ICAN, in partnership with the Permanent Missions of Norway, Sweden, and Canada, the United Kingdom Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (UKFCDO), the Ministry of Gender, Child and Welfare of South Sudan, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), and the National Transformational Leadership Institute (NTLI), convened a 1.5-day workshop to discuss how to strengthen community security as a localized, transformative approach for sustainable peace.
ICAN and WASL Issue Statement on US/Iran: De-escalation is Not Enough, It is Time to Talk
Statement Issued by the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership on the US, Iran and the Proxy Wars in the Middle East
On January 7th, across the globe we waited with bated breath as the possibility of a third world war flickered across our screens. For now we breathe a sigh of relief and thank both sides for their restraint. But we also mourn the tragic death of the 176 men, women and children on the Ukrainian flight. This event serves as a wake-up call of how political bellicosity can impact on real lives. It shows that de-escalation is not enough. The impact of recent events has already worsened the situation in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Afghanistan. So we women peacebuilders representing countries spanning the world have one word to share with global leaders and the world: Enough!
Enough of the bombs and bullets that are forcing us to bury our people, killing and injuring our children, at an age when they should be going to school and building their futures. Three generations have suffered already. Isn’t that enough?
Enough of the drones or missiles that destroy our homes and villages, our historic sites and our cities. Enough of the bellicose speeches. Enough of the media fanning the flames, making it seem as if war is more feasible than dialogue and diplomacy.
Among the signatories here, some of us have lost children to acts of violent extremism, in the proxy wars being fought in our towns, and because they were conscripted to serve in national armies. Many of us have been forced into exile, unable to bury our mothers in their own land or visit our fathers’ graves.
For years we have seen world leaders putting the sons and daughters of other families at the frontlines of their wars. So, as we mourn our own losses, we also feel the pain of families across the oceans, in Europe, United States and beyond, where they see their mothers and fathers, boys and girls, wives and husbands, returning home in coffins, or maimed or suicidal. This is the reality of the wars being waged on our backs.
This is what another new vicious and deadly war would bring into the lives of yet another generation across the world.
We will not, we cannot let that happen.
We understand the difficulties of resolving conflicts. We know how painful and difficult it can be as Syrians and Yemenis, as Iranians and Americans, as Iraqis and Palestinians, to face those who have been the cause of our loss for decades. Our grievances are real. But the blood being shed, the destruction, the violence and billions being spent on bombs and drones provide no solutions.
Only through responsible leadership, with people who have courage to sit and talk it out, can we end this cycle of retribution and violence. As peacebuilders we know that in fraught times, peace may seem impossible. But it is not. It requires the courage to face each other. It requires the willingness to cross over the lines of difference drawn between us, and those inside our heads. It requires the intelligence and commitment to do it safely, productively without a gun or a bomb, but through words and actions.
We have also learnt through experience that even if violence has brought us deep personal loss or our narratives and existence seem to contradict each other, we must continue to talk and we must listen. We must not shoot. For only in doing so, can we find our shared humanity and our interdependence in this world.
Today we stand at a crossroads. Our leaders across the globe can let a new world war be their legacy to generations to come. Or they can follow our lead and find the courage to sit together on the same side of the table with the commitment and intention of not getting up until – in respect and reciprocity – they rise with a shared vision and commitment to building a just, inclusive, humane and peaceful world.
We know it is possible, because we see it in our midst every day, among the young and the old, the soldiers and the civilians in all of our countries. Our vision for the future shaped by dignity, equality, pluralism and peaceful coexistence is not only possible, it already exists throughout our societies. We call on world leaders to listen to us and join our call: It is time to talk it out.
To learn more and join us please:
- Sign the letter here: http://bit.ly/StatementTalkItOut
- Share the message with friends with the hashtag #TalkItOut. It is also available in Persian/Farsi, Arabic and French (If you would like to translate into other languages please contact us at info@icanpeacework.org)
- Follow @whatthewomensay on Twitter and Facebook for updates and to join our calls to action
- Reach out to your leaders and call your parliamentarians and ask that they demand comprehensive talks
- Call media outlets and ask them to offer measured, objective and factual analysis not fuel war with bellicose language and war advocates.
- Share the message with people in your communities, with religious leaders, civil society organizations, local media, corporate sector and diplomatic community through all available platforms.
Download statements in
Related Posts
ICAN, in partnership with the Permanent Missions of Norway, Sweden, and Canada, the United Kingdom Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (UKFCDO), the Ministry of Gender, Child and Welfare of South Sudan, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), and the National Transformational Leadership Institute (NTLI), convened a 1.5-day workshop to discuss how to strengthen community security as a localized, transformative approach for sustainable peace.
Allamin Foundation AWAPSA AWAW CIASE CoACT Exclude from RSS GEN Myanmar ICAN Featured ICAN Updates Mobaderoon PAIMAN PCID Policy Advocacy Women's Alliance for Security LeadershipOn November 22, 2023, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)—in partnership with Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Legal Action Worldwide (LAW), and Karama hosted a high-level dialogue to reimagine partnerships and coordination between women peacebuilders, international mediation, humanitarian, and development actors in crises and conflict settings.
Exclude from RSS ICAN Featured ICAN UpdatesWe are excited to announce the launch of the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Mellon Liaison Fellowship at ICAN. Organized by the UMass-Amherst World Studies Interdisciplinary Project (WSIP), and funded by the Mellon Foundation and the UMass-Amherst Provost’s Office, ICAN will host two distinguished UMass PhD Mellon Liaison Fellows in 2023. The Fellowship is linked to the WSIP Graduate Certificate in Decolonial Global Studies (DGS), though UMass PhD students from all departments, colleges, and schools were invited to apply. We are thrilled to introduce the two 2023 UMass Mellon Liaison Fellows: Mariam Parvez Sheikh and Meenakshi Nair.
Exclude from RSS ICAN Featured ICAN UpdatesOn June 21 and June 29, 2023, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) hosted a Risk Appetite Hackathon. This high-level, policy-based and hybrid event, brought together over 300+ partners, including Canadian and local grassroots organizations from around the world, as well as various think tanks and like-minded donors.
Exclude from RSS ICAN Featured ICAN UpdatesOn 21st June 2023, the European Union (EU), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), jointly organised a side event, “Promoting PVE through Fostering Peace, Resilience, Equality, and Pluralism (PREP) in collaboration with Community-based Actors”, during the 3rd UN Counter-Terrorism Week.
Exclude from RSS ICAN Featured ICAN UpdatesWe are excited to release our 2022 Annual Report. Highlights include: findings of a 4-year independent evaluation; expansion of She Builds Peace to 32 countries; grants to women-led peacebuilding organizations in 19 countries.
Exclude from RSS ICAN Featured ICAN UpdatesOn May 20, 2023, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) signed the Short-Term Ceasefire and Humanitarian Arrangements agreement in Jeddah. Guaranteeing gender responsive humanitarian aid and protection for Sudanese women, men, girls, and boys is essential. We provide guidance on immediate actions to take.
Exclude from RSS ICAN Featured ICAN Updates Policy AdvocacyICAN is fundraising to support the urgent humanitarian needs of its partners in the earthquake-affected region and the communities they serve. We are raising funds to help them with safe shelter, blankets, food, water and medicine, especially in hard-to-reach areas. Please donate if you can.
Exclude from RSS ICAN Featured ICAN Latest ICAN UpdatesWe are delighted to release our new video “Reclaiming Power, Restoring Peace”, which gives a glimpse into the words, work, and unique nature of WASL.
Exclude from RSS ICAN Featured ICAN Latest VideosICAN’s Senior Program Officer, Stacey Schamber, and WASL member and Executive Director of WEDOL, Rosaline Cassell, spoke about the far-reaching impacts of the She Builds Peace campaign in Liberia. WEDOL launched She Builds Peace with a parade and panel discussion in Margibi County, attracting over 300 participants, including the police and local authorities. The event garnered public recognition for Liberian women peacebuilders and opened dialogue about how they can be supported and protected. On the back of the launch, WEDOL also established a “village savings and loan association” (VSLA) for women peacebuilders. Through the association, the members have taken the lead in resolving community-level conflicts; they are working with local chiefs and gaining visibility and legitimacy for their roles.
Exclude from RSS ICAN Featured ICAN Latest Stories WEDOLICAN's Senior Program Officer, Stacey Schamber, and WASL member and President of PCID, Amina Rasul, in conversation about the She Talks Peace podcast, part of the global She Builds Peace campaign.
ICAN Featured ICAN Latest PCID StoriesEnsuring women are properly equipped with knowledge to counter and prevent extremist ideology can contribute to promoting peaceful coexistence within communities now, as well as for future generations. From 11-12 October, UNDP and ICAN held a two-day workshop on gender responsive approaches to transforming extremisms in Erbil, Iraq.
Exclude from RSS G&E other resources Gender and Extremisms ICAN Featured ICAN Latest ICAN Updates