Seeking Peace

In the final episode of the season, we bring you a fascinating conversation between Major General Maureen O’Brien, the Deputy Military Adviser in the United Nations Office of Military Affairs, Department of Peace Operations and Dr. Robert Egnell, a senior fellow with the Security Studies Program and the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security. General O’Brien’s extensive career began over forty years ago when she joined the Irish Defense Forces as one of only six women at the time. The two of them discuss her position as a pioneer throughout her career, the challenges women still face in the military and the pursuit of  full inclusion and meaningful participation of women in peacekeeping. 

This episode was produced by Alana Herlands, Alex Jhamb Burns, and Alesandra Tejeda. It was scored, mixed, and mastered by Alex Jhamb Burns and edited by Grace Lynch. 

The United Nations is the largest peacekeeping body in the world. In this episode, we explore the dynamic and interconnected world of peacekeeping. You’ll hear from uniformed women working in different positions in UN peacekeeping missions – one works in corrections and another serves in military affairs. These women discuss the technical nature of their jobs and reveal what it is like to work in male dominated fields where respect can be difficult to come by. They will help us understand why the inclusion of women is imperative for the success of peacekeeping operations. 

This episode was produced by Alana Herlands, Alex Jhamb Burns, and Alesandra Tejeda. It was scored, mixed, and mastered by Alesandra Tejeda and edited by Grace Lynch. 

Season three of Seeking Peace is produced by Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security and Wonder Media Network, in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Peace Operations and Our Secure Future.

Around the world, women face countless barriers to political participation. In this episode, you will hear from women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and Kosovo—all of whom are engaged in politics. One works to ensure women’s meaningful participation in politics, another serves as a parliamentarian, and the other is a pioneering journalist who has built a career holding politicians to account. 

Peace agreements are a formal means to pave the way for lasting peace. Women must play a critical role in shaping these agreements. In this episode, you’ll hear from several women who have worked on peace negotiations across the African continent. Women who have created a seat for themselves at the table when originally there was none. These peacebuilders discuss the importance of supporting women’s agency and the value of quotas in ensuring women have a seat at the negotiating table. 

This episode was produced by Alana Herlands, Alex Jhamb Burns, and Alesandra Tejeda. It was scored, mixed, and mastered by Alana Herlands and edited by Grace Lynch. 

You might think of peacebuilding as peace talks that take place in big rooms, between country officials. But peacebuilding takes many forms, including within communities, between coworkers, families, and neighbors. Around the world, women play central roles in the daily work of building peace. Their critical contributions to international peace and security were formally recognized by the UN Security Council in 2000 in a landmark resolution known as UNSCR 1325, from which the Women, Peace and Security Agenda has been created. Listen to the stories of two women building peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Cyprus who describe the challenges they face, what inspires them to keep pushing for change, and what unites their efforts.

This episode was produced by Alana Herlands, Alex Jhamb Burns, and Alesandra Tejeda. It was scored, mixed, and mastered by Alesandra Tejeda and edited by Grace Lynch.