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STRATEGIES FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION: Letter from the President Human Security or Military Security Afghan Women: Securing a Seat at the Table The Middle East — Possibilities for Peace? What Has Happened to the Women of Kosova? A Glimpse of Global Fund Grantees in Conflict Zones ----------------------- Women's Funds Gathers Despite Global Turmoil Looming Catastrophe in Bangladesh ----------------------- |
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Warm greetings from the Global Fund for Women! As we enter our 15th Anniversary year, we feel both a sense of great accomplishment and an increased urgency to expand our support for women's rights worldwide. There have been many changes in the world since the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Sadly, the repercussions of these events have made the promise of peace and security for all seem further away than ever before. From tensions in the Indian sub-continent, the simmering confrontation between Israel and Palestine, to continued ethnic strife in Nigeria – much of the world is enmeshed in conflict or bracing for new explosions of violence. This issue of Raising Our Voices pays special tribute to women activists working toward peace and reconciliation in conflict zones. Although recent world events have drawn attention to the plight of women in Afghanistan, this newsletter reminds us of similar struggles across the globe. From Afghanistan to Somalia, women are waging peace and calling for a new definition of security. In 1998, the United Nations recognized rape as a war crime, and most recently, the UN General Assembly passed resolution 1325, which stresses the importance of the inclusion of women in post-conflict reconstruction. But despite these advances, women and children are still disproportionately the victims of war and violent conflict. Over 75 percent of the 40 to 50 million people uprooted by war worldwide are women and children. War easily deprives women of food, shelter and health care, and denies their protection from sexual abuse by militias. The courageous women who stand up for the human rights of their sisters, family members, or community face torture or other forms of coercion for acting on their beliefs. In the face of such challenges, it seems unimaginable that it is women who also bring healing and hope in the aftermath of war – re-building trust, providing a vision of peace through reconciliation, and resuscitating civil society. In this newsletter we share with you the stories of Global Fund grantees who are making a difference. In Sierra Leone, women are counseling victims of rape and forced amputation. In an effort to transcend their differences, Palestinian and Israeli women engage in joint mediation workshops. In New Zealand, women are advocating against nuclear dumping in indigenous communities. The grantee groups highlighted here provide all of us at the Global Fund with great hope and inspiration. We are deeply committed to strengthening their voices and building networks among them. Their work reminds us that true security and lasting peace is not a function of escalating expenditures on military budgets. Rather it is grounded in respect, trust, and mutual understanding among people. Women's groups have demonstrated the courage it takes to break the cycle of violence and offer us examples of ways to make change that respect the sanctity of life. It is now time for the rest of the international community to follow suit. With hope and solidarity,
Kavita N. Ramdas
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