CONFERENCE: Afghan Women Leaders Pledge Support to N-Peace Regional Network

With the participation of scores of women leaders from various provinces of Afghanistan, the first National Dialogue for N-Peace will get underway, here tomorrow. The two-day N-Peace dialogue seeks to allow Afghan women to develop a set of post-transition priorities for their role in peace and security. Afghanistan is the member country of this network along with Indonesia, Nepal, East Timor, Sri Lanka and Philippines. The National Dialogue will be inaugurated by the UNDP Deputy Regional Director for Asia-Pacific, Mr. Nicholas Rossellini.

N-Peace, that stands for and imbibes the principles to Engage for Peace, Equality, Access, Community and Empowerment, is a multi-country initiative facilitated by UNDP in partnership with Search for Common Ground and the Institute for Inclusive Security, with support from AusAID. The initiative aims to promote the leadership of women by creating a resource pool of women equipped with knowledge and skills to advocate for peace and security, while also providing a platform for engagement and dialogue between different stakeholders on the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

The N-Peace as a network and connector among six countries in Asia provides a platform for South-South exchange that can allow network members and participating countries to benefit from each other's experiences and lessons related to women's role in peace and security. The network has over 500 members, largely from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and relevant government partners, who connect virtually through an e-list n-peace@groups.undp.org and a web portal: www.n-peace.net as well as through face-to- face country level and regional meetings.

As part of the initiative, 12 Afghan women will be vying with women leaders from the region for the 2012 N-Peace Award, a campaign to showcase the leadership of women as role models for peace.