This is how Mothers MOVE Against Violent Extremism!

From June 6-8, 13 inspirational women came together in Vienna to share their experiences as activists and mothers in countering violent extremism. The Mothers MOVE conference gave participants from Yemen, Northern Ireland, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Israel and Palestine the opportunity to hear from women from different cultural contexts, with the aim of learning from each other’s experiences, sharing best practices and comparing the similarities and differences of mothers’ role in the security arena between cultures.

Our good friends at the US-European Media Hub in Brussels captured these women's voices in a short film that captures the essence of the discussions over the three day conference. This video is dedicated to the memory of Werner Ertel, the cameraman who filmed the conference and many other Women without Borders events. Werner was truly a brother to our cause, and he will be deeply missed.





Consultant Mehru Jaffer and film-maker Ali Hasnain also filmed the event, capturing the activists' statements about how women as mothers can combat violent extremism.

Indian Student, Poem on Peace

“You came to show us your movie based on 26/11 terrorism, so I just wanted to give a poem on peace.”

—Alyka Haider, Delhi Public School, Jankipuram

     Peace Before Tomorrow

     The world today is full of conflicts

     Peace should come before tomorrow

     People dying human suffering

     Peace should be nailed inside your heart

     Killing and fighting doesn't make today better

     It makes life harder tomorrow

     Blood flowing like a river

     Rotten flesh as high as mountains

     Every hour just another pile

     Peace should not end by a war

     Peace should end by laying down your weapons

     Peace today could make guns into flowers

     Cannons into fireworks

     Peace is what should be done immediately

     It is always too late to wait until tomorrow

     Because hundreds die tonight

     Peace is easy for you and me

     And all it takes is to change your mind

     Your world could change before tomorrow

     And it could be right now

You can see "Surviving Terror" (the video that Alyka is responding to) here. This SAVE film is an 8-minute feature dedicated to the victims and survivers of the terror attacks in Mumbai in November 2008.

The Roles and Capabilities of Yemeni Women Against Violent Extremism: A Report From a SAVE Yemen Workshop

On January 21st, 2010, Women Without Borders/SAVE Yemen held a workshop on women’s role in challenging violent extremism in collaboration with Women Journalists Without Chains (WJWC). Fahmia Al-Fotih, SAVE Yemen coordinator, presented Journey Through Darkness, a SAVE-produced documentary about three women affected by terrorism, to start discussion about what Yemeni women can do to prevent the spread of terrorism in their own lives.


During the discussion, the group noted that the capacity of women to spot and react to extremism in their families ranges greatly based on levels of education, local awareness, and geographic remoteness. Mothers, especially those with less formal education, struggle to recognize the warning signs. In general, they perceive their children as merely becoming more religious and often consider the change to be positive. Mothers with less formal education often realize too late when their family members are involved with extremist thought or actions. Female illiteracy and radical thinking, they said, often go hand in hand.

Journeys Through Darkness, Part 1, by Zia Trench

A Women without Borders/SAVE documentary

This is Part 1 of a 13-minute feature that portrays three women: a former member of an Islamist organisation in the UK, a pioneer against violent extremism in Northern Ireland, and a young Spanish woman affected by terrorism. This documentary was produced by the London based filmmaker Zia Trench.


Part 1

Journeys Through Darkness Part 2

A Women without Borders/SAVE documentary

This is Part 2 of a 13-minute feature that portrays three women: a former member of an Islamist organisation in the UK, a pioneer against violent extremism in Northern Ireland, and a young Spanish woman affected by terrorism. This documentary was produced by the London based filmmaker Zia Trench.

Part 2

Childrens' Voices Against Terrorism

A five-minute feature presenting the voices of Students Against Violent Extremism at the Delhi Public School in New Delhi, India, produced by Archana Kapoor. SAVE - Sisters Against Violent Extremism initiative, Schools Against Violent Extremism aims to mobilize both youth and adults working with youth to recognize and speak out against the destructive nature of terrorism. Schools Against Violent Extremism is a network of students and teachers committed to ending violent extremism within their communities through workshops, school curricula, afterschool programs, speaking engagements, community outreach efforts, letter writing and signature campaigns, and other community-based solutions.

Surviving Terror

A Women without Borders/SAVE film

This 8-minute feature (by Archana Kapoor) is dedicated to the victims and survivers of the terror attacks in Mumbai in November 2008.