Isis International together with BALAY Rehabilitation Centre Inc. Philippines and the Centre Studies of Indonesia Eastern Region has embarked on a two-year and two country project on peace-building, “Cultural Politics of Conflict and Peace: Strategising and Capacity-Building for Philippines and Indonesia.”

The project aims to contribute in the creating environments conducive for women's active and meaningful participation in peace-building processes. It consists of an action research using the lens of cultural politics, where women on the ground define conflict and peace and draw their sense of empowerment based on their everyday realities of conflict and peace-building. Through the direct interaction or cheekah sessions with women, the project assesses the relevance of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.

“Cultural Politics of Conflict and Peace: Strategising and Capacity-Building for Philippines and Indonesia” also intends to develop training and IEC Materials; and conduct dialogues with media practitioners as partners in peace-building.

Currently on its research phase, the project looks into peace-building processes from the community level using the innovative framework of cultural politics.

On 23-25 January 2009, the first cheekah or informal talk session was held with 25 grassroots women leaders of different ages, religion and background in community work in Kidapawan, Southern Philippines. Head researcher Maureen Pagaduan, faculty of the University of the Philippines College of Social Work and Community Development, aptly termed the two-day gathering as /pag-aaral /or the space to share and learn from each other's everyday experience of living a life of peace within and outside of the homes.

Meanwhile, Marion Cabrera, Isis International’s Governance, Communications and Democracy programme coordinator provided an orientation on UN SCR 1325. She remarked: “The official document just paled against their personal stories. The images of their experience of conflict and disrupted lives; their conviction to re-claim their old lives; and their visions of peace are so vivid that they were beyond issues of participation – putting on a brave face to military officers while they safeguard themselves, their loved ones and communities as they exercise their /bakwit power/, when they decided to leave the evacuation centre and return to their community, despite the orders of the military to stay; and transforming seven communities into G/iNaPaLaDTaka/ or ‘Space for Peace and Children as Zones of Peace.’”

Mindful of the value of everyday life, Isis and its partners thought of creative ways to surface women's own mechanisms in living a life of peace in their homes, communities and organisations in times of peace as well conflict and war. Through clay symbols and community collages, the women were able to share their personal and community stories of peace – experiences that spoke a lot about resilience, strength and perseverance towards a peaceful community life.