A Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers tells the story of one of the world’s few all-female peacekeeping units. The film, focused on three women from Bangladesh who embarked on a UN peacekeeping mission to Haiti following the devastating 2011 earthquake, had a special screening in Washington, D.C. at 5pm on Friday, March 1 at the Embassy of Canada.
Royal Canadian Air Force Lieutenant-Colonel Jillian Bishop, outgoing Deputy Commander of Operation PRESENCE-Mali, spoke about her personal experience as a female peacekeeper in United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) following the film screening.
Lieutenant-Colonel Bishop’s leadership role highlights her commitment to service and symbolizes Canada’s feminist foreign policy that makes women a priority in all of its security-related activities, including peacemaking, peacebuilding and peacekeeping. Canada is working together with partners across the UN system and member states, think tanks and civil society to explore new ways to increase the meaningful participation of women in peace operations.
Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Executive Director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, moderated the conversation about women’s roles in peace support operations with Lieutenant-Colonel Bishop and filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir.
Peacekeepers is part of the Women, War & Peace II series that premiered on PBS March 25-26, 9-11 p.m. The original series included winner of best documentary at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, Pray the Devil Back to Hell. Gini Reticker, executive producer of Women, War and Peace II, offered remarks at the event.
Co-hosts of this event included the Embassy of Canada, Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security, Peace is Loud, and Vital Voices.