You can now find all the essential information you need about the work of The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers on the new website peacemakersnetwork.org.  The website offers a window to the ongoing projects and developing collaborations of the Network.

The website will be the new central location for information about the work and news of the Network and essentially about how to get involved.

The Network has over twenty different organizations involved now. The number is constantly growing as the Network works to develop new contacts and include new actors in different collaboration projects.

What Network?

The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers was initiated due to a need to build collaboration and connections between different actors working for peace. Finn Church Aid was one of the establishing organizations of the Network and will carry on in its position as Secretariat for the Network until 2017. The Network is composed of vital actors, from grassroots religious and traditional peacemaking actors to international NGOs and academic institutes.

Especially the need to enhance collaboration between religious and traditional actors and larger organizations and authorities working for peace has been recognized. By growing the inclusivity of religious and traditional actors in peace processes, the needs and desires of the local communities should be more clearly heard. The Network sees this as one of its main objectives.

Religious and traditional actors often have more trust and influence in communities than the official authorities. Hence, it is important build connections between these actors, to achieve peace in societies.

The Network also places special focus on gender issues and on including women in all peacemaking processes. Gender equality is something that the Network wants to include in all its work. To succeed in this, the Network has initiated a Gender Working Group to focus especially on gender issues in all peace processes.

Text: Ina Kauranen