Fostering connections and exchange among women and feminist peacebuilders from countries affected by violent conflict is a central aim across all our programmes. To advance this goal, we invited two Sudanese and two Colombian peace activists to Switzerland. Over four days they shared experiences, strategies and approaches to feminist peacebuilding. They also met with decision-makers to highlight the challenges faced by women peace activists, particularly young ones, in their respective countries – and to voice their expectations.

The four women are part of the younger generation of peacebuilders in their countries: Rounag Shimila Ali and Mariam Hamid Ahmed Hamid (Sudan), Gabriela Bastidas Diaz and Paola Bastidas Cuatin (Colombia). They are feminist leaders and activists and vocal advocates for women’s rights, including for women’s participation in all phases of peace processes (see short biographies below).

They came to Bern with insights to share and messages to convey. Chief among them: engaging local women peacebuilders is key to building peace and young women must also be included both in the design and in the implementation of peace processes. They agreed: peace is something women peace activists build every day in Colombia and Sudan – and is not just a matter for armed groups and elites to decide. The idea that those who make war should also be trusted to make peace is “nonsense”.

Sharing strategies, building solidarity

The exchange among the four women was the primary focus of their four days in Bern: to learn about the contexts in Colombia and Sudan and share their own and other women’s experiences and strategies in building peace there, including of women peace activists under 35. The candid exchange built solidarity among the women. They each expressed leaving inspired and enriched and made clear that they want to keep the connection alive.

“It was an honour to meet women who fight for peace with such power. [The exchange] showed me that even though we are kilometres apart, we are not alone and we share the same goal,” Gabriela said.

“I was so excited to meet the Colombian colleagues. I am a big fan,” Mariam said. She was particularly inspired by how they “match women with more experience with women with less experience” in peacebuilding in their region in Colombia.

Paola said, “I take away a lot from the exchange and these very young, very powerful women”. She highlighted how they connect women peace activists from inside and outside Sudan as an important learning.

Rounag left Bern “with new friends in Colombia”. The discussions reminded her that “we cannot do it alone. We need strong alliances.”

Stakeholders, not “beneficiaries”

The four women also met with representatives of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and with a member of parliament. As the Sudanese peacebuilders travelled to Bern via Berlin, we also organised meetings with the Sudan desk of the German foreign ministry and a foundation as well as a media interview.

The four had concrete requests to Swiss government: to regard peacebuilders not as “beneficiaries” but as stakeholders; to include women peacebuilders in the design of peace processes to increase the diversity of opinions and experiences; to put pressure on countries interfering in the Sudan armed conflict.

"What stood out to me was the value of creating space for direct dialogue between grassroots peacebuilders and policymakers,” Mariam wrote in a LinkedIn post. “It is in these spaces that global peace commitments can be connected to lived realities on the ground."

Valuable insights for our programmes

We also included the four in the programme of our founder Ruth-Gaby Vermot’s farewell event, marking her departure as president after more than 20 years on 7 May 2026. In an intergenerational panel discussion, the activists shared the challenges they face in their peace work and the violence and hardships they have endured. They agreed that intergenerational dialogue is important. “It’s not about competing but about combining our agenda,” Rounag told the audience.

As an organisation, we also listened and learned. We gained valuable insights from the four days of discussion and exchange that will help us shape the continuation of our programmes in Sudan and Colombia within our Peacebuilding During Peace Negotiations pillar.

Biographies

Gabriela Bastidas Diaz is a Colombian peace and human rights activist born and based in the rural town of La Llanada, in the department of Nariño. A public sector employee since 2023 and a law student, Gabriela served as liaison for victims of the armed conflict, coordinated the office for financial incentives for vulnerable populations and, since 2026, is developing mental health strategies to be implemented in La Llanada. As a member of the La Llanada municipal women’s roundtable (“mesa municipal de mujeres”), she is part of the "Hilando Poderes: Mujeres que Transforman" (Weaving Powers: Women Who Transform) political alliance, which brings together women leaders from 10 municipalities within the framework of the peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the Frente Comuneros del Sur, a splinter group of the Ejército Popular de Liberación (ELN) armed group. Within this alliance, Gabriela was entrusted with the responsibility of representing the municipal women’s roundtables from these territories at the negotiating table.

Mariam Hamid Ahmed Hamid is a Sudanese feminist leader and activist dedicated to advancing women’s rights, peace and social justice in conflict-affected contexts. She currently serves as the executive director of Kayan for Women Empowerment, where she leads programmes to enhance women’s economic and political participation and strengthen their leadership in peacebuilding and democratic transformation in Sudan. She is also an active member of Badya Centre’s Kampala-based working group engaging with peacebuilders in South Kordofan. She uses her expertise in the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1325 to train women’s groups on operationalising the resolution and promoting women’s participation and leadership in local peace negotiations and peace processes. She works with the Peace for Sudan platform, an umbrella of women-led organisations inside Sudan and across the diaspora, and is a member of several women’s movements and advocacy groups across Africa.

Paola Bastidas Cuatin holds degrees in political science and in territorial governance and public management and is a specialist in the culture of peace and in International Humanitarian Law. She became active in pacifist and anti-militarist feminism with the Ruta Pacífica de las Mujeres, where she supported social mobilisation processes for a negotiated end to the armed conflict and the dissemination of the peace agreements between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP armed group. Paola is co-founder of the Corporación Colectiva Cuarzo Rosa, a feminist organisation in the municipality of La Llanada, where she has facilitated training programmes on women’s rights and lead strategies for political advocacy. As Secretary of Government for the La Llanada mayor’s office, she led the creation of the municipal women’s roundtable, a key forum for coordination and participation of women and for strengthening their leadership in the region. She currently holds a leadership role in the political alliance "Hilando Poderes: Mujeres que Transforman" (Weaving Powers: Women Who Transform), an initiative designed to strengthen the role of women as key peacebuilding actors in the region, promoting their participation in decision-making and social transformation.

Rounag Shimila Ali is a Sudanese feminist activist and a human rights activist. She is a climate change advocate and a community peacebuilder and mediator. She is the founder and head of the Environment and Rural Women’s Development Organization (ERD), a young, women–led organisation dedicated to empowering rural communities and advancing gender equality. ERD currently operates from Kampala, Uganda, with 15 sub-offices across Sudan, where Rounag leads the headquarters and coordinates 19 staff members. She promotes peace through dialogue among women from indigenous and conservative communities, fosters cross-border dialogue and strengthens social cohesion. She has participated in and contributed to multiple Sudanese peace dialogues and international forums held in Sudan, Uganda and abroad.