She Talks Peace

  How do you stay true to your message in a world driven by outrage, misinformation, and division? This is Part 2 of the conversation with Dr. Titus Levi. The themes of peace and effective communication are explored, including how to handle leading questions and the concept of freelance diplomacy. The complexities of regulating social media giants are also addressed. The guest, Dr. Levi, like...

Communication can either deepen divisions or create pathways toward peace. In conflict-affected and polarized environments, effective communication is a critical tool for conflict resolution, trust-building, and meaningful dialogue. In Part 1 of this conversation, Dr. Titus Levi speaks with Dr. Amina Rasul-Bernardo about the role of communication in peacebuilding and mediation. Together, they expl...

Lebanese journalist, writer, and peacebuilder Sawssan Abou Zahr joins She Talks Peace to unpack the human cost of ongoing conflicts in Lebanon and Palestine. From families forced to flee their homes to journalists risking their lives to document the truth, Sawssan shares powerful stories of resilience, resistance, and survival. The conversation explores the role of peace journalism, grassroots act...

What does it take to build peace in a region shaped by decades of conflict and displacement? In this episode, Dr. Amina Rasul-Bernardo sits down with Dr. Nesreen Barwari, Kurdish-Iraqi leader, academic, and public policy expert, to talk about how women's empowerment and inclusive governance are at the heart of lasting stability. From the personal cost of displacement to the political mechanics of...

Dr. Amina Rasul-Bernardo engages in a discussion with His Excellency Massimo Santoro, the European Union's Ambassador to the Philippines, exploring topics such as global issues, women’s leadership, and EU-Philippines partnerships in peacebuilding. This is part 2 of their conversation. In a world of conflict and economic uncertainty, EU Ambassador Massimo Santoro shares why peace remains possible a...

Dr. Amina Rasul-Bernardo engages in a discussion with His Excellency Massimo Santoro, the European Union's Ambassador to the Philippines, exploring topics such as global issues, women’s leadership, and EU-Philippines partnerships in peacebuilding. This is Part 1 of their conversation. In a world marked by conflict and economic uncertainty, Ambassador Massimo Santoro of the European Union offers a...

What happens after peace agreements are signed? In this episode, Raiza Abas, a Gender and Development resource pool member at the Office of the Chief Minister BARMM, shares how Bangsamoro women are translating formal commitments into lived, everyday peace. From integrating female ex-combatants into governance to lobbying for women's representation at the policy level, Raiza reflects on the ongoing...

Peace cannot be built on silence. In this episode of She Talks Peace, host Amina Rasul-Bernardo is joined by Jenny Chan, co-founder of Pacific Atrocities Education, for a powerful conversation on why remembering history, particularly the stories of women affected by Imperial Japan's wartime atrocities in Asia, is central to peacebuilding and reconciliation. Drawing on her work documenting overlook...

Peace in Indonesia cannot be achieved without confronting the violence and discrimination that women face every day. Dr. Suraiya Kamaruzzaman breaks down the interconnected crises, social and economic inequality, violent extremism, and gender-based violence — that define Indonesia's non-traditional security landscape, from Aceh to Papua. She challenges the use of religious interpretation to restri...

Since the turbulence of Indonesia's 1998 Reformasi movement, the country has charted a remarkable course toward religious harmony and inclusive governance. Dr. Dicky Sofjan joins She Talks Peace to examine how religious groups influence policy in the world's largest Muslim-majority democracy, and why religion itself is not the problem. He warns against the misuse of religious teachings to marginal...

Two essential conversations on peacebuilding and human rights in Southeast Asia. Dr. Amporn Marddent examines Thailand's National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), exploring religious leaders' roles in conflict resolution, gender-based violence in peace processes, and the political roots of southern Thailand's border tensions. Rohingya human rights researcher Ejaz Khant exposes Myanm...

In this episode of She Talks Peace, Dr. Rahimah Abdulrahim explores how storytelling can become a powerful tool for peacebuilding and social change. She discusses why marginalized communities must be empowered to tell their own stories and how authentic narratives can challenge injustice and strengthen democracy. Drawing inspiration from the concept of Caravanserai, she highlights the importance o...

In this episode of She Talks Peace, gender and governance expert Dr. Socorro Reyes reflects on how women’s participation in politics has shaped peacebuilding efforts in the Philippines and beyond. Drawing from her journey as an educator, advocate, and grassroots organizer, Dr. Reyes emphasizes that true progress goes beyond representation—it must translate into policies that improve women’s rights...

Peace looks different when women are no longer on the margins of decision-making. In this episode of She Talks Peace, Dr. Arifah Rahmawati reflects on her journey in peacebuilding and the lessons she learned by listening closely to women affected by conflict and displacement. Through stories from Indonesia and regional peace efforts in Southeast Asia, the conversation examines women’s political pa...

Recorded in early 2025, this episode reflects a moment in time. While some events discussed have since concluded, we are sharing this conversation for Dr. Arifah Ramawati’s critical perspectives on women’s political participation and peacebuilding in Southeast Asia, which remain relevant beyond the news cycle. As the Women, Peace and Security agenda marks 25 years, Dina Zaman—co-founder of IMAN Re...

Corruption isn’t just a governance issue, it’s a form of structural violence that deprives communities of safety, dignity, and essential services. In this episode, Dr. Amina Rasul-Bernardo sits down with Atty. Grace Pulido-Tan, the first woman to serve as Chairperson of the Commission on Audit. Known for leading the historic audit that exposed the multi-billion peso pork barrel scam, Pulido-Tan ex...

What does greatness of spirit look like in today’s world? In this episode of She Talks Peace, host Amina Rasul-Bernardo speaks with Susan Afan, President of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, often called Asia’s Nobel Prize, about the inspiring leaders transforming Asia through courage, compassion, and integrity. Discover the powerful stories of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Awardees: a Maldivian...

From her balcony in Bethlehem, Deputy Mayor Lucy Talgieh can see the horizon that leads to Gaza, a landscape divided by walls and decades of conflict. In this powerful episode, Lucy shares what life is like for Palestinian women caught between hope and hardship. She speaks about the realities of displacement, restricted movement, and economic collapse—and yet, she insists that resilience endures....

Filipino-Palestinian refugee Mahadia Abu Dalal spent over a decade teaching children in refugee camps in Gaza amidst the relentless sound of hovering drones and explosions. Depicting her homeland through art, Mahadia shares that from the rubbles of Gaza emerge stories of resilience—and of hope refusing to be silenced by bombs or confined by borders. Disclaimer: This podcast was produced with the f...

As Filipinos take to the streets to protest anomalies in "ghost" public works projects, ex-Ombudsman and former Supreme Court Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales emphasizes that corruption, more than being about stolen funds, is about robbing people of a just, peaceful, and democratic future. Disclaimer: This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents...

What does peace look like when women lead the way? In this episode of She Talks Peace, educator and peace advocate Dr. Ayesah Uy Abubakar shares her journey from her roots in conflict-torn Mindanao to her current work at Albukhary International University in Malaysia and with the ASEAN Women Peace Registry. She Talks Peace is a production of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy, and this...

Atty. Gettie Sandoval's journey began by championing workers, farmers, and the urban poor, eventually becoming a leading peace advocate in the Philippines. With a wealth of experience in policy and advocacy, she dives into her 2018 study on the devastating impact of Duterte’s War on Drugs on women: the wives, mothers, sisters, and children left behind. In honor of Women's Month, Amina and Atty. Ge...

This year, the Philippines is hosting the first ministerial-level conference on the women peace and security agenda. It is called the International Conference of Women, Peace and Security or the ICWPS. This conference will be a platform to address the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which is a global commitment to ensuring that women and girls are more systematically and sustainably integrate...

In this episode, peace educator Grant Lu discusses the critical importance of formalizing the teaching of women, peace, and security (WPS) in the Bangsamoro region. With roots from the UN Resolution 1325 in 2000, the WPS agenda has been pivotal in shedding light on the role of women in maintaining peace globally. Grant, an essential part of the team in realizing the diploma program of Mindanao Sta...

On September 9, 2024, the Supreme Court of the Philippines released a decision separating the Province of Sulu from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). This is despite the historical role of Sulu in igniting the Bangsamoro struggle for self-determination right from its beginning in the late 1960s to the present. To many, this is a paradox. In this episode, Amina Rasul-Bern...