activists-from-libya

"During the past seven years, the international community – UNSMIL and UN member states – has been the main leading actor for the political and peace building process in Libya. However, all the important high level meetings initiated, mediated and facilitated by the UNSMIL or member states barely has included women"

"Women’s future is now, not tomorrow and not the day after. I promote peace at all levels, and I’m confident that women are able to very soon change the status quo in fields historically designated to men, such as peace building and conflict mediation"

"Ford’s vision made me recognize that every age has advantages, and we should learn how to get advantage of age difference"

"On the other hand, it also made me believe that whoever has the will to learn, love their career and be passionate about work, will succeed and reach goals, and become a good leader even at very young age"

"I always make sure that we – young and senior women – lead together"

"moreover, there are times when I gave steering wheel to young women and I set in the back seat, and results of their leadership has been tremendous"

"I am keen to enhance having resilient connections among senior and young members, through sharing responsibilities, knowledge, and perhaps memories either painful and hard – especially those related to the critical situation of Libya- or funny and nice ones, which are usually recalled from activities and retreats arranged for Together We Build It members, after all we are humans"

"Even if women are not part of the fights in Libya, we should be part of the solution"

"the international community showed a very gender-blind approach to the right of Libyan women to meaningfully participating in peace process"

"sends an explicit message to Libyan decision-makers that women’s participation in decision making and peace process is not necessary and not important"

"I was risking the lives of my husband and son, who had to go with me as guards in the taxi. We did not know what dangers we could find along the road"

"Countering violent extremism should not be looked at as only putting an end to something negative; it’s also about empowering positive peace."

"And then once it hits home, you realize that, no, it's not. It's not necessarily something wrong with the people or the location or the country per se. It's actually something that anyone can suffer from, even those perhaps listening to us right now thinking that they will never live a war. I think no one knows. And that's why it is important for even ordinary people to to get interested in peace."

"Peacebuilding is not only about stopping violence, it is also about the prevention of violence. To do so, all groups, all voices and perspectives in the society have to be considered. Young people, particularly girls, in the Middle East and North Africa constitute a large percentage of the population, so their role in peacebuilding is very important."

"Together we build it."

"Much more is needed. Including; facilitating a serious nation-wide dialogue that will include the voices of ordinary people, ppl affected by the multiple wars, women, and young people. This dialogue should be an official part of any formal political talks"

"“Peace is a public good, so everyone should have the right to enjoying, building, making, and shaping peace.”"

"These are people who want to foil elections... has been always defiant, and always will be despite the pain and fear. It will succeed."

"There is struggling inside, the people, but they are really happy. And I’m not worried about what I am seeing in the street, protesting, many demonstrations—they are trying, and they want to make sure there is freedom."

"All the people are free to say what they want to say, but we have to learn, there’s always limits. You have to respect the privacy of the others; you have to respect the other opinion. Because during 42 years, there is just one thinking, Qaddafi’s thinking, and Qaddafi’s theory. So, it is difficult to let the people to respect another opinion. Everything is new."

"I want to say the first thing that Qaddafi, he thinks that we are six million human beings, nameless. That’s how Qaddafi is looking at us. In our country, when Qaddafi’s regime, there’s no names, can mention except Qaddafi’s names. No heroes, even athletes or singers. We knew after the revolution that there was an office to try to disappear the stars. If there is any names, singers, we have the experience that there were singer idol in Beirut, big event between all Arab countries, and he won and after that when he come back to Libya, and we didn’t hear about him, he disappeared. So, now I want to tell you that the whole population needs rehabilitation from Qaddafi’s regime. Comprehensive repression for all the people, all the details, chaos, turmoil that he tried to put the country through during the 42 years, so he tried consolidating power in his hands and demands the various state institutions."

"They knew that women were very effective and very strong in this revolution, but they think that now, the role is for the man."