Brochure You can read and download here. The Platform Women & Sustainable Peace After cooperating on a workshop Women and Armed Conflicts during the Beijing + 10-manifestation in January 2005, women's organisations realised that it would be useful to join forces as this could strengthen their work on peace and security. That is why they have established the Platform Women & Sustainable Peace (Platform VDV). Members of the Platform VDV can be: Women's organisations These organisations are exclusively ones that work on a culture of peace, reconciliation and non-violence. www.vrouwenenduurzamevrede.nl The efforts of the Platform intend to complement and not to overlap or to compete with the efforts of these existing networks and organisations. This is the reason why the cooperation between various parties is mentioned as the main goal. The mission states: The promotion of sustainable peace through stimulating cooperation between women and men in (armed) conflict situations and conflict areas. The Nederlandse Vrouwen Raad (The Dutch Women's Council, NVR) is a partner organisation of the Platform VDV. The Dutch Women's Council is an association of 46 women's organizations, which when combined make a total of approximately one million members. While keeping the individual character and independence of the member organisations, the goal of the NVR is to promote women's awareness of their position and possibilities by actually taking co-responsibility at all levels of society. Nederlandse Vrouwen Raad Members of the Platform VDV are representatives of the following organisations: BPW-nl Business & Professional Women the Netherlands is part of a worldwide omen's network of professional, working women (their own companies or on a payroll). With the motto 'Together we stand strong', BPW works to improve the position of all working women, by advancing mutual appreciation and increasing knowledge, skills, and cooperation in the professional sphere as well as in society. BPW also tries to establish equal opportunities and equal positions in all sectors and levels of society and to influence political decision-making on a national and international level BPW Nederland GCI Gender Concerns International is an international development organisation based in the Netherlands. GCI believes that establishing a gender-balanced society requires action in poverty reduction, sustainable development, economic empowerment and political will. The aim of Gender Concerns is to participate in the process and promote the vision of establishing a gender-balanced society. Activities include consultancy and advice, lobbying and advocacy - organising campaigns, conferences, seminars, workshops and forums for dialogue - developing and facilitating training programs Gender Concerns International IFOR-WPP IFOR's Women Peacemakers Program . The main goal of the IFOR programme is to strengthen and support women's peace initiatives. WPP aims at showing how militarism forms an obstacle to sustainable development and places emphasis on the important role that women play in the reconstruction of democratic societies. WPP organises courses, training, supports women's organisations and initiatives on gender and non-violence (sometimes also financially) and documents the resistance against war and women's alternatives all over the world. IFOR/WPP www.ifor.org/WPP IFOR Women Peacemakers Program African Regional WPP Office: http://www.wanep.org/wpp/index.html MWPN Multicultural Women Peacemakers Network- The Netherlands is a joint venture of women's organisations active in the Netherlands, to assist the peace building process in their country of origin. Their countries are, for example, Burundi, the Philippines, the Malacca Islands and Somalia. Many women refugees and women migrants have close ties to the people who are left behind in the conflict area. They support their family and grassroots in the process of building a peaceful society. In the Netherlands these diasporawomen have found support from each other. Through courses they extend their knowledge and skills in the field of non-violent action and conflict resolution. Through conferences and visits to their former countries these women spread their knowledge and experience. Multicultural Women Peacemakers Network NEAG Nederlands Expertisecentrum Alternatieven voor Geweld (Dutch centre of expertise in alternatives for violence) focuses on prevention of violent conflict and aims at resolving them in a non-violent manner. It tries to accomplish the latter by providing information to people who want to be active as professional peace workers, by contributing to their training, and by lobbying at the Dutch government, the European Commission and NGO's for educating and actually deploying peace workers. NEAG is an active member of the European Network for Civil Peace Services and the worldwide network Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP). Via NP there are currently Dutch peace workers active in Sri Lanka. NEAG Alternatives to Violence Sundjata Stichting Sundjata (Foundation Sundjata) supports African organisations that take initiatives to improve the social and societal life in the Great Lake Region and Senegal. Sundjata functions as an intermediate between the Western and the African worlds, with regard to cultural, social, and financial issues. Sundjata often works together with unions, peace organisations and other social organisations. Moreover, it supplies African initiatives with sufficient means and supports African organisations that develop themselves. By strengthening the African organisations, in the long term Stichting Sundjata also makes a sustainable contribution to social development. Obviously, many of the partner organisations are African women's organisations. The motto of Sundjata is: 'A good idea is only a good idea once it is executed'. Stichting Sundjata VOND Stichting Vrouwenorganisatie Nederland - Darfur (Foundation Women's Organisation the Netherlands - Darfur) is a Dutch foundation for the women of Darfur. VOND shows solidarity with the Darfuri women and hopes to contribute to the decrease of the suffering that the women, girls and youth from Darfur experience on a daily basis. Furthermore, VOND supports the struggle of the Darfuri women's organisations regarding empowerment in this remote and severely affected region of war in Sudan. Moreover, VOND strives for a full participation in the Dutch society and, therefore, assists the Sudanese women with the integration process in the Netherlands. VOND works closely together with partner organisation Stichting WONDER. Stichting Vrouwenorganisatie Nederland-Darfur Vrouwen voor Vrede The Association 'Vrouwen voor Vrede' (Women for Peace), strives for a non-violent, respectful and safe global society, where human rights - as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - are complied with and in which: - prosperity and well-being are fairly divided with respect for the environment; This goal means that the fellowship: encourages women to strife non-violently for a culture of peace, a culture connected with all that lives and functions as a focal point for the (multicultural) peace movement and for women's groups. Vrouwen voor Vrede WILPF Women's International League for Peace and Freedom established in 1915, it is the oldest women's peace organisation in the world. WILPF has an advisory status at the United Nations: with ECOSOC, UNCTAD and UNESCO. Moreover, it has special advisory ties with FOA, ILO and UNICEF. Branches of WILPF are located in more than 35 countries. WILPF Netherlands especially aims at influencing the foreign policies at the national and European levels, with special attention to UNSCR 1325 and disarmament. Members participate by coming to general meetings and to the WILPF Workshop with the aim of inspiring each other, making plans and appointments, measuring progress, and, hence, contributing to the international programme. Their ideal is a world without war. Secretariaat WILPF-Nederland
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