Peace Negotiations:Outcomes and ImplementationMonica McWilliams

Gender Justice DialogueFrom Belfast to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

LESSONS FROM ONE PEACE PROCESS

BEFORE CEASEFIRES DURING A PEACE PROCESS NEGOTIATING AT THE TABLE AFTER THE ACCORD: IN RETROSPECT WHAT WE ARE STILL WORKING ON

NETWORK BUILDING OVER THE YEARS

Stage One: Civil Rights Activism

Stage Two: Civic Society Activists/Trade Unions

Stage Three: Conflict and Conflicted Activism

Stage Four: Peace Activism

Stage Five: Feminist Activism

Stage Six: Party Political Activism

A range of movements

Building Experience of Organising and fundraising

Developing political skills ( small p Vs big P politics)

Linking Global and local Campaigns from

Nuclear Disarmament (Greenpeace) and Anti-apartheid

Accidental Activism: giving space to a range of views

Domestic Violence

Rape Crisis

Action on Debt Poverty Lobby

Housing Campaigns

Welfare Not Warfare

Reaching out to each other

Women crossing into each other’s territory

Women Crossing over into new territory: building international links

Cross BorderSouth AfricaLatin AmericaMiddle EastBalkansCyprus

Masculism and Militarism: Women’s Resistance

DIFFERENCES EXISTED

Winning support for divisive policies

Acknowledging differences in the campaign to stop the strip-searching of female prisoners

Women Demand the Ceasefires Remain

Peace Activists: But Peace With Justice

Civic Leadership is Important

The role of women in peace building - from the local to the global.

The Ceasefires: A Time of Transition

Building the Women’s Coalition

Entering party politics: Breaking down barriers and confronting stereotypes

So the peace negotiations begin : but be aware

To get a broad platform of women together that encompasses family feminists and radical feminists as well as a range of women in between can be difficult

Expect a backlash from women in other parties Expect bullying and male bonding.

In a contested society, options put forward by women will be in danger of being branded as diversionary or collaborationist

Women combatants and women in established parties were suspicious and obstructive at the start

The Inside Track – how do women get on it?

Peace processes can move rapidly at this stage Governments tend to be comfortable with the

accustomed faces Novelty can be destabilising and unwelcome Get familiar with the key documents, structures

and systems Identify trusted individuals to inform and brief

you

Trusted individuals: Mo Mowlam On The Inside

Get to grips with the process

Work the (electoral) system to your benefit Break down the tasks and make them

manageable ( the kitchen table campaign) Identify the skills that are there and fill the gaps

by bringing in the expertise – seek and you shall find! And not always in the universities!!

Adopt a set of principles – papers and policies can come later

Be prepared for the media – ‘the hen’s party comes home to roost’!

Thinking Outside the Box

Calculated risk taking – present issues in a new light

Identify any weak points (or controversial issues) and prepare a war chest of responses

Ensure that women’s projects will not be victimised if activists enter politics

Build a broad base without compromising core principles – rooted in identity but shifting in learning and understanding

Forum for Dialogue and Understanding

….or Monologue and Misunderstanding!

Inclusion works

Cross checking and cross community validation Dialogue across differences – makes for more

informed negotiators Membership development takes time for

inclusiveness to work Give roles to ‘unusual suspects’ – find

spokespersons that challenge their own community

Journalists will look for a leader rather than joint leadership – take time to explain your approach

At the table

Find out the divisions and tension points – dedicate a member to each party and keep briefing notes. Note-takers are important.

Create social contacts and informal settings Pay attention to the process – seat enemies

alphabetically around the table Be clear about your bottom line demands and

adopt tactics that will get other parties to focus on issues that benefit women

Winning Credibility

Learn the formalities and put them to use Get comprehensive briefings about the details Understand the implementation process Who is responsible for what What is the timetable Will there be resources Draw on approaches from other agreements Respond to position papers

Keeping everyone on board

When some are excluded – work hard to get them back and mobilise optimism at this time

Men will behave badly but avoid preaching at them – exploit bad behaviour and name calling

Walk the line between confidentiality and transparency – don’t be bound by rules that others disregard and don’t be a door-keeper

Don’t forget your roots – use community sector expertise, brief your supporters

An eye on the future

Collective decision making takes time Find a balance between the optimists and

realists Credit the organisational skills as well as the

strategic – fundraisers are also crucial Have a forward looking policy team as well as

those involved in the details Find the training for the context Keep your organisation clean – don’t hire family

The Good Friday Peace Agreement 1998 – before UN 1325

Agreement reached and the hard work starts

Learning in Retrospect

Keep looking for champions Be a role model but keep your feet on the

ground Use the international attention to build credibility Have a clear media strategy – don’t get pigeon

holed If you are deemed not ‘real politicians’ then

question how real politics has become distorted Create spaces for dialogue to continue – it can

get lost when the ‘hard tongue’ replaces the gun.

Hilary Clinton – championing credibility for women

Old Problems need new questions

Create new pathways of communication – back alleys and rat runs are useful

Politics can foster individualism – keep looking for ways to promote the collective

Explain new approach carefully – it takes time for some to catch up or understand

Special measures are needed or women will disappear from the process

Keep an eye on reconstruction

Support measures for women should be prioritised – don’t allow these to be stood down

Women need to be prepared to put themselves forward – develop a thick skin

Gender proof – the ‘soft’ issues (civic forums and victims) are important and can get lost in subsequent ‘elitist’ negotiations

Women’s rights are human rights – women are not just looking after themselves!

But who gets these rights?

After all we have been through – getting women’s rights recognised is still a battle

Will the Bill of Rights entrench protections that have been long fought for?

Will it be the foundational document with which women can identify?

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Decommissioning, prisoner releases, new forms of governance all agreed but what is still at dispute…

Democratic rights

Public authorities must take effective measures to facilitate the full and equal participation of women in political and public life, including, where appropriate, the use of temporary special measures.

The membership of public bodies must, as far as practicable, be representative of society in Northern Ireland.

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What Lessons Have Been Learned

Mainstreaming a gender analysis at an early stage may lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the realities of conflict and the meaning of security

The grass roots and not just the elites have to be involved in decision-making

It must be democratic, inclusive and just

Women are good negotiators, accomplished at reconciling antagonistic differences and need to have their rights respected

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Gender Justice

The importance of monitoring eg the role of women in decision making UN Resolution (Security Council) 1325

Using benchmarks to assess the inclusion of women’s rights as a security issue

Making assessments of the extent of the involvement of civic society as stakeholders

Continually review where women are at in decision making levels of all public spheres: legislation, education, health, housing, employment, social services, judiciary and media

Emphasise the importance of women’s human rights in all the new institutions (policing, criminal justice, health)

Challenge (sexual) exploitation in all its forms.

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Key Lessons That Are Still Being Worked On

An electoral system with special measures - timetables and targets have to be included.

Women appointed to oversight bodies –not just men.

Victims of the conflict and the reintegration of prisoners – women’s needs have to be addressed as well.

Foundational documents must include women’s rights.

Transformative politics needs Community women’s projects.

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Other key lessons still being worked on

Women in civic society are important stakeholders. They are the Early Warning Systems and can introduce creative solutions to preventing further conflict

Capacity building programmes which build skills and confidence need to be funded at the community level

Women should be identified as spokespersons. Encourage women to come forward and take up the ‘serious’ positions. Women do ‘the heavy lifting’ with creative thinking – so let’s be seen and heard!

Let’s Celebrate How Far We Have Come

But Pass on the Banners – For There are Still Mountains to Move