Archival Services: Dialogue on the Culture of Peace and Non Violence

Given the current state of world affairs and the increasing and proactive role women are taking in sowing the seeds for peace in every corner of the globe, this year's dialogue will bring together several peace practitioners to discuss women's role in fostering peace and how to promote further progress in this arena. Launched in 2014, this initiative provides a platform for dialogue on the culture of peace as an essential force that humanity needs to embrace in the best interest of our planet. A purposeful and appropriate occasion to hold the annual dialogue is the annual commemoration of the International Day of Non-Violence proclaimed by the United Nations and observed on 2 October every Year coinciding with the birthday of the apostle of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi.

Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury has ardently advanced the cause of the global movement for the culture of peace that has energized civil society all over the world. As a career diplomat, permanent Representative to United Nations, President of the UN security council, President of UNICEF board, an UN Under-Secretary-General, Ambassador Chowdhury has a wealth of experience in the critical issues of our time - peace, sustainable development and human rights. Ambassador Chowdhury's legacy and leadership in advancing the best interest of the global community are boldly imprinted in his pioneering initiative in March 2000 as the President of the Security Council that achieved the political and conceptual breakthrough leading to the adoption of the groundbreaking UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in which the Council recognized for the first time the role and contribution of women in the area of peace and security.

Luz Méndez participated in the Guatemalan peace negotiations as the only female member of Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca, contributing to unprecedented commitments for gender equality in the peace accords. She was elected to represent the women's organization in Guatemala's national commission overseeing implementation of the accords. She is a member of the Executive Board of Union Nacional de Mujeres Guatemaltecas and was the coordinator of a civil society alliance working to end impunity on sexual violence during the armed conflict. She has also researched and published on peace building an women's access to justice. Her last publication is Clamor for Justice. Sexual Violence, armed conflict and violent land dispossession. Ms. Mendez is a member of the UN High Level Advisory Group for the Global Study on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325. She holds a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University.

Irene M. Santiago is the lead convener of the global campaign on women, peace and security called "#Women,Seriously!". She is well-known nationally and internationally as a strong advocate of gender equality as a transformative force in society. The global campaign she has initiated aims to "power a social movement" so that women's indispensable role in achieving durable peace is taken seriously. She is one of the few women in the world with actual experience in formal peace negotiations, having been a member of the Philippine government panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. While a member of the peace panel, she headed the task force to ensure that the ceasefire mechanism functioned effectively.