ABSTRACT
In preparation for the 1995 4th UN World Conference on Women (FWCW) in Beijing, China, women peace activists met together at regional and global preparatory conferences to develop global agendas for peace. This chapter shows how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) use contact constructively to develop transnational social movements and build consensus around issues of common concern. Social movement conflict serves four purposes. Conflicts over NGO network priorities expose inequalities in large scale, nongovernmental decision making. Focusing on how NGO representatives dealt with internal dissension, adds to the understanding of how NGO networks build the social infrastructure of transnational social movements. The chapter concentrates on conflict: increases understanding of contentious issues; explores the problems with current decision making techniques; and shows how conflict resolution methods can be used in the formation of transnational social movements. It examines the process by which NGO participants draw upon, construct, and participate in a transnational discourse on peacemaking.
