In January, Rockflower attended the Annual colloquium of The Institute for Inclusive Security in Cambridge, MA. Syria, Myanmar, Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil and Pakistan were all represented by 21 extraordinary women whose insight, bravery, resilience and, yes, humor, clearly showed that the way to building sustainable peace is ALWAYS to ensure that women’s voices are not only at the table, but must be heard and their recommendations acted upon.

One of the participants was a young Syrian woman named "Lubna”, whose work as a peace activist has been recently highlighted in several publications. The women's collective experiences crafting and managing peaceful solutions in conflict situations expressed by their voices and deeply personal stories compounded my sense of urgency to promote their efforts.

Sunday, 15th March, marks the fourth anniversary of the conflict in Syria and a grim reminder of the worst humanitarian crisis of this century. Over 11 million people have been displaced, more than 220, 000 dead and countless others tortured and imprisoned.

Through our partnership with The Institute for Inclusive Security we are focused on raising investment for the Training of Mobilizers program in Syria. These are women who risk their lives every day to find a way to get the impossible done. To enact practical on the ground solutions that defy impossible odds and create critical opportunities for humanitarian access, prisoner exchanges, aid deliveries and daily commitment in the stand against injustice.

After reading more about "Lubna" in a January 2015 PRI article, you too will want to ensure that women working for peace in their communities are given the resources needed to continue their vital work.