mediation - International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)

Marie-Joëlle Zahar is Pushing the Boundaries for Women in Security & Peacebuilding

Posted on July 29, 2021 by Lauren Mellows

Marie-Joëlle Zahar has been an ICAN Board Member since 2019. In this interview, she reflects on her early experiences during the war in Lebanon and how they shaped her journey in the world of conflict resolution, peacekeeping, post-conflict reconstruction, and gendered work. Marie-Joëlle shares stories of her time as a Senior Expert on the Standby Team of Mediation Experts at the UNDPPA, what it was like being one of the few women in international mediation spaces, and her advice for the next generation of women peacebuilders and WPS practitioners. Read more to view the full conversation.

ICAN Trains the Women Mediators across the Commonwealth on Gender Responsive Mediation

Posted on January 4, 2021 by Lauren Mellows

During three weeks in December the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), provided an 18-hour training on Gender Responsive and Inclusive Mediation to 16 members of the Women Mediators across the Commonwealth (WMC), a network hosted by Conciliation Resources.

ICAN at Xth Conference World Mediation Forum 2019 in Luxembourg

Posted on July 22, 2019 by Lauren Mellows

Program Director Helena Gronberg presented ICAN’s work on gender responsive and inclusive mediation.

Ensuring the Effective Participation & Rights of Women in the Syrian Peace & Mediation Process

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Lauren Mellows

Based on consultations with Syrian civil society partners, a group of international NGOs recently published a five-step approach to ensuring the effective participation and rights of women in the Syrian peace and mediation process. This is a critical element in achieving a just and sustainable peace in Syria. The paper offers five steps to ensuring […]

Building A More Inclusive Political Transition in Syria

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Lauren Mellows

On 18-19 July 2013, a group of practitioners, scholars, and policy makers with global experience representing a variety of institutions gathered in Washington, DC to explore how the principles and practicalities of including non-violent, non-state actors in mediation, transition, and peace-making processes can be applied to Syria. The meeting’s key objective was to develop viable […]

Options for Action in Syria: A Nonpartisan Statement of Concern by Conflict Resolution Professionals

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Lauren Mellows

President Obama’s proposed course of limited military airstrikes is intended to “punish” Syrian President Assad for allegedly using chemical weapons. (The UN inspectors’ report verifying whether chemical weapons were used is not yet out.) This is to send a signal that the United States will not tolerate a flagrant disregard of the ban on chemical […]

Building More Inclusive Political Transitions: A Review of the Syrian Case (Summer 2013)

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Lauren Mellows

ICAN partners with other NGOs to request the involvement of Syrian women in mediation

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Lauren Mellows

May 23, 2013 Historically, the exclusion of women from peace negotiations has been detrimental to the promotion and protection of women’s human rights. In an effort to combat this in Syria and in advance of the peace talks in Geneva this June, the International Civil Society Action Network has partnered with the NGOs listed below […]

Open Letter to Secretaries of State Requesting Inclusion of Syrian Women in Peace Negotiations

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Lauren Mellows

Read the full letter here. Washington, D.C.May 23, 2013 Your Excellencies, We welcome your efforts to renew the Geneva Process to bring about a resolution to the war in Syria. We are a group of international organizations dedicated to ensuring women’s effective and full inclusion in the mediation and negotiations of conflict. We support the Syrian […]