On 5 March 2022 , DPI held an in-person roundtable event entitled ‘Women Voicing Peace’ in collaboration with Istanbul Bilgi University’s Centre for Conflict Resolution Studies and Research (CCR) and Irish Embassy to Turkey in Ankara.
The meeting where the Irish Ambassador to Turkey, HE Sonya McGuinness gave the opening remarks, brought together a diverse group of women from different regions, representing a broad spectrum of different political affiliations in Turkey. The group included elected representatives and members of political parties, civil society actors, representatives of human rights organisations, lawyers, businesswomen, journalists, and academics. The discussion focused on the involvement of women in conflict resolution efforts and peace processes.
As part of the event’s programme, participants were shown a screening of Wave Goodbye to Dinosaurs, a 2017 documentary that specifically examines the incredible union of women across religious lines in a divided Northern Ireland. Following the screening, our two speakers, Kate Fearon and Jane Morrice shared their first-hand experiences as founding members of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition (NIWC) with participants.
This roundtable forms part of a larger series of activities planned in the context of the project: “Forging Pathways to Peace and Democracy in Turkey”, supported by the Irish and Swiss government.