Women for Peace: A Call for Action
Sharm El Sheikh Initiative, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, 22 September 2002

We, participants in the Sharm El Sheikh Initiative, women who have come together from various regions of the world, express a new and profound sense of solidarity; a solidarity which stems from our common concern to peace as essential to the protection, improvement and enrichment of the quality of life of all our people. This solidarity transcends differences of religion, ethnicity and nationality.

We believe that women have a central role to play in advocating peace; in defending peace; in promoting peace and in participating in its realization and that peace is within our reach.
We believe that empowerment of women is intrinsically linked to our capacity to foster peace.
We are aware that whilst major wars have been averted, they have been replaced by more persistent conflicts, border strife, civil wars, foreign occupation, and terrorism that characterize our world today. These crisis situations have deprived people of their dignity, violated their human rights and subjected them to unnecessary pain and suffering. This state of affairs exacerbates extreme poverty and unemployment, and patterns of economic, political and social injustice. Conditions that are marked by discrimination, rejection or oppression have often led to despair and loss of hope. Women, the youth and children have been the hardest hit.

We strongly support the Suzanne Mubarak Initiative to launch a global Women for Peace Movement urging all women — groups, associations and organizations— to join the movement, utilizing it as a platform for making silent voices heard; a forum for dialogue and information sharing; a means of building alliances to enhance strength from consolidated action; and opportunity for action to ensure a greater role for women in formal and informal peace processes; and a strategic avenue for enhancing the role and visibility of women as active partners in the elaboration of international policies and action for peace.

We encourage women to continue building on existing initiatives such as local, national and international agendas and legal frameworks, including relevant UN resolutions, particularly UN Security Council resolution 1325 of 31 October 2000 on Women, Peace and Security. The latter should be utilized and adapted to local contexts in order to respond to priority needs. The Women for Peace Movement is a positive vehicle for ensuring the implementation of this resolution.

We urge women to work alongside men to find sustainable ways to foster a culture of tolerance, peace and human security.

To work:
- in their own families
- in their own communities
- in their countries
- with the media
- with civil society institutions
- with political institutions
- with government institutions.

Establish, at national level, if not already existing, a women for peace movement or similar entity that acts as an umbrella/coalition under which a number of organizations, associations and youth clubs and movements work together on joint projects and programs that give women capacity and resources that empower them to address specifically the root causes of insecurity and violence in their communities, and map out activities to be undertaken. Monitoring and surveillance is an important component in order to keep track of the outcome of measures taken as well as acting as a conflict early warning system.

Urge women journalists, lawyers and elected political leaders to contribute to the Women for Peace Movement by promoting the principles of equality and non-discrimination in all aspects of political, social, cultural, civil and economic rights, as well as conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peace-building. The use of evidence and documentation on concrete issues and problems touching the lives of those most affected is an essential and powerful tool for negotiation and reform.

We, participants of the Sharm El Sheikh Initiative strongly believe that during this important gathering, a conviction has grown that an opportunity has been regained to contribute to peace and security, of enhancing human rights and greater freedoms by fostering sustainable economic and social development for greater prosperity. This new spirit of solidarity will require us to embrace the energies, creativity and enthusiasm of committed women, youth and men, and to work together between communities and between states for a better future.

In this context, we believe that this movement is truly action oriented with a window on conflict situations in all regions. It will focus on actions that will reap the maximum credibility and thus ensure global support. It will build on other agencies/organizations efforts and not duplicate their work by forming a mechanism and database for communication among these agencies.

The holding of a conference in 2004 will provide us with the opportunity to reach a common framework and agree on methods and mechanisms for launching the next phase of our campaign for world peace through the collective strengths of our diverse women1s organizations.

As part of our mobilizing strategy, we agree to take concrete action now on ongoing conflicts requiring urgent attention. We will be urging the inclusion of women in government, United Nations observer missions and fact finding missions, peace negotiations, and as special representatives of United Nations Secretary General in conflict situations.

The establishment of small sub-regional groups to foster dialogue among various groups is an important step in achieving peace and conflict resolution.

The development of a strong communications strategy is vital to ensuring that as many people as possible support this movement and its aims. That men and women feel there is a voice of reason they can support. That is a critical mass is established to have the power to influence. The groups should pressure on their governments and legislative bodies at national and international levels.
We hold central the vision that the force of reason can and should assert itself over the reasoning of violence and conflict. Together we pledge to work on fulfilling the commitments in this Call for Action. We will report on the work accomplished to the 2004 Conference.