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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL COLLOQUIUM ON WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, INTERNATIONAL PEACE & SECURITY?

The International Colloquium on Women's Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security (the Colloquium) will be held in Monrovia, Liberia, March 7-8, 2009.

The Colloquium is the convening of women and their champions from around the world to discuss, learn, demonstrate and act on the benefit and lessons learned from women in leadership.

The Colloquium seeks to realize the aims of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security to ensure that women are protected from the worst abuses in times of conflict and to empower them to play their rightful and vital role in helping their countries prevent, end and recover from conflict. The Colloquium will bring together an international group of women leaders to identify the successes and failures of measures adopted for 1325; to serve as a resource base and catalyst for activity worldwide; and to develop and support meaningful strategies and activities for increasing global security.

The Colloquium will empower women to be more effective leaders by linking with their peers from around the world and sharing and implementing best practices on economic empowerment, influencing climate change and sustainable development. The Colloquium will promote progress on women's leadership on peace and security, and women's leadership and empowerment in general.

WHO IS CONVENING THE COLLOQUIUM?

The colloquium is being co-convened by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and President Tarja Halonen of Finland.

WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF THE COLLOQUIUM?

Goal 1: Empower women to be more effective leaders by linking with their peers from around the world and sharing best practices

Goal 2: Support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security to ensure that women are protected from the worst abuses in times of conflict and to empower them to play their rightful and vital role in helping their countries prevent, end, and recover from conflict.

Goal 3: Contribute to the achievement of Millennium Development Goal 3 on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women, including building capacity and resources of government and non-governmental institutions to work for women's rights and economic empowerment

Goal 4: Demonstrate the clear gender dimensions of climate change, environment protection and sustainable development

Goal 5: Launch the Angie Brooks International Centre on Women's Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security, in Monrovia to support the implementation of action emerging from the Colloquium through, inter alia, training and research

WHO ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE?

Honorable Olubanke King-Akerele, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Liberia (Co-Chair)
Honorable Vabah Gayflor, Minister of Gender & Development, Liberia (Co-Chair)
Representatives of UN Funds in Liberia: UNDP; UNFPA;and UNICEF, UNMIL, UNIFEM, EU & USAID
Yvette Chesson-Wureh, Colloquium Manager
International Colloquium Secretariat
Liberia National Committee for the Colloquium

WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR PARTNERS?

Bineta Diop, Executive Director, Femmes Africa Solidarite (FAS), Senegal, Lalla Ben Barka, Deputy Executive Secretary of UNECA, ILO, Regional Office for Africa, Dr. Thelma Awori, Uganda, Elisabeth Rehn, Former UN SRSG and Former Minister of Defense, Finland, Dr. Ndioro Ndiaye, DD International Organization of Migration, Dr. Eileen Borris, Director, Institute of Multi Track Diplomacy, Washington, D.C., Council of Women World Leaders, Dr. Carol Henderson Tyson, Rachel N. Mayanja, UN Assistant Secretary General for Women, Vivian Derrick of AED, Cllr. Christianna Tah, Diane Bell-Mackoy, President, Associated Black Charities of America, Realizing Rights, Inc., IDEA - International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT TO GET OUT OF PARTICIPATING IN THIS COLLOQUIUM?

The International Colloquium will be an opportunity to learn about the issues, challenges and opportunities present in women leadership, peace and security and climate change. Women leaders and their champions from all over the world will dialogue with one another and act in concrete ways to help increase women's participation in the economy, governance, leadership, peace and security.
A participant will learn best practices, new and emerging models and participate in the implementation of this work through the Angie Brooks International Center.

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE COLLOQUIUM?

In order to help achieve the support required towards the goals of the Colloquium several funders have partnered with us and contributed to the program. In addition to this support there are several opportunities to support programs and activities related to the Colloquium and the Angie Brooks International Center that have not yet been funded. To learn more about what you can support please refer to our Securing Support brochure where all the projects are outlined and where you might find points of intersection of your own work and our themes.

TYPES OF SUPPORT

Support for the colloquium will fall under the following themes and the larger rubric of Lift Liberia, Lift Africa, Lift the World.
Women in Leadership
Economic Empowerment
UN Security Council Resolution 1325
Young Professionals/Emerging Leaders
Millennium Development Goal 3
Migration
Climate Change

SECURING SUPPORT CRITERIA
The support for the Colloquium must further the goals set out within each Colloquium theme. The Colloquium Management in liaison with the Agenda Committee and Theme Leads will decide upon which activities will be included in the official program. The support can be financial, in kind or in the shape of expertise and other resources.

WHAT WILL BE SPECIFICALLY EXPECTED OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES SUPPORT?

The support should new, creative, achievable and sustainable and it should further be contributing to the goals of the International Colloquium as stated above.

WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUBMISSION OF SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES PROPOSALS?

To be included in the official support/opportunity Colloquium digest, please contact the Colloquium Manager. There will be chances to submit support and opportunities during the Colloquium and also after the event through the Angie Brooks International Center.

HOW CAN I REGISTER TO PROVIDE SUPPORT?

To register for a submission of support/opportunity, please see instructions on www.womenscolloquium.org. The submission form should be filled out and sent to the address indicated. All submissions will go through a vetting process by the Colloquium management.

HOW WILL THE ANGIE BROOKS INTERNATIONAL CENTER BE INVOLVED IN MONITORING THE SUPPORT OVER TIME?

The Angie Brooks International Center will support the implementation of actions emerging from the International Colloquium, through training, research and advocacy related to the various Colloquium themes. It will also track and report on support made for the Colloquium.

CAN MY ORGANIZATION PARTNER WITH ANOTHER ORGANIZATION AND SECURE A JOINT SUPPORT?

Yes you may. To discuss this option and find out what partnership opportunities exist please contact: Cllr. Chesson-Wureh, International Colloquium Manager at +231.6.514451 or Liberianwom@netzero.com.

WHAT ROLE WILL MEN PLAY?

Many male Heads of State have been supportive and there will be male invited guests to participate in the Colloquium. The Emerging Youth program, African Development Forum will send young emerging Liberian leaders to Addis Ababa. This program will include both men and women. There will be a pre-event on March 4 featuring these young professional emerging leaders. 10% of the participants in the Colloquium will comprise of these young professionals and they will be fully integrated into the Colloquium.
The Angie Brooks Center, one of the most major products of the Colloquium will be opened to both men and women for assistance, research and training.