ACCORD, in partnership with the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA) and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) organised FECCLAHA’s Annual Regional Faith Women Mediation Network Forum (REFWOMEN). The forum took place from 22 – 24 July 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Launched in 2017, REFWOMEN aims to coordinate and amplify the voices of faith women for sustainable peace in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa region. It includes representatives from nine countries: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda.
The REFWOMEN provides a platform to equip, support, and facilitate the coordinated and strategic participation of women mediators from the Christian and Muslim, backgrounds in peace processes at various levels in the region. The theme for the 2025 Forum focused on “Emerging issues on Peace and Social Cohesion in the Great Lakes Region: Entry points for Mediation and Peace Building for REFWOMEN”.
Through trust exercises and a deeper understanding on the process of mediation, the REFWOMEN members explored strategies to overcome mediation challenges at the community level. In addition, they also reflected on opportunities and entry points for engagement at the local, national and regional levels to address these concerns.
This theme builds on previous capacity building initiatives of the REFWOMEN and is part of the Call to Action developed in 2023, committing the REFWOMEN to various efforts aimed at preventing and resolving conflicts.
Follow-up discussions will be held with the REFWOMEN and its partners to assess the progress of ongoing work and areas of further support.
