RN-WPS 1st Annual Symposium:听
Revisiting WPS - 20 Years Later
March 10 鈥 11, 2022听| Montreal, Canada
The first annual Symposium of the RN-WPS reflected our commitment to a 鈥淵ear of Learning鈥 and engaged in a broad and future-oriented discussion of the WPS agenda. It included a discussion on the origins of the WPS agenda - and what we can learn from the early aspirations of those advocating for its creation - as well as sessions focused on identifying and elaborating current challenges to the agenda, including those arising from global and national political dynamics, as well as those emerging from past efforts at implementation. It raised thematic and policy-areas that could and should be at the forefront of the WPS agenda in future years and examine ways to advance those opportunities in research and policy work. The Symposium took place over a two-day period, with the first day focused on sessions showcasing the research of network members and panels dedicated to the three RN-WPS research themes. The second day provided opportunities for professional development (particularly for younger network members), a session devoted to discussing and planning for future activities of the RN-WPS, and engagement with specific policy agendas, including National Action Plans on WPS. The Symposium created plenty of space for networking with fellow researchers, civil society actors, and representatives from government.
Objectives
- Facilitate dialogue and build relationships between scholars, activists and policy makers;
- Strengthen thematic areas of research within the RN-WPS;
- Identify and contribute ideas to reimagine the WPS Agenda and Research;
- Foster knowledge exchanges on the academic, activist, and policy opportunities, challenges and contexts that our members are confronting;
- Build capacity in our respective areas of work through informal exchange of experiences;
- Support conversations between the WPS Agenda and the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda.
RN-WPS 2nd Annual Symposium:
Reimagining Women, Peace and Security
March 8 鈥 10, 2023听| Halifax, Canada
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In the 鈥榊ear of Learning鈥, we worked towards deepening our learning from each other and of the limits and opportunities of the WPS agenda, developing new and supportive relationships. In this year's Symposium, we will build on last year鈥檚 experience and ask 鈥楬ow do we reimagine the agenda of Women, Peace and Security?鈥 and challenge our participants to collaboratively envision and craft new ways of thinking and doing that contests and transforms established principles and practices. We will work towards new policy, practice and pedagogy that centres anti-colonial, anti-racist, and feminist worldmaking: How do we reimagine peace in relation to gender and security?
Objectives
1. Provide space to deepen relationships and connections
2. Facilitate new ways of engaging in policy, pedagogy and politics related to WPS;
3. Work towards a Declaration on RN-WPS;
4. Learn in relation to the histories and place of our hosts.
RN-WPS 3rd Annual Symposium:
Because We Must
February 8 鈥 10, 2024听| Ottawa, Canada
In the lead-up to the 25th anniversary of the landmark United Nations Security Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), the third annual Symposium of the RN-WPS 鈥 held at the University of Ottawa from February 8-10 - centered on the theme 鈥淏ecause We Must鈥. Rebecca Tiessen, Director of the Gender, Peace and Security Collaboratory, University of Ottawa was the host and co-organizer.
Building from the lessons of the first Symposium, the 鈥淵ear of Learning,鈥 and the vision of the second Symposium, 鈥淩eimagining Women, Peace and Security鈥, this year focused on 鈥淭aking Action to Address Gender Equality, Peace and Security鈥. Participants engaged in two days of rich dialogue and knowledge sharing that celebrated the progress that has been made on the WPS agenda and explored what actions are needed to protect and expand on these achievements. The sessions highlighted Canada鈥檚 domestic priorities relating to the WPS agenda, emerging areas of research, voices of rights defenders, strategies for allyship in advancing WPS, and perspectives from the next generation. The event brought together a community of researchers, civil society actors, and representatives from government to exchange ideas and challenge one another. Overall, there were over 50 participants from across Canada, as well as representation from the Office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.
Objectives
- Facilitate knowledge sharing and the co-creation of important resources from knowledge-holders from diverse backgrounds;
- Take stock of ongoing challenges, lessons learned, and innovative programming that will increase marginalized groups鈥 meaningful participation in peacebuilding, peace negotiations and post-conflict reconstruction;
- Provide space to deepen relationships and connections;
- Integrate interactions with the local organisations who are promoting the WPS agenda
Roundtables
January 27, 2022: Canada鈥檚 Defence Relations
Organized by Kim Beaulieu and Dr. Nafisa A. Abdulhamid
Access the readings for this event here:
Research Brief by Ana茂s F. El-Amraoui, PhD Candidate, Queen鈥檚 University. Access the full document here:
March 10, 2022: Gender and Climate Change
Facilitated by Dr.听Maria Martin de Almagro Iniesta. Watch the full recording of the roundtable here:听
January 24, 2024: Women in Peacekeeping Operations
On January 24th, 2024, the Research Network on Women, Peace and Security held a roundtable on women in peacekeeping operations. The roundtable brought together diverse scholars and practitioners working on peacekeeping-related issues. It explored issues that have received less attention regarding gender and peacekeeping. It focused on two main themes: situating women in peacekeeping operations and reviewing training. This report is a brief summary of what we heard from this roundtable.
Le 24 janvier 2024, le R茅seau de recherche sur les femmes, la paix et la s茅curit茅 a organis茅 une table ronde sur la place des femmes dans les op茅rations de maintien de la paix. La table ronde a rassembl茅 divers chercheur.euse.s et personnes issues du milieu pratique int茅ress茅es parles questions li茅es au maintien de la paix. L' objectif de cette table ronde 茅tait d'aborder des questions et enjeux qui ont re莽u moins d'attention en lien avec ce sujet. La discussion s'est orient茅e autour de deux th猫mes centraux: situer les femmes et leurs exp茅riences, ainsi que discuter des aspects li茅s 脿 la formation. Le pr茅sent rapport r茅sume les principales le莽ons apprises lors de cette table ronde.
Access the readings for this event here:
March 8, 2024: Gender and Cybersecurity
In this session, under the rubric of the MINDS theme 鈥楢nticipating Future Challenges鈥, RN-WPS members and DND staff from the cybersecurity and WPS teams came together to discuss the intersection between cybersecurity, gender, and Women Peace and Security (WPS). The session included a presentation by Dr. Katharine Millar followed by a discussion with reflections from the participants and a Q&A session. The goal of this discussion was to identify opportunities associated with this connection, priorities for building greater knowledge and capacity within DND, and ways in which the research community can offer additional knowledge and support.