ICRC ROUNDTABLE ON WOMEN AND ARMED CONFLICT

December 13, 2001- (ICRC News 49) Eleven prominent members of civil society, representing different communities - Kosovo Albanian, Serb, Bosniac and Ashkali - met to air their views and exchange ideas on the theme "Women as positive actors in defusing violence and preventing armed conflict"

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"Let's leave the painful past to history, hoping it will never happen again. Let's prove by action that women and mothers, through their human and humanitarian work, can and must be a bastion for peace and tolerance".

"My parents went missing but I can't blame a whole community for what happened to me. Others also have missing relatives. Their grief is as deep as mine".

"Nothing can be achieved through violence and revenge".

These are some of the sentiments expressed at a round table organized by the ICRC in Pristina on 1 December. Eleven prominent members of civil society, representing different communities - Kosovo Albanian, Serb, Bosniac and Ashkali - met to air their views and exchange ideas on the theme "Women as positive actors in defusing violence and preventing armed conflict". The event was part of the international campaign launched this year by the ICRC and marked by the publication of a major study on the impact of armed conflict on women, entitled "Women Facing War!".

Women in Kosovo have experienced conflict in a multitude of ways. While in a few cases they took up arms, the majority of them lived through the crisis as civilians. The discussions at the round table largely reflected personal experiences, but the participants showed a genuine commitment to addressing the theme in a constructive manner. They all agreed on the crucial role that can be played by women in post-conflict situations and in the reconstruction process currently under way in Kosovo. The need to translate words into practical action was stressed, and the ICRC was asked to help organize similar gatherings in the future.