News and Updates
ICAN and UMass Collaborate to Launch the UMass Mellon Liaison Fellowship 2023
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.
Sisters of Peace in Iraq: Diffusing the Timebomb of a Divided Mosul
In the war-torn city of Mosul, Iraq, the scars of conflict run deep. The rise and fall of ISIS left behind a community fractured by violence. ISIS male fighters were killed, captured, or fled, but the women they married, and their children remained. Referred to as “ISIS-associated families”, they are stuck in limbo, without legal status and facing ostracism and isolation.
The challenge of reintegrating these families into society is a daunting task, but the Odessa Organization for Women’s Development (Odessa) – a partner of ICAN and member of WASL- is making significant strides in bridging this divide.
Operations Officer
ICAN seeks a proactive and highly organized Operations Officer to join our team working with women peacebuilders around the world to advance gendered peace and security. The Operations Officer will provide vital logistical and administrative support to the CEO and the whole ICAN team to ensure efficient operation of the organization, from internal meetings and processes to external events and travel.
Sanam Naraghi Anderlini’s Remarks at GAC’s Risk Appetite Hackathon
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.
Promoting PVE Through Fostering Peace, Resilience, Equality, and Pluralism (PREP): Summary Report
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.
A Home Away from Home: How Kareemat Supports Syrian Refugees’ Integration to Life in Kilis, Turkey
The ongoing war in Syria has resulted in the world’s largest refugee crisis with more than 13 million people forcibly displaced since the beginning of the conflict in 2011. Kilis, a Turkish border city, is the main point of entry from Syria and is home to around 200,000 Syrians.
Kareemat, a women-led peacebuilding organization in Kilis, Turkey, is making a profound impact on Syrian refugee women and their families. Supported by ICAN, Kareemat addresses the challenges of displacement, isolation, and economic hardships through psychological support, language classes, and economic empowerment resources, fostering integration and reducing tensions between Turkish and Syrian communities.
ICAN’s Annual Report 2022
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.
Action Points to Guarantee Gender Responsive Humanitarian Aid and Protection for Sudanese Women, Men, Girls, and Boys
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.
Self-Help Groups, Skills Learning and Psychosocial Support: WPSO Provides a Lifeline to Afghan Women
Despite staggering challenges and limited space to operate, the Women, Peace, Studies Organization (WPSO) continues to provide support for women in every province of Afghanistan.
Key Findings of ICAN’s Four-Year Independent Evaluation
ICAN is pleased to share the summary of key findings of a four-year independent evaluation (December 2018 – December 2022) conducted by Merits Partnership on behalf of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
This summary highlights ICAN added value to local women-led peacebuilding organizations, international organizations including funders, as well as to the wider Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and Preventing Violent extremism (PVE) agendas.
How Women Peacebuilders Respond to Early Warning Signs of Extremisms
Communities are a powerful force for pre-empting and preventing extremisms, provided they are equipped to intervene to ensure that community members do not become trapped in the process of radicalization.
In the WASL community check-in call on March 16, 2023, WASL member Mira Kusumarini of Empatiku, a peacebuilding organization based in Indonesia, presented a new guidebook to build the capacity of communities to do just that, entitled Identifying Early Warning Signs: A Guidebook for Building Community Resilience to Violent Extremism.
Women Peacebuilders Share Priorities for the UN’s New Agenda for Peace
On Wednesday 15 February guests from the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (UNDPPA), UN Office of Counterterrorism (UNOCT) and UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) joined the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) and women peacebuilders in the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL) for a special consultation on the UN Secretary-General’s “New Agenda for Peace”.
Women Peacebuilders’ Turkey/Syria Earthquake Appeal
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.
The Adoption of the United Nations Resolution on Financing for Peacebuilding Strengthens the Power of Women Peacebuilders
On October 27, 2022, the Feminist Financing Group brought together representatives of Member States, the UN, and civil society for the first time since the adoption of the Financing Resolution to discuss concrete actions for more meaningful inclusion of women in decision-making around developing and implementing funding priorities.
Reclaiming Power, Restoring Peace: Key Findings from ICAN’s 2022 Women, Peace, and Security Forum
This briefing paper collates the perspectives and approaches of 63 women peacebuilders from 39 countries, members of the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL), who gathered in spring of 2022 during ICAN’s 9th Women, Peace, and Security Forum “Reclaiming Power, Restoring Peace”.