Karen Mundy went to the Salzburg Global Seminar in Austria from September 7-12. The topic of the seminar was “Peace-Making and Peace-Building: Securing the Contributions of Women and Civil Society.” The Mellon Foundation provided funding for the trip.
The conference mostly focused on Resolution 1325, adopted by the United Nations Security Council in October of 2000. The resolution recognizes the need to incorporate more women in peace-building and peace-keeping, believing that women have a lot to offer in ending hostilities. The seminar also discussed Resolution 1820, passed by the Security Council in June of 2008, which reaffirms the commitment to Resolution 1325 and calls on nations to evaluate whether they have accomplished any of their goals for implementing it.
Also in attendance were men and women from different governments, NGOs, and peace-keeping teams around the world. The U.S. had no official delegates, as they have made no steps to implement Resolution 1325. Mundy commented that this made it awkward to be an American in that context. However, she also noted that it was a fascinating, powerful experience.
Posted by Amber Mear
