Peace X Peace 2012 Annual Report

Peace X Peace 2012 Annual Report

Peace X Peace @ 10: Multiplying Womanpower for Peace
Women share. We celebrate. At Peace X Peace we connect, and we lead. Our perspectives are long-term, spanning the generations. We care about identifying root causes and systemic, sustainable solutions. We create change.
In our 10th anniversary year, with just four staff members and a no-frills budget, the women of Peace X Peace (Peace by Peace) managed seven major initiatives and expanded our reach by 150%.  Here's a brief summary, program X program. Donate now to help our work grow and multiply!

Peace X Peace Programs

The Connection Point (CP) Initiative links Arab, Muslim, and Western women worldwide to build positive relationships and reduce stereotypes across cultural and religious divides. In the fall of 2012, 20 participants and 8 facilitators engaged in 7 weeks of web-based dialogues using videoconferencing. Women discussed a range of issues impacting the role of women in society, and explored the role women can play in improving relations between Western societies and predominantly Arab and Muslim societies at the international level. Read More.

The Peace through Mentorship Program works to pair women worldwide who have the skills and ability to bring peace in their work and their communities. The Mentorship program grew from 8 pairs in 2011 to 91 pairs in 2012, far surpassing our goal. Sixty pairs (120 women) finished our fall program, and they represented over 30 countries, from Afghanistan to Zambia. Read More.

The Women, Power and Peace Awards recognize extraordinary work that advances peace and the status of women. In 2012 we received more than twice the number of nominations we had in the previous year. On September 21, the International Day of Peace, we honored five phenomenal women and one extraordinary organization, selected from an impressive field of candidates. Read More.

Peace X Peace Advocacy and Action includes educating Congressional leaders and advising government agencies on a range of legislative issues, in addition to collaborating with UN agencies and initiatives. In 2012 we educated and advocated around the Violence against Women Act (VAWA, finally signed in March 2013) and the International Violence against Women Act (IVAWA), the Afghan Women and Girls Security Promotion Act, the US Strategy to Prevent Gender Based Violence, and the US National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security, as well as the Women, Peace and Security Act. Read More.

Palestinian and Israeli Women & Middle East Peace is an ongoing focus of our work at Peace X Peace. On March 8, International Women’s Day, His Excellency Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President of the UN General Assembly in its 66th session, gave a copy of the Peace X Peace book Sixty Years, Sixty Voices: Israeli and Palestinian Women to each of the 193 Ambassadors of the United Nations member nations. Every U.S. Congressperson’s office had already received a copy, through the sponsorships of Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and Representative John Garamendi (D-CA). Read More.

Listen to the Women: Blogs were published every week in 2012, and sent to our network through our Weekly Blog Digest. Blogs in the form of articles and interviews featured the voices and perspectives of a diverse selection of women and peacebuilders around the world. Read More.

Peace Partnerships and Peace Salons gave us the opportunity to connect beyond our own network and effect change locally and globally. In 2012 Peace X Peace was an active member of the Alliance for Peacebuilding, the Peace and Collaborative Development Network, the Conflict Prevention and Resolution Forum, and the Civil Society Working Group on Women, Peace, and Security. We collaborated with Rotary, the Shift Network and the Peace Alliance on events and opportunities of mutual importance. We engaged in collaborative efforts with the Institute for Inclusive Security, the Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy, the National Women’s Democratic Club, the United Nations Association/UN Foundation, the United States Institute of Peace, Women in International Security, Women for Women International, Women Thrive Worldwide, and the Saudi Cultural Center. We showcased the work of dozens of organizations around the world through our publications. And here in DC, we held several Peace Salons at the National Women's Democratic Club, the Zamani Gallery in Washington, DC, and the home of Board President Gail Montplaisir. Read More

The Road Ahead
We have big goals for 2013 and the rest of our second decade. We are launching a series of leadership training programsshort online courses and multi-day training workshops. We will hold in-person cross-cultural dialogues both in Washington DC, the United Arab Emirates, and beyond.
We are growing our popular Mentorship program as well as our Connection Point web dialogues so more and more women can build bridges of understanding and foster more peaceful societies. We are expanding our advocacy efforts in the field of women, peace, and security to advance peace and the status of women everywhere. We are in conversation with an embassy about hosting our exciting annual Women, Power and Peace Awards in the fall.
Our network of over 27,000 women in 125 countries continues to grow, and we hope to translate our Voices from the Frontlines articles into other languages so even more women can contribute to them, read them, and be inspired to take action. With your continuing support, the future is bright!
ENDS

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