ATHWAAS: Building Constituencies of Peace

Source: 
The Athwaas Initiative from Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace
Duration: 
Sunday, August 31, 2003 - 20:00
Countries: 
Asia
Southern Asia
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
Human Rights
Reconstruction and Peacebuilding
Initiative Type: 
Campaigns

ATHWAAS, which meaning is a warm greeting or shake of the hand, is a women initiative that look to build safe spaces for women in Kashmir. A group of women and men have been travel on a field trip to North and South Kashmir as well as to Purkho and Muthi camps of Jamunu, to listen to people experiences on both sides of the conflict. The purpose is to help women in these areas, whom almost all have lost a member of their family due to violence, to reconstruct their lives and to support the creation of self-help community groups. In October 2002, ATHWAAS organized a participatory rural workshop with the aim of identifying potential women leaders in the village of Tragpora, and train them, so they are able to articulate the needs of their village, in particular that of the women. In March 2003, 25 women were registered under the District Rural Development Scheme. Also, two self-help groups have been organized in the village.