Why Women Won the Nobel Peace Prize

From January 6-13, 2012, The Institute for Inclusive Security hosted women leaders working to connect across ethnic, religious, or other divides for its 13th annual Colloquium. Inclusive Security welcomed 11 women leaders from the Institute’s 6 conflict focal areas: Afghanistan, Israel, Pakistan, Palestine, South Sudan, and Sudan to Cambridge, MA. Those gathered included government officials, heads of nongovernmental organizations, and community activists. Representing coalitions supported by the Institute in these several countries, these women leaders came together for a week of teaching, speaking, and exchange at Harvard University. Read the full description of the 13th annual Colloquium here.

On January 11, Inclusive Security Chair Swanee Hunt joined six of the women at the John F. Kennedy, Jr. Forum at the Harvard Kennedy School for the public event “Why Women Won the Nobel Peace Prize.” 

Video of the event is available here: http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Multimedia-Center/All-Videos/Why-Women-Won-the-Nobel-Prize.

• Zaynab El Sawi of Sudan discussed women in Sudan getting arrested and spending time in jail to protest XXXX.
• Gen. (Ret.) Orit Adato of Israel discussed women’s “soft skills,” and her role as head of the prison service during the Second Intifada from 2000 to 2005.
• Samira Hamidi of Afghanistan discussed her participation in the 2011 Peace Jirga, and her decision to remain at the jirga despite rocket attacks intended to disrupt it. She also answered a question about the likely effect of negotiations with the Taliban on women’s rights in Afghanistan.
• Mossarat Qadeem of Pakistan discussed her deradicalization efforts and the role of mothers in countering extremism.
• Rebecca Joshua Okwaci of South Sudan discussed the secession of South Sudan in 2011, and her role in ensuring peace and prosperity for the new country.
• Fadwah Shaer Khawaja of Palestine described her experiences ranging from arrest and incarceration for peaceful demonstrations to working with Israeli women peacebuilders.
  
  Media coverage of the event included The American Prospect and the Harvard Gazette. 
  
   
  For more information on Inclusive Security's annual Colloquium events in Cambridge, MA, please contact Allison Shean.