Iran: The Change that Matters Is Happening Already
By Sanam Naraghi Anderlini and Sina Azodi
The change in the Iranian political sphere is prompted by the dynamic transformation of its social and cultural space since 1979. One of the best indicators of this transformation is the status of women, who have been key players all along.
Preventing Violent Extremism through Peacebuilding: Current Perspectives from the Field
By Melinda Holmes
The fields of peacebuilding and development are increasingly contending with violent extremism and the question of how to engage with the practical and policy implications of efforts to prevent it. The 2017 Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development took on this question with a session devoted to ‘Preventing Violent Extremism through Peacebuilding.’
Wonder Women, Peace Heroes and Human Security
By Devin Cowick
Despite being left out of formal negotiation processes, women have been at the front lines of peace and security efforts from the beginning.
UN Peacekeepers’ Sexual Assault Problem
By Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini
Sexual abuse by peacekeeping forces demands the international community’s attention. Sanam discusses how to end it once and for all.
Violence against women and extremism are intrinsically linked: overlooking this puts rights at risk
By Sussan Tahmasebi
Religious groups we work with, in the fight against extremism, must have a commitment to universal rights – as well as peace.
Sisi’s Failing Fight
By Rana Allam
On Friday, 28 Coptic Christians, including many children, were gunned down while on their way to a monastery near the Upper Egyptian city of Minya.
Rouhani’s Unlikely Supporters
By Sussan Tahmasebi
According to the polls, incumbent Hassan Rouhani is the frontrunner in Iran’s upcoming presidential elections, which will be held on May 19.
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.
Marie-Joëlle Zahar is Pushing the Boundaries for Women in Security & Peacebuilding
Marie-Joëlle Zahar has been an ICAN Board Member since 2019. In this interview, she reflects on her early experiences during the war in Lebanon and how they shaped her journey in the world of conflict resolution, peacekeeping, post-conflict reconstruction, and gendered work. Marie-Joëlle shares stories of her time as a Senior Expert on the Standby Team of Mediation Experts at the UNDPPA, what it was like being one of the few women in international mediation spaces, and her advice for the next generation of women peacebuilders and WPS practitioners. Read more to view the full conversation.
Recognizing Women Peacebuilders: Critical Actors in Effective Peacemaking / الاعتراف ببانيات السلام: عناصر فاعلة حاسمة في صنع السلام الفعال
Recognizing Women Peacebuilders: Critical Actors in Effective Peacemaking / الاعتراف ببانيات السلام: عناصر فاعلة حاسمة في صنع السلام الفعال
Interviews
Kendahl Tyburski
Kendahl Tyburski is a Program Officer at the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN). With five years of experience in managing global grants, locally driven research and gender focused programming, Kendahl Tyburski provides support for the Innovative Peace Fund (IPF) and is based in Washington D.C.
Nadia Noori
Nadia Noori is a Program Officer at the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN). She provides support for the Innovative Peace Fund (IPF), with a focus on Afghanistan.
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.
Financiación de Mujeres Constructoras de Paz: Desmantelando las Barreras a la Paz
“Financiación de Mujeres Constructoras de Paz: Desmantelando las Barreras a la Paz” ofrece un análisis de los obstáculos existentes a los que se enfrentan los donantes y las WPBO locales y señala los recientes avances en este ámbito de la práctica. Es alentador que existan modelos y mecanismos de financiación eficaces. Desde el Fondo Innovador para la Paz (IPF) de ICAN, independiente y con múltiples donantes, que ofrece subvenciones pequeñas y medianas y apoyo técnico en todo el mundo a las WPBO, hasta el Fondo Humanitario y para la Paz de las Naciones Unidas (WPHF), que ofrece subvenciones de mayor cuantía en determinados países, algunos fondos están llegando a las WPBO.
Proteger a las Mujeres Constructoras de Paz: La Primera Línea de la Paz Sostenible
Las mujeres constructoras de paz enfrentan una compleja matriz de riesgos y amenazas específicas a su salud y seguridad física, emocional, política, económica y espiritual. Las amenazas a las mujeres constructoras de paz son de naturaleza altamente sexista, y utilizan su identidad, roles y normas sociales en su contra. Este resumen destila y se basa en décadas de experiencias de mujeres constructoras de paz que navegan por estos peligros para proporcionar una visión general de los factores contextuales y las realidades que crean y exacerban su inseguridad. Luego presenta el alcance y las fuentes de las amenazas, analiza las fortalezas y las brechas en los mecanismos de protección existentes, y concluye con una guía operativa para que los Estados y las instituciones multilaterales protejan a las mujeres constructoras de paz.
Reconociendo a las Mujeres Constructoras de Paz: Actores Críticos en el Establecimiento Efectivo de la Paz
Basándose en dos décadas de investigación documental y primaria y entrevistas, desarrollo de políticas y experiencias en promoción y prácticas de mediación de la Vía Uno, “Reconociendo a las Mujeres constructoras de Paz: Actores críticos en la Construcción de Paz Efectiva”, profundiza en las motivaciones y los factores que impulsan a las mujeres a convertirse en constructoras de paz frente a la violencia y el conflicto; las actividades en las que participan uniendo los ámbitos locales y globales; y cómo, a través del tiempo y la geografía, aprovechan, replantean y despliegan de manera voluntaria y estratégica las tradiciones, prácticas culturales, enseñanzas religiosas y estructuras de parentesco existentes, junto con las leyes nacionales e internacionales, en su búsqueda de paz, justicia y poder para influir en los adversarios y las fuerzas beligerantes.
ICAN in the News
Isabela Karibjanian
Isabela Karibjanian is the Publications Coordinator and Editor at the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN). At ICAN, she serves as the focal point for the production of all published materials, from flagship reports and guidance tools to advocacy documents and articles. She is based in London, UK.
Bringing Water, Power, and Peace: How Women Peacebuilders Can Utilize OffGridBox Solutions
Today, over 1 billion people still lack access to clean water and electricity. Environmental and climate change exacerbates this problem and exposes fragile and conflict-affected communities to further risk and insecurity. While the link between resource scarcity and conflict is well understood, the potential for natural resource governance to facilitate peacebuilding is less well researched.
On Thursday, October 5, 2023, ICAN welcomed Bas Berends, Co-founder and Chief Partnership Officer at OffGridBox, to join our WASL community call.
WASL Statement: An Urgent 7-Point Plan to End the Killings and Violence in Palestine and Israel
Members of the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL)—peacebuilders, mediators, human rights activists, and community leaders living and working at the frontlines of many of today’s devastating wars—released a statement calling upon global political leaders to demand an immediate ceasefire in Israel and Palestine. The statement outlines a comprehensive set of actions that enable a pathway to a more just and peaceful future.
Innovative Peace Fund Program Officer – Afghanistan
The Program Officer will provide wide-ranging support, focused on a portfolio of grants, to ensure smooth program delivery, particularly related to women’s rights, peace, and security in Afghanistan. They will report to the Afghanistan Project Director and work closely with the IPF Program Director and fellow Program Officers.
Photo Gallery
Latest Videos
ICAN’s 5th Annual Forum – Sri Lanka 2016
ICAN’s 5th Annual What The Women Say Forum – Colombo, Sri Lanka – November 2016
Sanam Anderlini speaks to BBC World News about Iran Hijab Protests
ICAN’s ED Ms. Sanam Naraghi Anderlini speaks to BBC World News about Iranian women’s hijab protests
Gendered Devolution – English
This animation explores why gender sensitivity and inclusivity in devolution processes matters and how it can be done in very practical ways.