Northern Ireland Peace Heroines go global for International Women's Day

Since the printed Peace Heroines exhi‐ bition launched in September 2022, it has toured the world opening hearts and minds, from the Northern Ireland As‐ sembly in Belfast to the US Congress, Áras an Uachtaráin, Leinster House, United Nations in New York, Derry Tower Museum, Linen Hall Library, Dun‐ dalk County Museum, Enniskillen Castle, and more. On Brigid’s Day 2024, Am‐ bassador Fiona Flood launched the South American tour at the Irish Embassy in Brazil. Our peace activists are truly making waves worldwide.

UN officials cite the role played by women in the Northern Ireland Peace Process as a leading example for other peace processes around the world. "For the Secretary-General it is clear that the women of Northern Ireland were trailblazers and visionaries who put gen‐ der equality and integrated social devel‐ opment at the heart of the Good Friday Agreement," a spokesperson for the Secretary-General, António Guterres, told RTÉ News.

"It's a monumental moment for the women of Northern Ireland." An exhibi‐ tion about the pivotal role played by women in the Northern Ireland peace process has opened at the United Na‐ tions in New York. #GFA pic.twit‐ ter.com/VY21LVx2Gj

- RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 4, 2023 Many of the NI peace heroines continue their activism today, not just in Northern Ireland but around the world, bringing their wisdom and experience to women and peace movements in Bosnia, Georgia, Afghanistan, Sudan, Cyprus, Congo, Columbia, Palestine, Israel, the Philippines, Guatemala, Kenya, United Nations and more.

Curator Melanie Lynch explains: “Evi‐ dently these remarkable women are awe-inspiring role models for young people today. In a world that is increas‐ ingly polarised, the peace heroines offer lessons in how to move from domination to partnership models of power, strate‐ gic problem-solving, conflict resolution and reconciliation. It was paramount that we create a version of the project that was accessible for all and online for free, with school lesson plans that are designed to integrate with the official curriculum. There’s also an invitation to nominate your local peace heroine, up‐ load her portrait and share her story, creating a living archive and legacy edu‐ cation resource for future generations.” This new interactive digital exhibition is a collaboration between the Herstory Education Trust, the Nerve Centre and National Museums NI. The project is funded by the Irish Department of For‐ eign Affairs Reconciliation Fund, the Irish Department of Culture's Co-Opera‐ tion with Northern Ireland Scheme, the Ireland Funds of Great Britain, and the Integrated Education Fund.

Niall Kerr, Head of Heritage and Com‐ munity Relations at Nerve Centre said: "Peace Heroines shines a light on the extraordinary ordinary women who have had an impact on our shared society. It's been an exciting opportunity to work with the Herstory team to create this digital exhibition, to help further amplify these important stories, and to encour‐ age everyone to contribute - particularly through a set of curriculum-linked tasks for students that encourages discussion, debate and creativity."

The project was sparked by a timely conversation at the United Nations back in 2019. The then Irish Ambassador to the UN Geraldine Nason-Byrne, revealed to Herstory Founder Melanie Lynch that the pivotal role of women in the Northern Ireland Peace Process is a key United Nations case study. Melanie explains; “I returned home and reached out to our school contacts and they confirmed that this essential story is not taught on the official school cur‐ riculum in Northern Ireland or the Re‐ public. Our new Peace Heroines project aims to change that and introduce stu‐ dents and the public to these legendary activists and inspire the next generation of peacebuilders. It’s time to write her‐ story into history.” International peace delegations from Congo to Columbia now examine and re‐ fer to the participation of the Women’s Coalition in what is widely considered to be one of the most successful peace processes in the world. Traveling to Ireland

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US Senator George Mitchell, Chair of the multi-party talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement, said that “the Wom‐ en's Coalition in particular focused on reaching an agreement as opposed to focusing on ' can I get this for my com‐ munity, can I get that...' They understood their role to be to help to bring about peace more than just advancing the cause of one community or another.” "The story of the Women's Coalition is largely not visible, not because women get written out of history..... they never get written in" - Bernadette Devlin McAliskey

The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, hosted a special display of the ‘Peace Heroines’ exhibition, curated by Herstory, at Áras an Uachtaráin to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement last year.

In his address, President Higgins said: “The Women’s Coalition, in its rejection of traditional partisan sources of divi‐ sion within what was male-dominated politics, played a vital role in the delivery of an alternative context that could car‐ ry the Good Friday Agreement. Its founders, drawn from both of the main opposing traditions, sought to work to‐ gether, transcending the old tribal di‐ vides, and focusing instead on creating a common, agreed, shared future, united by the cause of bringing women’s con‐ cerns to the negotiating table, and en‐ suring an inclusive peace accord.”

At a key crossroads in humanity’s his‐ tory, Northern Ireland is an inspiration to Ukraine, Russia, Palestine, Israel and other countries in conflict. As wars con‐ tinue, causing immeasurable suffering and destabilizing Europe and beyond; the miracle of the NI peace process and the pivotal role of women proves the poten‐ tial for justice, equality, peace and heal‐ ing in the most challenging circum‐ stances.

Visit peaceheroines. org and be inspired by these remarkable women.