How women can help build a

culture of peace

Eliud Bundi Ondara

Youth and Gender Development Officer

Teso South Sub – County

Busia

Goal

To Promote and strengthen women's roles as

promoters of a culture of peace

Objectives

To understand peace and Culture of peace.

Identify ways of building culture of peace.

Enhance women participation in culture of peace.

Why this training

Motivate and inform women.

To strengthen the role of women in peace building.

Acknowledging women's role in giving andsustaining life, thereby contributing to a culture ofpeace.

Acquisition of peace knowledge helps women tobecome peacemakers and peace keepers.

There is a direct correlation between peace anddevelopment

Confront the violence of economic and social

deprivation.

To create sustainable, just, and peaceful

communities.

Scenario I

A cry for justice

Scenario II

Fear and despair

“In war torn societies, women often keep societies

going… We must ensure that women are enabled

to play a full part in peace negotiations, in peace

processes, in peace missions.”

Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary

General

Background

Throughout the world women’s role in violent

conflict and war has been seen as marginal in

terms of ensuring that human security is upheld.

Africa, wars have been portrayed in almost the

same way but the stories of the courage of men as

fighters have tended to eclipse the active role

women have played as peace builders during the

war.

It is this bias in neglecting or assuming women’s

role as peace builders alongside other actors in

conflict situations

women and men are affected differently by the

conflict, with women suffering most of the effects

such as death, physical injuries and insufficient

resources to take care of their children.

Consequently, as women experienced the

immediate consequences of the conflict, they were

the first to work for peace

What does the bible say….

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be

called children of God“ (Matt. 5:9).

Basic Questions

What does it mean to be a woman in my

community?

What is being done to build peace in my

community?

What do women need in times of violent conflict?

How are women’s needs different from the needs

of men and children?

How are women building peace in your

community?

What is peace?

Freedom from disturbance;

Quiet

Tranquility

Freedom from or the cessation of war orviolence

Absence of fear from violence.

What is culture?

Culture is the characteristics of a

particular group of people,

Defined by everything from language,

religion, cuisine, social habits, music

and….

Shared patterns of behaviour

What is culture of Peace?

Culture of Peace is a set of values, attitudes,

modes of behaviour that promote peace.

Ways of life that reject violence and prevent it.

Tackle the root causes to solve problems through

dialogue and negotiation among individuals,

groups and nations

Peace implies that love, compassion, human

dignity, and justice are fully preserved.

A culture of peace is a culture in which there are a

multitude of approaches to the resolution of conflict

in every dimension of life.

"The culture of peace is based on the principles

established in the Charter of the United Nations

and on respect for human rights, democracy and

tolerance, the promotion of development,

education for peace, the free flow of information

and the wider participation of women as an integral

approach to preventing violence and conflicts, and

efforts aimed at the creation of conditions for peace

and its consolidation.” (A/Res/52/13, 15 January

1998, Para. 2)

How Women Can help

A culture of peace requires that we confront the

violence of economic and social deprivation.

Avert violence!

Education. A larger majority of Women and girls are

excluded.

Cont…

Promote sustainable economic and social

development.

Protect human rights.

Ensure equality between men and women.

Foster democratic participation.

Women’s capacity in leadership must be utilized to

the full.

Cont…

Advancing understanding, tolerance and solidarityto abolish war and violent conflicts.

Supporting participatory communication and thefree flow of information and knowledge.

Involve children in activities for instilling them withgood values.

promoting international peace and security.

Activities for culture of peace

Women empowerment

Education forums – civic education

Merry – go - round

Sporting

Networking and partnerships

Organizing community dialogue meetings

Interreligious meetings

Promoting Good governance

Formation of women’s groups and organizations to

address issues that affect women.

Women’s nonviolent Intervention into oppressive

situations

Domestic violence programs for offenders.

Trauma healing for women to address sexual

crimes against them.

Women’s representation in official peace

processes.

Women as mediators and facilitators of conflicts in

their homes, communities, schools, religious

centers, etc.

Training and education in culture of peace skills for

women.

Why include women

Women and men must be partners in the process

Because women are the central caretakers of

families in many cultures.

Because women have the capacity for both

violence and peace, women must be encouraged

to use their gifts in building peace.

Because women are excluded from public

decision-making, leadership, and educational

opportunities.

Because women and men have different

experiences of violence and peace.

Because women have already proven themselves

to be successful peacebuilders.