learning, sharing and deepening everyone’s knowledge and skills on gender-sensitive active nonviolence, and is happy to welcome the ToT activists into the WPP Asia network. As we move forward together, we look forward to hear more about their stories about the local implementation of the training!
The day of amazing insights, liveliness and inspiration!
By Thivia Radhakrishnan (CARE International, Sri Lanka)
The sun rose as usual, and how time goes fast! It was already the 6th day of our training. We all were at the training room at 9.00 AM, because of the excitement of receiving training of a young and energetic woman, Mirma, who would give us more tips on peace advocacy and lobby.
The morning session was presented and facilitated by Ms. Mirma Mae C. Tica from Center for Peace Education, Miriam College, Philippines. We reviewed several concepts of peace and different pathways to achieve a culture of peace. It was a lively session as she explained, in a very exciting way, the different approaches, strategies, and tools for peace advocacy and shared success stories about the participation of minorities in the implementation of UNSCR 1325. It gave us good ideas on improving our own advocacy for peace, especially to make it gender-sensitive. From these small exercises, I realized that if we do not have peace within our self, it will be challenging changing our family or community contexts.
Working together on an advocacy campaign
Then we looked at the concept of “advocacy”. We heard a lot about it, but what does it actually mean? Is it a process? Is it awareness? Is it changing policy or mobilizing the community for change? Through the brainstorm, group work and exercises on advocacy we came to a better understanding of the meaning of advocacy and related it to our own context. Within advocacy, it is important to not only to touch the minds but also the hearts of our target audience, and then convince them rationally to undertake action. For effective action, people have to be encouraged to go outside of their comfort zone.Mirma elaborated on the Philippine campaigns on the Arms Trade Treaty, were banana trade regulations were compared with arms trade regulations to get the message across. The message was that there are trade regulations on something as harmless as a banana, but not on something as destructive as arms. Through this simple but brilliant campaign message, I could see lot of creativity in their nonviolent work. We, as participants, can adopt similar activities and strategies within our own context.
The lesson we learned was that if we use violent mechanisms to control violent acts, we might have a chance of winning, but the cycle of violence will continue. A nonviolent action plan breaks the cycle of violence. This will come with great challenges, but this does not have to be a bad thing, as challenges also create new opportunities. At the end of her session, Mirma sang a beautiful song for us, “For all the world”, which was originally sang by Sandi Patty.
For the second half of the day, a learning exchange was scheduled, which turned out to be an inspiring surprise. Two talented women activists from Indonesia and a super trainer from India were invited as guest speakers to give us more information on the role of women and religion in peacebuilding and the implementation of UNSCR 1325 in Indonesia, as well as a contextualization of working on masculinities in peacebuilding. After the three speeches, there was time for participants’ questions. The discussions gave interesting insights on how women in this part of Asia are working on women’s rights. I really appreciated the speech of Dr. Siti Musdah Mulia’s, on women’s efforts to redefine religion for the advancement of the women’s agenda. As a female Ulama, she could speak from her own experience. At one point she mentioned that it is difficult for women to play their vital role in peacebuilding in a patriarchal society, as it is men that are making the important decisions at all levels. It is a challenge to change this, as women’s activism often becomes labeled as anti-Islam.
Anand Pawar, Ruby Kholifa, Musdah Mulia and Carla Natan during the learning exchange
The second speaker, Ms. Ruby Kholifa, director of AMAN Indonesia, gave us a great presentation on UNSCR 1325 and the Indonesian efforts to create a National Action Plan (NAP), which has been a long journey with many hopes and challenges. The presentation gave a good overview of how we can take their strategies to our home countries. The last speaker was Mr. Anand Pawar, director of SAMYAK and member of regional network SANAM, who talked about the work on engaging men and masculinities in the Asia region, including within the context of peacebuilding and active nonviolence. He elaborated on the fact that “engaging men is something different than working on masculinities”. Engaging men does not automatically mean transforming dominant notions of masculinity. Challenging existing notions of masculinities from a women’s perspective, he concluded, is crucial to achieve sustainable gender equality.
When the day ended, no one was tired, no one complained about anything, because it was a day that gave us a lot of insights and inspiration. For me, it is an inspiration to know that, even though we all come from different backgrounds, there are women who are strong, brave, creative, hardworking and committed. Most of the women I met in this training gave me the belief that, if there is a will, there is always a way to achieve change.
My heartiest thank to the superb three young women in WPP for giving us such a wonderful opportunity.
A Call for Peace by our South Korean Network Member
Please find below a Call for Peace for the Korean Peninsula by Jeong Soo Kim, working at Women Making Peace (South Korea), member of the Asia WPP Network and Asia Mother Board.
My name is Jeong Soo Kim, living in South Korea, working at Women Making Peace (South Korea) and a member of the Women Peacemakers Program. The last couple of days I participated in the WPP Asia Training of Trainers and Consultation Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia. Throughout the Consultation, I have been following the news from my home country closely, which made me very concerned.
I am writing this statement to all peace loving people throughout the world for bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula. The threats of war and the tensions on the Korean Peninsula has been escalating since the third nuclear test by North Korea and the sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council last month. There is a high probability that an outbreak of violence on the Korean Peninsula will result in a nuclear war with total destruction. The consequences for North East Asia will be catastrophic and human suffering will be beyond our imagination.
I ask all stakeholders, specifically South Korea, North Korea and the United States of America, to begin peace negotiations. The negotiations should result in a comprehensive peace agreement, including a strong settlement of the nuclear issues and replacement of the ceasefire of the Korean War (1950-1953).
Considering United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, I call for the inclusion of men and women in the peace negotiations and strong measures for achieving gender-sensitive peace.
Nonviolence and dialogue are the only ways to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula.
More information, please contact Jeong Soo Kim via
hesed62@empas.com or hesed62@gmail.com
Reflections of a facilitator
By Mirma Mae C. Tica
What are the steps in an advocacy campaign?
It has truly been such an honour and privilege to have this chance to share the Peace and Advocacy skills rooted in Active Nonviolence and experiences from the Philippines to other trainers from all over the Asian region. Being in a room filled with passionate women and men from different countries with diverse concerns, context and perspectives has been very enriching as a facilitator. The experience has been encouraging to know and see other people committed to peace and women’s rights and the importance of women’s participation in all levels of peacebuilding which is the true spirit of UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. As a facilitator, I believe the best workshops are those where each participant share their own ideas, experiences, challenges and learning towards stronger advocacy plans and strategies. To WPP, thank you for all the work you do towards a world of peace and full participation of women. Keep up the great work! I look forward to working with you in the future.
During the advocacy and lobby training, the participants practices with writing a letter, stating the issue, their needs and requests. In just 15 minutes, three great letters were drafted. Hereunder you find the winner of the three letters. Please note that all facts are fictional.
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XYZ International
ASIAN Action Network to Control Violence Against Women
April 9th 2013
Hon. Prime Minister,
Sub: Women’s protection from domestic violence
In January 2013, XYZ International carried out a national study on the effect and root causes of domestic violence. The results of the study showed that 70% of the women in our country experienced various forms of domestic violence in their life.
Unfortunately, despite the domestic violence act in of 2010, the government still fails to implement the act on a nationwide level. Under your leadership we are certain that the country will start initiatives that will promote women’s protection, both on domestic level as on national level.
We also attached the fact sheet of the study. We will glad to speak to you and elaborate on our study findings. We feel that the government should take immediate and all necessary action to implement the act.
Please let us know when we can possibly have that privilege of meeting you. I may be contacted at asia@gmail.com or on 4327658
We hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
……………………….
WPP In Action 