Our network is spread out across the world, yet we feel and act in solidarity with each other. Supporting feminist peacebuilders and making their work visible is at the core of our vision and practice. The "Feminists Connecting for Peace" magazine is a co-creation of activists from our global network. The first edition focuses on Demilitarization.
It was a special kind of exchange that we were able to organise with our partners in the Philippines in December: at a series of events, two representatives of the Gender Working Group of the Colombian Truth Commission exchanged their experiences with peace activists from the Philippines. Many moments of recognition and understanding emerged from these encounters. Our programme managers Andrea Filippi and Karin Widmer were there.
In this special edition of our newsletter, you can find out which stages peace processes go through and where and how women exert influence in order to drive peace processes and prevent setbacks. We have added an extra, detachable double page so that you can use the graphic illustration of peace processes and the accompanying text yourself. You will also find out how our partner in Nepal is helping to ensure that the generations affected by war are heard and recognised as victims of war violence through intergenerational Women's Peace Tables. The meeting with peace activists from our Feminists Connecting for Peace network, which took place in Bern at the beginning of the year, is another focus of our newsletter.
In this newsletter you will learn about the exemplary work of the Colombian Truth Commission, involving women and marginalised groups – and about how we contributed. You will also find out how we are making sparks glow with the Feminist Peace Initiatives and how we continue to work with women for peace in Ukraine, despite the war.
Common paths to peace: this could be the title of this print newsletter. Because the women from Colombia and Ukraine featured in this issue are on these paths – even though war is still raging in Ukraine and a peace agreement has been in force in Colombia since 2016.