At What Cost?: Women, Wars, Weapons and Conflict Prevention

2008 International Women's Day Seminar, 5-6 March, Geneva, Switzerland
Registration Form | List of accomodation

Agenda
Wednesday March 5, Geneva International Conference Centre

8:30- 9:15:                 Registration

9:15 – 9.30                Welcome:    
                                Edith Ballantyne, WILPF
                                Tim Caughley, Director, UN Office for Disarmament Affairs

9.30 – 11.00              Panel: Is resolution 1325 a conflict prevention tool?
                                Bineta Diop, Femme Africa Solidarité
                                Felicity Hill, Vice President, WILPF
                                Cora Weiss, President Hague Appeal for Peace
                                Patricia Lewis, UN Institute for Disarmament Research
                                Margret Verwijk, Netherlands Deputy Head Gender Division-
                                                        Health, Gender and Civil Society Department

11.00-11.30               Coffee Break

11:30-13:00:              Panel: Women, Weapons and Disarmament
                                Military Budgets Today - Catalina Perdomo, SIPRI
                                Nuclear Weapons - Rebecca Johnson- Acronym Institute
                                Small Arms – Rebecca Peters, IANSA
                                Landmines & Cluster Bombs – Tamar Gabelnick, ICBL
                                Disarmament Education – Kathleen Sullivan, IDEA

13.00 – 14.00            Lunch

14:30 – 15:45            Break out sessions for in depth discussion with speakers

15.45 – 16.15            Coffee Break

16.15 – 17.30            Lobbying Training
                                to prepare participants for meetings with Ambassadors and diplomats
                                from their country

17.30 - 18.00             Brief discussion on Seminar Statement

18.00                        Closing

18.00 - 19.30             Reception in the foyer at 1, rue de Varembé

Thursday 6 March – Geneva International Conference Centre

9.00 – 11.00              Sharing our experience and stories:
                                Starting with women from conflict zones, participants will have an opportunity
                                to share experiences, responses and strategies for moving forward in an
                                open dialogue.

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Salle de Conseils, Palais des Nations

1.00 pm, 6 March 2008
(lunch provided from 12.30.p.m.)

Panel Discussion:

Rebecca Johnson, Executive Director Acronym Institute
Cora Weiss, President, Hague Appeal for Peace, former Int’l President IPB
Felicity Hill – Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
Bineta Diop- Femmes Africa Solidarité

Since 1984, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) has worked with other NGOs to organise a seminar linking 8 March – International Women’s Day – with disarmament and security issues.  This year the Geneva Forum has joined with WILPF to mark the 30th anniversary of the First Special Session on Disarmament of the UN General Assembly, the 40th anniversary of the negotiation of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to stimulate discussion on the rights and responsibilities of women under Security Council resolution 1325 to engage with disarmament and security debates.

Over 100 NGO representatives from around the world will participate in the 2008 seminar to discuss the next phase of activity in putting resolution 1325 to work so that it does more than add a few sentences to speeches, more than add a few women to UN departments and peacekeeping operations. Today military budgets are soaring, new weapons for killing and mutilating are under development, and 27,000 nuclear weapons remain threatening our very survival. Outdated military security doctrines and budgets of the Cold War prevail, and while they remain, the vision of Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security cannot be fulfilled. 

            Generously supported by the governments of Norway, Netherlands and Australia

Queries?  Email felicity.hill@wilpf.ch