Manifesto for the Future: A Workshop on Democracy and Change

Creators of Peace UK, the global women’s peace initiative launched in 1991, had the honour of supporting and helping to craft an important manifesto for democracy alongside the Association of Mothers and Wives of Defenders of Ukraine this summer at the Caux Democracy Forum, Switzerland.

In the scenic setting of Caux, the “Manifesto for the Future: A Workshop on Democracy and Change” brought together an inspiring group of 25 women over 3 days who are navigating the harrowing realities of war—specifically, those from Ukraine and South Sudan—alongside empathetic participants eager to understand and contribute.

Supported by Initiatives of Change International, Elizabeth Laskar and Miranda Shaw from IofC UK along with special support from Iryna Mushkina as part of Creators of Peace UK, Rukmini Iyer from Creators of Peace International, Jane Namurye and Keren Lewis from Women on the Front Line, and Natalia and her group of 6 women from the Association of Mothers and Wives of Defenders of Ukraine, and Angela Starovoytova from Ukraine – a long-standing member of IofC. The women worked together to create a space of creativity, trust and care.

During the workshop, attendees engaged in profound listening sessions, artistic expression, and collaborative creation, weaving their unique narratives into a shared tapestry of resilience and hope.

The workshop aimed to foster solidarity among those affected by conflict and to create a draft manifesto encapsulating their collective vision for democracy and change. The draft manifesto became a heartfelt reflection of the insights and experiences shared by everyone involved and will be shared online, with the hope of adding more signatures from individuals around the globe who will resonate with its message.

We spent lots of time on the first day getting to know each other, building group agreements and then using creativity to craft a collective calabash. A calabash, a type of gourd, is dried, decorated and used as a bowl filled with food. When groups of people have disputes and differences, they are united in a celebration meal from the calabash. Jane Namurye (South Sudan/ UK) from Women on the Front Line used the calabash as a symbol which Keren Lewis then built on with a creative process. Inviting us all to craft in silence something that might visually symbolise democracy using natural resources such as leaves, flowers and herbs. The result was a stunning piece of art that we literally carried with us through the three days. The process of creating the calabash allowed us to deepen our vision of democracy together.

Together, the participants planted seeds of hope and transformation, standing united in their quest for a peaceful future.

The product of the three days was a physical manifesto. The resulting manifesto will be open to signatures from individuals and organisations around the world. If you are interested in learning more about supporting the manifesto please sign up HERE.

The Association of Mothers and Wives of Defenders of Ukraine have just been granted ECOSOC status since we returned from Caux, and we look forward to further work with our sisters from Ukraine in the near future.

If you would like to know more about Creators of Peace UK join the IofC UK Database HERE and tick the Creators of Peace box to receive more information about upcoming events and courses.

Elizabeth Laskar and Miranda Shaw are national co-ordinators for Creators of Peace UK, as part of IofC UK.