Deadline: 29-Aug-22

Applications are now open for the Women in Conflict 1325 Fellowship Programme which will focus on the role and use of the creative arts as a tool for peacebuilding and is open to women from the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia who use the arts and/or creative mediums in relation to peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

Throughout the week-long residential programme they will explore how different artistic mediums can be used to foster peace, justice, and to promote gender equality. They will also look at how the arts can be used as a tool for inclusion and the meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding and conflict transformation, and the direct and indirect roles that the arts play in conflict environments. The programme takes the form of workshop/discussion-based sessions and provides space for participants to learn with and from each other through sharing experiences and knowledge, and examples of successes and obstacles faced in their work. This programme will take place in Edinburgh and The Scottish Borders, UK.

The seven-day fellowship is held three times a year in Edinburgh, and has so far involved almost 300 women from 25 different countries across the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. By bringing together women activists from a range of conflict affected countries the Fellowship facilitates sessions focussing on conflict resolution, mediation, reconciliation and dialogue methodologies with an emphasis on inclusivity and sustainable conflict resolution. The Fellowship also includes workshops on personal self-care strategies for those living in conflict areas and involved in conflict-based work.

The Fellowship is held in Edinburgh and Traquair House in the Scottish borders. Beyond Borders Scotland aims to promote Scotland as a place for cross cultural dialogue and learning – a small nation promoting peace, equality and it’s own identity. The unique setting of Traquair House builds upon its over 900 years of history. For centuries it has been a sanctuary at the heart of cross-border conflict and remains a symbol of freedom, democracy and safety. Beyond Borders Scotland uses Traquair and Scotland as a safe space for discussion and debate that facilitates cross-cultural exchange, dialogue and reconciliation.

Objectives

The programme recognises the underrepresentation of women in peace negotiations despite women being the largest group to be affected by conflict. The fellowship therefore focuses on meaningful women’s participation in peace processes and more widely in other sectors, gender sensitive peace negotiations and conflict analysis and ensuring the sustainability of peace negotiations through inclusivity and gender sensitive negotiations and policies.

Aims

The Fellowship aims to:

Provide expert guidance in mediation, conflict resolution, reconciliation and constitution building.

• To explore methodologies and frameworks for promoting the role of women in peace-building processes, and identifying and utilising entry points to those processes.
• To put women at the foreground of peace processes and to facilitate a platform for discussing the importance and challenges of the equal and meaningful participation of women in peace processes and more widely in society.
• To provide a space to share experiences in relation to UNSCR 1325, women’s roles in peace processes, gender equality and the impact of conflict on women.
• To raise awareness of the importance of personal self-care and provide workshops covering different self-care practices.
• Discuss advocacy strategies on inclusivity, gender equality, and feminist values that can be incorporated into the fellows work.
• To facilitate a model forfeiture collaboration with each other and with their existing networks, and to map a project plan for creating and sustaining an alumnae network.

For more information, visit https://www.beyondbordersscotland.com/projects/women-in-conflict/overview/