Annual Colloquium and Policy Forum

Since 1999, Inclusive Security has invited women peacebuilders from conflicts around the world to travel to the United States for an annual program to:

• learn from each other’s experiences;
• participate in courses at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government;
• strategize and draft recommendations on ways to increase women's participation in peace-building processes; and
• share those recommendations with government officials, academics, nonprofit leaders, and journalists.

Past participants have traveled from such diverse regions as Afghanistan, Bolivia, Bosnia, Colombia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kashmir, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Mongolia, Nepal, Palestine, Pakistan, the Philippines, Rwanda, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan (now Sudan and South Sudan), and Uganda.

Beginning in 1999, Inclusive Security brought women peacebuilders to Cambridge, MA to speak in courses at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and share lessons learned on the front lines of building peace in conflict regions. The first Colloquium brought over one hundred women to Cambridge, MA. Dozens of policy shapers based in Washington, DC, also flew up for the event.

A vital aspect of our Colloquium continues to be brokering relationships among women peacebuilders and policy shapers. In individual meetings, small group discussions, and public forums, the women leaders meet with experts, elected and appointed government officials, directors of non-governmental organizations, and journalists.

From 2004 to 2011, following programming in Cambridge, Colloquium participants also traveled to Washington, DC to strategize and draft recommendations on ways to increase women's participation in peace-building processes, and to take their messages directly to decisionmakers. Inclusive Security also added a Policy Forum event in DC which brings together hundreds of policy shapers from the Washington, DC area for focused discussions on the year's topic.

2011 was the last year that Colloquium and Policy Forum were held in adjoining weeks and that the Policy Forum in Washington, DC was held in January.

Read about Colloquium 2012 - "Women Bridging Divides for a Secure World."

Plans for Policy Forum 2012 are still being developed. Sign up for the newsletter to learn more about Policy Forum 2012 and future Inclusive Security events.

Previous Colloquia


Colloquium 2011

Colloquium 2010 

Colloquium 2009

Colloquium 2008

Colloquium 2007