News and Updates
Innovative Peace Stories: Engaging Youth to Build Peace and Prevent Election Violence in Uganda
On June 2, 2021, the Coalition for Action on 1325 (CoACT) and the Embassy of Sweden in Kampala hosted a ‘Democracy Talks’ event to discuss youth participation in democratic processes in Uganda. The event was the culmination of over a year of CoACT’s efforts to mobilize youth to build sustainable peace in Uganda. Since May 2020, CoACT has implemented a program to increase inclusiveness and youth participation in election processes, funded by ICAN’s Innovative Peace Fund (IPF).
ICAN Celebrates International Day of UN Peacekeepers with 10 Steps to Increase Women’s Participation in Peacekeeping
As we celebrate the International Day of UN Peacekeepers 2021 ICAN emphasize the importance of effective recruitment and systematic and sustained inclusion of women peacekeepers.
Our Better Peace Initiative (BPI) resource ‘10 Steps to Increase Women’s Participation in Peacekeeping and Reduce Sexual Exploitation and Abuse’ provides concrete recommendations from women-led civil society to improve community security and eradicate Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) from peacekeeping missions through effective recruitment and deployment of women. Available in English and French.
ICAN Launches Guidance Document on Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Constitution-Drafting Processes
ICAN’s Better Peace Initiative (BPI) is launching a new resource! 10 Steps to Ensure a Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Constitution-Drafting Process is a practical guidance document intended to inform governments, international organizations, women peacebuilders and other civil society advocating for and engaged in constitutional reform processes. Women have a key role to play in developing constitutions that will ensure equal rights for all and adhere to the principles of the global women, peace and security (WPS) agenda. These 10 steps on how to ensure inclusion are now available in English and Arabic.
U.S. Policy in Afghanistan: What Withdrawal Means for Afghan Women & the Future
On May 7th, the Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP) and ICAN hosted a high-level discussion featuring key Afghan women and policy leaders long engaged in the situation in Afghanistan. In light of the announced military withdrawal of United States (U.S.) forces, the panelists discussed its potential implications on the peace process, the tremendous gains of Afghan women, girls, and minorities over the last 20 years, and potential humanitarian and refugee crises, as well as necessary measures to prevent a return to Taliban rule and regional destabilization.
ICAN’s Innovative Peace Fund (IPF) Video
The IPF is the first and only independent, multi-donor, global grant making mechanism wholly dedicated to providing financial support and technical assistance to women-led peacebuilding organizations in countries affected by violent conflict, extremism and militarism. Through the IPF, ICAN offers a solution to donors who have the resources but lack the capacity to manage small– and medium-sized grants.
Watch our short introductory video to the IPF.
An Open Letter to Friends of Afghanistan and Champions of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda
As the future of the Afghan peace process remains uncertain, we must ensure that power sharing based on violence does not become the basis for a political settlement. The inclusion of women must inform the substance of all future talks, as it will give negotiations legitimacy, and increase the chance of peace.
This open letter calls on Friends of Afghanistan and Champions of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda to take concrete action to ensure the systematic presence of the Afghan women peacebuilders in the peace process.
Call for Evaluation Consultant
ICAN is seeking to conduct a midterm review for the period of December 2018- December 2020, while considering the organization’s earlier history as context.
Upcoming Event: Elite Bargains and Political Expediency
Please join us for an LSE Centre for Women, Peace and Security, ICAN and the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy co-hosted event, ‘Elite Bargains and Political Expediency: Sacrificing women’s lives in the name of security’, on Monday 22 March 2021 at 9:00 ET / 13:00 UTC.
In this third session of the Coming of Age of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, ICAN Founder and CEO, Sanam Naraghi Anderlini, will be in conversation with Major General (ret) Patrick Cammaert who led UN peacekeeping operations in Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo and elsewhere; WASL partner Wazhma Frogh, Co-founder of the Women & Peace Studies Organization (WPSO) and WASL partner Cerue Garlo, a peacebuilder and civil society activist, to discuss what happens when the diplomats and politicians forge hasty elite bargains, leaving local communities and peacekeepers at the frontlines to face the consequences of their deals. The discussion will reflect on the gap between the rhetoric of inclusion and increased calls for the recognition and protection of peacebuilders and the reality of power politics, where ultimately the ‘deal’ leads not to peace but to perpetual violence.
CSW Parallel Event, March 23rd: SOAR With Women Peacebuilders
WASL/ICAN’s CSW parallel event, ‘SOAR WITH WOMEN PEACEBUILDERS: Join the She Builds Peace Campaign’, will take place on Tuesday 23rd March 2021 at 9:00 ET.
After a challenging year of unexpected and compounding crises, we invite our colleagues from the international community and women’s organizations around the world to celebrate the first birthday of She Builds Peace with us.
The event will highlight the achievements to date and opportunities for progress in 2021 using a dynamic and interactive format that will include participant activities, audiovisual presentations, and micro-workshops.
Boko Haram and Banditry: Northeast Nigeria’s Deteriorating Security Situation
“We need a special intervention, we need our country back, it’s becoming lawless”, warns women’s rights and peace activist, Hamsatu Allamin, WASL member and Founder of Allamin Foundation. The situation in northeast and northwest Nigeria demands urgent international attention, not only as a matter of humanitarian urgency but also for its impact on international peace and security.
Trust, Truth, and Transforming Violent Extremism
Far-right extremist ideology has found fertile ground in many countries amid the pandemic, and the movements embracing it are globally connected. Dr. Mia Bloom and Shannon Foley Martinez share their expertise on far-right extremism, and the role of women and gender.
“We are not afraid, we are resisting”: A strong message from the Director of Myanmar’s Gender Equality Network
At 8pm every evening since February 1, 2021 hundreds of thousands across Myanmar bang pots and pans to demonstrate their non-violent resistance to the military coup. This symbolic act is part of the Red Ribbon campaign, a nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement. The movement’s message is clear, explains May Sabe Phyu, Director of the Gender Equality Network (GEN) and a member of WASL: “We are not afraid; we are resisting the coup.”
“Let us go where the guns are loud”: How Esther Omam Builds Peace in Cameroon
“Women peacebuilders run to the problem when everyone else is running away,” said ICAN’s CEO and Founder, Sanam Naraghi Anderlini. This statement could not be truer of award-winning Cameroonian peacebuilder, Esther Omam. Esther’s career has seen her go from development worker to humanitarian responder to mediator and peacebuilder, in the South-West region of Cameroon.
Better Peace Animations now available in Ukrainian
During the pandemic we have been busy translating our materials and tools into new languages. In 2020 we launched a number of animations in Russian and Swahili, and we are excited to at this time share three of our existing animations in Ukrainian: Gendered Devolution: Why it matters, how to do it, Gender Responsive and Inclusive Ceasefires: Why it matters, how to do and Gendered Transitional Justice: Why it matters, how to do it.
ICAN Trains the Women Mediators across the Commonwealth on Gender Responsive Mediation
During three weeks in December the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), provided an 18-hour training on Gender Responsive and Inclusive Mediation to 16 members of the Women Mediators across the Commonwealth (WMC), a network hosted by Conciliation Resources.