Introducing our Peace Sisters project with the German Consulate

We are delighted to announce an incredible new partnership with the German Consulate in Erbil, which will see the launch of our ground-breaking Peace Sisters project.

We will be working together for nine months to provide women and girls with training so that they can lead peace processes and take a more active role in rebuilding their communities. The project will see participants learn new skills in critical thinking, teamwork, communications and public speaking, with the aim of empowering them to recognise their human rights and take on prominent leadership roles.

Thank you to the German Consulate for supporting this important project

Although there are other projects on the ground that foster peacebuilding and social cohesion, we believe Peace Sisters is the first to focus on women in this way, training them to become mediators, peace defenders and active community leaders. Crucially, we will also be implementing community activities that involve men and boys, as we believe this is vital to ensure gender equality and bring positive impact to everyone’s lives. These workshops will encourage inclusion, collaboration and open dialogue across multiple faiths, cultures and generations.

The project falls under our Peacekeeping pillar, which is one of six that ties in with the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. In fact, Peace Sisters works directly in line with UN resolution 1325, which calls for “an increase in the participation of women at decision-making levels in conflict resolution and peace processes.”

While we have previously implemented other peace-related projects, including a journalism scheme with IOM, this is the first time we will be running the Peace Sisters initiative – and we’re enormously grateful to the German Consulate for helping us make it a reality. We are hugely excited to see what the project delivers, and will keep you updated over the coming months!