“We Canceled Silence”: How Local Peace Committees Rebuild Trust in Syria
Across Syria, communities are finding ways to reconnect after years of war through dialogue, storytelling, art, and collective action. Mobaderoon’s Local Peace Committees demonstrate why lasting peace begins within communities themselves.
The Odd Couple: Women Peacebuilders and Security Actors Bridging Positions, Building Trust
The WPS agenda has proven a vital entry point for women peacebuilders to engage with the security sector and build trust within affected communities. These efforts—often invisible—are contributing to the reform of the sector, reshaping local security environments and mitigating violence.
The War Against Ourselves: Afghan Women Peacebuilders’ Response to the Mental Health Crisis in Afghanistan
This case study describes the drivers of the mental health crisis in Afghanistan, its gendered and cultural dimensions, and the strategies used by Afghan women-led peacebuilding organizations to provide solutions. The authors conducted interviews with representatives of Afghan women-led peacebuilding organizations and thematic experts, which were complemented by a desk review of project documentation and […]
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ICAN and the Permanent Missions of Canada, the UK, Norway and South Africa to the UN at the Better Peace Symposium
ICAN and the Permanent Missions of Canada, the UK, Norway and South Africa to the UN at the Better Peace Symposium
17 May 2019
On May 21-22, the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) in partnership with the Permanent Missions of Canada, the United Kingdom, Norway and South Africa to the United Nations will host a 2-day expert-level working group meeting (EGM) in New York. Sponsored by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the UK Commonwealth Office (FCO), the meeting will be a follow up to ICAN’s 2014 Better Peace Symposium that resulted in ICAN’s Better Peace Tool and additional gender responsive guidance and trainings, becoming the sixth thematic Global Solutions Exchange (GSX) meeting organized by ICAN and its partners.
The Better Peace Symposium will bring together relevant stakeholders to develop practical guidance to ensure inclusive implementation mechanisms and guarantee protection of peace makers in post-war/post-agreement/transitional settings. Participants will consist of experienced practitioners and policy makers relevant to the realm of mediation/peace processes. Among those will be women peacebuilders from the ICAN spearheaded Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL) such as Rosa Emilia Salamanca, Pauline Riak, Visaka Dharmadasa, Rajaa Altalli, Muna Luqman, and May Sabe Phyu.
The growing momentum around support for women’s participation in peace processes juxtaposed by the rising threats faced by civil society actors in post conflict settings and the fragility of peace accords during times of transition, make this discussion timely and relevant. This meeting will focus on past and current contexts where conflicts have occurred and transitions are in place, giving specific attention to a) gender responsive implementation modalities of peace agreements; and b) the systematic and structured inclusion of women’s civil society, peace organizations/ movements throughout implementation.
The sessions during the Better Peace Symposium include:
“Transitions and Fragility” which will situate discussions around the period of transition (post-agreement/ postwar), demonstrate how agendas overlap and examine why they remain in siloes, and discuss the gaps in the implementation of agendas.
“Benefits of Inclusive Societal Peace Building & Resilience Against Violence: What do women’s civil society do during conflict/peace transition?” which will highlight the role and share experiences of women led civil society in transition periods.
“Reality Check – Threats & Backlash Against Women Peacemakers/CSOs” which will explore the pushback, threats and rising risks/trends negatively impacting civil society leaders/women peacemakers/ activists.
“Practical Steps Towards Meaningful Inclusion and Ensuring Protection” which will brainstorm and identify solutions and strategies.
“Policy Shifts: Mapping of Upcoming Processes and Opportunities” which will identify the audiences/processes to target in next 24 months as well as locate key opportunities for integrating guidance/recommendations; and infusing/shaping policy/program agendas.
After the sessions, participants will review findings and discuss next steps based on the recommendations gathered throughout the symposium.
Across Syria, communities are finding ways to reconnect after years of war through dialogue, storytelling, art, and collective action. Mobaderoon’s Local Peace Committees demonstrate why lasting peace begins within communities themselves.
ICAN FeaturedInnovative Peace FundMobaderoonOur StoriesStoriesWASL UpdatesWomen's Alliance for Security Leadership
Nina Potarska, a member of the ICAN-spearheaded Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership, is currently at sea with the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian-led mission organized with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, en route to Gaza.
ICAN FeaturedOur StoriesStoriesWomen's Alliance for Security Leadership
مدينة البصرة في جنوب العراق، المدينة التي تضررت طويلا من الحرب وقلة الاستثمارات، تواجه تهديدات متزايدة بسبب خطاب الكراهية والتطرف وتآكل الثقة بين المواطنين والمؤسسات. وغالبا ما يقع الشباب -وخاصة الشابات- في قلب هذه التوترات، في عالم تتقاطع فيه المضايقات والتحرش الالكتروني مع الواقع. وفي مثل هذه البيئة، تتبنى جمعية الفردوس العراقية (الفردوس) نهجا جديدا […]
ICAN FeaturedOur StoriesStoriesWomen's Alliance for Security Leadership
The International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) and the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL) Statement: The Escalating U.S.-Israeli War on Iran and its Regional Ramifications
Iraqi Al-Firdaws Society (Al-Firdaws) is taking a new approach to peacebuilding. Their project, Horizon: Promoting Community Peace, supported by ICAN’s Innovative Peace Fund (IPF), brings together youth, local security forces, and civil society actors to address violent extremism through dialogue, education, and community-based action.
ICAN FeaturedOur StoriesStoriesWomen's Alliance for Security Leadership
Women peacebuilders often operate in some of the world’s most dangerous contexts—yet the security support available to them is frequently fragmented, repetitive, and short-term. Recognizing the need for a fundamentally different approach, ICAN conducted a holistic security assessment of its Afghan partners, including members of the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL). The result is the Holistic Security Menu: a co-designed, partner-driven model that provides practical and sustainable security support—on women peacebuilders’ […]
ICAN convened 20 members of WASL in Lisbon for the “Our Strategies, Our Peace” Writers’ Workshop. This unique gathering provided a secure and creative space for women peacebuilders to share their strategies, experience, expertise, and stories from conflict and crisis contexts.
On October 6, 2025, the U.N. Security Council holds its annual open debate on Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. Today, we are not issuing a new statement. Instead, we are honoring our community of women peacebuilders—who appeared before the Security Council throughout these 25 years, speaking for the millions they represent—by echoing their messages.
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In South Sudan, a nation where peace has long remained fragile and democratic progress uncertain, women are stepping forward to shape the future of their country. Long excluded from the corridors of power, they are forging their own movement for lasting change.
ICAN FeaturedInnovative Peace FundOur StoriesStoriesWomen's Alliance for Security Leadership
On behalf of the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) and members of the global Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL), we are honored to nominate Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
