Think Pieces

Rise of Feminism & the Renewed Battle for Women’s Rights
“So 101 years on as March 8th 2018 dawns, how far have we come and how far do we still need to go?” Sanam Naraghi Anderlini writes about the battle for women’s rights


UN Relies on DNA for Paternity Claims Against Sexually Abusive Peacekeepers
In this commentary by Thalif Deen about Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) by UN Peacekeepers, ICAN’s Sanam Naraghi Anderlini offers valuable insight on the issue




The Egyptian Revolution Continues
A Commentary by Rana Allam.
Despite the Egyptian regime’s guns and tanks, and the farcical elections, the revolution of the minds cannot be stopped.





Iran After Protests: Change Does Come
By Sanam Naraghi Anderlini
If past events are any predictor of the present, it would be erroneous to assume that they will result in either the status quo remaining or the hardline reasserting control.





Peacekeeping is a Woman’s Job
Some 17 years after the UN resolution on women, peace and security, women make up just 5 percent of deployed blue helmets. It’s time to find the political will to upend the status quo.




Jerusalem: A High Price For An Unnecessary Move
By handing Israel the city of Jerusalem, which Palestinians view as the heart of the two-state solution, Trump has killed any hope of a viable peace process. Rana Allam writes on the repercussions of Trump’s move to the peace process, peace advocates and the Palestinian people’s plight




Egypt and US Share Counterproductive Anti-Terrorism Strategies
By Rana Allam
Perhaps the meeting between McGurk and Sisi on defeating ISIS involved sharing the counter-productive efforts of both countries.





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.