With the war on Gaza raging and violence escalating in the West Bank, few see hope for peace in the Middle East. 

But Marwa Hammad of Woman of the Sun in Palestine and Yael Braudo-Bahat of Women Wage Peace of Israel, refuse to give in to such despair, and they refuse to give up on the future.

In Episode 5 of If You Were in Charge, Sanam Naraghi Anderlini takes on the toughest conflict of our times, offering a slice of hope and a glimpse into the resilience and courage of the women Peacebuilders who persist in waging peace.

Stressing the urgent need to shift investment from conflict to peace, advocating for a future where women play a central role in forging a sustainable resolution. They also explore the challenges posed by funding cuts to civil society initiatives and the vital role of personal narratives in humanizing the cost of war.

Despite mounting obstacles, the conversation finds hope in the tenacity of women working at the grassroots to foster understanding and drive meaningful change.

At the end of the podcast Sanam is joined by her daughter to Soleh to reflect, get her views on what she made of the conversation and catch up on her news.

Women of the Sun - https://womensun.org/

Women Wage Peace - https://www.womenwagepeace.org.il/en/

If You Were In Charge is brought to you by the⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bjian Ghaisar Foundation⁠⁠

And ICAN⁠⁠ International Civil Society Action Network⁠⁠

ICAN’s newsletter: ⁠⁠https://icanpeacework.org/2025/03/sign-up-to-icans-newsletter/⁠⁠

Original Music, Little Monster Media 

Executive Producer: Pearse Lynch

This is an ⁠⁠Africa Digital Audio Production⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices