IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM SOUND ARCHIVE
New Addition Autumn 2008: post-conflict reconstruction specialist Lesley Abdela
A Woman in Post-Conflict Reconstruction – from Kosovo to Nepal, 1999-2008
The UK’s Lesley Abdela has become one of the world’s most experienced post-deadly-conflict reconstruction specialists following the fall of the Berlin Wall. In 2006 she was voted in the New Statesman’s Top 50 Heroes Of Our Time list (www.newstatesman.com/200605220016). Fifty-six reels of her boots-on-the-ground experiences in Kosovo in 1999/2000 to Nepal in 2007/2008 via Sierra Leone, Iraq, Afghanistan and Aceh have just been recorded by Imperial War Museum archivist Lyn Smith*.
The 8th Anniversary on UNSCR1325 is on October 31. www.iwtc.org/1325_word.pdf
Lesley Abdela is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, the Royal Society for Arts, and a member of the Chartered Institute of Journalists.
Lesley Julia Abdela MBE [ [http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.aspx?pdf=52173&geotype=London&gpn=12&type=ArchivedIssuePage&all=&exact=&atleast=&similar= MBE list 15 June 1990] (PDF format) at the London Gazette. "For services to the advancement of Women in Politics and Local Government."] Hon D.Litt, [ [http://www.ntu.ac.uk/alumni/honorary_graduates/index.cfm?ID=3 Honorary Graduates] of Nottingham Trent University. "For contribution in raising the profile of professional women in the United Kingdom"] born in London (of Greek descent), [ [http://www.neww.org.pl/en.php/news/news/1.html?&nw=1938&re=1 Article at The Network of East-West Women] announcing the manual "Communications Skills For Women In Politics"] is a British feminist campaigner and gender/post-conflict specialist who has worked for over 25 years in the fields of gender development. She has worked as an advisor in 40 different countries, to both governments and NGOs and the European Commission.
Biography
Abdela was educated at Queen Anne's School, Caversham, the Chatelard School, Les Avants, Switzerland, Hammersmith College of Art and Building and the London College of Printing, now part of the University of the Arts London.
Abdela lives in Burwash, East Sussex.
Abdela is one of the world’s leading experts in the field of gender and an award-winning journalist. She has received many awards in her lifetime, including the UK Woman of Europe award [ [http://www.woea.dk/EUKP_EN/index_en.htm Women of Europe Award] ] for her work seeking the empowerment of women in Central and Eastern Europe. She was also the first Political Editor of a major women’s magazine in the United Kingdom, appointed by "Cosmopolitan" in 1993. Recently, Abdela has been voted into the "New Statesman"'s poll "Top 50 Heroes Of Our Time."
Abdela has also recently appeared on BBC Radio 4's programme "Great Lives" discussing the life and achievements of Millicent Fawcett, the British suffragist.
Lesley Abdela was in Kathmandu for six months to March 2008 as a gender adviser to the United Nations’ Humanitarian programmes in Nepal. The United Kingdom gender/post-conflict specialist's work has included on-the-ground stints in Kosovo (OSCE), Aceh (IOM), Iraq (USAID) and Sierra Leone (DfID/British Council). She is widely recognised internationally for her gender/post-conflict reconstruction work and her advocacy for women's worldwide equality.
February 20/21 2009: War Crimes conference – Retrospectives and Prospects‘Identifying war crimes and the perpetrators is a key part of post-conflict resolution’
Venue: Institute of Advanced Legal StudiesUniversity of London
Speakers Include Lesley Abdela, specialist in Gender in post-conflict/post-natural disaster reconstruction, and Gender in Humanitarian AidMichael Kandiah, Director Witness Seminars Programme, Centre for Contemporary British History, Institute of Historical Research, specialising in the Cold War periodHans Pawlisch, currently historian to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, WashingtonDavid Sugarman, professor of law Lancaster University, currently working on the Pinochet episode
themes include:• The implications of the use of national/international courts and tribunals and the problems of jurisdiction• The role of the media in portraying war crimes, and the rhetoric used• Legal issues, e.g. the nature of evidence in war crimes trials; questions of jurisdiction• Witness perspectives: protection, access to courts; financial support; are their voices heard? • Studies of individual cases and trials. Do prosecutions serve justice? The impact of recent trials, e.g. Milosevic and Saddam Hussein
Abdela is Senior Partner in Shevolution[ [http://www.shevolution.qbfox.com/about_us/the_team/index.html The Team] at Shevolution] , a gender equality consultancy; Chief Executive of Project Parity, a non-partisan NGO working to increase the proportion of women in politics, with particular emphasis on the developing world; [ [http://www.shevolution.qbfox.com/about_us/project_parity/ Project Parity] ] a partner in consultancy Eyecatcher Associates; [ [http://www.shevolution.qbfox.com/about_us/eyecatcher/ Eyecatcher Associates] ] and co-founder (with Tim Symonds) of the all-party 300 Group for women in politics and public life. [ [http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search2?coll_id=6765&inst_id=65 Records of the 300 Group] at the Women's Library, hosted at AIM25] ]Works
Articles and papers
*Aceh Gender Review and Strategy – IOM Reintegration Programme for former combatants and former political prisoners. (2006)
*'Communication skills manual for women in politics' – Funded by EU. Published by KETHI, Greece. (2005)
*'Sexual violence in wars and conflicts' – paper for SOLON, Nottingham Trent University. (2005)
*'Promoting women's Participation in Peace and Security Processes - Operationalising UN Security Council Resolution 1325'. Joan B Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice. San Diego University, California USA 18 – 20 November (2004)
*'The importance of making sure women are included in local and national governance immediately after conflict '. chapter for book :'Women and War' . Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces. (2003)
*'Iraq – mainstreaming gender into elections.' Briefing guide for RTI Iraq Local Governance Programme. (2003)
*Handbook for Kosovo advocacy NGOs - How to liaise with the Media. KNAP/EWMI Co-author with Tim Symonds. (2003)
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article871346.ece 'Invisible women – Iraq'] . Article published in The Times as "No place for a woman". (27 April 2003)
*'Iraq - Where are the women?'. Article published in the Washington Post. (20 July 2003)
*'Mainstreaming Gender considerations into Foreign Policy'. Background Briefing Paper – UK Government Foreign and Commowealth Office. (2001)
*'Development, Women, and War. Feminist Perspectives' Contributor to York University PCRU publication. (2001)
*'The Changing face of humanitarian action – learning from Kosovo' Uppsala University, Sweden (2001)
*'Sierra Leone - women in politics, NGOs and the police in the aftermath of conflict.' Research analysis and strategy. British Council. (2000)
*'Kosovo - Missed Opportunities – Lessons learned'. Report (1999/2000)
Books
*cite book
last=Abdela
first=Lesley
title=Do it! : walk the talk : a practical guide for employers on how to change the gender culture in the workplace
year=1995
publisher=Metropolitan Authorities Recruitment Agency
location=Solihull
isbn=1-874025-30-4
*cite book
last=Abdela
first=Lesley
title=What women want : a guide to creating a better and fairer life for women in the UK
year=1994
publisher=The Body Shop
location=
isbn=
*cite book
last=Abdela
first=Lesley
title=A strange old mother : no press pass for women’s magazines
series=Violations of rights in Britain ; 15
year=1994
publisher=Charter88 Enterprises
location=London
isbn=1-873311-99-0
*cite book
last=Abdela
first=Lesley
editor=Tim Symonds (ed.)
title=Breaking through the glass ceilings
year=1991
publisher=Metropolitan Authorities Recruitment Agency
location=Solihull
isbn=1-874025-99-1
*cite book
last=Abdela
first=Lesley
title=Women with X appeal : women politicians in Britain today
year=1989
publisher=Macdonald Optima
location=London
isbn=0-356-17184-1
*cite book
last=Symonds
first=Tim
coauthors=Lesley Abdela
title=Stay healthy while you travel
year=1988
publisher=Columbus Press
location=
isbn=
Lectures and speeches
*'Women in Afghanistan – six years on' – NATO HQ Brussels March 2007
*'Women in Iraq' Swedish Armed Forces International Centre Conference. 2007
*'Strategies for Gender and Development in Ukraine.' 7th International Postgraduate Conference. Keynote talk School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies, University College London, –16th February 2006
*'Gender and Civil-Military Relations: Moving Towards Inclusion? An essential tool for developing Stability and Reconstruction in post-conflict scenarios.' NATO Civil Military Co-operation Centre of Excellence Conference, Netherlands. 2006
*'Promoting women's Participation in Peace and Security Processes - Operationalising UN Security Council Resolution 1325', Joan B Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice.San Diego, California USA 18 - 20 November 2004
*'The Role of Gender in post conflict Civil Military Co-Operation' – Seminar on Civil Military Co-operation (CIMIC) and Coordination 'The Way ahead' - Swedish Armed Forces International Centre, Sweden. 2004
*'The Changing face of humanitarian action – learning from Kosovo' Collegium for Development Studies, Uppsala University, Sweden 2001 (Subsequently published as a paper)
*'Women, War and Peace-Building.' Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit, University of York 2001
*'Increasing the interaction and understanding between NGOs, Governments and the Military for effective development of peace and democracy.' Women in the Armed Forces in NATO Annual Conference 2000, Brussels
*'Post Conflict Missions – time for a rethink,' Royal Institute for International Affairs, Chatham House, London. 2000. Guest Lecture.
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/02/2008_17_thu.shtml Female Soldiers & UN Peacekeeping] discussion in Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4 (24 April 2008):Lesley Abdela and Professor Gerard 'Jerry' De Groot (St Andrews) on why the UK and the European Union should lead the world in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. [UNSCR1325 is an exemplary Security Council Resolution passed unanimously in late 2000, greatly expedited by the work of Britain's Sir Jeremy Greenstock and the UK Delegation to the UN at the time. A short version of the Resolution can be found at http://www.iwtc.org/1325_word.pdf] :Professor De Groot spoke on the subject at a UNIFEM conference in Rwanda recently, quoting from a piece Lesley Abdela published on openDemocracy.net three years ago.
* [http://www.opendemocracy.net/democracy-resolution_1325/conflict_2929.jsp 1325: deeds not words] at openDemocracy.net (17 October 2005):Abdela stated:
The Salzburg Global Seminar
Schloss Leopoldskron Sunday 7 Sep - Friday 12 September 2008
= Peace-Making and Peace-Building: Securing the Contributions of Women and Civil Society =
Faculty speakers include –
Lesley Abdela – international Gender/post-conflict specialist, Senior Partner, Shevolution, United Kingdom; recently GENCAP Senior Gender Advisor to Chief Humanitarian Coordinator UN OCHA Nepal. See www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=lesley+abdela+post+conflict&meta=
External links
* [http://www.thirdsectorwomen.com/profiles/lesley-abdela.html Profile] at Third Sector Women
Notes & References
