As part of DPI’s focus on sustaining dialogue and maintaining efforts to build peace, DPI organised a Comparative Study Visit (CSV) to London during 29-31 August, which focused on the role of women in conflict resolution. In response to feedback from participants of previous DPI activities focusing on women’s participation in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and democratisation processes, the CSV provided a forum for participants to discuss this topic directly in relation to the situation in Turkey. The aim was to provide a forum for discussion as well as learning from the contributions of women to conflict resolution and peacebuilding in other countries. The participants comprised a diverse group of women from Turkey and included academics, lawyers, journalists, politicians, and representatives of business and not-for-profit organisations. The CSV included speakers from international peacebuilding NGOs, who introduced case studies to the participants that focused on the lessons drawn from women’s participation in resolution processes, specifically Northern Ireland, Colombia, Uganda and South Africa. The CSV provided the group with the opportunity to discuss directly the situation in Turkey and began by looking at whether women have the power to re-invigorate the process unilaterally. Participants were agreed that the CSV had been very useful in providing an opportunity for them to make new connections and deepen existing relationships and expressed the desire to continue this work in Turkey, through establishing a wider network. This CSV on ‘The role of women in conflict resolution: reflections on the Turkish experience’ was part of DPI’s ongoing project ‘Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey’, supported by the EU and the Irish, Dutch, and Norwegian governments. A full transcript report of the event is forthcoming.
