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Peacework: Women Creating Peace

Peace-making women joined Women Against War members at a potluck and special evening of women's sharing. We were celebrating International Women's Day 2007 (one day after the actual anniversary).

The meeting took place on Friday, March 9, 2007 at the Albany Friends Meetinghouse. It allowed each participant to deepen her ability to be a peacemaker and empowered us collectively within Women Against War. We spent the time answering the question:

What unique contributions do we as women bring to the work of peacemaking?

The meeting was well attended and there was also a delicious potluck. Here are Judith Fetterly's notes from the discussion.

Notes from conversation "Peacework: Women Creating Peace"

Below are my notes on the answers those gathered gave to the question, "What is the unique contribution that Women Against War can bring to the conversation and work of peacemaking?" They represent my take on the conversation and are intended to serve as a resource for us. The "Possible Projects" include my extrapolations as well as suggestions made.

• Women are good at negotiation
• We need more heart in the world and women can bring this forward
• There are more of us
• Women are good at creating community, which gives visibility to issues
• Women are good at collaborating
• Mother holding child symbolizes inner peace, women as mothers as force for peace, global connection of mother to mother, understanding of responsibility to children
• Women understand the implications of peace, how to live it
• Women have insight
• Women have a larger vocabulary for peace
• Women understand the importance of relationships and they have a repertoire of relationship building behaviors
• Women do face to face conversations
• Women have the potential for developing and teaching non-violent ways
• Women who claim fierceness in pursuit of peace and justice are powerful; people don't expect women to be outspoken, courageous, etc. so when we act that way it has a huge impact.
• Women are the storytellers, they keep the stories alive and pass them on
• WAW can model non-violence in the peace movement, can be the change we seek
• WAW can raise up the issue of justice for women.