Building on a long history of working with women leaders from Northern Ireland, Vital Voices Global Partnership launched the Initiative for Women Leaders Building Peace and Prosperity in 2003. Through cross-cultural dialogue, training & best practice exchange, the initiative brings together Peace-Builders from Northern Ireland with their Arab and Jewish Israeli peers and other international women leaders to discuss the role they must play to overcome entrenched social division and promote peace, prosperity & community.

Voices of Change from the Middle East

Join us in this on-going effort and support the work that young women are doing to transform conflict and find community based solutions for one of the most pressing conflicts of our time.

Program Updates

May 2010, Israel

Engaging Emerging Leaders for Shared Progress in Haifa, Israel

At the end of April, 20 young Israeli women — 10 Arab and 10 Jewish — joined together in Haifa for the first leadership seminar of Vital Voices’ Young Women Leaders Building Peace and Prosperity Program. The women are participating in an ongoing initiative intended to enhance their leadership capabilities. Through dialogue, the young leaders are learning to engage their communities and create a network of women committed to peace. Read More»

April 2010, Israel

The Initiative for Young Women Leaders Building Peace and Prosperity

Outcomes of the 2008 planning sessions have paved the way for a new program in Israel, Initiative for Young Women Leaders Building Peace and Prosperity: Engaging Emerging Leaders for Shared Progress, set for April 2010. This leadership training program for young Jewish and Arab women will help develop practical skills for the next generation of civil society, economic and political leaders while promoting a global network of women building peace. Read More»

June 2008, Israel

Vital Voices Travels to Israel to Plan Upcoming Women Leaders Building Peace & Prosperity Program

In June 2008, Vital Voices Senior Program Officer, Shireen Zaman and Vital Voices Board Member, Sonnie Dockser traveled to Israel to explore options and meet potential partners for Vital Voices’ first program in Israel. As part of the Initiative for Women Leaders Building Peace & Prosperity, this program would come to Israel in early 2009 with a clear focus on building the political and social leadership of young women committed to shared progress, civil equality and a more peaceful and prosperous future. 

October 2007, Northern Ireland

Women Leaders Building Peace & Prosperity

October 2007, Vital Voices gathered inspiring women leaders from South Africa, Northern Ireland and Israel, who came from different professions and backgrounds to discuss the role they, and other women must play in their home countries to build prosperous & unified communities. The program enabled participants to learn from each other’s experiences as well as from the instructive experiences of women leaders in Northern Ireland. Importantly, the program helped to build the participants’ connections and to broaden their capacity to enhance their work and impact their communities at home.

May 2005, Northern Ireland

Women Leaders Building Peace & Prosperity

May 2005, the inaugural training session of the Initiative for Women Leaders Building Peace & Transparency convened women leaders from Northern Ireland and Israel to exchange ideas on capacity building for civil society engagement in peacemaking. The open exchange of ideas and cross-cultural network created by the program continue to be powerful resources for the Israeli alumnae working on the ground. 

February, 2003 Northern Ireland

Women Leaders Building Peace & Prosperity

Vital Voices partnered with Search for Common Ground, the Truman Institute and Middle East Non-Violence and Democracy (MEND) to bring a group of women from Israel and the Palestinian Territories to the Clinton International Center for Peace in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. The group met with top community leaders such as Inez McCormack, the first president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Avila Kilmurray, executive director of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, and many other political and peace leaders. The program included intensive sessions on co-existence and peace building and site visits to cross community organizations.