The History

During 1992-95, the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina struggled in its recovery from three years of bloody inter-ethnic war. Following the break-up of Yugoslavia, an estimated 250,000 people died in the conflict between Bosnian Muslims, Serbs and Croats. Working to bring healing and help forge a lasting peace, our Religions for Peace affiliate, the Inter-religious Council of Bosnia-Herzegovina, was active in promoting inter-religious collaboration among the country’s women.

Under the auspices of the Religions for Peace, representatives of women of faith from the Inter-Religious Councils of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) and Kosovo came together in the historic city of Sarajevo from 2–4 October 2003 for an inspirational, regional inter-religious training on mobilizing women for peace. The 30 women from the Islamic, Orthodox, Catholic and Jewish communities of Kosovo and BiH came together for the first time since the end of the Balkan conflicts to mark the beginning of the southeast Europe women of faith network.

The Network Today

The Religions for Peace–European Women of Faith Network (EWFN) brings together a wide diversity of faith and interfaith-based women's organizations in Europe to work together for peace. The EWFN creates opportunities for women to communicate and learn from each other, share good practice and work in partnership with other organizations on issues concerning women and girls, grounded in faith. As part of Religions for Peace Global Women of Faith Network, the Network promotes the building of peace by working with religious leaders, governmental, statutory and voluntary organizations as well as through practical projects at the grass roots level.

The European Women's Coordinating Committee

Joint Co-ordinators

Ravinder Kaur Nijjar – UK, Scotland (Sikh/W Europe)
Coordinator of Religions for Peace
Scottish Inter Faith Council
The Inter Faith Network for U.K.
255 Nithsdale Road
Glasgow, G41 5AQ
United Kingdom
rknijjar@hotmail.com

Yolande Iliano – BELGIUM (Christian RC/W Europe)
Coordinator of Religions for Peace
Chairman WCRP-Belgium
Plate-forme of Brussels
VPID
Engelandstr, 332
1180 Brussels
B-Belgium
Yolande.iliano@wcrp.org

Members

Mehrézia Maiza Labidi – FRANCE (Muslim/W Europe)
Coordinator, Religions for Peace International Women’s Coordinating Committee
07 Rue de Kabylie
Paris 75019
France
tradlabidi.fib@wanadoo.fr

Enesa Pazalja – BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA (Muslim/C Europe) Member
Reisa Džemaludina Čauševića 1
71000 Sarajevo
Bosnia and Herzegovina
epazalja@ks.gov.ba

Szilvia Rozs Nagy – HUNGARY (Christian Protestant Lutheran/C Europe Youth)
Member – Youth Representative
H-1111, Budapest
Bartok Bela ut 36-38,
Hungary
szilvia_n@yahoo.co.uk

Advisors

Adalberta Bernardini – ITALY
Member Religions for Peace Representative to U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO)
Roma
Via del Babuino, 1114
00187 Rome
Italy
aberna@tin.it

Brigitte Chevalier – FRANCE
Member - Permanente Representative
UNESCO
107 rue du Cherche-Midi,
75006 Paris
France
bichevalier@hotmail.com

Carin Gardbring – SWEDEN
Member Advisor Nordic Coordinator Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa
SE-751 70 Uppsala, Sweden
Carin.gardbring@africa-faithforpeace.org

Cristina Monteys – SPAIN, Catalonia
Member Advisor
Division of Interreligious Dialogue
UNESCOcat
Mallorca, 285
E-08037 Barcelona
c.monteys@unescocat.org