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A unique campaign for peace

LUBNA MARIUM
PEACE is a continuous ongoing process where women play a quiet but definitive role; because peace is not just about the abeyance of conflicts, it is, also, about day to day human security. Human security, or peace, can be endangered a thousand-fold by, among other situations, the disrespect of human rights, misuse of resources, the use of child
soldiers, poverty, ethnic rivalries, discrimination against women,
unjust division of property, exclusion from health care, and dowry regulations.
The list of the many ways in which women worldwide strive for peace is certainly long. Thus, in 2003 a group of dedicated Swiss activists and academics started a unique campaign, backed by impeccable research, of not just reaffirming the role played by women, the world over, in maintaining peace but also of documenting this work so that it could be recognised, publicised and celebrated. And thus the idea of nominating '1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005' gradually took form. Information on the project is available at
www.1000peacewomen.org.
The concept of peace
The award, of course, is meant to encourage peace initiatives by recognising them. The project, however, decided to problematise the concept of peace itself. The point of departure, for this project, is an extended concept of peace, based on human security which includes protection against discrimination and violence, the rights to education, political participation, medical care, family planning, rules of ownership, free access to resources and the rule of law. Thus the concept of peace has been redefined and extended through its various aspects.
The nominees
During 2004, candidates for the nomination were sought all over the world with the help of 20 coordinators. More than 2000 women from over 150 countries were proposed. In October the international project team selected 1000 of these candidates using strict criteria, which included the sustainability of the work, the inclusion of all parties in a conflict, long-term commitment and the use of networks.
The number 1000 is symbolic. The 1000 nominated women are representatives of the thousands of other women whose names could have been added to the list. By drawing attention to the 1000 chosen women, the intention is to honour and encourage all women throughout the world who are fighting against poverty and armed conflict, and for greater justice, human security and peace. Most of those nominated are women operating at a very local level: 45 percent are working at the grassroots level, 43 percent are active at the "track II" level, i.e. in national institutions and universities, 12 percent work in parliaments, governments and international organisations.
The nomination of the 1000 women selected by the 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005 project was submitted to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee in Oslo at the end of January. One of the co-signatories of the letter is Swiss Federal Councilor and Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey.ÊIn order to comply with the Committee's rules, the nomination letter highlighted the candidacy of three women in particular. The names of the 1000 women should be announced in June 2005. The Nobel Committee will announce its decision in October 2005.
The criteria
Twenty women from every region of the world were the coordinators responsible for seeking and nominating the 1000 women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005. They come from diverse cultures with varying biographies, are between 30 and 79 years of age, and work, for example, as human rights and women's rights activists, physicians, journalists, researchers, and trainers; most important of all, they are integrated in networks that extend beyond borders. They are women who are active on the "track ll" Level and work for national or international (nongovernmental) organisations or institutions, are networked, and have connections with the "track l" women active on the governmental or parliamentary level. But the coordinators also have close contact with "track lll" women at the grassroots level, women who are active locally and not necessarily part of an organisation. The coordinators and their assistants have not been nominated for the prize.
India's renowned and well loved social activist Kamla Bhasin is the South Asia coordinator of this project. Though the names of the nominated women have not yet been declared, sixteen peace activists from Bangladesh are said to be in the list of 1000 women.
The documentation
Of course it is not certain that these 1000 women will win the Nobel Peace Prize. But even if they do not,
the project resolved that the work of these women must not sink unnoticed into oblivion. Thus documentation of their lives and their contribution has been meticulously undertaken.
Women's peace efforts are manifold, often unspectacular, and seldom in the headlines. Each of the 1000 women of peace has her own individual biography and origin and each has her own field of learning and experience, which may have offered her either varied and outstanding opportunities or very limited options. 1000 women have 1000 strategies that lead or have led to non-violent conflict resolution. In order to throw light on these women's peace work, their efforts, their fields of activity, and their general social context must be documented. The 1000 profiles by journalists, authors, academics, politicians, film producers, and photographers will show these thousand-fold motivations and encourage people to pursue the cause of peace despite threats and danger. Not only will the 1000 women of peace have a visible profile after 2005, but the ravages of violent crises and wars will also have been described from the perspective of those affected. In such forms as exhibitions, films, illustrations, and books, these 1000 ways of constructive conflict resolution will tour the globe.
The goals
Though the primary aim of the project is to motivate the Nobel Foundation to award the Peace Prize to these 1000 women, it is certain that all this effort will be rewarded manifold by -making women's efforts visible;
-fostering peace;
-encouraging the scientific
verification of peace work; -strengthening networks.
In brief, the work for peace by women worldwide shall become conspicuous, comprehensible, convincing and communicable. In this way women and men in conflict situations will be encouraged to commit themselves to peaceful solutions.
A call for support
As can be well imagined, this is neither an easy nor an inexpensive project. Its estimated cost is US$ 5 million (until the project wraps up in 2006). To set the process in motion the Swiss team has secured Swiss Francs 1,50,000 from the Swiss government. The rest of the funds are still being raised. The 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005 project, therefore, welcomes any financial assistance, information regarding which is readily available at their official website.
But, besides this, there is this unique opportunity for one and all, now, of being part of this initiative by publicising this effort and urging various media to highlight the work done by 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005 so that it may make a difference to the decision taken by the Nobel Foundation this coming October.
Today each one of us has been given the chance to prove 1000 times over our commitment to peace by supporting 1000 women for the Nobel Peace Prize!
Lubna Marium is a freelance writer and dancer.