Introduction to the “Women and Peacebuilding in the Middle East” series

When newscasters and journalists talk about “Peace in the Middle East,” they often talk in terms of disaster, on intractable conflict, of failed peace processes. A Jan. 26 article from the New York Times starts with the statement that “It has lately become the accepted wisdom that the Middle East peace process is dead, finished, kaput.”

What doesn’t often get coverage, however, are the many and varied roles that women play in the Middle East—and they should. As half the population, they represent the most underrepresented group in peace negotiations and decision-making; as half the population, they play a fundamental role in embracing or rejecting peace in everyday  life.

In the following articles, you’ll read about storytellers, environmentalists, photographers, activists, and campers. The authors come from Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and secular backgrounds, from Greece, Israel, Palestine, England, Ireland, and the United States. They consider questions of identity, of map-making, of ecology; they seek to build peace and educate the next generation of peace makers. Each article can stand on its own, representing a wide range of perspectives and experiences, but taken together, their diversity of subjects creates a series that explores topics that readers will find compelling, thought-provoking, and illuminating.

The series includes the following posts:

• “Storytellers, Warriors for Peace” by Roxanne Krystalli
• “The Triple Burden: What Does Conflict Mean for Palestinian Women?” by Aoife Allen
• “Seeds of Peace: Empowering the Next Generation of Super Women” by Kaela Frank
• “Ecology of Homeland: Women of the Arava Institute” by Annie Jacobs
• “What We Need Now is Women” by Gila Svirsky
• “Book Review: Nine Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks” by Emily Heroy
• “On Being Palestinian in Israel” by Alicia Simoni

Read, discuss, and share. Looking forward to your dialogue!

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