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On 21 September 2018, peace and women’s rights activist Gulnara Shahinian from Armenia received the „Rebels Against War“ Anita Augspurg Prize from the International Women’s League for Peace and Freedom (IFFF). With the founding of „Democracy Today“, the former UN Special Rapporteur made a decisive contribution to democratisation in general and to the „Velvet Revolution“ in Armenia in particular. The award ceremony took place in Verden an der Aller, the birthplace of Anita Augspurg. On 23 September 2018, the IFFF also hosted an „Eastern Europe Matinee“ at the DENKtRÄUME women’s library in Hamburg, where Gulnara Shahinian discussed the situation and role of women in Eastern Europe and Central Asia with other activists.
Gulnara Shahinian was born in Armenia in 1951 and studied a wide range of subjects in Yerevan, St. Petersburg, Budapest, Cambrige and Stanfort. She has a degree in Linguistics and a degree in International Human Rights Law.
Gulnara Shahinian has been involved in local politics for around two decades, including holding the position of Foreign Affairs Officer for Yerevan City Council. She was also chairwoman of the Women’s Union and chaired the first international women’s conference in the history of Armenia entitled „Armenian Women at the Doorstep of the Twenty-First Century“. In 2005, she chaired a United Nations expert group on the Women’s Rights Convention and domestic violence in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2008, she was appointed by the Human Rights Council as the first UN Special Rapporteur on modern forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences. In this role between 2008 and 2014, she drew attention to the various forms of modern slavery in the 21st century in numerous reports, articles and statements.
She is currently a member of a group of experts monitoring the implementation of and compliance with the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. She is also Vice-Chair of the Women’s Rights Commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council and is committed to equality and the promotion of women’s rights.
She is also the author of numerous publications and organises special training courses on peace and conflict resolution in the Caucasus region.
She founded the non-governmental organisation „Democracy Today“ in Armenia back in 1994. Democracy Today is an association of leaders, academics and activists who campaign for human rights, support the democratic process in Armenia and strengthen the role of women with regard to an inclusive society. [1 ] The organisation works particularly with young women, who are encouraged to actively demand their rights. The women from Democracy Today were at the forefront of the resistance during the protests in April and May 2018. Their contribution to the „Velvet Revolution“ [2 ] and thus to the democratisation of existing conditions in Armenia can hardly be overestimated.
Against the backdrop of her tireless commitment and her astonishing biography, which could only be outlined here, Gulnara Shahinian received the „Rebels against War“ Anita Augspurg Prize from the International Women’s League for Peace and Freedom (IFFF) in Verden on 21 September 2018. [3 ] Gulnara Shahinian is the second person to be awarded the donation-funded prize after the Syrian journalist Zaina Erhaim. [4 ]
After a brief welcome by the mayor and the equal opportunities officer of the city of Verden, Heidi Meinzolt (IFFF) gave the laudatory speech. She began by recalling the life and work of the influential women’s rights activist Anita Augspurg and pointed out the parallels with Gulnara Shahinian, whom she described as the soul and source of strength of Democracy Today. She also emphasised her numerous achievements in the fight for human rights and paid tribute to her democratic grassroots work, which was supported by an international and feminist perspective.
Following the laudatory speech, IFFF Chairwoman Irmgard Hofer presented the award to Gulnara Shahinian, who in her short acceptance speech drew attention to the intolerable state of affairs that billions continue to be spent on armaments while countless children die of starvation. She also referred to the crucial role of women in democratisation processes worldwide and underlined the importance of an international alliance that opposes all forms of war and is committed to peace.
After the acceptance speech, an artistic performance commemorated the protest for women’s suffrage in Germany 100 years ago, before Gulnara Shahinian signed the Golden Book of the City of Verden. This concluded the award ceremony.
On Sunday 23 September 2018, the IFFF, in cooperation with „Erasmus Mundus Journalism“ [5 ] and the „Filia Women’s Foundation“ [6 ], hosted an Eastern European matinee at the Hamburg Women’s* Library „DENKtRÄUME“ [7] . After being welcomed by Heidi Meinzolt (IFFF), Sabine Hoffkamp (Mundus Journalism) gave a short talk on the impressive biographies of the peace and women’s rights activists Lucy Thoumaian (*1890 – †1940) from Armenia and Lida Gustava Heymann (*1868 – †1943) from Hamburg, who both took part in the International Women’s Peace Congress in The Hague in the midst of the turmoil of the First World War.
After the lecture, Heidi Meinzolt opened the international panel discussion with Gulnara Shahinian and the Kyrgyz peace activist Tolekan Ismailova. Gulnara Shahinian began by talking about the democratic developments that ultimately culminated in the „Velvet Revolution“. She emphasised the leading role of women in particular. Tolekan Ismailova then reported on her fight against corruption in Kyrgyzstan and on the situation of women in the country. Following this, the discussion was opened up to the audience and activists from Italy, Georgia and Ukraine took the floor.
Gulnara Shahinian’s call to establish an international network for peace certainly came a little closer on this day.