In the Field

Rwanda

 

May 2001

At the request of the U.S. Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda and the U.S. State Department, IPJ Executive Director Joyce Neu conducted a training of trainers in conflict resolution from May 18 to 20, 2001. "Women as Partners for Peace" is a network of women formed by the U.S. Embassy and included women from Burundi, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan and Uganda. The women came from different professional backgrounds including human rights advocates, military officers, government officials, NGO representatives and journalists.

During the three day training, Neu and two other consultants from Harvard University and the University of Paris covered topics ranging from the role of women in peacemaking to facilitating peace talks to dealing with the media. During the meetings, the U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict, Olara Otunnu, came by to meet the women and encourage their role in peacemaking.

 

A group gathers around a table Women from Sudan, Uganda, and South Africa The UN Under-Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict speaks to women at a training session in Kigali