"Overcoming Ethnic and Social Divisions:
Finding Common Ground in Sri Lanka "

A Conversation with
Shreen Abdul Saroor

Shreen Abdul Saroor is one of the founders of Mannar Women’s Development Federation (MWDF), which addresses the needs of women victims of war in the north of Sri Lanka. Ms. Saroor’s interest and work grew out of her experience of being made a refugee, along with all of her family, in 1990 by the militant group fighting for a separate Tamil state. MWDF came from her idea that Muslim and Tamil women have common ground that could heal and resurrect the past peace common in these northern communities. Today, 43 village women’s groups (mixes of Tamil and Muslim) now work with micro-credit programs and education programs. MWDF gained national and international visibility after a peace campaign secured 50,000 women’s signatures calling on the militant leader and the President to immediately end hostilities in 2000.

This event was moderated by Dr. Dee Aker, IPJ Deputy Director

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Tuesday, November 2, 2004

"Protecting the Rights of Women and Children
in Peacebuilding in West Africa"

A Conversation with
Christina Thorpe

Christiana Thorpe is the founding chair and chief Executive Officer of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE-Sierra Leone), a facilitator and trainer of the West African Peace Institute (WAPI) in Accra-Ghana, and the former Under Secretary and then Secretary of State for Education (the only woman in a cabinet of 19 in 1994) in Sierra Leone. The 10-year rebel war in Sierra Leone was the impetus for Ms. Thorpe to move from a convent to a leader in efforts to end “wanton destruction of life and property, and the demeaning of the dignity of women.” FAWE’s work began with the establishment of the Emergency Camp Schools in Freetown for the many displaced school children from rebel areas; the school taught peacebuilding, conflict resolution and human rights activities that received national and international acclaim.

This event was moderated by Dr. Joyce Neu, IPJ Executive Director

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Thursday, October 28, 2004

"Our Worlds, Our Paths to Peace with Justice"

Women PeaceMakers Panel

Co-sponsored with Women In International Security (WIIS)

This special evening program included an around the world look at paths to peace and justice. The panel featured the 2004 Women PeaceMakers and was moderated by Dr. Dee Aker and a representative of Women In International Security. Panelists included: Luz Mendez, President of the Advisory Board of the National Union of Guatemalan Women (UNAMG); Zarina Salamat, Chairperson of the Pakistan India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) in Islamabad; Shreen Abdul Saroor, Founder of Mannar Women's Development Federation (MWDF), Sri Lanka; and Christiana Thorpe, Founding Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE-Sierra Leone)

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Thursday, October 21, 2004

"Civil Society Working for Disarmament"

A Conversation with
Zarina Salamat, Ph.D.

Zarina Salamat was the chairperson of the Pakistan India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) in Islamabad (1998-2001, 2002-2004), and a leader in the Citizens’ Peace Committee (CPC). She hosted the visit by the Mayor of Hiroshima as part of his worldwide campaign for “Mayors of Peace” and enrolled local Mayors to join in the movement. With the active assistance of the Mayor, Ms. Salamat convinced the Government of Pakistan to set up a Peace Institute (the first of its kind) and university faculties to introduce peace studies as part of their curriculums. Her arrangements for parliamentarians, activists and intellectuals from Pakistan and India to meet is credited with setting the environment for the 2004 visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Pakistan, a first in over a decade. Ms. Salamat has arranged for women and youth from India and Pakistan to work together.

This event was moderated by Dr. Dee Aker, IPJ Deputy Director.

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Thursday, October 14, 2004

Lessons learned from Guatemala's Struggle for
Peace and Justice

A Conversation with
Luz Mendez

Luz Mendez is President of the Advisory Board of the National Union of Guatemalan Women (UNAMG), a women's association working for women's human rights, gender equality, and social justice. She led the reconstruction of UNAMG, one of the oldest Guatemalan women's organizations, which was forced into exile during the 1980s due to political repression. Working now to assist and strengthen women advocating peace processes in other countries and regions, she has worked with Hutu and Tutsi women in Burundi, women civil society leaders in Colombia, and Israeli and Palestinian women leaders, among others. She was a speaker at the first meeting that the UN Security Council held with women's organizations leading up to UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

This conversation was moderated by Dr. Joyce Neu, IPJ Executive Director.