Past Program

Peace is key to ensuring Asia's sustained development and prosperity as the world's most populous region grows in global geopolitical and economic importance. But despite the region’s rich experience in mediating peace and reconciliation, the learning exchange between regional, local and community-driven initiatives has so far been low.

Launched in 2020, the Asia Peace Innovators Forum aims to shape long-term peace, stability, and regional cooperation in Asia by building a network of mid-career professionals working in different sectors and countries to exchange knowledge, community-driven approaches, and best practices. Due the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this program has been moved primarily online, where every two weeks the selected Asia Peace Innovators will tackle a different element of peace-building.

This online program addressed women’s inclusion.  In this conversation, participants discussed ways to include women more prominently in peacebuilding initiatives in areas of conflict.  Fellows presented challenges in countries such as Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand before discussing them further in breakout rooms, where they asked: How do we empower women to run for political office and take part in peacebuilding initiatives?  How can women’s organizations work closer together and form the building blocks for a movement?  How can we educate children to grow up with a gender-inclusive mindset?  How can we highlight the value of bringing more women into peacebuilding initiatives?  How can we educate people in patriarchal societies to become better allies for women’s inclusion? 

This program is open exclusively to accepted participants of the Asia Peace Innovators Forum.