The document summarizes a week-long workshop hosted by SAVE (Securing An Open Society With Equity) to train women leaders from various countries in strategies for empowering mothers to prevent the spread of violent extremism. Over the course of the workshop, participants engaged in storytelling exercises, shared best practices, and developed social media and outreach plans. The workshop aimed to unite women in a global network, build practical intervention strategies, learn conflict resolution techniques, and develop leadership skills to implement the Mothers for Change campaign.
El HaLev provides empowerment self-defense programs and violence prevention education to build safer communities. In 2017, they addressed violence against women, youth, and vulnerable groups through a variety of programs. Their goal is to implement prevention education in all schools and establish self-defense as an essential part of children's education, to help create a society where everyone can live freely and safely. They achieved considerable progress in 2017 through educational programs in schools and organizations, seminars, classes, and their instructor training academy.
Presentation on women education in PakistanShahbaz Saud
1. Literacy, especially for women, is important for human development and building a strong nation, as educated mothers can help develop future generations.
2. Quaid-e-Azam emphasized that education should develop character and not just be academic.
3. According to surveys, literacy rates for women in Pakistan vary significantly between districts, with some as low as 59% literacy.
The document profiles 101 memorable Malaysian women to celebrate 100 years of feminist activism in Malaysia. It provides brief biographies of 3 Malaysian women who have contributed significantly to women's rights and society: Rasammah Naomi Navarednam, known as Mrs. F.R. Bhupalan, who was a pioneer in the women's rights movement and education reform in Malaysia; Datuk Ramani Gurusamy, who has advocated for women's rights and empowerment for over 35 years; and Maria Chin Abdullah, a prominent lawyer and voice for women's rights in Malaysia through her work with various non-governmental organizations.
1) Ahmad had overcome poverty and lack of education in his village to become a trained master trainer and activist, helping empower others.
2) Sahib Khan, a young teacher, helped organize his community in Pakistan to improve livelihoods, forming groups for 58% of households.
3) An exposure visit helped inspire rural women in Malakand, increasing the number of women's groups from 32 to 72 and doubling their savings.
SAVE-Sisters Against Violent Extremism is the world's first female counter-terrorism platform. Headquartered at the Women without Borders offices in Vienna, Austria, the SAVE initiative brings together a broad spectrum of women determined to create a united front against violent extremism. SAVE provides women with the tools for critical debate to challenge extremist thinking and to develop alternative strategies for combating the growth of global terrorism.
The Young Women's Movement provided opportunities for young women's voices to be heard through various initiatives over the past year. They launched the Status of Young Women in Scotland report, which included interviews with 61 young women about their experiences. They held events like Envisioning 2035 to discuss the report and imagine what 2035 will be like for today's young girls. The organization also increased outreach through roadshows, conferences, and growing social media presence to further elevate young women's voices and perspectives.
The Walk of Hope led by Sri M, founder of Manav Ekta Mission, is a 15-18 month long padayatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir covering 6500 km through 11 Indian states. It aims to promote peace, secularism, harmony and unity across religious, cultural and ideological differences. The padayatra will pass through Mysuru on March 19th-20th, where Sri M will conduct satsangs. Mysoreans are encouraged to participate in large numbers to spread the message of harmony and peace.
El HaLev provides empowerment self-defense programs and violence prevention education to build safer communities. In 2017, they addressed violence against women, youth, and vulnerable groups through a variety of programs. Their goal is to implement prevention education in all schools and establish self-defense as an essential part of children's education, to help create a society where everyone can live freely and safely. They achieved considerable progress in 2017 through educational programs in schools and organizations, seminars, classes, and their instructor training academy.
Presentation on women education in PakistanShahbaz Saud
1. Literacy, especially for women, is important for human development and building a strong nation, as educated mothers can help develop future generations.
2. Quaid-e-Azam emphasized that education should develop character and not just be academic.
3. According to surveys, literacy rates for women in Pakistan vary significantly between districts, with some as low as 59% literacy.
The document profiles 101 memorable Malaysian women to celebrate 100 years of feminist activism in Malaysia. It provides brief biographies of 3 Malaysian women who have contributed significantly to women's rights and society: Rasammah Naomi Navarednam, known as Mrs. F.R. Bhupalan, who was a pioneer in the women's rights movement and education reform in Malaysia; Datuk Ramani Gurusamy, who has advocated for women's rights and empowerment for over 35 years; and Maria Chin Abdullah, a prominent lawyer and voice for women's rights in Malaysia through her work with various non-governmental organizations.
1) Ahmad had overcome poverty and lack of education in his village to become a trained master trainer and activist, helping empower others.
2) Sahib Khan, a young teacher, helped organize his community in Pakistan to improve livelihoods, forming groups for 58% of households.
3) An exposure visit helped inspire rural women in Malakand, increasing the number of women's groups from 32 to 72 and doubling their savings.
SAVE-Sisters Against Violent Extremism is the world's first female counter-terrorism platform. Headquartered at the Women without Borders offices in Vienna, Austria, the SAVE initiative brings together a broad spectrum of women determined to create a united front against violent extremism. SAVE provides women with the tools for critical debate to challenge extremist thinking and to develop alternative strategies for combating the growth of global terrorism.
The Young Women's Movement provided opportunities for young women's voices to be heard through various initiatives over the past year. They launched the Status of Young Women in Scotland report, which included interviews with 61 young women about their experiences. They held events like Envisioning 2035 to discuss the report and imagine what 2035 will be like for today's young girls. The organization also increased outreach through roadshows, conferences, and growing social media presence to further elevate young women's voices and perspectives.
The Walk of Hope led by Sri M, founder of Manav Ekta Mission, is a 15-18 month long padayatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir covering 6500 km through 11 Indian states. It aims to promote peace, secularism, harmony and unity across religious, cultural and ideological differences. The padayatra will pass through Mysuru on March 19th-20th, where Sri M will conduct satsangs. Mysoreans are encouraged to participate in large numbers to spread the message of harmony and peace.
During World War 2, technology advanced greatly, including new guns and machines that aided soldiers in battle. The war was fought against fascist and communist movements that America feared would consume the country, leading to propaganda campaigns. Like in World War 1, many young males lied about their age to enlist due to the need for soldiers. Air bases housed new planes used in attacks. This photo shows children left homeless after German Blitzkrieg attacks devastated European cities. The nuclear bomb "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, killing 39,000 people. The memorial honors lives lost in World War 2 and gives families of fallen soldiers a sense of gratitude.
Sisters Against Violent Extremism (SAVE) is a global women's movement that gives women a platform to voice their concerns and stand up against all forms of extremist violence. Members of SAVE, including mothers from Northern Ireland, Yemen, India, Bosnia, Israel, Indonesia, and the US, believe that through solidarity, storytelling, and dialogue they can help address the root causes of violence and work towards peace. Their goal is to empower women worldwide and spread humanitarian values to end war, terror, and violence.
This document is a learner profile that identifies an individual's strengths and weaknesses to help choose appropriate learning materials. It includes sections to determine the learner's style through various criteria like being visual-spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, linguistic, logical-mathematical, interpersonal, or intrapersonal. Goals for the week are identified along with specific plans to achieve each goal. A reflection on progress is included to assess if goals were met and determine next steps. The profile ends with a learning commitment where the individual pledges daily actions and meetings with a tutor to analyze performance and receive further instructions.
This document proposes the Joomla User eXperience (JUX) Project to improve the user experience, user interface, usability, and accessibility of the Joomla content management system. It notes that while Joomla has evolved technically, user experience improvements have lagged. The JUX Project would form a dedicated team to continuously implement UX best practices and innovations with each Joomla release. This would help address issues like inconsistent user interfaces across extensions and provide Joomla with Apple-level UX standards. The document encourages community developers to get involved to help drive UX advancements upstream into the Joomla core.
Agua Santa Resort-Spa ofrece una variedad de servicios de lujo como alojamiento, alimentación, spa, sala de conferencias, deportes extremos y caminatas ecológicas en un ambiente relajado y de calidad con una estructura colonial tradicional, con el objetivo de que los clientes se sientan bien durante su estadía.
This short document promotes creating presentations on SlideShare using Haiku Deck by highlighting photos from three different photographers and encouraging the reader to get started making their own Haiku Deck presentation.
This document summarizes a presentation given at the 58th Commission on the Status of Women on engaging women to resolve conflicts in South Asia. The presentation discusses examples from Nepal of women gaining voice and agency through human rights and peace activism. It highlights the opportunity that emerges from conflict for women to engage in new public spheres. The challenge is to elevate these grassroots voices and experiences to influence national and international efforts. By building networks and alliances, women can exercise collective power to act as agents for change across many contexts.
The document profiles several individuals who work as advocates and activists. Their areas of advocacy include children's rights, women's empowerment, healthcare access, LGBTQ+ rights, and addressing poverty. They work through roles in NGOs, charities, the United Nations, and as writers, lawyers, and volunteers. Commonly they are motivated to make a difference and enact positive change through commitment to helping vulnerable groups and empowering communities in need.
Dr. Anne Mwangi of Kenya has worked to empower women and girls through her career in public health. Inspired as a girl to become a doctor to help others, she pursued further study in Australia to respond to HIV/AIDS issues. Returning to Kenya, she now manages the national Paediatric HIV Program, coordinating care for HIV-infected children. She defines empowerment as allowing girls education and choices over marriage, children and careers to promote independence.
1) South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID) was founded in 2003 to work towards improving the social and economic conditions of women and communities in South Africa.
2) SAWID has conducted numerous programs and initiatives to promote peace, social cohesion, poverty alleviation, and women's empowerment. This includes peace dialogues with women from other African countries and training workshops for skills development.
3) One of SAWID's core programs is the Development Caravan Initiative, which trains and employs local youth to deliver a basket of social services to poor families to promote self-reliance, community development, and access to resources. SAWID advocates for more inclusive economic and social policies.
The Women Leading Change network provides a forum for women from conflict-affected backgrounds to meet, share experiences and ambitions, and build skills in areas like leadership, development and advocacy. Originally founded in Melbourne in 2012, the network has expanded to Sydney and brings women together bi-monthly, often with guest speakers. On International Women's Day in 2014, both cities held well-attended events celebrating the network's work. Members say the cross-cultural sharing of resources and ideas builds confidence and power for women to become leaders in both their own and Australian societies.
Maiti Nepal was founded in 1993 by Anuradha Koirala and other professionals to rescue and rehabilitate girls and women in Nepal who are victims of violence, trafficking, exploitation, and abuse. The organization operates shelters that provide victims counseling, education, healthcare, and job skills. It also works to prevent trafficking through public awareness campaigns and advocates for stronger laws against exploitation. After nearly 30 years, Maiti Nepal currently helps over 400 victims at a time through its shelters and rehabilitation programs.
The document summarizes discussions from a workshop aimed at improving women's representation and challenging male culture. Key points included:
- Education needs to focus on teaching equality and challenging gender stereotypes from a young age.
- Parenting roles must be redefined to avoid perpetuating traditional gender roles.
- Media and social media both contribute to and can help challenge gender stereotypes.
- Improving women's political representation requires training programs and potentially penalties for sexism in politics.
- Both gender-separate and joint programs/networks for men and women were seen as having benefits for progressing gender equality.
This document provides a summary of the 2nd Asia Pacific Feminist Forum held in Chiang Mai, Thailand from May 29th to June 1st, 2014. Almost 300 feminists from 30 countries in Asia and the Pacific region gathered to share strategies, strengthen solidarity, and imagine new approaches to social, political and economic structures. Participants included activists, lawyers, academics, and women's rights defenders working on issues like land rights, migration, indigenous rights, democracy, labor rights, and violence against women. The goal of the forum was to sharpen activism and strategies to address challenges faced by feminists in the region. The opening evening featured inspiring performances by participants showcasing the diversity of feminist expression and activism.
During World War 2, technology advanced greatly, including new guns and machines that aided soldiers in battle. The war was fought against fascist and communist movements that America feared would consume the country, leading to propaganda campaigns. Like in World War 1, many young males lied about their age to enlist due to the need for soldiers. Air bases housed new planes used in attacks. This photo shows children left homeless after German Blitzkrieg attacks devastated European cities. The nuclear bomb "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, killing 39,000 people. The memorial honors lives lost in World War 2 and gives families of fallen soldiers a sense of gratitude.
Sisters Against Violent Extremism (SAVE) is a global women's movement that gives women a platform to voice their concerns and stand up against all forms of extremist violence. Members of SAVE, including mothers from Northern Ireland, Yemen, India, Bosnia, Israel, Indonesia, and the US, believe that through solidarity, storytelling, and dialogue they can help address the root causes of violence and work towards peace. Their goal is to empower women worldwide and spread humanitarian values to end war, terror, and violence.
This document is a learner profile that identifies an individual's strengths and weaknesses to help choose appropriate learning materials. It includes sections to determine the learner's style through various criteria like being visual-spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, linguistic, logical-mathematical, interpersonal, or intrapersonal. Goals for the week are identified along with specific plans to achieve each goal. A reflection on progress is included to assess if goals were met and determine next steps. The profile ends with a learning commitment where the individual pledges daily actions and meetings with a tutor to analyze performance and receive further instructions.
This document proposes the Joomla User eXperience (JUX) Project to improve the user experience, user interface, usability, and accessibility of the Joomla content management system. It notes that while Joomla has evolved technically, user experience improvements have lagged. The JUX Project would form a dedicated team to continuously implement UX best practices and innovations with each Joomla release. This would help address issues like inconsistent user interfaces across extensions and provide Joomla with Apple-level UX standards. The document encourages community developers to get involved to help drive UX advancements upstream into the Joomla core.
Agua Santa Resort-Spa ofrece una variedad de servicios de lujo como alojamiento, alimentación, spa, sala de conferencias, deportes extremos y caminatas ecológicas en un ambiente relajado y de calidad con una estructura colonial tradicional, con el objetivo de que los clientes se sientan bien durante su estadía.
This short document promotes creating presentations on SlideShare using Haiku Deck by highlighting photos from three different photographers and encouraging the reader to get started making their own Haiku Deck presentation.
This document summarizes a presentation given at the 58th Commission on the Status of Women on engaging women to resolve conflicts in South Asia. The presentation discusses examples from Nepal of women gaining voice and agency through human rights and peace activism. It highlights the opportunity that emerges from conflict for women to engage in new public spheres. The challenge is to elevate these grassroots voices and experiences to influence national and international efforts. By building networks and alliances, women can exercise collective power to act as agents for change across many contexts.
The document profiles several individuals who work as advocates and activists. Their areas of advocacy include children's rights, women's empowerment, healthcare access, LGBTQ+ rights, and addressing poverty. They work through roles in NGOs, charities, the United Nations, and as writers, lawyers, and volunteers. Commonly they are motivated to make a difference and enact positive change through commitment to helping vulnerable groups and empowering communities in need.
Dr. Anne Mwangi of Kenya has worked to empower women and girls through her career in public health. Inspired as a girl to become a doctor to help others, she pursued further study in Australia to respond to HIV/AIDS issues. Returning to Kenya, she now manages the national Paediatric HIV Program, coordinating care for HIV-infected children. She defines empowerment as allowing girls education and choices over marriage, children and careers to promote independence.
1) South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID) was founded in 2003 to work towards improving the social and economic conditions of women and communities in South Africa.
2) SAWID has conducted numerous programs and initiatives to promote peace, social cohesion, poverty alleviation, and women's empowerment. This includes peace dialogues with women from other African countries and training workshops for skills development.
3) One of SAWID's core programs is the Development Caravan Initiative, which trains and employs local youth to deliver a basket of social services to poor families to promote self-reliance, community development, and access to resources. SAWID advocates for more inclusive economic and social policies.
The Women Leading Change network provides a forum for women from conflict-affected backgrounds to meet, share experiences and ambitions, and build skills in areas like leadership, development and advocacy. Originally founded in Melbourne in 2012, the network has expanded to Sydney and brings women together bi-monthly, often with guest speakers. On International Women's Day in 2014, both cities held well-attended events celebrating the network's work. Members say the cross-cultural sharing of resources and ideas builds confidence and power for women to become leaders in both their own and Australian societies.
Maiti Nepal was founded in 1993 by Anuradha Koirala and other professionals to rescue and rehabilitate girls and women in Nepal who are victims of violence, trafficking, exploitation, and abuse. The organization operates shelters that provide victims counseling, education, healthcare, and job skills. It also works to prevent trafficking through public awareness campaigns and advocates for stronger laws against exploitation. After nearly 30 years, Maiti Nepal currently helps over 400 victims at a time through its shelters and rehabilitation programs.
The document summarizes discussions from a workshop aimed at improving women's representation and challenging male culture. Key points included:
- Education needs to focus on teaching equality and challenging gender stereotypes from a young age.
- Parenting roles must be redefined to avoid perpetuating traditional gender roles.
- Media and social media both contribute to and can help challenge gender stereotypes.
- Improving women's political representation requires training programs and potentially penalties for sexism in politics.
- Both gender-separate and joint programs/networks for men and women were seen as having benefits for progressing gender equality.
This document provides a summary of the 2nd Asia Pacific Feminist Forum held in Chiang Mai, Thailand from May 29th to June 1st, 2014. Almost 300 feminists from 30 countries in Asia and the Pacific region gathered to share strategies, strengthen solidarity, and imagine new approaches to social, political and economic structures. Participants included activists, lawyers, academics, and women's rights defenders working on issues like land rights, migration, indigenous rights, democracy, labor rights, and violence against women. The goal of the forum was to sharpen activism and strategies to address challenges faced by feminists in the region. The opening evening featured inspiring performances by participants showcasing the diversity of feminist expression and activism.
UIUConference Leading Communities, Creting the Future 2pWilliam Johnson
This conference brings together local leaders from arts, social justice, economic development, and public education to explore challenges and opportunities in community leadership. The event features a keynote speech on grassroots leadership development and breakout sessions led by experts in their fields. It will be held at Union Institute & University in Cincinnati on [DATE] with continental breakfast and sessions throughout the day. The conference aims to empower citizens to lead positive social change and is supported by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
This document describes a feminist participatory action research (FPAR) program conducted by the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) from 2012-2014. The program involved 8 young women researchers from 8 countries who were trained in FPAR. Through conducting research in their communities, the researchers gained skills in rights-based approaches, feminist frameworks, facilitating women, and advocacy. The overall goal of the program was to empower marginalized women, amplify their voices, and work towards structural change on issues identified as important by participating women.
Our journey from personal to structural changesDr Lendy Spires
Our journey from personal to structural changes - is not just a report, it’s a story of us. Us, the young women activists who seek for structural change. Sadly, we still live in the world where discrimination still defines lives of majority of women and girls in the Asia Pacific region. We live in the world full of inequalities and income disparity due to neoliberal economic model that evidently has failed rural, indigenous and migrant women. In order to challenge these inequalities, strong movements of rural, indigenous migrant women are needed and they must be supported to build capacity, evidence and engage in advocacy to bring about just and sustainable solutions.
We believe that one of the ways to build movement is through Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR). Our journey of FPAR is a story of a democratic, non-hierarchical mutual learning process and part of our struggle for social transformation. FPAR emphasizes on local knowledge, while share and develop knowledge and skills based on experiences of participants. It looks at the power relations in our daily lives and society and challenges the gendered power asymmetry. It is strong combination of theory and practice which strengthens knowledge and helps to gain skills for further advocacy for structural changes.
Breaking Out Of Marginalization (BOOM) FPAR program gives opportunity to grassroots young women from 8 countries to build their capacity, confidence, establishing leadership roles and aspirations for social change. We came with different backgrounds and perspectives, but during FPAR have gone through process of personal change and grow together. Through Feminist participatory Action Research, we, young women researchers, gained capacity on rights based approach, feminist framework, skills to facilitate and organize women in the community, and skills to conduct effective advocacy and campaign. Together with rural, indigenous and women workers in the community, we were able to conduct research and advocacy.
At the end of the programme, we can see, feel and know that we have evolved. Together we hold hands and do collective actions to challenge patriarchy and unjust development policies and practices. Our Journey from Personal to Structural Change, is not a research report. It’s a story of our reflection on our own journey.
This document summarizes a Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) project conducted in the Philippines. The research was led by the Cordillera Women's Education Action Research Center (CWEARC) and focused on indigenous women in Western Uma, Kalinga who were negatively impacted by geothermal energy development. Through the FPAR process, the indigenous women were able to dispute claims about consent and document the important role of indigenous women in struggles over natural resources. They drafted petitions, organized dialogue, and advocated their position to various government bodies. The young Filipina researcher found the FPAR framework enlightening as it considers gender, class, power dynamics, and aims to shift power rather than maintain researcher neutrality
The Center for Women and Culture at CSU Fresno provides resources and support for women, minority groups, and other at-risk populations. It aims to promote social justice and eradicate discrimination through events, discussion groups, and peer counseling. Services include quiet spaces, computers, counseling, and referrals to community organizations. The Center is open to all students, staff, and faculty and encourages diversity, human rights, and the holistic development of all people.
OBJECTIVE:
Seeking for a Leadership Executive Management Position in the private business sector, non-for-profit organisation, and tertiary industry globally.
The document summarizes a women's leadership conference held in Jodhpur, India in 2009. It provides an overview of the conference, including why it was organized, how it was planned, its structure and activities, inspirational speakers, and results. The conference brought together over 80 women leaders from local NGOs to share experiences, network, and learn through workshops on topics like health, banking, microfinance, and women's rights. Participant feedback was positive and suggested holding future conferences.
The document discusses a youth delegate from Australia's experience attending the 56th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, including her consultation with young Australian women prior to the session where they raised concerns about domestic violence, media pressures, and rural access to services. The delegate shares key issues discussed at the Commission and plans to continue engaging with young Australian women about gender equality issues.
From the Ground Up: Women's Roles in local Peacebuilding in Afghanistan and S...Dr Lendy Spires
This document summarizes a study on the roles of women in local peacebuilding efforts in 5 countries: Afghanistan, Liberia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sierra Leone. The study found that while contexts differed between communities and countries, women across places face common barriers to participation in peacebuilding like restrictive social norms, violence, poverty, lack of education, and lack of support. However, women are building peace in their families by mediating conflicts and educating children, and collectively through organizations to address women's issues and give them a voice. The research demonstrates the important but overlooked contributions women make to peacebuilding at the local level.
The Iranian women's rights movement has experienced significant challenges achieving equality since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It has operated in two groups with differing views that has hindered its effectiveness. To make progress, the movement must unite under a shared vision and leader, leverage new technologies to spread their message, and learn from their history of both successes and failures. Effective public relations strategies could help the movement consolidate power and inspire continued action toward securing women's rights in Iran.
Similar to Conference report -train the trainers maria wörth may 2010 (20)
Conference report -train the trainers maria wörth may 2010
1. The Way Out: Women Know How
SAVE Train-the-Trainers Workshops
May 2010, Maria Wörth
1
2. Contents
Workshop Purposes ..……………………………………………………………….3
Participants …………………………………………………………………………..4
Trainers ………………………………………………………………………………7
Workshop Summary ...………………………………………………………………8
Mothers for Change .……..…………………………………………………10
Building Bridges, Exchanging Best Practices ……………………………12
Storytelling for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation ………………….13
Social Media Solutions for International Activism ……………………….15
Workshop Outcomes ………...…………………………………………………….16
SAVE Declaration ……………………………………………………………….....21
2
3. Workshop Purposes
During the week of workshops, we had high hopes and high expectations for the trainers and
participants. This is a critical time for the Mothers for Change! global campaign, and both the
skills learned and the network created will sustain the campaign through its first year of
implementation. We have no doubt that women can and will make the difference in
preventing the spread of deradicalization and intervening in the lives of their family members
and friends before radical ideologies are expressed through violence. Mothers for Change! is
the first program from SAVE to empower and enable women to take a positive stance
against violent extremism, and all of our participants as well as the women who were unable
to attend play important roles in transforming that vision into reality.
Over the course of the week, we achieved the following goals:
To UNITE a global network of women united with a common vision of women‟s role in
counterterrorism that they will adapt to fit their own countries‟ cultural contexts.
To BUILD a toolbox of strategies for practical interventions.
To LEARN to utilize Storytelling as a method for lasting conflict resolution.
To DEVELOP our individual strengths as leaders, and to learn how to help others
develop their strengths as well.
To DISCOVER new media tools that can help maintain our network and make it
easier to reach out to new women.
Mothers for Change!
3
4. Participants
Indonesia
Lily Zakiyah Munir is the Director and co-founder of the Center for
Pesantren and Democracy Studies (CePDeS), the founding member of
SAVE Indonesia, and a scholar specializing in Islamic feminism. Lily
has organized youth retreats for hundreds of high school age students
to empower them to pursue non-violent conflict resolution as well as to
build self-confidence and friendship.
Pakistan
Arshi Saleem Hashmi is a Senior Research Analyst at the Institute of
Regional Studies in Islamabad and an Assistant Adjunct Professor at
the National Defense University in Islamabad. Her specialty is in
Religion and Politics of Violent Conflicts.
Mossarat Qadeem is the Executive Director of the PAIMAN Trust in
Islamabad, an organization that seeks to empower women politically
and economically, improve educational resources throughout Pakistan,
and implement programs to advance conflict resolution and security.
Falaknaz Asfandyar became an activist for the Swat Valley in Pakistan
after her husband, Amirzeb Asfandyar, a prominent politician, was
assassinated in a roadside bombing, allegedly by a Taliban warlord. She
works to bring attention to the plight of the Swat Valley and also assists
in distributing aid and raising awareness about internally displaced
persons in the region.
4
5. Yemen
Fahmia al Fotih is the coordinator of SAVE Yemen and a freelance
journalist for the Yemen Times. Previously, she has worked as a
consultant for USAID and UNIFEM. She is responsible for managing the
ongoing operations for SAVE Yemen and facilitating the implementation
of the Mothers for Change! program.
Fatima Al Zuhairi is the principal of the Rabi‟a al-Adawiyya School in Sana‟a, where she sees
her mission as raising the next generation of Yemenis to be healthier, better educated, and
more connected with the world beyond Yemen‟s borders.
Noor Baabad is the Assistant Deputy Minister for Social Care and a
member of the Higher Council for Women. Noor has advocated for
women‟s legal rights in Yemen, reconciliation between northern and
southern Yemen, and an end to revenge killing.
India
Archana Kapoor is the founder of SMART, an NGO working with
marginalized communities in northern India, the editor and publisher
of the political magazine “Hardnews,” and the founder of SAVE India.
She has been the driving force behind our ongoing operations in India,
including our recent workshops for victims of the 26/11 terror attacks
“Swimming to the Future” and “Our Stories, Our Futures.”
Israel
Robi Damelin is a spokesperson for the Parents Circle—Families
Forum, an organization that supports bereaved Israeli and Palestinian
family and advocates for reconciliation between Israel and Palestine.
Robi speaks to universities, governments, and independent groups
worldwide. In the coming year, she will formally establish a SAVE
Israel chapter and will move towards implementation of the Mothers
for Change! program.
5
6. Palestine
Asma Asfour was the first elected woman to join the Sinjel Municipality
in the Ramallah District in 2005. As a council member, she advocates
for gender equality, greater female participation in Palestinian politics,
and improved educational resources in Palestine.
Somalia
Qoran Noor has worked with the United Nations Development
Programme and with Islamic Relief as a Gender and Human Rights
consultant. Over the last five years, she has been working in Kenya
and other areas of Africa as a Program Manager for projects related to
women‟s rights, public health, and gender issues.
Bosnia
Memnuna Zvizdic is the Executive Director of Žene Ženama, an
organization that bridges the divide between religious and ethnic
communities in Bosnia. Memnuna has played a critical role as an
advocate for democracy, human rights, security, and gender
equality. Memnuna continues to advocate for greater female
political participation as a fundamental element of democratization.
6
7. Trainers
Northern Ireland
Anne Carr is a Dialogue Practitioner and has been leading
Storytelling exercises for conflict resolution for 25 years in
Northern Ireland. She was the founder of the first integrated school
in Northern Ireland and is now a private consultant and a member
of the board at Women Into Politics, where she encourages
women to share their experiences of the conflicts in Northern
Ireland as a way to foster community and lasting stability.
May de Silva is the Director of “Women into Politics,” an NGO that
works to increase the number of women in decision making roles.
Women into Politics provides courses to develop political
leadership skills, networking and mentoring opportunities, and a
forum to discuss women‟s roles in grassroots organizations and
individuals.
Catherine McCartney is a Dialogue Co-ordinator for Women Into
Politics, and she has been leading training workshops for women in
grassroots organizations for the last 15 years. She also acts as a
representative for Women Into Politics to the Human Rights
Consortium.
7
8. Conference Summary
On May 24, 15 women from Pakistan, Yemen, Northern Ireland, Palestine, Israel, Bosnia,
Indonesia, India, and Somalia came together to start a week of intensive workshops to
launch SAVE‟s first global campaign: Mothers for Change!, which seeks to empower and
enable women to fight violent extremism on the front lines—in their homes and communities,
where people may be hijacked by radical ideologies. In this training camp, the participating
women—SAVE leaders and future facilitators—had the chance to learn about and model a
variety of strategies for forming mothers groups in their home countries and to start dialogue
processes to initiate understanding and conflict resolution.
The SAVE team and the workshop participants traveled to Maria Wörth in Carinthia, a
southern state of Austria, where the participants had the chance to create a shared group
identity and develop a coordinated plan for the implementation of Mothers for Change!
Despite the range of educational and professional backgrounds and the variety of ethnic and
religious affiliations represented within the group, the determination of these women to
transform their societies has brought them together in a common purpose. Once we arrived,
the true workshops started.
The first half of the week was focused on Storytelling processes for conflict resolution and
reconciliation, and in the second half of the week the emphasis of the training moved from
dialogue to action-oriented strategy sessions. May de Silva, Executive Director of Women
into Politics, met with chapter groups to develop long-term strategic plans to create a clearer
overview of what Mothers for Change! will look like in each of the countries. The chapter
groups discussed everything from program structure to resource needs, and as a group, they
worked together to plan how to transform the vision into reality.
The SAVE participants also had a chance to experience regional Austrian culture when they
were honored by the Carinthian state government‟s Minister for Gender Affairs. SAVE‟s work
was recognized, as was the continued need for greater women‟s participation in politics and
security affairs throughout the world.
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9. At the conclusion of the conference, each chapter had developed a three month pilot project
to implement the program through its initial phases and committed to producing tangible
results within that time period. As a group, we also learned New Social Media and
Technology skills that we can also use to sustain the momentum for the Mothers for Change!
campaign and facilitate better inter-group communication. Once the chapter coordinators
return home, they will be moving immediately into action with their individual outreach
initiatives and developing the foundations of Mothers networks in their countries.
Robi Damelin of the Parents Circle (Israel), Nuna Zvizdic of Zene Zenema (Bosnia), and independent gender
and human rights consultant Qoran Noor (Kenya/Somalia) discuss plans to launch SAVE Chapters in their
countries for the first time and move towards implementation of the Mothers for Change! campaign.
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10. Mothers for Change! SAVE Global Campaign
Mothers for Change! is a global campaign to empower and enable mothers to prevent the
spread of violent extremism, targeting the young generation and at-risk populations in
particular. Because women are situated at the critical nexus between family and society, they
must be well equipped to advocate for alternatives to violent extremism and to challenge
radical ideologies before they take root.
Mothers for Change! optimizes the potential of the as-yet neglected relationship between
female empowerment and the deradicalization of youth. Women are strategically positioned
for this role at the center of the family, where they are the first to recognize signs of
resignation and anger in their children. They build an ideal early-warning system when their
sons, daughters, or husbands exhibit tell-tale signs of violent ideologies. Young people
growing up in countries marked by ongoing instability and violence often receive conflicting
messages from radicalized forces within society, and women‟s voices are regularly muted
within the family. Strengthening women‟s position in civil society will enhance their
communities to overcome the growing climate of fear and paranoia. Women are critical to
transmitting ideas and mores to the next generation, but we must encourage them so that
they can challenge entrenched social views that lead to extremist ideologies.
This groundbreaking campaign has three objectives:
to empower mothers around the world to make use
of their central role in the family for the fight against
terrorism, to prevent members of the young
generation in their families and communities from
being radicalized, and to provide them with the tools
to steer them back on the right path.
Edit Schlaffer (Women without Borders / SAVE),
Lily Munir (Indonesia) and Robi Damelin, (Israel)
Stability and security are the central social and political issues of our era, and mothers are
the key to connecting state-wide preventative measures to the individual level. The inclusion
of women will help us to create a new vision, to include new voices, and to open new
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11. avenues of action. SAVE recognizes that in many communities, women are the driving forces
of everyday life, and we are committed to entrusting security issues into their safe hands.
Mothers for Change! is an innovative project that will have broad effects beyond promoting
safety and preventing crime. Above all, the program deals extensively with an under-
acknowledged group—mothers across a spectrum of communities. Although the critical
importance of women is being increasingly acknowledged within the financial and
educational sectors, their input has been neglected in the security realm. This program thus
gives a much-needed voice to a segment that holds true potential for effecting change.
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12. Building Bridges, Exchanging Best Practices
Anne Carr, May de Silva, and Catherine McCartney of Women Into Politics, a leading NGO
in Northern Ireland, held workshops to share the community-based strategies that they have
developed to help bring together Catholic and Protestant groups in their country along with
Robi Damelin from Israel, who brings her strategies from the Parents Circle—Families Forum
in Israel, an organization of bereaved Israeli and Palestinian families. Activists from Yemen
and Pakistan found commonalities in the challenges they face in societies with restricted
women‟s rights and low literacy rates, and they have been able to learn from each other and
exchange ideas for the future. Other activists from Bosnia, Somalia, and Palestine were able
to discuss crucial implementation strategies with their peers, such as reaching out to target
groups, defining a clear mission, and building momentum on the ground.
These workshops also allowed women the ability to offer fellowship and support across
boundaries through both shared grief and hope. The participants took part in Storytelling
workshops, which are process-oriented dialogue sessions for conflict resolution and
reconciliation. The SAVE Sisters were trained to be Storytelling facilitators, and they learned
how they can foster constructive dialogue in their countries and reach out to vulnerable
female populations through community education. In these ways, concerns about social,
economic, and political stability were paired with issues in the security realm in order to re-
envision lasting solutions to global security problems.
These voices from around the world are critical to the development of alternative security
solutions and giving these women a chance to learn from each other and exchange best
practices was an incredible opportunity to gain new insight to the challenges on the ground in
some of today‟s most conflict-ridden areas in the world, from the Swat Valley to rural Yemen
to Israel-Palestine and more. Learning from them and sharing their perspectives is a crucial
step towards moving from ideological discourse on a theoretical level to tangible policy
solutions that create change at the community level, utilizing female “Know How” and
women‟s central role in the family and civil society.
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13. Storytelling for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation
Anne Carr, an independent Dialogue Practitioner from Northern Ireland, and Robi Damelin,
spokesperson for the Parents Circle from Israel, co-led the Storytelling sessions for the
week.
Storytelling is a process that is designed to work on both the individual and group levels, to
promote both personal healing from past trauma as well as uniting the group for constructive
future change. Storytelling facilitators must use a variety of techniques to promote a trusting
atmosphere to enable participants to share their stories in ways that will result in healing and
not reliving a traumatic experience, and they must also build the group into a cohesive unit
so that they continue the process of reconciliation after the Storytelling sessions are
completed.
For me, this was a really enlightening process.
I can’t believe that I was doing something
similar in Swat Valley, in my own way, because
now I realize that the training has made me
more focused and more channeled. The
women of Swat are women who have suffered
and who have been victimized. I’m going to
take the trainings from here and adapt it to my
own country.
Falaknaz Asfandyar, Swat Valley, Pakistan
The foundations of Storytelling as a participatory, flexible group process are built upon the
principles of building trust, acknowledging and recognizing the other, compassion and
empathy (moving beyond sympathy), narrative as meaning-making, and promoting inclusion,
empowerment, and equality.
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14. Social Media Solutions for International Activism
In the second half of the conference, SAVE Program Manager Kate Wiseman led workshops
on using Social Media and Technology to improve intergroup communication and facilitate
outreach beyond the SAVE network. Participants were presented with a range of ideas and
led through a brainstorming workshop to see what activities they were already doing in their
home countries that could be shared more easily and to a wider audience through social
media and technology. Together, the group learned about platforms for sharing photo and
video documentation of programs, and the SAVE group decided to start an internal forum to
facilitate the cross-border exchange of knowledge and ideas.
Kate Wiseman working with (back row) Arshi Saleem Hashmi, Robi Damelin, Archana Kapoor,
(front row) Mossarat Qadim, Edit Schlaffer, and Falaknaz Asfandyar
Individuals and country groups met with Kate (SAVE Global) in small groups to discuss their
needs and interests more specifically, and she assisted them in a range of activities from
setting up Facebook fan pages to leading a tutorial in blogging. She also guided everyone
through the process of finding and using the forum.
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15. Conference Outcomes
Each SAVE Chapter left the conference with a three-month plan for their role in the
implementation of the global Mothers for Change! campaign, whether it was moving directly
towards building mother‟s groups and training Storytelling facilitators or returning to a new
area without a previous SAVE presence and reaching out to existing women‟s organizations
and assessing interest in Mothers for Change!
Pakistan
SAVE Pakistan delegates Mossarat
Qadeem, Executive Director of the
PAIMAN Trust, Falaknaz Asfandyar, an
activist for Internally Displaced Persons
(IDPs) in the Swat Valley, and Arshi
Saleem Hashmi, a Research Analyst and
Professor, will work in conjunction with
other SAVE Pakistan Sisters to
implement the Mothers for Change!
campaign in the North West Frontier
Provinces (NWFP) and the Federally
Members of SAVE Pakistan from back to front: Mossarat
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). They
Qadim, Arshi Saleem Hashmi, and Falaknaz Asfandyar
will identify educated women from these
regions and bring them to Islamabad to train them in the skills they learned at the conference
as well as in Pakistan-specific strategies developed through their collective experiences.
When these women have been trained, they will return to FATA and the NWFP to start
Mothers‟ Storytelling groups. At the end of the three month pilot period, all the Mothers‟
groups will meet in Islamabad to share their experiences and develop a manual of best
practices. They will also produce a documentary film to share the impact of the program and
arrange a press conference to raise awareness about the ongoing Mothers for Change!
campaign in Pakistan.
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16. Yemen
Fahmia al-Fotih‟, Fatima al Zuhairi, and Noor Baabad pledged to work together to use their
different resources and experiences in the most effective way possible. Fahmia al-Fotih‟ is
the SAVE Yemen Coordinator, Fatima al Zuhairi is the principal of the prestigious Rabia al
Adawea girls‟ school, and Noor Baabad is a Minister in the Department of Social Affairs.
Fatima is leading the implementation of Mothers for Change! in Rabia al Adawea school by
drawing mothers from the school‟s Parents‟ Council. Fahmia will work with Fatima in
facilitating Storytelling sessions, and together they will reach out to educated and
uneducated women in Sana‟a. After they have run successful pilot programs, Fahmia and
At left, Arshi Saleem Hashmi and
Mossarat Qadeem (both from Pakistan)
being honored at the Bundesparlament
in Klagenfurt. Above, ground rules
established for the workshops. At right,
Robi Damelin (Israel) leads a workshop.
Fatima will lead Train-the-Trainers‟ sessions with young educated women who will bring the
Mothers for Change! campaign to the rural areas outside of Sana‟a and begin the process of
transforming small groups into a far-reaching social movement.
Fahmia, Fatima, and Noor are going to collaborate in developing a list of Storytelling
discussion topics that will be both relevant and sensitive to Yemen. Fahmia will be working to
customize the SAVE manual to Yemen, and she will refine it through her first few pilot
groups. This manual will also be a resource for the next group of trainers who will bring the
Mothers for Change! campaign to rural areas. Noor, Fatima, and Fahmia together are also
going to work to establish partnerships with existing women‟s organizations like the Women‟s
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17. Media Center and Women Journalists Without Chains to explore how SAVE Yemen can
further its outreach and maximize its exposure in Yemen.
Indonesia
Lily Zakiyah Munir, Founder and Chair of the Center for Pesantren and Democracy Studies
(CePDes) in Jakarta, will implement Mothers for Change! Storytelling sessions in Jakarta.
After running successful pilot programs, Lily will identify and train women from Solo, East
Java, Pontianak, and Bandung to become Storytelling facilitators. These women will spread
the Mothers for Change! campaign to different Indonesian islands, and they will use SAVE
dialogue practices to sensitize women to violent extremism and prepare them to challenge
the spread of radical ideologies in the vulnerable
youth populations.
Bosnia
Memnuna Zvizdic, Executive Director of Žene
Ženama (Women to Women) in Sarajevo, will be
promoting awareness of SAVE‟s mission and
working with other women‟s rights organizations
throughout Bosnia Herzegovina, Serbia,
Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, and other areas to
identify target areas for implementation throughout
the Balkans. Memnuna will also assess interest
and identify women to work as SAVE trainers and From left to right: Fahmia al-Fotih„, Asma
Asfour, and Falaknaz Asfandyar listen
leaders in Sarajevo through Žene Ženama. during a workshop session.
Somalia
The political situation in Somalia is fragile, and all SAVE activities will be based in Nairobi,
Kenya and implemented through a SAVE Coordinator who travels into the country from the
Kenya base. SAVE is partnering with Asha Hagi Elmi, Founder and Executive Director of
SAVE Somali Women and Children, to identify mothers in Kenya who would become part of
the initial pilot group. Currently, Independent Human Rights and Gender Consultant Qoran
Noor is advising SAVE on strategies for implementing Mothers for Change! in Mogadishu,
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18. and SAVE will continue to work to promote awareness of the campaign in Kenya and
Somalia.
Palestine
Council Member Asma Asfour of the Ramallah District in Palestine is an activist for greater
women‟s political participation and for educational improvement throughout Palestine. She
will reach out through her networks and the organizations she is affiliated with to raise
awareness about SAVE‟s mission and to identify women to be part of the SAVE Palestine
Mothers for Change! pilot project. Asma will facilitate Storytelling sessions with mothers and
combine it with political leadership skills courses in order to empower women to be part of
the solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel
In Israel, Robi Damelin, spokesperson
for the Parents Circle—Families Forum,
will reach out to the Women‟s Forum of
the Parents Circle to raise awareness
about SAVE. In 2010, Robi will
establish the first SAVE Israel chapter
emphasizing Storytelling practices as a
way to know the other and to begin the
process of bridging deep rift between Noor Baabad (Yemen) and SAVE Global Program
Manager Elaine Hargrove work together in a workshop.
Israelis and Palestinians.
Northern Ireland
Dialogue Practitioner Anne Carr, Women Into Politics Executive Director May de Silva, and
Political Leadership Skills Trainer Catherine McCartney from Northern Ireland will be sharing
their expertise and their materials with the SAVE Global Network, and they will move forward
with plans to host a working conference in Belfast. Women‟s leadership has an established
role in reconciliation and political conflict resolution in Ireland, and their experiences will
provide a large portion of the body of the training materials SAVE Global will produce.
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19. India
SAVE India will be work in Mumbai with WorldKids, an international NGO, who are already in
consultation to take on the SAVE work in schools where they already work. Archana Kapoor
of SAVE India is the Founder and Director of SMART, an NGO working with vulnerable
populations in Northern India, and a longtime Women without Borders / SAVE partner in
Delhi. She will partner with Manju Singh, Executive Director of WorldKids, which promotes
values-based, socially minded entertainment for children. Together, SAVE India and
WorldKids will approach mothers from the Parent-Teachers‟ Association of five different
schools and lead workshops for the Mothers for Change! campaign. These mothers will then
start new Mothers‟ groups in each of their own schools.
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20. The SAVE Declaration
The participants of the first Global SAVE Conference developed
and signed the SAVE Declaration, which has shaped the growth
of SAVE through its first years.
1. I, as a woman, will use the local and global
networks of women to stop the killing.
2. I will inspire a new response to prevent terror,
violence and discrimination.
3. I will create awareness for not stigmatizing the
families of the extremists/terrorists.
4. I will support the young generation with non-violent
alternatives in their search for a better life.
5. I will engage all forms of media for spreading the
message of non-violence.
6. I will insist on peaceful resolutions to prevent
escalation of conflict and violence.
7. I will promote a global dialogue for a future without
fear.
8. I will raise my voice against all hostile states and
politics that cause suffering.
9. I recognize the urgency to create “SAVE” spaces for
a peaceful coexistence.
10. I will always remember those affected by violent
extremism.
Women without Borders / SAVE
Vienna, Austria
Telephone: +43 1-533-45-51
Fax: +43 1-533-45-52
Email: office@women-without-borders.org
Website: www.women-without-borders.org
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