I find it amazing that the only group of people who are not fighting and not killing and not pillaging and not burning and not raping, and the group of people who are mostly — though not exclusively — who are keeping life going in the midst of war, are not included in the negotiating table.
Interpretation
The quote highlights the often-overlooked role of peaceful individuals amidst conflict, suggesting they should be included in discussions for resolution.
Zainab Salbi's quote emphasizes the paradox of how those who strive for peace and continuity in the face of war are frequently excluded from critical negotiations. It underlines the importance of recognizing the voices of the marginalized, particularly those who work towards life and reconciliation while chaos surrounds them, advocating for their inclusion in peace processes as essential to lasting solutions.
In practice
In a speech advocating for peace initiatives, I would say, 'As Zainab Salbi points out, those nurturing life in conflict are often left unheard, a point we must challenge.'
In every single culture I encountered, there were always women who defied cultural norms to do what they believed was right for them. This phenomenon has never been related to how rich, poor, successful or not successful the woman may be.
War is not a computer-generated missile striking a digital map. War is the color of earth as it explodes in our faces, the sound of child pleading, the smell of smoke and fear. Women survivors of war are not the single image portrayed on the television screen, but the glue that holds families and countries together. Perhaps by understanding women, and the other side of war ... we will have more humility in our discussions of wars... perhaps it is time to listen to womens side of history.
Every woman must own her story; otherwise we are all part of the silence.
As women, we must speak out, speak up, say no to our inheritance of loss and yes to a future of women-led dialogue about women's rights and value.
There's a lot of projection that if you're in service then you shouldn't look good. I'm no different from anybody else. I like clothes, I like shoes, I like to go have nice dinners, I like to dance. Just because I've dedicated myself to serving women, why do you think I need to sacrifice myself?
In my 20s I was such a serious, boring-looking person. I would never do my nails. I never even danced. But I was taught by the women. They had gone through hell, but they would dance and sing. I came to realise I can't argue for a happy world if I am not happy myself.
I feel vulnerable because my mind - because of the stroke, my mind doesn't focus. And then I feel vulnerable because I don't understand the world around me.
I'm looking to no man walking this earth for approval of what I'm doing.
No woman has to be a victim of physical abuse. Women have to feel like they are not alone.
When I was growing up, officers in uniform were very impressive to me. They were doing a job. They were protecting our country; they were heroes. When you wear an old military jacket, there's some sort of connection to those qualities - to being strong, to being tough, to being a warrior.
He lay back, put his arm over his eyes, and tried to hold onto the anger, because the anger made him feel brave. A brave man could think. A coward couldn't.
Being fearless doesn't mean living a life devoid of fear, but living a life in which our fears don't hold us back
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