From War to Peace

In a series of articles for debate, Diana Francis argues that to build peace it is necessary to dismantle the entire institution of war, and to replace the culture of domination with one of cooperation and kindness. Read the series and the responses below.

With thanks to the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust peace programme for funding this project.

Wednesday 1st February

Capoeira and security: the view from upside-down

Zoë Marriage, 1 February 2012
Through an account of capoeira, the Brazilian dance-fight-game, we uncover two simultaneous stories of security: first, the gradual monopolisation of violence by the state; second, a somatic, lyrical representation of a history of violence, oppression and liberation.

The contest over peace and security in Africa

Alex de Waal, 1 February 2012
The dominant interventionist approach to peace and security in Africa by-passes the hard work of creating domestic political consensus and instead imposes models of government favoured by western powers. The emergent African methodology offers a chance to develop locally-rooted solutions too often sidelined.

Transitions: creating space to address injustice after conflict or political turmoil

Yvette Selim, 1 February 2012
Ultimately, an emphasis on the rule of law in peacebuilding interventions reflects a preoccupation with the effects, rather than the causes, of conflict. But calls for a more expansive notion of justice – which gives greater attention to distributive justice – may be gaining momentum.

The far horizons of peacebuilding – and the near

Dan Smith, 1 February 2012
Peacebuilding and development can no longer be thought of in terms of what was always an over-simplified polarisation between the powerful stability of the giver and the weak turbulence of the beneficiary. It was always wrong to see the world that way; now it’s impossible.
Thursday 26th January

Are Bosnian and Herzegovinian victims of wartime rape finally being given constructive attention?

Aleksandra Nedzi, 26 January 2012
Unlike perpetrators, victims of wartime rape and sexual violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina do not receive much attention in the media, not only due to social ostracism but also lack of a coherent strategy and resources to address their needs.
Monday 19th December

Senegal: the land belongs to those who work it

Fatou Guèye, 19 December 2011
After a quarter century of armed conflict, and a socio-economic fabric reduced to shreds, women in Casamance, Senegal, are winning the right to access land and rebuild peace, says Fatou Guèye
Thursday 8th December

Breaking the code of silence

Roxanne Krystalli, 8 December 2011
Storytelling, in itself, will neither eliminate sexual violence nor entirely heal PTSD. But it can help shift the conversation to a narrative that avoids shaming survivors, carving out a space for understanding.
Monday 5th December

Rape: a basic tool of militarism

Rebecca Johnson, 5 December 2011
Women’s groups such as Women in Black have long led the way in challenging the mindsets and structures of patriarchal power and militarism, but men must recognise that they have the primary responsibility to make the changes, says Rebecca Johnson
Monday 28th November

Peace can be planned. Just like health

Scilla Elworthy, 28 November 2011
"Violence can be prevented. This is not an article of faith, but a statement based on evidence" (WHO 2002). Scilla Elworthy calls for a strategy based on the clear evidence of what is working in scattered pockets around the world, with the creation of 'Infrastructures for Peace' at its core.
Friday 25th November

“Don’t talk to me about war. My life’s a battlefield.”

Cynthia Cockburn, 25 November 2011
When we’re looking for the links between war violence and male violence against women in peace time, we need to look for causality and influence, flowing in both directions, says Cynthia Cockburn.
Thursday 24th November

Seen and not heard: women in Sri Lanka's reconciliation commission

Jo Baker, 24 November 2011
Sri Lanka's Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission has no mention of gender in its mandate and no dedicated expertise related to women; it has just one female commissioner out of eight. For Tamil women, the LLRC simply reaffirms bad old habits.
Friday 18th November

South Korea: destroying the lives of the Haenyo ‘sea women’

Rebecca Johnson, 18 November 2011
A naval base being built on Jeju Island threatens to destroy the livelihoods of the iconic women shellfish divers and raise levels of rape and prostitution in the surrounding villages. On her return from Jeju, Rebecca Johnson says international action is needed to stop the military construction
Friday 11th November

"Feast with your enemies" - Dekha Ibrahim Abdi

Scilla Elworthy, 11 November 2011
What do I do differently as a result of knowing this great woman? I utterly believe in the power of one local person to transform a violent situation. I know that humiliation is the driver of most incidents of violence, and that respect is the best antidote to humiliation, and I try to apply that. On the weekend of the UK memorial service for Dekha Ibrahim Abdi, Scilla Elworthy remembers her friend

Transforming our woundedness for peace

Dekha Ibrahim Abdi, 11 November 2011
" I refuse to be a victim: I am a resource for peace": Dekha Ibrahim Abdi 1964-2011
Wednesday 19th October

Can Intervention Work? by Rory Stewart and Gerald Knaus: book review

Mary Kaldor, 19 October 2011
It is possible to walk the tightrope between the horrors of over-intervention and non-intervention. Mary Kaldor agrees, while insisting on distinguishing between genuine humanitarian interventions and the War on Terror.
Friday 14th October

Lessons of the hummingbird

Jessica Horn, 14 October 2011
In the company of souls departed and souls vibrantly alive, Jessica Horn reflects on the significance of the lives of Nobel laureates Leymah Gbowee and the late Wangari Maathai, and the transgressive power of African women on a mission.
Monday 10th October

"Mighty be our powers": peaceful women and the global south

Nada Mustafa Ali, 10 October 2011
“We have included the Arab Spring in this prize, but we have put it in a particular context. Namely, if one fails to include the women in the revolution and the new democracies, there will be no democracy.” Thorbjoern Jagland, chair of the Nobel Prize Committee
Saturday 8th October

Women Nobel Peace Laureates congratulate three new women Laureates

openDemocracy 50.50, 8 October 2011
The women Peace Laureates of the Nobel Women’s Initiative—Jody Williams (USA), Shirin Ebadi (Iran), Mairead Maguire (Ireland) and Rigoberta Menchú Tum (Guatemala)—have sent letters of congratulation to the three women joining them as Nobel Peace Laureates.
Friday 7th October

Child soldiers, child wives: wounded for life

Leymah Gbowee, 7 October 2011
Working with ex-child soldiers of Charles Taylor's army, and the girls they have taken as wives, has convinced Nobel Peace laureate Leymah Gbowee that the abuse women suffer during conflict is a reflection of the interaction between men and women, boys and girls, during peace time
Wednesday 21st September

Will the Israelis listen to the clock ticking?

Dana Rubin, 21 September 2011
In this eventful month of September, the Israeli (Arab) spring has to decide: where does it stand, first and foremost, in regard to Palestine, but also in regard to Turkey and Egypt.
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