In any case, more bombs or troops won't defeat ISIS. The political realities need to be addressed and ISIS was already there in an extensive ground campaign from the US.
They insisted that the only way to fight this extremist threat is to return to the negotiating table and hash out a peaceful political transition to heal the divisions ripping Syria apart.
"Oppression is the incubator of terrorism," one woman told us as the group prepped for meetings with high-level officials in D.C. and New York. Her participation in peaceful protests during the early days of the revolution led to her two-month imprisonment in a four square meter room shared with 30 other women — yet she was adamant: "We cannot fight ISIS except through a political approach."
That women who've been hunted and tortured for their nonviolent activism still say "no more bombs" is remarkable. That their solutions are forward-looking and inclusive is unsurprising; we've seen similar approaches from women in conflicts all over the world. In Colombia, Northern Ireland, Uganda, and dozens of other places, women have been catalysts for sustainable, inclusive peace.
During three-plus years of war, Syrian women have consistently led efforts to end the violence and mitigate suffering. They've worked under the direst circumstances: dodging sniper bullets, evading arrest, surviving without adequate food or medicine. They've retained hope and determination in ways that most of us would find impossible.
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Violent extremism thrives in areas where social services have all but disappeared. A woman who serves on the local council of an opposition-held town told us that she fears more of her neighbors may become radicalized because there's no work, no education, and no other opportunities.
Women have been deeply involved in distributing and monitoring humanitarian aid in communities across Syria. Typically perceived as less of a threat, they're able to smuggle supplies through checkpoints without being searched. This affords them first-hand witness of the different needs of zones under government, opposition, Islamic State, or other control. They've seen, for instance, that food baskets can't get into areas blockaded by the regime; in these circumstances, cash transfers are more effective. To reach the greatest number of people, relief agencies should coordinate with civil society and devise humanitarian strategies that reflect these differences.
Second, international actors must encourage local pockets of stability. Beyond funding, a key barrier to humanitarian access is the ongoing violence. Besieged areas are the hardest to reach and most in need.
Here too, women have a solution. Though missing from most news reports, a number of local ceasefire arrangements have proliferated throughout the country, often negotiated by civil society actors. In the Damascus suburbs, a women's group brokered a ceasefire between regime and opposition forces. For 40 days before fighting resumed, they were able to get essential supplies into the city.
http://theweek.com/article/index/270220/syrian-women-know-how-to-defeat-isis
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