Margo Okazawa-Rey stepped down from the International Board at the end of March. Our President Ruth-Gaby Vermot thanks her long-time ally for her significant support.

Margo has left the International Board of PeaceWomen Across the Globe after 21 years. Even before the founding of today's non-governmental organisation PeaceWomen Across the Globe, she was a committed and important supporter of the "1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005" initiative. As coordinator for the USA and Japan, she contributed many ideas and suggestions to the discussions. During the intensive nomination period, she and the other coordinators repeatedly travelled to Switzerland for planning meetings at which the selection criteria, the visibility of the peace work (including the book and the film about the 1000 PeaceWomen) and the financing were discussed. During this exhausting and happy time, we repeatedly tested our limits. We were disappointed that the 1000 PeaceWomen did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize. However, we decided to continue working on peace issues as PeaceWomen Across the Globe with new topics and a consolidated organisational form. Margo remained an important supporter.

Together with our co-president Kamla Bhasin, who passed away in 2021, Margo was an important force for the reorientation towards a feminist peace organisation that supports the participation of women in peace processes on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on "Women, Peace and Security" and other peace and women's policy conventions with partners in various conflict-affected countries. The International Board met regularly, although not as often as in the context of the initiative. Zoom & Co., which became the preferred means of communication due to the pandemic, were not yet known at the time. We had to find ways to combat estrangement.

Thanks to Zoom, Margo was able to bring us together in a new sisterly exchange format during the coronavirus pandemic. Every week, the women from the office and the board members from all over the world networked. During these meetings, we told each other how we were coping with work and family life, how we were managing the ongoing programmes and maintaining contact with our partners, and where help was needed. Together we decided to set up an emergency fund to finance food and other urgent needs in some programme countries.

Margo is now going her separate ways. We thank her warmly for all her work, her wisdom and her friendship. Margo remains committed to feminist peace work. We look forward to our paths crossing with hers in the future.

Ruth-Gaby Vermot, president PeaceWomen Across the Globe

Bern, April 2024