What's Being Done On . . . Democracy NGO Participation in Formal Peace Negotiations?

Introduction General Resources Women's Organizations Resources Democratic Republic of Congo: A Short History of the Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo Profile of La Ligue des Electeurs Liberia: A Short History of the Conflict in Liberia Profile of the Mano River Women's Peace Network Sri Lanka: A Short History of the Conflict in Sri Lanka An Interview with the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka Chechnya: A Short History of the Conflict in the Chechen Republic An Interview with the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society in Europe

Women's Organizational Resources

Since their involvement in peace negotiations is quite prominent, materials on the participation of women NGOs in peace negotiations have been highlighted in this installment. If you wish to suggest additional resources for consideration for inclusion, please write to the World Movement for Democracy.

Web Sites:

Peacewomen.org is a project of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom that monitors and works towards the full implementation of the United Nation's Security Council Resolution 1325, which is the first resolution ever passed by the Security Council that specifically addresses the impact of war on women, and women's contributions to conflict resolution and sustainable peace. The Web site includes a 'peace negotiations' page with links to NGO and civil society papers and statements and UN documents, as well as books, journals, and articles relating to women NGOs in peace negotiations. http://tinyurl.com/ypep8h

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) works to promote women's rights, empowerment, and equality in times of war and peace within political, social, and economic realms. UNIFEM's Web site includes links to publications, series, multimedia resources, institutional reports, and newsletters on governance, peace, and security issues. Its link to the portal entitled "Women, War, and Peace" provides access to a range of information about women and peace negotiations. www.unifem.org

Initiative for Inclusive Security attempts to broaden the base of support for women's participation in conflict resolution and peace negotiations. The Initiative includes a network of women peacemakers from conflict areas around the world, and its Web site has links to national and international NGOs and institutes working to promote women's participation in international affairs. Its publications include case studies, how-to guides, reports, and policy briefs. www.huntalternatives.org/pages/7_the_initiative_for_inclusive_security.cfm

Publications:

Women and Peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo: An Assessment of Their Role in the Inter-Congolese Dialogues. Shelley Whitman, African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, 2005.

Nurturers of Peace; Sustainers of Africa: Selected Women's Peace Initiatives. Isis-Women's International Cross-Cultural Exchange, 2005. Chapter four features the Mano River Women's Peace Network and its involvement in high-level negotiations.

Women's Participation in Peace Negotiations: Discourse in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Doris Mpoumou, International IDEA, 2004.

African Women Struggle for a Seat at the Peace Table. Michael Fleshman, Africa Renewal, 2003.

Women at the Peacetable, Making a Difference. Sanam Naraghi Anderlini, UNIFEM, 2000.

U.N. Declarations:

United Nations Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security: www.daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N00/720/18/PDF/N0072018.pdf?OpenEleme

Manuals:

Securing the Peace: Guiding the International Community towards Women's Effective Participation throughout Peace Processes is a United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) publication. It is a guidebook for mediators and facilitators of peace negotiations and their teams, international and regional organizations, NGOs, and parties to negotiations. It provides recommendations to support women's effective participation at all stages of a peace process, promote gender-sensitive peace negotiations, and encourage the mainstreaming of gender perspectives through the implementation of peace agreements. www.iknowpolitics.org/files/Securing_the_Peace.pdf

Inclusive Security, Sustainable Peace: A Toolkit for Advocacy and Action, a joint publication of Women Waging Peace and International Alert, is a resource for women and NGOs to promote peace and security effectively. The toolkit outlines the components of peace-building, from conflict prevention to peace negotiations to post-conflict reconstruction, highlighting the role that women play in each phase. The chapter on peace negotiations and agreements is very informative and discusses the issues and actors surrounding peace negotiations, as well as key steps to be taken before, during, and after the process. www.huntalternatives.org/pages/87_inclusive_security_toolkit.cfm