Dear ,

We’ve felt trapped these past war-torn months in a reality that could not have been further from what we stand for. Forced to live with the constant wail of sirens and imminent danger, even in these difficult times we’ve become more certain — and proud — of the path we’ve chosen: to work for peace, to negotiate instead of fight, to build a political culture in which women are equally represented.

Despite compelling reasons to cancel our long-planned international event during an open-ended war, Women Wage Peace and our Palestinian sister movement, Women of the Sun, chose unanimously to hold The Barefoot Walk in Rome on March 24. The courage and the creativity of our marchers, who had to make their way to Italy despite the physical danger of movement at home and severe travel restrictions, will always inspire us should we face future difficult times.

Pictures cannot fully express what took place in Rome. First a group of ten WWP senior activists had to take arduous routes on sometimes unreliable and risky roads, under the constant threat of attack, in order to catch a plane to Rome. Flights were cancelled, delayed and rerouted, yet they all made it to Rome and back in one piece. Joining them hand in hand, and foot to foot, were activists from Women of the Sun, who also had a difficult journey. In Rome, our joint representatives launched the next stage of The Mothers' Call together with 1,000 locals as well as others from Europe, the Americas, and Morroco who walked with them.Taking their shoes off together in the Piazza del Popolo, the large ceremonial entryway to the Eternal City, not a single eye was dry.

Before and after the walk, WWP and WOS representatives participated in several events held in conjunction with the Barefoot Walk, greeted runners at the Rome Marathon, spoke to the Italian Senate, and presented the Pope with The Mothers' Call. Our delegations also spoke with many media outlets in English, Italian, German and other languages. Most striking to us was the favorable reporting in Aljazeera English, a Qatari news channel currently banned in Israel on grounds of biased reporting.

WWP co-director Dr. Yael Braudo Bahat returned home with the conclusion that robust international support is key to the success of WWP and WOS in our joint struggle for peace. During Yael’s conversation in Rome with well-known peacebuilder Monica McWilliams, one of the negotiators of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland, McWilliams stated that without international support for their women's movement, the factions in this bloody conflict would not have reached a successful negotiated agreement that has lasted 28 years.

In a heartfelt gesture of unity, thirty worldwide events showed support and solidarity with the walk in Rome, including a barefoot event in Jerusalem under the threat of aerial attack from Iran, walking barefoot in the snow of Winnipeg, supporting an elder wheelchair-user in a Texas event, a gathering of 1,000 women in Australia, and an impressive march in Münster, Germany. Most of these walks were organized by international WWP Support Groups, whom we regard with awe and gratitude. What we achieved on an international level that week in March could not have been accomplished except by women carrying the genuine call for peace of billions of mothers across the globe. We would like to share some of these moments in two videos below.

Even under strict limitations of the Home Front Command, Women Wage Peace activists returned to the streets to call for an end to this last round of fighting with Iran and to remind citizens and politicians alike that true security only comes about through negotiated agreements, especially when they are least popular.

Our brave WWP women have also demonstrated, under skies raging with war, against settler violence that has grown more violent and more organized.

In addition, the Knesset adopted a new law, contrary to the principle of equal treatment under the law, specifying the death sentence for Palestinians from the West Bank convicted of terrorism. WWP strongly criticizes this law and invites you to watch our official statement by Dr. Yael Admi.

With the fragile ceasefire still holding, the It's Time Coalition, of which WWP is a key member, has decided to proceed with its third annual conference. Each of the past two mass events have brought together more than 5,000 people who believe in a different future for the people of this region.The peak event will take place on April 30 at 19:00 (7 pm) Israel time, built on three pillas: It must be, It will be, It can be - Peace.

Before the main event, smaller panels will take place from 12:00 till 18:00 discussing education, mental health and politics. Head of Foreign Relations, Angela Scharf, is also working to organize a reception for diplomats together with partners in the coalition.

Be part of this moment from wherever you are in the world by watching the live streaming (with English subtitles) or host a local watch party.