Supported by: Women Peacemakers Program Summary Activity Plan 1 January 2015 31 December 2015
Planning 2015 The Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) drafted a strategic plan for the period 2011-2015. All activities planned for 2015 will be in line with its mission and vision statement, as well as the strategic plan. WPP s vision is of a world where women and men work together as allies to build communities where people co-exist peacefully through active nonviolence. Its mission is to support the empowerment of gender-sensitive women and men for the transformation of conflict through active nonviolence. 2013 was the first year for WPP operating as an independent foundation. It proved a dynamic and very inspiring year. Implementation of the 2013 WPP Program activities took place according to schedule, and generated many important insights in terms of the consolidation of the WPP identity as an independent organization, as well as its future strategic focus. During 2014, WPP built upon the strong foundation laid in 2013, manifesting itself in another dynamic and inspiring year, characterized by fruitful alliance building and cooperation on both national and international level. During 2015, activities will be implemented in line with the 2014 work done, and the overall framework provided by the WPP Strategic Plan 2011-2015, which focuses on the following key components: Strengthening the WPP partnership approach as to ensure increased (regional) ownership of the Gender-Sensitive Active Nonviolence (GSANV) agenda; Strengthening linking and learning amongst WPP partners as well as supporting national, regional, and international advocacy by and with its partners through the use of new media and face-to-face opportunities; Pioneering a holistic gender, peace and security agenda by advocating for a feminist perspective on peace and security, which includes a broad gender concept (inclusion of masculinities) as well as exposes the link between gender and militarism; Acting as a bridge between movements in order to maximize movement building for GSANV. The WPP staff and WPP Board have developed the 2015 activity plan based on the many valuable insights shared by a broad range of WPP partners during the various Consultation meetings held in 2013 and 2014. Highlights for 2015 include the following (please keep an eye on our website and social media for daily updates!): Middle East and North Africa (MENA) WPP began working in this region during 2011, when it organized its first-ever MENA Training of Trainers (ToT) Cycle on Gender-Sensitive Active Nonviolence. Late 2012, a MENA Consultation meeting followed this ToT Cycle, during which trends and needs in terms of regional networking were discussed with key stakeholders. As a follow-up, WPP engaged in a mapping process during 2013, in order to list the main actors working in the field of Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and GSANV in the region. A needs survey was disseminated to identified stakeholders in an effort to analyze their needs in terms of GSANV, and to generate input regarding WPP s possible role as global GSANV actor in the MENA region. In 2014, WPP finalized the mapping process with the organization of a Regional MENA Consultation, bringing 20 representatives from the region, who participated in the mapping process & needs survey, together in Madaba, Jordan. For the MENA activities in 2015, WPP will build on the insights of the MENA Consultation and partnerships established through the program Amplifying the Voices of Women in the MENA region
During 2015, WPP is planning to undertake activities in the MENA region as part of the program Amplifying the Voices of Women in the MENA Region, a joint project of WPP, Hivos and Oxfam Novib, supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in the framework of funds made available for the 1325 MENA Working Group during 2013. Within the project set-up, WPP is part of a larger consortium consisting of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), ABAAD Resource Center for Gender Equality, and the Women s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), which together are responsible for implementing activities with a regional focus. Asia MENA ToT Cycle 2015-2016 As part of its strategy to strengthen capacity building on Women, Peace and Security; GSANV; and Masculinities, WPP, in close cooperation with ABAAD, will organize a ToT Cycle for women s and peacebuilding organizations in the region. This ToT Cycle will consist of two trainings, with a period of country-based activity implementation by the participants in between. Women, Peace & Security lobby & advocacy in the region During 2015, WPP will continue to work closely with WILPF, ABAAD and GPPAC to connect women s work on the ground in the MENA region to regional and international lobby and advocacy processes and forums. MENA project Women and Youth Against Violence Apart from the program Amplifying the Voices of Women in the MENA Region, WPP will also be cooperating with Cordaid and the Human Security Collective within the framework of the project Women and Youth Against Violence. WPP will act as resource persons during the regional exchange of Palestinian youth, Libyan youth and other young community leaders in April 2015, and provide expertise on GSANV. Mid 2013, the first Asia Regional Training of Trainers Cycle on GSANV was concluded in Jakarta, upon which an Asia Consultation meeting took place. This meeting resulted in an Action Plan for the period 2013-2015. Several WPP partners from Asia were invited to attend the WPP Global Consultation on Gender and Militarism in South Africa during July 2013. WPP Partners from Asia indicated the importance of organizing a similar consultation on regional level during 2015. At the WPP Asia Network Meeting in December 2014, WPP Asia Network Members reviewed the Action Plan and developed concrete plans for implementation in 2015. The Action Plan developed during the WPP Asia Network Meeting in 2014 will be the basis for activities in Asia in 2015. For 2015, the following WPP activities are planned for the Asia region: Regional campaigning for May 24 in Asia with WPP Asia Network Members During 2015, WPP plans to launch an Asia-wide joint campaign on the occasion of May 24, the International Women s Day for Peace and Disarmament. Coordinated by the WPP office, WPP Asia Network Members will organize multiple May 24 activities, ranging from film screenings and workshops, to writing opinion article in local media about Women, Peace & Security. Development of a regional Asia GSANV Manual
Together with members of its Asia Network, WPP will develop a regional training manual on GSANV. This manual will facilitate GSANV trainings by WPP members in Asia region, including theory on GSANV, training examples and handouts. Regional Consultation on Gender and Militarism WPP Partners from Asia indicated the importance of organizing a regional consultation on Gender & Militarism in Asia, similar to the Global Consultation on the topic WPP organized in 2014. WPP will work closely with the WPP Asia Network Members to organize this regional consultation late 2015. The annual WPP Asia Network Meeting will be organized adjacent to the regional consultation, in order to develop an activity plan for 2016. Lobby and Advocacy with the WPP Asia Network Together with the members of the WPP Asia Network, WPP will be involved in regional lobby and advocacy activities, specifically in regards to providing input from the region to the international Global Study on UNSCR 1325 (see below). Several WPP Asia Network members will be involved in the regional consultation on WPS, to be held in Nepal in February 2015, sharing insights developed during the WPP Asia Network Meeting in 2014. Lobby and advocacy on this issue will continue throughout 2015. Regional and Global Movement building Since 1997, WPP has built an extensive network of community-based women s peace organizations and movements. In 2014 WPP undertook several activities to consolidate the network, in order to strengthen movement building on GSANV. Most noticeable was the establishment of the International Advisory Council (IAC) in mid-2014. The IAC will support WPP in the strengthening and expanding of the WPP Community. For 2015, WPP will continue movement building through its network, its bridge building activities between the international and local level, as well as between social movements. This includes: Consolidating the WPP Community With WPP changing its organizational status late 2012, work started in 2013 to shape the WPP Network Strategy for upcoming years. This strategy will be further implemented during 2015, where partners of WPP will be invited to become a member of the WPP Community. Research Project investigating the underlying obstacles to the implementation of UNSCR 1325 As follow-up of the WPP Consultation on Gender & Militarism, WPP, together with Cordaid and GPPAC, will initiate the joint research project Women s Participation and Leadership in Peace Processes and Prevention of Conflict: A Joint Research on Obstacles to Women s Participation. 15 years into its implementation, many gaps, challenges and obstacles persist in moving from rhetoric to implementation of UNSCR 1325. Transforming the underlying gendered norms in peace and security is key for women s participation and leadership and for a true and equal partnership of women and men in peacebuilding. This research will address the nature of peacebuilding processes, both on international and local level, the norms connected to them, as well as perceptions of peace & security, through a gender lens. In doing so, it will support grassroots activism and initiatives on how transformation of norms can be encouraged and achieved, to advance the implementation of a transformative Women, Peace & Security agenda. Within this research, WPP will share its insights developed on gender, peace & security, specifically in regards to women s leadership, a masculinities perspective, militarism,
and nonviolent alternatives for conflict resolution. WPP will be organizing a Global Consultation, where desk study results of the research will be presented to 30 participants from the field in order to facilitate a dialogue about the possibilities to address the obstacles formulated. Lobby and Advocacy for Gender-Sensitive Peacebuilding 2015 marks an important year, with the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, the finalizing of the Post 2015 development agenda and the 15th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) on the agenda. For the latter, the UN Security Council will convene a High-level Review to evaluate progress in the implementation of UN Security Council UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. In preparation for this review, the UN Secretary General has commissioned a Global Study, which will focus on highlighting the good practice examples, gaps and challenges, as well as emerging trends and priorities for action on UNSCR 1325 implementation. Outcomes of the Global Study will be incorporated in the Secretary General s annual report on WPS to the Security Council. With these events on the agenda, WPP will be involved in the lobby and advocacy processes in several ways. First, as mentioned above, a joint research project with Cordaid & GPPAC will provide input for the Global Study. Other activities lobby and advocacy activities will include: Facilitating two expert sessions at Dutch UNSCR 1325 Symposium From February 16-17, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organizes a UNSCR 1325 Symposium Women: Powerful Agents for Peace & Security, to provide recommendations for the Global Study on UNSCR 1325. WPP will be facilitating two expert sessions at the Symposium. The first session will focus on men as stakeholders in UNSCR 1325 implementation and how men and women can work in partnership for its implementation. The second session will elaborate on the importance of engaging a holistic gender analysis, including masculinities, on the linkages between patriarchy, militarization, violence and hegemonic masculinities. How can addressing these linkages open strategies and space for addressing the root causes of violent conflict; investing in conflict prevention, non-violent alternatives for addressing conflict, and ultimately for effective implementation of UNSCR 1325? For both sessions, together with WPP network partners, WPP will draw from the lessons learned on engaging a masculinities perspective for advancing UNSCR 1325 implementation. WPP is also involved in a third session on linking women at different policy levels in the MENA region. Active participation in the Post 2015 Development Agenda Similar to our work in 2014, in 2015, as a member of the Post 2015 Women s Coalition s Steering Committee and Advocacy Committee, WPP will continue to advocate for the inclusion of a holistic WPS perspective in the Post 2015 agenda. Involvement in national and international Beijing+20 reviews On national level, WPP will contribute to the Beijing+20 review, in particular on the topic of Women, Peace, and Security, in cooperation with Dutch gender platform WO=MEN. During the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), focusing this year on Beijing+20, WPP will be participating in three side events in relation to progress made on WPS since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, namely: - A Transformative Women, Peace & Security Agenda: The Need to Challenge Militarism to take place on March 10, at 6.15 PM in cooperation with Consortium on Gender, Security and Human Rights, WILPF and Saferworld - Masculinities, conflict and militarism: how should peacebuilders respond? to take place March 11, 8.30 AM in cooperation with Saferworld and Promundo
- Counterterrorism measures and their effects on the implementation of the Women, Peace & Security agenda to take place on March 12, 1.00 PM in cooperation with the Human Security Collective and the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands More information about these events can be found on the WPP website. Strategy and Organizational Development Much reflection and strategizing took place during 2013 in terms of establishing the WPP as a strong independent organization. In 2014 WPP built on this solid basis, consolidating the WPP institutional framework with the establishment of the International Advisory Council (IAC) as well as expanding its network and communication channels and outreach. Based on the gathered input in 2013 and 2014 from the WPP network, the WPP board, the IAC and WPP partners, WPP will develop a coherent strategic planning document (2015-2020), which will be finalized during 2015. Ongoing activities Apart from these projects, WPP will continue its ongoing activities throughout 2015, which includes: Participating in national and international platforms and networks for lobby and advocacy on UNSCR 1325 Publishing its monthly newsletter Cross the Lines, as well as daily updates via WPP s Facebook and Twitter Disseminate information about WPP activities, stories on gender-sensitive peacebuilding from WPP Network and relevant events in the WPS field via the WPP website. Publication of WPP s annual May 24 Pack during the UNSCR 1325 anniversary in October. On May 24 itself, on the occasion of the International Women s Day on Peace and Disarmament, teaser articles of the publication will be published. Participation in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign, coordinated by the Center for Women s Global Leadership, by giving input to the 16 Days Action Kit, as well as participating in online activities of the campaign. Facilitating workshops on GSANV in summer schools and trainings of WPP partners, such as the Women, Peace & Security Summer School in cooperation with Oxfam Novib, Leiden University and Wo=Men.