Women - born peacemakers

Just want to celebrate womanhood.  How women plays a positive
role in peacemaking.  Sometimes women are seen as wishy
washy or soft in the corporate world.  But women also possess
qualities that adds the personal touch.  With the natural biological
make up of being more nurturing, women are just natural born
peacemakers.

I'm proud to be a woman.



Just woman to woman, a search for peace

By Dr Kanwaljit Sooin



There is an endless flow of news about the many troubled areas in the
world where conflict, war and human casualties are the order of the day.


Innumerable attempts have been made to resolve these problems but, more
often than not, the efforts have come to naught.



One contributing cause, I believe, is that the participation of women
in peace negotiations is usually overlooked.



The political leaders and others, almost always male, sit and talk and
negotiate without the benefit of the views and negotiating skills of
women.


During times of armed conflict and the collapse of communities, the
role of women is crucial. They often work to preserve social order in
the midst of conflicts.


Women make an important but often unacknowledged contribution as peace 
educators both in their families and in their societies.


They can and should play a bigger role in helping to find solutions to 
the many conflicts around the world and to prevent new conflicts from 
developing.

The good news is that in one long-running arena of conflict — the
Israeli- Palestinian situation — a step has been taken to involve women
in the peace process.

At the end of July, shortly before the start of the pullout of Israeli
settlers from the Gaza Strip, I was in Istanbul to attend a meeting in
connection with the Israeli-Palestinian problem.

In response to a joint request by Palestinian and Israeli women leaders
and activists, the United Nations Development Fund for Women organised
the Istanbul meeting.

The aim was to establish an International Women’s Commission (IWC) for
a just and sustainable Israeli-Palestinian peace.

The 35 Palestinian, Israeli and international women leaders who
gathered in Istanbul spent three intensive days discussing this matter,
often in heated debate.

The discussions were conducted under the Chatham House Rule, which
meant that all spoke as individuals and were assured of full
confidentiality beyond the four walls of the meeting room.

By the end of the third day, the women were able to overcome
differences and agree on a charter of principles for the IWC.

A key goal is to ensure the meaningful participation of a diverse
representation of women in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian peace
process.

The completion of the Israeli pullout from Gaza is just the first step
in a long and very rocky road to real and lasting peace.

The IWC will push for transparency, accountability and respect for
rules and principles to be maintained throughout the peace process.

It will also provide an early warning of developments that might
undermine the twostate solution and activate interim preventive
measures.

It will make suggestions to bring about constructive political
dialogue, and to reframe divisive issues.

It will incorporate into its recommendations the experiences and
expertise of peace activists and organisations engaged in conflict
resolution around the world.

The IWC, which is due to be formally launched this month, also aims to
mobilise local and international support for Israeli-Palestinian peace
through public and media outreach, networking, dialogue and political
efforts and actions.

Can the IWC make a real difference in the Middle East? Yes, because a
start has been made simply by having women from the two areas of
conflict (Palestine and Israel) come together and, in over just three
days, successfully hammering out the framework for their efforts.

It was proof once again that women have the ability to cooperate and
negotiate to resolve conflict and further the peace process.

The IWC offers a model for women to get more involved in that difficult
but so important search for peace elsewhere around the world.

TODAY /ra
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