To ensure that women’s work at the frontlines is valued and understood, it is essential for their experiences to be amplified

Commentaries

The War Whisperers, Their Successful Iraq War, And The Targeting Of Iran

An op-ed by Sanam Naraghi Anderlini addressing the Iraq war and the targeting of Iran through the lens of regional geopolitics.
“The U.S. should be wary of these [war] whisperers, for while it foots the bill and the world pays for unknowable and uncontainable consequences, others will reap the reward.”

Did a Backlash Against Trump Trigger Historic Highs for US Women in Politics?

Thalif Deen discusses the reasons behind the dramatic increase in US women legislators voted into office last November and the historic high of women candidates for the 2020 presidential elections, with comments from ICAN’s ED Sanam Naraghi Anderlini.

Syrian Women and the Peace Process: An Argument for Inclusion

By Monica Makar
How lessons learned from Bosnia’s post-conflict reconstruction can be applied to Syria.

Resuming Military Aid To Egypt: In US National Interest?

By Rana Allam
The Trump admin is releasing $195 million in military aid to Egypt that was previously withheld over human rights concerns. Have these concerns been alleviated over the past year? Or has the Egyptian government’s PR machine garnered results?

Can Preventive Diplomacy Avert Military Conflicts?

In the paradoxical battle against military conflicts, is preventive diplomacy one of the political remedies that can help deter wars before they break out? Thalif Deen writes for IPS, with commentary from ICAN’s ED Sanam Naraghi Anderlini

To Sustain Peace: Heed the Warnings & Prevent the Next War

By Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini
As the May 12 deadline looms for the US’s endorsement of the JCPOA, world leaders who claimed to support Mr.Guterres’ sustaining peace agenda, have a clear moral imperative: to stand by their words and sustain the peace for the millions of civilians in Iran and beyond who would pay the price if violence escalates.

Hashtag Feminism in Afghanistan

Feminist writer, Zarlasht Sarsam Safy, writes about the wave of feminism that has engulfed Afghanistan

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Features

ICAN Partner AWAPSA: A Catalyst for Kenya’s First SGBV Court

Funded by ICAN’s Innovative Peace Fund (IPF), AWAPSA launched a project across Kenya’s coastal counties to increase awareness of SGBV, educate women and girls on how to report instances of SGBV, and facilitate the reporting of cases to the police. One of the most significant and unforeseen outcomes of AWAPSA’s project was the establishment of Kenya’s first special court for handling SGBV cases, which opened in March 2022, at Shanzu Law Courts, Mombasa.

CoACT: 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).

In the Face of Extremism: the SuperHeroines Behind ICAN

On a daily basis, women come face to face with violence and extremism, and bear the efforts to change an ever-conflicted world. Who are these women, and what do they do?

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Interviews

Peace Heroes: Najlaa El Sheikh Helps Syrian Women Refugees Become Business Owners

“I often dream the jasmine returns to Syria to decorate and perfume our streets.”
As the Syrian regime rained barrel bombs on her hometown in Syria, Najlaa and her family were forced to flee to Turkey where she established the first organization led by a Syrian woman to help other women refugees with literacy, economic empowerment, and psychosocial support.
Peace Hero Najlaa El Sheikh speaks to ICAN about her journey, her work, and her dreams.

Peace Heroes: Muna Luqman and the Role of Women in War-Stricken Yemen

We spoke to Yemeni peace activist Muna Luqman, co-founder of the Women Solidarity Network and member of the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL), about the war in Yemen, its devastating ramifications, and about the strength of Yemeni women in the face of this destruction.

Peace Heroes: Indonesia’s Mira Kusumarini Shows How Reintegrating Ex-extremists is Done

Mira Kusumarini talks to ICAN about C-SAVE’s efforts to alter the lives of returnees and prepare their communities to accept them.

Peace Heroes: Why Nancy Yammout Met with Extremists in Lebanese Prisons

Nancy Yammout speaks to ICAN about Rescue Me’s efforts to rehabilitate and reintegrate prisoners found guilty of terrorism —and how, over nine years, they’ve engaged with some 680 prisoners, and been pivotal in blocking their re-recruitment into terror groups.

Peace Heroes: Deeyah Khan is Deconstructing Extremism with Documentary Film

Renowned documentary filmmaker Deeya Khan is recognized as a leader in the entertainment industry and on the human rights and peace-building scene. She spoke to us about her work, her vision and what she’s learned about extremism by confronting it face-to-face.

Peace Heroes: How Nigerian Psychologist Fatima Akilu Rehabilitates Extremist Societies

Dr. Fatima Akilu spoke to ICAN’s Aya Nader about how extremism affects women in her country, discussed rehabilitation and reintegration of extremists, and shared what motivates her to keep the fight for peace ignited.

ICAN in the News

ICAN’s Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini and Colleagues Win Democracy In Action Award

During their production of “Feminist Global Advocacy: Elections 2016,” Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini and fellow human rights activists discuss the question: whose lives matter?