Mothers and Peace
“My own first teacher of kindness and compassion was my mother.”
Dalai Lama
Mothers are key players in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response and in post-conflict reconstruction. Their participation and full involvement in all efforts of prevention of conflict, the maintenance and promotion of peace and security has not been reached yet.
Who better than mothers to transmit from a young age, emotional balance, stability, a peaceful state of mind, a willingness to benevolence, trust and, justice ? The mother is the first and last bulwark against violence in the hearts of all men.
The prevention of radicalisation, post conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding are key issues in today’s world. Families, communities, governments are all looking for the best way to prevent conflict and maintain peace.
Mothers are confronted with difficult challenges due to conflicts as well societal and familial changes, . They are willing to act in order to protect or restore peace, but they need support.
At UN and EU level
There is a political momentum and interest within UN institutions to focus their work in the promotion of peace. NATO has a special representative on women, peace and security that is in charge of implementing a plan that seeks to reduce barriers for the active participation of women in matters of peace and security.
They are willing to explore how to implement security resolution 1325 on women, peace and security and the related resolutions that recognise the disproportionate impact that war and conflict has on mothers and children and highlight the fact that historically women have been left out of peace processes and stabilisation efforts.
The EU supports UN Women’s work in the areas of Women, peace and security and is committed to implement resolution 1325. They have said : “We need to promote the positive role that women can play in countering terrorism and violent extremism in their families, their communities and their societies”.
International conference on May 2018 #Mothers4Peace
Make Mothers Matter, together with CARE International Morocco, organised on the 3rd though the 4th of May 2018 in Casablanca (Morocco) an international conference #Mothers4Peace. The conference, which benefited from the High Patronage of King Mohammed VI, discussed the role of mothers for peace at family, community, national, and international levels.
We are in the process of drafting recommendations for policy-makers as a result of the good practices and suggestions proposed at our last conference and they will be published soon.
