, who holds a doctorate in ethnology, spent many years in Africa as a researcher and expert in development cooperation. She headed the Schulstelle 3. Welt (Global Education), in Switzerland and organized advanced training courses on development issues and peace politics for teachers and students. At different Universities she lectured on politics of gender and development. Together with two partners she set up the Büro Hekate, a company offering courses for gender coaching, management training and organizational development. From 1995 to 2007 Gaby has been a member of the Swiss parliament (National Council) and a member of the Council of Europe and reported on the problems of refugees and internally displaced persons in South Caucasus. Key aspects of her work still are migration and refugee policies compatible with the human rights, the fight against domestic violence and violence against children, trafficking in humans especially children, as well as organ trade. Within the organization PeaceWomen Across the Globe Gaby explores the contribution of women in solving conflicts and in reconciliation.
, an economist and sociologist, lives in India, and has worked for 28 years at the South Asian level on a UN project to strengthen Civil Society Organisations and to encourage networking between them on issues related to sustainable livelihoods, gender, human rights, peace etc. She is co-founder of several women's groups, including regional and international networks (e.g. SANGAT – South Asian Network of Gender Activists and Trainers, SAWF – South Asian Womem's Forum, ACFOD – Asian Cultural Forum on Development, WIPSA – Women's Initiative for Peace in South Asia, SAHR – Asians for Human Rights). Now she is coordinating SANGAT, working closely with Jagori, Women's Resource and Training Centre in New Delhi, and as a freelance consultant she is conducting workshops and training on gender, peace and sustainable development for women's groups, international and regional NGOs, senior government officials, parliamentarians and various UN agencies. Kamla has written extensively about participatory and sustainable development, women's empowerment, gender and peace. She has also written songs for children and created essays for the women's movement. Some of her publications include: «Borders and Boundaries: Women in India's Partition» (1998), «Exploring Masculinity» (2003), and «Turning Dangers Into Opportunities: Young People and HIV/AIDS in South Asia» (2003). Kamla is also PeaceWomen Across the Globe coordinator for South Asia.
lives in Hong Kong and teaches comparative literature, educational science, global culture, local governance, and negotiating violence at the Department of Cultural Studies, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, China. She is member of the editorial board of Cultural and Social Studies and a founding member of China Social Services and Development Research Centre – CSD, a voluntary group engaged in development research and community building projects in China. 1994–2003 Kin Chi was Board Chair and later Council Chair of Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives – ARENA, a network of scholar-activists in Asia. She was co-chair of the PP21 Council in 1996–2002. She helps coordinate the East Asia activities of World Forum for Alternatives – WFA. She has written on modernization, rural reconstruction, resurgent patriarchy and alternative practice in China. Among the books that she edited are «Globalizing Resistance», «China Reflected», «Resurgent Patriarchies: Challenges for Women's Movements in Asia», «Shaping Our Future: PP21 Convergences» und «The Knight in Mask: Writings of Subcommander Marcos». Kin Chi is the PeaceWomen Across the Globe coordinator for China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mongolia. More information about her activity for PeaceWomen Across the Globe is available on our local website.
lives in Tashkent, Uzbekistan where she received her degree in Central Asian Politics, Economy, History, Culture, and Islam from the Faculty for Oriental Studies, Tashkent State University. She worked in Afghanistan with Afghan women's organizations and in 1996 initiated a collection for humanitarian aid for Afghan women and children in Uzbekistan. Marina works in the area of conflict prevention. From 2002–2007 she was the Country Coordinator for Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan for the swisspeace project FAST (Early Analysis of Tensions and Fact-Finding). She was a director of the nongovernmental Analysis Group S-Monitor and provides educational gender programs for women in Makhalla. Marina is also our coordinator for Central Asia.
lives in Switzerland and is one of the founders of the campaign «1000 women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005» and since 2003 she was on the board of the campaign and is now board member of the PeaceWomen Across the Globe. She has travelled several times to East Asia in connection with the project. Christine Menz is a businesswoman and co-owner of a company specialised in economical and communication consultancy. Before that she was engaged with international companies in different leading positions.
lives in the USA. She was Director of the Women's Leadership Institute and Professor of Women's Studies at Mills College, Oakland, California, and is currently based in Ramallah Palestine where she works as a consultant. She is an expert on issues affecting women of color in the US and women in the global South. Her current research revolves around examining and understanding the interconnections among militarism, war, and the globalization of the economy. Margo is actively engaged against military violence against women. She is a founding member of The East Asia-US-Puerto Rico Women's Network against Militarism, and received a Fulbright senior scholarship to study in South Korea. She is passionate about the power of women to transform the world, and recognizes the necessity for a transnational feminist praxis. Margo is also our coordinator for the USA and Canada.
lives in Senegal. She is UNIFEM's Regional Director for Western and Central Africa. She previously was a senior program manager for International Planned Parenthood Federation in Kenya. For the past ten years she has been mainly involved in the Great Lakes region, where she has carried out national and regional initiatives in community conciliation and helped strengthen the capacity of the civil society in conflict transformation. She has developed and implemented projects to fight gender-based violence and developed projects on peace education for NGO's. She is a member of COPA – Coalition for Peace in Africa and of the worldwide network on peace education. Cecile has published various books and articles on the subject of peace and conflict transformation. At present she is examining the role of civil society in preventing structural violence, which affects mainly poor women. She plans to form training modules on the basis of this research and looks forward to working with children (both boys and girls) to train them in dealing peacefully with these problems. Cecile is also PWAG coordinator for East and Central Africa.
lives in Geneva (Switzerland). She is the founder and chair-woman of Geneva Call, politician and human rights activist. For more than 25 years she has been working in different NGOs dealing with the problems of refugees, torture and landmines. Eliabeth is one of the Swiss nominees for the project «1000 Women for the Peace Nobel Price 2005». She was a member of parliament in the Canton of Geneva for 12 years, and was nominated it’s president in 2000. At present she is a member of the board of the Interdisciplinary Studies «Humanitarian Action» at the University of Geneva. She is also a member of the advisory council of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces – DCAF.
is Swiss and lives in Bern (Switzerland). Trained as an elementary school teacher and a social anthropologist (PhD) she is also a mediator. For many years she has held positions in the Swiss Government and with the Swiss Red Cross in the context of international development, cooperation and humanitarian assistance. Since 1986 she has been specializing in conflict resolution and mediation, with a focus on conflict resolution education and peacebuilding. As the Director of Education and Research at the Iowa Peace Institute, USA, she conducted numerous workshops and seminars for Iowa teachers and the general public about conflict resolution, global education, cross-cultural communication, and diversity. Over the years she lectured at the universities of Zürich, Bern, at Iowa State University and at William Penn College. Since 1993, she has been working as an independent consultant. She is also associated with the Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy in Washington D.C. Her website is: www.reconfigure.ch
lives in Bolligen, which is located near Bern (Switzerland). She is a Swiss National Councilor and a lawyer. From 1982–1984 she worked for the International Commission of Jurists – ICJ as a correspondent in South East Asia. The focus of her assignment was on the former Philippine military dictator Ferdinand Marcos. At the time she was also involved as a lawyer on the development of the first social clause for fair labor conditions between Migros of Switzerland and Del Monte of the Philippines. In 1984 she received the award for the development of a regional network from UNICEF in Philippines. Since then she has been a member of multiple solidarity associations for oppressed peoples. Over many years she was the project commission for the Swiss relief organizations Brot für Alle (Bread for Everybody) und HEKS – Swiss Interchurch Aid. As Swiss National Councilor the focus of her work is on equal opportunities and treatment of women, improved conditions for employees and social justice for everyone. She is committed to social and ecologically sustainable fiscal policy. At the moment she is the president of the finance committee of the National Council and is a member of the justice committee of both legislative chambers.
For more information see the website of Margret Kiener Nellen
