Seeking Peace

This week, I was told by a colleague to check out a new podcast by Georgetown’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security called, "Seeking Peace: Stories of Women and War." Suffice to say it was a great piece and was equal parts reporting from the front-lines of conflict and raising awareness of the issues.

In the first part of the podcast, the GIWPS team learned about the Shanti Mohila, a group of Rohingya women who united in the Kutupalong-Balukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh after they left their home country of Myanmarь fleeing in desperation from brutal violence and mass rape.

The Shanti Mohila, or Peace Women, meet every week in a safe space to discuss the difficulties they face in the refugee camps and the trauma they have experienced. Brought together by fear and a need for comfort, the Shanti Mohila has grown to be a 400 strong coalition of women who demand justice for their suffering.

One leader of the group, Khalunisa, says: “If other women in other corners of the world can fight for their causes, why can’t we do it too?”

This solidarity brought their evidence to the ICC and a request to formally begin investigation into the continuing atrocities and alleged genocide against the Rohingya. The U.S. House of Representatives has already declared that the mass violence and displacement of the Rohingya as a genocide. The evidence that the Shanti Mohila brought to the ICC could begin the brutally long process of achieving justice for the thousands of Rohingya refugees. Thus far, the Myanmar government has banned UN investigation into the allegations.

The Shanti Mohila show us that peacebuilders can move mountains, even from a refugee camp in Bangladesh.

In the second part of the podcast, Ambassador and advocate for women’s participation in peace and security, Melanne Verveer, interviewed a new face to international human rights: Kristen Bell. While undoubtedly recognizable as an actress, Kristen Bell has just recently been brought on to be a spokesperson for the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund. The WPHF empowers local women to be galvanizers of change and crisis response.

Those that read my blog probably know that war affects women and men differently. Women and children (and those who are persons with disabilities, indigenous populations, or part other communities) are more vulnerable to abuse, violence and neglect. Women are usually the first people to act in a crisis, and their involvement in humanitarian and peace processes are indicative of the success of peace processes and swift delivery of aid to where it is needed most.

Despite repeated calls for more women's inclusion in peace and humanitarian processes, there is limited funding. This is where WPHF stepped in to close the gap between research, advocacy and implementation.

The WPHF is the first of its kind, harnessing the power of the UN, Governments, Civil Society organizations. They fund local organizations, like the Shanti Mohila, who are working on the front lines of conflict to better equip them with the trainings, resources and platforms they need to bring change. To learn more about what WPHF is up to, and how to get involved, go here.

To hear more Seeking Peace Podcasts, you can go to Spotify or Itunes and type in “Seeking Peace.” Or, just click on the first link!

I plan on listening to the net episode, and I hope you will, too!