Take a moment to imagine life in constant fear of sexual violence.

Imagine trying to survive without police protection, without adequate housing, without the ability to petition the courts for justice. Contemplate life without access to medical care to meet your basic physical needs following an assault -- let alone your need to recover from the mental and emotional trauma.

A couple months ago, I asked for advice on how to create a network between very small NGOs active in the crafts sector in villages and towns in the northern part of Cyprus.

The advice I got: “Invite them for a coffee.” Could it possibly be that simple?

One of UNDP's innovation partners is Nesta, and they've been experimenting with randomized coffee meetings.

This how Nesta describes the idea on their blog:

What are the gendered consequences of the war in Syria? Are the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the international human rights framework having any impact in shaping the response to the on-going crises? How can it be ensured that women play their proper role in bringing peaceful resolution to the crises and contribute to building a society, which respects women's rights and gender equality?

Women must be present! So said the parliamentary commission on banking standards, which has today called for a better gender balance at the heart of investment banks in order to prevent future economic crises caused by risk-obsessed male-dominated trading floors.

On Thursday, June 6th, 2013, DPI/NGO Relations, in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Switzerland at the United Nations (UN), presented a panel discussion, “Determined to Save Succeeding Generations from the Scourge of War” addressing the UN charter preamble, which highlights this goal as one of the UN's major purposes. The panelists included: Ms.

The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom with several international civil society organisations and the Syrian Women's Network (SWN) expect the Geneva Process to be renewed with the aim of bringing about a resolution to the crisis in Syria and the building of a democratic system. We demand the full and effective participation of Syrian women from civil society in any and all forthcoming meetings.

Last month, in May 2013, the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda launched its report. A report that unfortunately does not meet our expectations and presents many loopholes.

During a meeting held in Kigali last week, women activists raised concern that there is a lot that needs to be done to have women playing a more robust role in elective politics within the East African Community.

Brigitte Carreño was only 12 when a warlord whose ­anti-guerrilla fighters had occupied this hamlet decided to make her his own.

So one night, he lured the tiny, effervescent schoolgirl to the dark and dank headquarters he used to plan operations against Marxist rebels.

And then he raped her.

After thirty years abroad, Amal* returned to Libya in early 2011 to join the armed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, the country's former leader. On her first day on the front line she met a 17-year-old girl who had been gang-raped by Gaddafi soldiers.