Workshop participants included members of the Chin Women’s Group and Chin Human Rights Organization. Discussion topics covered ways to prevent violence and sexual abuse against women in armed conflicts, and methods of ending various forms of child abuse.

“We will discuss these issues in the central committee meeting of the CNF, including ways to rectify the issues raised at the workshop,” said Pu Zing Cung, a Secretary General of CNF and workshop participant.

The Chin National Front signed Geneva Call’s Deed of Commitment banning anti-personnel mines on 31 July 2006.

Asia Indigenous People’s Pact and Geneva Call jointly organized the workshop from August 14 to 18, with Geneva Call’s Gender Issues Coordinator Aurelie Lamaziere, Senior Programme Officer for Asia Christopher Rush, and Assistant of the Asia programme Reno Meyer serving as resource persons.

A Geneva Call report says between 1985 and 1995, two million underage persons worldwide died in armed conflict areas, one million were orphaned, and two to three million children were used in armed conflict. The report also states that six million people were injured and ten million affected by armed conflict.

Geneva Call engages with non-state armed groups to sign Deeds of Commitment banning anti-personnel mines, protecting children in armed conflicts, and prohibiting sexual violence and gender discrimination of women throughout the world.