The STAR Network Story

"We started with the belief that local women know what is best for their communities and that, with help, they can be the best teachers and lead others. This is why STAR Network has succeeded."

Jill Benderly, STAR Network Co-founder.

Throughout history, women have picked up the pieces left by war -- burying the dead, healing the wounded, sheltering refugees, and rebuilding community. At the close of the 20th century, more than 30 civil and national wars continued, and children and women comprised 80% of the victims. According to media reports, sexual violence was utilized as a state-sponsored "weapon" of war, whether the conflict surfaced in the Balkans, Rwanda, Somalia or Indonesia. Women, worldwide, are organizing to stop the violence and stop war.

In opposition to the nationalism that fueled the war in the former Yugoslavia, women in the region reached out across ethnic and political boundaries. Early on, they boldly organized to counsel and support women traumatized by the war. In 1994, at the request of local leaders, STAR Network was organized with US foreign aid funds as a resource beyond "relief and rescue." The aim of STAR Network was to give encouragement, technical assistance and financial support to women leaders in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.

STAR, an acronym for Strategies, Training, Advocacy and Resources, was created as a network of integrated programs that provided sustained support to a new generation of women leaders who had a vision for inter-ethnic cooperation and peace in the region.

STAR Network operated on the premise that local women know what is best for their communities and can be the best organizers for positive social change. Victims became survivors, and then leaders of new civil society initiatives to stop violence in war and at home. They advocated for women's health and human rights, and they empowered women through skill-development in NGO management, democratic political leadership, micro-enterprise management and peacebuilding.



Founding meeting of Croatian Women's NGO Network in 1996. Jerina Malesevic facilitates.

What was an idea shaped by two American women and their regional colleagues in early 1994 grew into a region-wide program now called World Learning STAR Network . World Learning STAR Network is managed through a regional office in Zagreb; field offices in Beograd, Prishtina, and Skopje; and an international support team in Washington, D.C. World Learning STAR Network is staffed by a highly experienced, multi-lingual team of women who serve as trainers, advocates, and project administrators. Many of STAR Network's staff are local women. All have a strong commitment to women's empowerment.

1994-1998: Promoting Inter-ethnic Cooperation and Peacebuilding

In consultation with local leaders, STAR Network was founded by Jill Benderly and Lael Stegall, who combined their extensive experience in women's political leadership, empowerment, media and civil society development with a deep knowledge of the region.



Planning advocacy strategies on women's health at STAR's first conference in Struga, Macedonia, 1995

Focusing on long-term democratic leadership development instead of short-term "relief and rescue," STAR Network has worked with more than 150 women's civil society initiatives in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro. Originally administered by Delphi International with funding from USAID and private donors, STAR Network provided training, technical assistance and networking support. Strong cross-ethnic and cross-border alliances established during the war led to the formation of a respected, skilled network of indigenously led women's social service and advocacy organizations throughout the post-Yugoslav region.

1999-2000: Supporting Women's Economic and Political Leadership

After joining World Learning in 1999, STAR Network was funded by USAID and private donors to expand its work beyond NGOs to include women from business, political parties, trade unions and government. World Learning STAR Network helped intensify cross-border collaborations; increased cooperation among women's NGOs, businesses, and governments; and accelerated the participation of women in the political and business sectors.

Context | The STAR Approach | Regional Advisory Board | Staff | Funders

World Learning

World Learning International Development Programs

1015 15th Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20005 USA
Phone: (202) 408-5420 Fax: (202) 408-5397 Email: star@worldlearning.org