ICAN’s Sanam Naraghi Anderlini Appointed Director of LSE Centre for Women, Peace & Security

ICAN, in partnership with the Permanent Missions of Norway, Sweden, and Canada, the United Kingdom Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (UKFCDO), the Ministry of Gender, Child and Welfare of South Sudan, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), and the National Transformational Leadership Institute (NTLI), convened a 1.5-day workshop to discuss how to strengthen community security as a localized, transformative approach for sustainable peace.

On November 22, 2023, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)—in partnership with Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Legal Action Worldwide (LAW), and Karama hosted a high-level dialogue to reimagine partnerships and coordination between women peacebuilders, international mediation, humanitarian, and development actors in crises and conflict settings. 

We are excited to announce the launch of the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Mellon Liaison Fellowship at ICAN. Organized by the UMass-Amherst World Studies Interdisciplinary Project (WSIP), and funded by the Mellon Foundation and the UMass-Amherst Provost’s Office, ICAN will host two distinguished UMass PhD Mellon Liaison Fellows in 2023. The Fellowship is linked to the WSIP Graduate Certificate in Decolonial Global Studies (DGS), though UMass PhD students from all departments, colleges, and schools were invited to apply. We are thrilled to introduce the two 2023 UMass Mellon Liaison Fellows: Mariam Parvez Sheikh and Meenakshi Nair.

On June 21 and June 29, 2023, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) hosted a Risk Appetite Hackathon. This high-level, policy-based and hybrid event, brought together over 300+ partners, including Canadian and local grassroots organizations from around the world, as well as various think tanks and like-minded donors.

On 21st June 2023, the European Union (EU), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), jointly organised a side event, “Promoting PVE through Fostering Peace, Resilience, Equality, and Pluralism (PREP) in collaboration with Community-based Actors”, during the 3rd UN Counter-Terrorism Week.

We are excited to release our 2022 Annual Report. Highlights include: findings of a 4-year independent evaluation; expansion of She Builds Peace to 32 countries; grants to women-led peacebuilding organizations in 19 countries.

On May 20, 2023, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) signed the Short-Term Ceasefire and Humanitarian Arrangements agreement in Jeddah. Guaranteeing gender responsive humanitarian aid and protection for Sudanese women, men, girls, and boys is essential. We provide guidance on immediate actions to take.

ICAN is fundraising to support the urgent humanitarian needs of its partners in the earthquake-affected region and the communities they serve. We are raising funds to help them with safe shelter, blankets, food, water and medicine, especially in hard-to-reach areas. Please donate if you can.

We are delighted to release our new video “Reclaiming Power, Restoring Peace”, which gives a glimpse into the words, work, and unique nature of WASL.

ICAN’s Senior Program Officer, Stacey Schamber, and WASL member and Executive Director of WEDOL, Rosaline Cassell, spoke about the far-reaching impacts of the She Builds Peace campaign in Liberia. WEDOL launched She Builds Peace with a parade and panel discussion in Margibi County, attracting over 300 participants, including the police and local authorities. The event garnered public recognition for Liberian women peacebuilders and opened dialogue about how they can be supported and protected. On the back of the launch, WEDOL also established a “village savings and loan association” (VSLA) for women peacebuilders. Through the association, the members have taken the lead in resolving community-level conflicts; they are working with local chiefs and gaining visibility and legitimacy for their roles.

ICAN's Senior Program Officer, Stacey Schamber, and WASL member and President of PCID, Amina Rasul, in conversation about the She Talks Peace podcast, part of the global She Builds Peace campaign.

Ensuring women are properly equipped with knowledge to counter and prevent extremist ideology can contribute to promoting peaceful coexistence within communities now, as well as for future generations. From 11-12 October, UNDP and ICAN held a two-day workshop on gender responsive approaches to transforming extremisms in Erbil, Iraq.