Sunday, November 18, 2012

Video TED TALK "A Realistic Vision for World Peace" by Jody William (Nobel Women's Initiative: Women Forging Peace)

Espanol  English     Jody William's TED TALK: A Realistic Vision for World Peace

The Nobel Women's Initiative, based in Ottawa Canada, was established in 2006 by sister Nobel Peace Laureates Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, Wangari Maathai, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Betty Williams and Mairead Maguire. The six women -- representing North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa -- decided to bring together their extraordinary experiences in a united effort for peace with justice and equality. Aung San Suu Kyi became an honorary member following her release from house arrest in 2011, and Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman joined the Initiative in 2012.

The Nobel Peace Prize Women
 “The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts, which shall be apportioned as follows: /- - -/ one part to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” (Excerpt from the will of Alfred Nobel)


Only 15 women in its more than 110 year history have been recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize is a great honor, but it is also a great responsibility. It is this sense of responsibility that compelled us to create the Nobel Women's Initiative to help strengthen work being done in support of women's rights around the world - work often carried out in the shadows with little recognition. The Nobel Women’s Initiative uses the prestige of the Nobel Peace Prize and of courageous women peace laureates to magnify the power and visibility of women working in countries around the world for peace, justice and equality.

We believe peace is much more than the absence of armed conflict.
Peace is the commitment to equality and justice; a democratic world free of physical, economic, cultural, political, religious, sexual and environmental violence and the constant threat of these forms of violence against women -- indeed against all of humanity.

Advocating For Peace, Justice and Equality.
The Nobel Women’s Initiative uses the prestige of the Nobel Peace Prize and courageous women Peace Laureates to increase the power and visibility of women's groups working globally for peace, justice and equality.

Advocacy Organized Around Three Main Pillars:

1) Women Forging Peace
The inclusion of women in peace making and supporting nonviolence and other alternatives to war and militarism.

2) Women Achieving Justice
Accountability for crimes committed against women and an end to widespread impunity.

3) Women Advancing Equality and Human Rights
Support for human rights defenders, those working for women's equality and those on the frontlines of civil society--including those addressing climate change.


Three Main Strategies of Advocacy:

1) Convening: We bring together key decision makers with women's rights activists. We promote collaboration between diverse women's groups, academics, policy makers and the media. We empower women leaders, and expand global movements for peace, justice and equality.

2) Shaping the Conversation: We articulate a broadly accessible analysis of the impact of conflict, violence and inequity on women. We emphasize solutions proposed by women’s movements. We share a vision of what a nonviolent, just and equal world looks like.

3) Spotlighting and Promoting: We create media and public awareness of the powerful work being done by women's activists and movements—and help bring women's messages to the world.