The Religions for Peace Global Women of Faith Network, along with its partners throughout the United States and Canada, is in the process of building the North American Women of Faith Network to facilitate discussion and cooperation in the region, and create linkages with other women of faith in Africa, Asia, Latin America & the Caribbean, Europe and Middle East.

The first consultative meeting was held in New York in July 2007 to discuss methods to connect groups of religious women on local, national, and regional levels.  Having established the necessity of such action, the women formed a preliminary, diverse structure and identified thematic foci, including building peace, advancing sustainable development, and creating a community.

In October of the same year, a small Ad Hoc Committee met to discuss member organizations and to construct a plan of action to continue the consultative process.  Two months later, representatives of numerous religions met to learn of the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee for review and action and to plan for the continuing process of building NAWFN.

Throughout the planning process, the women of faith have maintained their original motivation and purpose: to connect religious sisters in the U.S. and Canada on local, national, and regional levels to promote common peaceful goals.  Members are now planning for the first major convening of NAWFN, which will take place in 2009, to launch the Religions for Peace North American Women of Faith Network and its plan for action.

To read more on the consultative meetings held so far, please see the documents below. 

To learn more about the Women's Program, read our 2008 Spring Mosaic Newsletter.