The Arab revolutions are beginning to destroy the cliché of an Arab world incapable of democratic transformation. But another caricature is replacing it: according to the new narrative, the crowds in Cairo, Benghazi or Damascus, mobilized by Facebook and Twitter, are the latest illustration of the spread of Western democratic ideals; and while the “rise of the rest” may challenge the economic dominance of Western nations, the West will continue to define the political agenda of the world. Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for the ‘Opinion’ Category
24 March 2011
East Timor impact on ASEAN
East Timor hopes to become a member of ASEAN in the near future. But whilst the region’s newest nation has garnered support from Indonesia and Thailand, amongst other member states, there are some in the ten nation regional association that are unconvinced, arguing that East Timor’s admission will hold up economic integration plans. Read the rest of this entry »
8 February 2011
The Nepal Transition To Peace Initiative and the Women Peace Building Network: An effective way to include women?
A decade long armed conflict ended in Nepal with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in November 2006. The dialogue process which led to the ceasefire that preceded the CPA, as well as the CPA itself, failed to ensure women’s participation at the formal negotiating table. Read the rest of this entry »
8 February 2011
Police, security and women in peace processes
Why is it that although rule of law and police reform are often stated to be priorities during peace processes, women still face rising insecurity in ‘post’-conflict societies? Afghanistan offers some lessons on the triangular nexus between police, security and women in peace processes. Read the rest of this entry »
8 February 2011
Sri Lanka: the link between women’s political representation and the peace process
Sri Lanka has very commendable human development indicators for women, which include high literacy rates and exceptional educational achievements. However, despite almost 70 years of female franchise and the election of the world’s first woman Prime Minister, the country lags far behind most of the developing world with regard to women’s representation in political institutions at local, provincial and national level. 
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4 February 2011
Kashmiri women demand participation in peace process
Kashmir people’s historical claim to self determination derives from the transfer of power in 1947. The Muslim majority state acceded to India but did not merge. It retained a special constitutional status of autonomy as provided in the transitional Art 370. Kashmiri’s were to decide by a plebiscite whether they wished to merge with India or Pakistan. Meanwhile Pakistan and Indian forces were to withdraw from Kashmir.
31 August 2010
Women in Nepal
Opinion Piece No. 1: Women at the Asia Pacific Peace Table 2010 Series, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue
From 2005 to 2007, I was the Swiss Special Adviser for Peace Building in Nepal. This was a critical time in the resolution of a bitter decade-long ‘People’s War’, which culminated in a comprehensive peace agreement in November 2006 following an arduous year of negotiations. The peace talks in Nepal, like so many elsewhere, were notably absent of women. Yet they provided a wide range of contributions to the overall peace process. This paper reflects on this, as well as on what mediators and other third parties can do to include more women in peace talks. Read the rest of this entry »
20 August 2010
Aceh: The maintenance and dividends of peace
Nearly five years after the signing of the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding that ended three decades of war between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), it is crucial to deeply reflect on this agreement: how has it contributed to peace? Who are the real beneficiaries of its dividends? And in particular, what has peace meant for women? Read the rest of this entry »
15 March 2010
Mediation ten years on
After ten years of practising mediation in armed conflict we stand at a critical juncture: Obama’s “new era of engagement” still faces a violent world of seemingly intractable conflicts. In Mediation ten years on, Martin Griffiths, Executive Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD Centre), and Teresa Whitfield, a Senior Adviser to the organisation, identify patterns of armed conflict that describe the challenges we face today:
Recent Comments- G is for Gendered: taking the mystery out of gendering peace agreements « PeaceTalks on Aceh: The maintenance and dividends of peace
- Nazir Ahmad Nazary on Women and peacemaking in Afghanistan: Room for optimism?
- Tim Symonds on Women in Nepal
- Uday Bhanu Sen on Aceh: The maintenance and dividends of peace
- samuel Orovwuje on Mediation ten years on