Diabella was implemented in Sweden to improve young people’s capacity for democratic, interfaith dialogue and their participation in public debate. The project upheld democratic principles and empowered and inspired young women to influence and engage for a more equal and peaceful society.

Project: Diabella

Country: Sweden

Partner organisation: Life and Peace Instituet and Fryshuset Unga (for the project activity “Our Sweden”)

Donor organisation: Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society (MUCF)

Project period: December 2019 – June 2020

Purpose: To increase knowledge among young people about tools for democratic, interreligious dialogue within the family, local community and towards political decision-makers, and to strengthen cultural identity and willingness to dialogue.

Target group: 20 young people living in vulnerable areas in Stockholm.

How: Participants were trained on UNSCR 1325, UN Conventions, women’s rights and conflict management. The training was participatory, experiential and conducted through focus group discussions, role plays and group exercises. Participants shared their knowledge by holding their own workshops and created a podcast and an informative film. In collaboration with the Life and Peace Institute and Fryshuset Youth, ‘Vårt Sverige‘ was organised, bringing together young people with decision-makers and other influential adults for meetings and dialogue. To spread the project further, Operation 1325 workshops and lectures were also held around Stockholm in schools and religious communities.

Results: Participants report that they have learnt a lot about UN resolutions, conflict resolution, human rights and women’s rights since the project. They also emphasise that they now find it easier to voice their opinions and that they feel inspired to continue engaging on similar issues. The project has upheld democratic principles and empowered young women, who are now better able to take part in the public debate to bridge social divides and promote peaceful dialogue.

Voices from the participants:  “A project that I hope more people will take part in. I have learnt so much from the briefings during the camp weekends and activities. But also learnt a lot about others and got the chance to do something about what I think are problems in society.”

The project worked to increase the knowledge of young Swedish girls from vulnerable areas about the agenda for youth, peace and security (UNSC Resolution 2250). By participating in a study trip to Palestine, they had the opportunity to make contacts and exchange experiences with others.  

Project: Tjejer, fred och säkerhet

Country: Sweden and Palestine

Partner organisation: Preparations in cooperation with KFUK/KFUM

Donor organisation: Folke Bernadotte Academy 

Project period: 2018

Purpose: To increase the knowledge of the youth, peace and security agenda among a number of young Swedes in order to increase their engagement in international peace and security issues. 

Target group: Four young Swedes (two girls & two boys) from socio-economically vulnerable areas with a multicultural background.

How: Participants, together with a facilitator, attended a YMCA conference on youth, peace and security in Palestine. At the conference, participants were trained on the topic and had the chance to network and exchange experiences with other young people. Participants reported on the conference on social media and created a film that included interviews with other young people that had attended the conference. After the conference, participants wrote a report on their lessons learnt and experiences from the trip. The report formed the basis for a policy report with recommendations for Sweden’s work on UNSC Resolution 2250, which was submitted to Swedish MPs, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Folke Bernadotte Academy. As part of the project, Operation 1325 also conducted a number of seminars and workshops on UNSC Resolution 2250 in schools in more socio-economically vulnerable areas of Stockholm. 

Results: Four young people gained increased knowledge about youth, peace and security, as well as the opportunity to see and understand the daily lives of young Palestinians. The project has strengthened the participants’ commitment to peace and youth rights issues, as well as their confidence in their own ability to make a difference. Through social media reporting, participants reached a wider audience with their lessons learnt. The policy report provided to decision-makers also enabled the project’s impact at a higher level. Through engagement with schools in vulnerable neighbourhoods, the project has helped more young people understand their rights and their ability to make a difference. 

– 81 posts published on social media reaching over 23,000 people.

– Over 200 students reached through workshops and seminars in schools. 

– A policy report Tjejer Fred och Säkerhet with recommendations for Sweden’s implementation of UNSC Resolution 2250 was created and reached several Swedish decision makers. 

The Digital Peace Programme was implemented to empower young girls to use social media for change. The aim was also to create commitment and willingness among young girls to want to contribute to and work for a more peaceful society and give them the tools to do so.

Project: Det digitala fredsprogrammet

Country: Sweden

Partner organisation: 

Donor organisation: Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society (MUCF)

Project period: 2017 – 2018

Purpose: To increase the knowledge and strengthen the will of young people to engage in society together with others and actively work to create a more humane and peaceful society.

Target group: 24 young girls living in vulnerable areas in Stockholm

How: Participants received intensive training on youth and women’s rights, UN conventions, and how to advocate through digital media. The aim was for participants to act as digital peace agents to reach out to more young people about their rights. Together with the participants, the #GirlsCentre campaign was created. The project actively created videos, podcasts and social media posts to spread the message, e.g. via a dedicated Instagram account (@Tjejericentrum). The project message was also disseminated through school visits and articles in conventional media.  

Results: Through digital platforms, school visits and articles in the media, the project has raised awareness of resolutions 1325, 2242 and 2250. The same applies to the Women’s Convention and UN human rights. The #GirlsCentre campaign was significant, reaching over 7000 people on social media. Participants have increased their knowledge of their rights and how they can work to actively participate for a more peaceful society. 

• Over 200 students reached through school visits
• Over 7,000 reached through the #GirlsCentre campaign

Publications: Jämställdhet banar väg för fred 

The Digital Democracy Academy was implemented to equip young women with democratic tools and knowledge on non-violent communication. The aim was to empower young girls to be agents of change and to stand up for a democratic and equal society.

Project: Digitala demokratiakademin

Country: Sweden

Donor organisation: Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society (MUCF)

Project period: 2017-2018

Purpose: Empower girls to be agents of change and to stand up for a democratic and equal society. The goal was for participants to experience freedom from anti-democratic gender stereotypes and freedom from oppressive honour culture. 

Target group: Girls in Södertälje and Botkyrka

How: Through training, dialogue meetings, and collaborative and knowledge-sharing exercises, a change network of professional women activists was created. The project provided training on UNSC Resolution 1325 and 2242. Participants are trained in dialogue and non-violent communication and provided with democratic tools through knowledge of the Women’s Convention and UN human rights. Through trainings and dialogue, participants’ ability to recognise radical tendencies, anti-democratic and sexist discourses that promote violent extremism was strengthened and developed, and provided knowledge of what resources are available to report and seek help. 

Results: Participants increased their knowledge of UNSC Resolution 1325 and 2242, of the Women’s Convention and human rights. Participants gained knowledge about who to turn to when they see or experience risks of violent extremism and radicalisation. In addition, participants were given methods to resolve conflicts and influence their environment.

Project: Sustainable Peace Tour

Project period: 2011

Country: Sweden

Cooperation with: The Swedish Association for Development and International Cooperation, the Swedish Foreign Policy Association at Lund, Örebro, Uppsala and Umeå, our member organisations and their local associations. 

Purpose: to disseminate knowledge about UN Security Council Resolution 1325, to address the major knowledge gaps that exist among the public and thus increase insight into how Swedish policy affects the implementation of the resolution in Sweden and internationally. The project shifted the focus to emphasise women as actors instead of victims. The project was based on a publication produced by Operation 1325 in 2010, “Actors for Sustainable Peace”.

How: “Actors of Sustainable Peace” seminars were organised in seven different locations in Sweden (Lund University, Örebro University, Södertörn University, Stockholm Mint, Uppsala University and Umeå University) and were also broadcast digitally. The content focused on highlighting challenges and progress in implementing UNSCR 1325. 

The study “Actors of Sustainable Peace” has been shared with all participants, to enable participants to delve deeper into the issues and how the work on Resolution 1325 is being implemented.

Results: The project reached out to people both on site and digitally, and increased their knowledge of Resolution 1325, through the seminar, the booklet “Actors for Sustainable Peace” and through the media as one of the seminars was filmed by SVT and shown on Aktuellt. SR International had an interview with three of the panellists in Stockholm. This reached 650 000 television viewers.

Project: Peace Agent 1325 – Women, Peace and Security

Project period: 2009

Country: Sweden

Purpose: Information project that contributes to increasing young women’s and men’s awareness, knowledge and commitment to democracy, gender equality and peace issues, locally and globally.

Target group: young women and men

How: Through study circle leader training in collaboration with the study association Sensus. Certified circle leaders conducted a total of four circles in Malmö, Gothenburg, and at a Swedish upper secondary school in Spain. And one upper secondary school tour in cooperation with the member organisations at upper secondary schools in Malmö and Gothenburg.

Results: All participants who were involved in the role of study circle leaders by both acquiring the expertise they need about UNSCR 1325 and feeling confident as leaders. Seven circle leaders were trained and four of them started their own circles.

• Twice as many study circles (4) were held than the target, which is interpreted as a very good result.
• The high school tour was successful, with 111 students reached by the information at high schools in Gothenburg and Malmö.

Publication: Fredsagent Handbok 1325

During the summer of 2011, Operation 1325 carried out a review of how Sweden meets the 16 indicators that the EU has set up to monitor the progress on Resolution 1325.

As a tool to see Sweden’s progress in the implementation of Resolution 1325, Operation 1325 conducted a mapping of the progress in Sweden

The results showed that Sweden is well placed in terms of a large number of indicators, such as women’s participation in political and constitutional contexts.

However, Sweden is criticized by the authors when it comes to women’s representation in peacekeeping missions and the security sector.

The full report is available below.

Civil Society Monitoring Report

In 2004, Operation 1325 started to develop a step-by-step training strategy that gives every woman the opportunity to “do something for peace”.

The overall objective of the training is to provide step-by-step knowledge, experience and skills for women who want to engage as peace agents at different levels.

It should be emphasised that the content and methods of the training are not solely developed by Operation 1325.

They are the result of women from different factions and warring parties in conflict areas – the Balkans, South Africa, India and the Middle East – participating in various courses and workshops. They have acquired knowledge and tools to work for human rights, gender equality, democracy, non-violence and peaceful relations – both in their immediate environment and internationally.

It is these experiences that form the basis of a multi-stage peace agent training course. Because participants ‘own’ the process, it has been possible to use the same training models in different countries and contexts.

Read the report in Swedish below.

Kvinnor som fredsagenter

The Security Sector Reform and Resolution 1325 Conference was held in Stockholm (Sweden), 25 – 27 November 2009. The aim of the conference was that participants would learn more about security sector reform (SSR), gender and the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 On Women, Peace and Security (UNSCR 1325). Another aim was to develop a common language for, and better understanding between, the different actors.

Read the report from the conference below.

SSR Report

2020 was the 20th anniversary of Resolution 1325. Operation 1325 celebrated this with a digital conference “Stronger Together” with representatives from Turkey, Yemen, Palestine and Albania, policy makers, civil society and the general public. Each country was given one day to discuss current challenges and solutions.

The full report from the conference can be found below.

Stronger Together – Conference report 

2020 is an important year for the women, peace and security agenda. Resolution 1325, which empowers women in peace processes, celebrates its 20th anniversary. In addition, the government will soon begin work on a new action plan for its work on women, peace and security. Operation 1325’s shadow report is therefore particularly important. Below are Operation 1325’s recommendations to strengthen the government’s and the authorities’ continued work.

Women Count Sweden 2020