The 2001 Research Symposium
Session Descriptions

Research Frameworks: What It Means To Be A Woman
This opening session introduced comparative frameworks in the areas of gender, conflict, and peace, and set the tone for the Women Waging Peace Research Symposium. Speakers used real-world examples to reflect on the gender constraints present in different settings such as negotiation and conflict resolution.

Deborah Kolb, Professor of Management and Co-director of the Center for Gender in Organizations, Simmons Graduate School of Management
Rita Manchanda, Program Executive for the South Asia Forum for Human Rights
Jane Mansbridge, Faculty Chair, Women and Public Policy Program, Kennedy School of Government

Transitional Justice: New Tools for Reconstructing War-torn Communities
This session provided scholars and delegates an opportunity to exchange expertise and experience in the field of transitional justice. Scholars presented their current research addressing the following topics: collective memory, reconstructing communities in post-war Guatemala, gender differences in commemorative practices, comparative analysis of truth commissions and tribunals in Africa, and reconciliation in Peru and Colombia.

Delegate Workshops: "How Women Wage Peace"
This series of workshops is comprised of and led by delegates. The content of these workshops will be the source of an edited volume entitled "How Women Wage Peace."

Workshop 1: Gender Identity and Mobilization for Peace
This workshop addressed how women use "traditional" identities to maximize the effectiveness of their movements for peace and to deflect charges of subversion. Participants discussed how the sanctifying images of traditional women's roles and the language of nurturing are often used to amplify their voices as peace builders.

Discussant: Nira Yuval-Davis, Professor and Program Director, Gender & Ethnic Studies, University of Greenwich

Workshop 2: Women, War, and Coalitions Against Violence
From Rwanda to Bosnia rape, torture, and violence against women have been used in political campaigns of ethnic cleansing and humiliation of the enemy. Women have responded to these atrocities by organizing support networks for victims in their communities. Participants discussed how these networks have been used to create forums for peace and to develop effective coalitions against war.

Discussant: Hina Jilani, Secretary General of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders

Workshop 3: Women as Community Builders
Women are often the center of community life as caregivers for children and elders, and as active members of their religious assemblies. This makes women integrally connected to their communities and thus experts on local needs, fears, and concerns. Participants discussed how women peace builders use these roles effectively to create a sustainable "bottom-up" approach to peace building.

Discussant: Angela Raven-Roberts, Assistant Professor and Director, Research and Training Programs, Feinstein International Famine Center

Workshop 4: Women as Creators of Social-Civic Discourse for Peace
In times of crisis women are propelled into public spaces. Women have found many creative ways to overcome traditional barriers to their participation in political spaces. The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo brought international attention to the social in justices in Argentina by marching quietly and wearing white scarves on their head as a symbol of peace and justice. Women in Black have developed a profound and powerful political voice throughout the world by standing in public places in silent, non-violent vigils at regular times and intervals. This workshop explored how women have changed political discourse and created voices for peace through their unwavering and innovative approaches.

Discussant: Nancy Naples, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Connecticut

Workshop 5: Transforming Tradition as a Vehicle for Peace
In many societies, women use indigenous cultural practices to create a discourse for peace and to transform violent conflict. This workshop will try to identify these traditions and assess how women are able to successfully adapt them to present day socio-cultural needs without being seen as a threat to local authorities. Participants will explore the themes systematically and identify successes and lessons learned.

Discussant: Jacqueline Adhiambo-Oduol, Professor, United States International University-Africa

Workshop 6: Creating Healing and Reconciliation
Along with enormous physical destruction, victims of war endure mental atrocities and suffer from loss, grief, and trauma. This workshop examined how women peace builders often engage in activities that create a forum for communication and processes for reconciliation and forgiveness between former warring communities.

Discussant: Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Visiting Assistant Professor, Peace and Justice Program, Wellesley College

Evening Roundtables

Roundtable 1: Implementing UN Resolution 1325: Where Do We Go From Here?
The adoption of the United Nations' Security Council Resolution 1325 is a triumphant step for women activists and peace builders everywhere. The resolution urges "all member states to ensure increased representation of women at all decision-making levels" and to include women's peace initiatives and conflict resolution mechanisms in implementing peace agreements. This roundtable examined the progress made in implementing Resolution 1325 and the ways women peace builders can incorporate its strategies into their national programs.

Roundtable 2: Nature vs. Nurture: What Research Tells Us About Gender and Violence
From an anthropological and biological angle, this roundtable explored the differences between men and women's proclivity towards violence and peace. The discussion also examined the types of problem solving and coalitions that could be used to counter the genetic or biological drives towards aggression and war.

Roundtable 3: Gender and Peace Building in Asia
What strategies have worked for women peace builders in Asia? What are the obstacles women confront, and what are the lessons we can learn? This roundtable presented the challenges women face in promoting peace in Asia's variable interstate, ethnic, and religious conflicts. Participants identified some of the themes that emerge in women's peace building efforts in Asia.

Roundtable 4: Gender and Peace Building in Africa
Countries throughout Africa are experiencing years of violent inter-state conflict and ethnic strife within their borders. Within the context of the Great Lakes region, this roundtable will discuss the key role of women in averting violence and constructing sustainable peace. Participants explored some of the challenges and successes of women peace builders in reaching across conflict lines.

Roundtable 5: Research Methodology in Gender and Peace Building This roundtable provided an overview of research methodologies pertinent to the field of gender and peace building. The Women and Public Policy Program's Fellows in Peace and Security illustrated the steps in conducting research from choosing a topic, applying for fellowships, to implementing a research project. The Fellows highlighted their current research and address the current state of research and the gaps in literature in the field of gender and peace building.

Roundtable 6: To be announced

Peace Building: How Do Women Make A Difference?
This panel brought together prominent women in the field of gender and peace building to discuss the challenges, successes, and lessons learned in pursuing leadership roles in the field.

Ethics of Research Working Group Roundtable
The Ethics of Research working group was pioneered in response to the requests of delegates at the first Research Symposium for a set of principles that would direct researchers in being responsive and sensitive to the needs of the communities being studied. The second Research Symposium resulted in the establishment of ethical guidelines for researchers in the field to engage in responsible research. This year the working group finalized its recommendations and identify the next steps in dissemination of the ethics of research guidelines.

Jane Mansbridge, Faculty Chair, Women and Public Policy Program, Kennedy School of Government
Simona Sharoni, Professor, Evergreen State College

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