[DEBATE] : (Fwd) World March of Women newsletter
Patrick Bond
pbond at mail.ngo.za
Wed Dec 12 14:19:09 GMT 2007
(My impression is that this network is the cutting-edge anti-capitalist
feminist network; and there are some great papers with URLs below...)
***
Dear friends,
Please find below the newsletter of the World March of Women (November
2007).
In feminist solidarity,
WMW International Secretariat
----------------
WORLD MARCH OF WOMEN NEWSLETTER
VOL.10 NUMBER 3
Index
Editorial
1) WMW International Committee Meeting
2) 17th October: World March of Women? Present!
3) Newsflash: Martial Law imposed in Pakistan
4) WMW in Chile: Promoting the Cohesion in the Struggle against
Neoliberalism
5) Activities on 25th November Denounce Violence Against Women
6) WSF International Council meeting in Belém prepares Global Day of
Global of Mobilisation and Action and WSF 2009
7) Women in Black International Conference
8) Events Calendar / Contact us
9) Next edition
Editorial
Dear sisters,
We are living in a world in conflict. While imperialist administrations
consider themselves to be ‘the promoters of democracy’, dictators
presenting themselves as anti-imperialist are, in their own eyes, ‘the
keepers of tradition and culture, those who guard against foreign
contamination’. The resulting war and violence have horrific
consequences: repression, intolerance, hatred for ‘the other’,
domination, control, loss of freedom and basic human rights.
In too many parts of the world, conflict is the norm and populations
continue to live lives severely restricted by the constant threat of
violence and ideological and cultural boundaries. We are revolted by the
violence, torture and imprisonment used by the Burmese and Pakistani
military dictatorships against their own people, by the violent
repression of trade unions and civil society in Guinea, by the
authoritarianism of the United States and Iranian governments in the
name of religious values, by the extreme physical and sexual violence
perpetuated against the local populations of Kivu, Democratic Republic
of Congo and Darfur, Sudan. In our newsletter, and in every space to
which we have access, we declare our solidarity with the women and men
in these countries and in all those in which freedom and the possibility
of fulfilling one’s capacities is not yet a reality.
However where there is repression, there is resistance, and our struggle
against it - in all its different forms - comes necessarily from our
strength in numbers. We are constantly reminded of the need to reinforce
our movement - locally, nationally, internationally - and our alliances
with other feminist and / or anti-capitalist movements and groups that
share our values: Code Pink fighting against continued US military
intervention in the Arab World; the Women in Black resisting all forms
of conflict, whatever the justifications for it; the World Social Forum
(WSF) process where alongside a growing group of allies (including the
Iraqi Petrol Workers Trade Union recently nominated to the International
Council) the belief that ‘another world is possible’ persists and grows.
In this edition of the newsletter you will find news of these and other
spaces of resistance. Both 17th October and 25th November, for example,
are days on which, around the world, we collectively resist the
patriarchal, capitalist system imposed on us: here you’ll find news of
World March of Women activities and mobilisations in Bolivia, Brazil,
Chile, Europe, Mexico, Peru and Quebec. News from our allies - Women in
Black and the WSF process - are also included in this newsletter, as is
a summary of the programme of, and decisions taken during, the
International Committee (IC) meeting in Granja do Ulmeiro, Portugal, in
the first week of October.
1) WMW International Committee Meeting
The first, and only, International Committee meeting of 2007 was held in
Granja do Ulmeiro (near Coimbra) in Portugal from 4th – 7th October.
Eight of the ten Committee members were present: two representatives
from Africa, two from Europe, three from the American continent
(including the International Coordinator), and one from Asia (the other
IC representative from this continent was not able to attend due to visa
complications). Two ex-International Secretariat (IS) members from
Quebec, two current IS staff and 10 guests from the Galician and
Portuguese NCBs also participated.
During four intensive days of meetings they had the opportunity to come
together, get to know each other better, share experiences, discuss
different themes and make joint decisions regarding various aspects of
the World March of Women at an International level. The packed programme
included the following:
- The sharing of regional news by each IC member;
- Analysis and approval of the report of the penultimate IC meeting in
December 2006;
- Analysis of the Strategic Plan 2007 - 2010 results and indicators;
- Discussion of the WSF and the WMW’s role in it – International
Council, Liaison Group, the event itself, in partnership with other
social movements;
- Debates around two of the WMW’s focus issues: violence against women
and peace and demilitarization;
- Discussion of finances, the transition of the International
Secretariat to São Paulo, Brazil and other administrative issues
(website, texts to publish, updating the list of Active Participating
Groups (APGs), etc);
- Initial plans for the next International Meeting of the WMW in Galicia
in October 2008;
- Suggestions for the WSF Day of Global Action and Mobilization 2008
(26th January) and the WMW Global Action of 2010.
The WMW at the World Social Forum (WSF)
After much debate, IC members reaffirmed the significance of the WSF as
an alter-globalisation, anti-capitalist space and the importance of the
continued presence of the WMW within, and influencing, this space. It
was decided that Wilhelmina Trout (replacing Diane Matte) would
represent the WMW as from 2008 at the meetings of both the International
Council and the Liaison Group - a recently formed facilitation group
with the responsibility of accompanying the Secretariat of the WSF,
preparing IC meetings and supporting the work of the WSF’s IC Working
Groups and Commissions. The practice of always inviting a local activist
of the March from the country / state where the WSF IC meeting will be
held will be maintained.
There also exists a Social Movements Facilitation Group, whose current
most important task is the organisation of 26th January. Diane and
Miriam will continue to represent the WMW in this space until the next
meeting of the March’s IC in April 2008. Lastly, it was decided to
reactivate the WMW’s ‘Alliances and Globalisation’ Collective, to be
“nurtured” by Nadia, Wilhelmina, Diane and Miriam.
It was proposed that for the Global Day of Action and Mobilisation, 26th
January 2008, the WMW organises public mobilisations according to the
local reality, that give visibility to the movement and its logos: such
as feminist ‘batucadas’, slogans, songs, handing out pamphlets, etc. The
members of the IC will support the CNs in their regions to plan and
organise their events and the IS has created a blog through which we are
already sharing the plans and preparations of the WMW for the 26th
January around the world (see article: “WSF International Council
meeting in Belem prepares Global Day of Global of Mobilisation and
Action and WSF 2009 “ of this newsletter for further information).
Two of the WMW’s Focus Themes: Violence against Women / Peace and
Demilitarisation
The following decisions were taken at the IC meeting:
- To continue the debate around violence against women as a structural
form of control within the patriarchal system;
- To reactivate the March’s ‘Violence against Women’ Working Group (WG)
that will produce papers to stimulate debate and propose actions;
- To determine to what extent the theme of prostitution is / is not
being discussed by NCBs. Jing (Philippines) and Diane are responsible
for writing a paper bringing together the positions of the NCBs and
proposing methods and contents of the debate around this theme prior to
the International Meeting in Galicia.
- To prepare for (preparatory papers and debates), and support the
presence of International delegates at, the seminar ‘Violence against
Women and Militarisation’ to be held in Mexico in the 1st half of 2008;
- To diffuse a WMW Declaration for the 25th November 2007 that denounces
the impunity of those responsible for crimes against women in war and
militarised zones.
To access the papers discussed during the IC meeting, relating to these
themes:
- The WMW and the WSF: Evaluation of the Current Situation (Diane Matte,
September 2007):
http://www.marchemondiale.org/themes/alliances_mondialisation/cmicfolder.2005-03-02.3713067089/cmicarticle.2007-11-13.2494214198/en?set_language=en&cl=en
- Troubling Transnational Feminism(s): Contesting the future of feminism
at the World Social Forum (Janet Conway, 2007):
http://www.marchemondiale.org/themes/alliances_mondialisation/cmicfolder.2005-03-02.3713067089/cmicarticle.2007-11-19.1825260542/en
- Transnational Feminisms and the World Social Forum: Encounters and
Transformations in Anti-globalisation Spaces (Janet Conway, 2007):
http://www.marchemondiale.org/themes/alliances_mondialisation/cmicfolder.2005-03-02.3713067089/cmicarticle.2007-11-19.4952074920/en
- Key points from Janet Conway’s Work on the Feminisation of
Anti-globalisation Spaces:
http://www.marchemondiale.org/themes/alliances_mondialisation/cmicfolder.2005-03-02.3713067089/cmicarticle.2007-11-13.4169994570/en?set_language=en&cl=en
- Peace: Feminism is the Missing Piece (Diane Matte, 2007):
http://www.marchemondiale.org/themes/trafic_sexuel/cmicarticle.2007-11-19.6063934312/en?set_language=en&cl=en
- Peace as a living requirement (summary of article written by Josée
Kuzinza, 2006):
http://www.marchemondialedesfemmes.org/themes/trafic_sexuel/cmicarticle.2007-11-19.6468866715/en
WMW International Meeting 2008
Objectives: define the 2010 Global WMW Action; monitor the Strategic
Plan; revise rules and regulations; elect 3 new IC members (and decide
how to ensure the participation of Indigenous Women); political
training; public mobilisation with the theme of ‘common good’ and food
sovereignty.
When: October 2008, around 15th – 21st.
Where: Vigo, Galicia
Delegates: up to 3 per NCB
Observers / Allies: will be invited, but they will not number more than
the delegates
Training day theme suggestions: eco-feminism, food sovereignty –
importance for rural and urban women - and access to water,
strengthening alliances, feminism and popular education…
Global Action 2010 proposal: Between 8th March and 17th October, marches
of 10 days (or less, depending on the local context) to be organised in
various countries, one after the other. This idea will be discussed with
the NCBs before the International Meeting, so that in Galicia we are
able decide on dates, number of countries, symbols, etc.
2) 17th October: World March of Women? Present!
17th October. A very significant day in the history of the World March
of Women. For it was on this day – the International Day for the
Eradication of Poverty – in the year 2000 that seven months of national
actions to demand solutions to world poverty and the end of all forms of
violence against women, organised in 161 different countries around the
world, ended triumphantly with the delivery of 5,084,546 signatures to
the UN Secretary General in New York in support of the 17 world demands
of the March.
Every year since then, this day has been one on which we women have made
our presence felt, heard and seen globally. This year was no exception.
In recognition of the fact that the gap between rich and poor – the
‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ – continues to get wider, and that the
control of women’s lives and bodies through violence maintains the
alarming proportions that it did in 2000, the World March of Women yet
again mobilised in many different parts of the world.
It was in the Americas - from South to North - that the banner of the
March was particulary visible around this date. In Bolivia, both the
cities of Tarija and La Paz hosted events co-organised by the WMW: in
the former a cultural and artistic festival for ‘Equity and Equality’
organised with AMUPEI (“Association of Women for Equity and Equality”)
on the 17th October itself, and in the latter the very successful event
entitled ‘Women in Defence of Water’ on the 11th, in which rural
workers, indigenous women, intellectuals and international guests
discussed the issue of water from a gender perspective and their
strategies against the privatisation of water. While in neighbouring
Peru, a four-page newsletter (including the WMW 17th October Manifesto)
was produced and distributed in various different activities that took
place recently, including the ‘ethical-political’ National Court for the
economic, social and cultural rights of women.
During this period a follow-up to the Nyéléni Forum was organised (on
the 16th October - World Food Sovereignty Day) in Chile with the release
of the “Women for Food Sovereignty” Declaration, while preparations
continued for the Women’s Marquee organised during the Summit for
“Friendship and Integration of Ibero-American Peoples” on the 8th and
9th November, a space in which the WMW was publicly presented, discussed
and re-launched with local women’s organisations and movements. While in
Mexico, the WMW launched their “One Million Signatures for Women’s
Security” campaign, demanding the end of impunity for perpetrators of
violence against women and a set of emergency actions on the part of the
government to confront and eradicate feminicide and sexual abuse (see
articles below – “WMW in Chile” and “Activities on 25th November
Denounce Violence against Women”).
World March of Women? Present throughout Brazil! To mark 17th October,
WMW members organized a series of activities in various different
states: a manifesto presented to the population of Rio Grande do Norte
reaffirming the commitment of women in their struggle against
agribusiness, transgenic seeds and the destruction of the environment; a
seminar in São Paulo to debate food sovereignty and integration of the
Americas; street activities in the southern states of Rio de Janeiro and
Rio Grande do Sul.
In Québec too, many different events marked the International Day for
the Eradication of Poverty, the day chosen by the Quebec NCB to launch
their campaign for the economic autonomy of women in the country, “An
end to poverty: a choice of society”. In Montreal, WMW activists
manifested their outrage of the ultraliberal ideology and policies of
the Montreal Economic Institute and demanded the immediate increase of
the minimum wage, while the masked women who marched in Quebec City held
up traffic and stuck leaflets to exclusive shop windows as a way to make
visible the conditions of poverty in which many women still live hidden
and state their commitment to joint struggle against the elimination of
this poverty.
Special note: Our sisters in Iran were not able to mobilise around the
17th October due to the heavy repression they face. Here is an email
sent by them on 28th October: “Dear friends. We haven't freedom in Iran,
Iranian Government is dictator, we cannot ceremony in Iran, because many
women for freedom to put in jail. Freedom for all people.”
For more information about the situation in Iran, please access:
http://www.weforchange.info/english/
http://www.learningpartnership.org/advocacy/alerts/iranwomenarrests0307
(English)
http://www.weforchange.info/english/spip.php?rubrique7 (French)
http://www.weforchange.info/english/spip.php?rubrique12 (Spanish)
Sign the “One Million Signatures” campaign petition (English / French)
http://www.we4change.info/spip.php?article19 and the petition to free
all women activists in Iran:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/maryam20/petition.html
3) Newsflash: Martial Law imposed in Pakistan
Considering the gravity of the current political situation in Pakistan,
a country in which the WMW has a strong presence, we felt it was
important to include specific news in this newsletter…
Since the 3rd November, the military government of Pakistan, headed by
General Musharraf, has imposed a State of Emergency (read ‘Martial Law’)
in the country, disbanded the Supreme Court and shut down the media.
Civil society – and in particular lawyers, judges, journalists,
opposition party leaders and human rights activists – have taken to the
streets in large numbers ever since and are being brutally repressed,
beaten, arrested and held under house-arrest or in custody (often in
solitary confinement or being tortured).
But the people of Pakistan will not accept a military dictatorship.
Popular resistance has been strong and organised and the people of
Pakistan will not be silenced. Women too are very involved in the
protests against the government, as this email from the WMW from 5th
November shows clearly:
“…today we protested against Government Action in front of the Press
Club, Majority of women from different walks of life, political workers,
journalists and lawyers were there, we shouted against Government
action. A large number of police and army men surrounded us and beat us
very brutally with sticks. After that they locked us in the Press club,
refused to release us. We shouted inside the club, they started to
arrest the protesters.”
And on 8th November they sent us the following:
“…we are under-going very crucial situation in Pakistan, Emergency Law
has been imposed […] thousands of lawyers, political leaders
professionals and members of civil society have been arrested; we cannot
raise voices against Military government for this action. Public
meetings have been banned. Now we members of civil society and Human
rights activist have planned to arrange flying demonstrations in front
of Public places for only 10 to 15 minutes in one place with placards
and banners, as police come to arrest us, we leave the venue and
disburse from this place. We did it in two places and people are
encouraging us.”
The WMW also continues to be active in Pakistan and the Southern Asian
region, despite the repression. Meetings in five countries have been
planned until the end of the year – India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal,
Pakistan – with the objectives of: reorganising the WMM in the region;
strengthening those NCBs that do exist and creating them where they do
not; discussing the March’s four focus themes (violence against women,
common good, peace & demilitarisation and women & work) and mobilising
women for change in public policy with regards to them; reestablishing
the link between national and international levels of the March;
planning of activities within the framework of the Strategic Plan 2007 –
2010.
The WMW declares its solidarity with the women and men of Pakistan,
continues to follow the situation closely and has created a weblog on
which up-to-date information is available (in English):
http://pakistan-wmw.blogspot.com/
4) WMW in Chile: promoting the cohesion of women in the struggle against
neoliberalism
The World March of Women was reorganized in Chile during the preparatory
process for the Summit for Friendship and Integration of Iberoamerican
Peoples, which occurred between 8th and 10th November in Santiago,
Chile, in parallel to the Presidents’ Summit.
Several organizations responded to the call by ANAMURI (National
Association of Rural and Indigenous Women) to restructure the WMW, in
particular the women of the National Peasant Coordination, popular urban
organizations such as REMOS and MEMCH and youth and research
organizations, as well as feminist networks linked to issues of health,
violence and the economy.
The WMW marquee was always crowded with people attending workshops and
panels focusing on our four fields of action. Debates were conducted
around reproductive work, female agricultural labourers, climatic
change, sexist violence, reproductive health and a special session on
building the WMW.
Chilean women from all regions of the country combined forces with women
from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru
and Venezuela who returned to their own countries to strengthen or
launch the WMW. A working commission was also formed to investigate the
working conditions of female agricultural labourers in Chile, Colombia
and Peru.
We contributed to the preparation of the final Declaration of the Summit
and it can be read in full at: (available only in Spanish)
http://www.marchemondialedesfemmes.org/themes/alliances_mondialisation/cmicarticle.2007-11-19.1027186636/es
5) Activities on 25th November denounce violence against women
All over the world, 25th November is an occasion for feminists to
mobilize, denounce and struggle against the violence suffered by women
and to propose measures to put an end to these aggressions.
During 2007, many groups associated to the World March of Women –
chiefly in Mexico and France – have been preparing major actions on this
issue. With relation to this date the International Committee also
published a Declaration of the World March of Women denouncing the
impunity enjoyed by those responsible for crimes against women in war
and militarised zones. Read this document in full at by clicking on the
link:
http://www.marchemondialedesfemmes.org/themes/trafic_sexuel/cmicarticle.2007-11-21.1815555251/en
Mexico: campaign: “One Million Signatures for Women’s Security”
The alarming rise in feminicide and cases of violence against women
reported in Mexico during the last few years provoked the mounting of
this campaign by the World March of Women, the Feminist Space and the
Vice-Presidency for Gender Equity of UNT (National Union of Workers).
Launched on 11th September, the campaign demands an end to
militarisation in the country, immediate release of women political
prisoners and the end of feminicide and impunity. The campaign also
demands urgent action within the framework of the “General Law of
Women’s Access to a Life Free of Violence.” The Act was passed on 16th
December, 2006, by the Chamber of Deputies and is the outcome of an
intense mobilization by women in Mexico against feminicide.
Still within the campaign’s framework, debates about violence and
marches took place between October and November (such as the forum
“Women, Violence and Impunity” on October 26th, in Mexico City) and will
continue into 2008. See the press release with more details about the
campaign at:
http://www.marchemondialedesfemmes.org/themes/trafic_sexuel/cmicfolder.2007-11-20.9792176640/cmicarticle.2007-11-20.0092535005/es
Access to the full petition text at the link:
http://www.marchemondialedesfemmes.org/themes/trafic_sexuel/cmicfolder.2007-11-20.9792176640/cmicarticle.2007-11-20.2841791021/es
Impunity and State violence
The campaign draws attention to the responsibility of governments and
States in the fight or increase of violence against women. In the
example of Mexico, by leaving the path to impunity open and by
militarising the country, the government - whose role is to ensure the
right to life - turns out to be the main aggressor against women.
According to a report sent to the European Parliament, 6,000 women and
girls have been murdered between 1999 and 2006. In 2004 alone, 1,205
girls were murdered.
The Mexican State, through its military and political forces, has been
using sexual violence as a way of intimidating women who mobilize. The
figures speak for themselves. In the the City of Juarez, alone an
emblematic example on the border of the USA, 464 women were murdered
between 1993 and 2006. Sexual abuse of indigenous women and children
were recorded in several other states in Mexico. Since 1994 there have
been 8 documented cases of 35 women raped by soldiers in Chiapas, Oaxaca
and Guerrero with no punishment to the offenders. Despite the
International denouncement of these cases, very few of the perpetrators
of this violence were taken to court.
Finally, the campaign draws attention to the risks of the “Security and
Prosperity Partnership of North America” (SPP) agreements driven by the
United States with Mexico and Canada, projecting strong militarisation
of the border and of areas where there is strong popular mobilization.
The current government, elected in a fraudulent manner in July 2006, has
strongly supported the SPP, in spite of the innumerous risks and
arguments against the partnership presented by diverse social
organizations in the country.
Europe and France: Armband denounces violence and symbolizes support to
victims
With the slogan “Not one more!” the European coordination of the World
March of Women launched, in Paris, on 24th November, the “Armband
Campaign” focusing on violence against women. Each armband was used by
participants – women and men – to symbolize the murder of a woman. In
addition to publicly denouncing violence, the brassard is a symbol of
support to victims and a warning to offenders.
In France, the campaign demands that a framework for a Law against
Violence be voted and applied in all the dimensions, chiefly for
prevention of violence against women, in the knowledge that repression
on its own is not enough.
During the entire development of the campaign, which will be extended
until at least 2008, the March will emphasize the fact that violence
against women does not only originate within the domestic setting but is
also privileged in the very functioning of patriarchal societies, and
that violence is tolerated or generated by societies or by the State, at
the heart of families, on the streets, at workplaces and during wars.
For more information:
Mexico - ciam at laneta.apc.org / cofemo at yahoo.com.mx /
codimuj at yahoo.com.mx / Mujeres para el Diàlogo - Cerro gordo #253, Col.
Campestre, Churubusco. 04200 México D.F.
France - French Coordination of the World March of Women, 5/7 rue des
Envierges, 75202 Paris, marchfem at ras.eu.org Tel: 0680639525
6) WSF International Council meeting in Belem prepares Global Day of
Global of Mobilisation and Action and WSF 2009
The preparation for the Global Day of Mobilization and Action, scheduled
for 26th January 2008, was one of the main subjects of the International
Council of the World Social Forum (IC-WSF) meeting that took place
between 29th October and 1st November in Belém, in the state of Pará, in
Brazil. Miriam Nobre and Diane Matte attended the meeting that, among
other topics, launched the discussions about the WSF that will take
place in January 2009 in the Amazon region (in Belém) and defined the
creation of a Liaison Group, accountable for facilitating the IC
commissions and work groups (WGs).
The plenary meeting was preceded by IC Commission and WG meetings:
assessment, facilitation, mobilization, strategies, expansion, contents,
methodology and resources. The meetings, that were attended by roughly
150 people belonging to organizations from all over the world and many
local representatives, discussed in depth the character of the WSF as a
strategic space for the affirmation of organizations engaged in building
another possible world and in the search for the strengthening of
alternatives to the neoliberal model. The full report of this meeting
will soon be available at the WSF site: www.forumsocialmundial.org.br
On 28th October an Assembly of Social Movements was organized with
participants from local and international movements who together
prepared a Declaration of Support for the call for the Global Day of
Mobilization and Action, considered an important step in the preparation
for the 2009 WSF in the Amazon region. The full statement, entitled: “On
the way to Belém: the international network of social movements invite
all to take to the streets on 26th January, 2008, in a joint action for
another world” can be read on the Website of the World March of Women:
http://www.marchemondialedesfemmes.org/themes/alliances_mondialisation/cmicfolder.2007-11-21.3319821017/cmicarticle.2007-11-21.3953499952/en
The WMW on 26th January 2008
In several countries, the World March of Women preparations for 26th
January have already started, both in terms of joining forces with other
movements and independently; in the perspective of this being an
important step in the preparation of 8th March. Members of the National
Coordination Bodies (NCBs) in Québec, Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru,
Cuba, Pakistan and Kenya have already reported that preparations for
26th January are well under way.
The March’s International Secretariat (IS) has created a blog
http://wmw-action26january.blogspot.com so that groups and NCBs of the
March all over the world may post information about the activities they
plan to carry out. This blog also includes a quick guide on how to
organize a “batucada” along the lines of the one that is practiced by
the Brazilian WMW. The idea is to conduct debates, talks and seminars on
the week leading up to 26th January, to raise awareness and deepen
discussions around issues tacked by the March, according to local
realities. Preparatory activities may include the building of
instruments that could be used on 26th January, as an activity to make
the March more visible and promote a dialogue with the society at large,
distributing pamphlets and playing rhythms on the “batucada”.
Groups belonging to the March are invited to send a brief description of
their planned actions to the IS, mentioning their name, e-mail address,
the activity they are planning, the time and place of the activity. This
information should be sent to nathalia at marchemondiale.org and
globalaction at wsf2008.net
An archive with more information about 26th January and how to promote
mobilizations can be downloaded from the WSF website:
- Spanish: http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/download/folder_2008_es.pdf
- French: http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/download/folder_2008_fr.pdf
- English: http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/download/folder_2008_en.pdf
- Portuguese:
http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/download/folder_2008_pt.pdf
7) Women in Black International Conference
Women in Black is a world-wide network of feminist and
anti-militarisation women committed to peace and actively opposed to
injustice, war, militarism and other forms of violence. They denounce
violence against women and call for female participation in conflict
solution and peace negotiations. The objective is to end the culture of
violence, domination, aggression to people and the destruction of
coexistence and the environment. They believe that achieving a culture
of peace will be impossible if change is not implemented in the
patriarchal structure, rooted in the appropriation and objectification
of women, and extended to all minority groups. This structure was
achieved and is maintained through violence. They think that one of the
ways to make this change feasible is to create relationships between
women which are adequate and valid, horizontal and supportive and free
from vertical positioning, hierarchical principles, information
privatisation, manipulation, etc - elements that are rife in relations
within the patriarchal structure.
The international network Women in Black celebrated its fourteenth
meeting in Valencia, from 16th - 20th August. Some 400 women belonging
to 40 associations from all over the world attended the meeting. The
main theme was “Relationships among women as an alternative solution to
peace: Women in Black reflect on Women in Black”, and the program
included the following discussions: Networking, Us and Violence;
Conflicts, Processes, Us – Women in Black Activists; Women of the World;
and a Concentration at the Malvarrosa Beach. There were also several
workshops, many of them based around the theme of solidarity, telling of
the situation suffered in some areas and discussing how militarism
pervades our lives and our societies.
8) Events Calendar
Accompany the International events in which the World March of Women
will be present during the next months:
2007
6th – 10th December: Via Campesina “Solidarity Village for a Cool
Planet”, Bali, Indonesia, parallel to the Conference on Climate Change
7th – 9th December: Africa-Europe: What Alternatives? Meeting, Lisbon,
Portugal
10th – 12th December: Participative Democracy Global Meeting, Lyon, France
28th – 31st December: Meeting of Zapatista women, Chiapas, Mexico
2008
26th January: WSF Global Day of Mobilization and Action
New telephone numbers of the International Secretariat
We hereby inform you of the new telephone numbers of the WMW
International Secretariat: Tel. (+55) 11 3032-3243 / Fax: (+55) 11 3032-3239
9. Next Edition
Special issue on free trade, with articles about:
* Threats presented by the SPP (Security and Prosperity Partnership of
North America)
* Linking Alternatives – Bi-regional Network: Europe– Latin America and
Caribbean
* Africa-European Union Partnership Agreements
* Costa Rica: assessing the referendum against the Central American Free
Trade Agreement
WMW International Committee
Miriam Nobre (International Secretariat), Nana Aicha Cissé and
Wilhelmina Trout (Africa), Ynares Caridad (Jing) and Saleha Athar
(Asia), Farida el Nakash (Middle East), Rosa Guillén and Gladys Alfaro
(Americas), Celina dos Santos and Nadia de Mond (Europe).
WMW Internacional Secretary
Rua Ministro Costa e Silva, nº 36, Pinheiros
São Paulo - SP - Brasil
05417-080
Phone: (+55) 11 3032-3243 / Fax: +55 11 3032-3239
E-mail: info at marchemondiale.org
Website: www.marchemondiale.org
This issue was written and organized by IS team:
Alessandra Ceregatti, Célia Alldridge, Maria Curione, Miriam Nobre and
Nathalia Capellini
Translation and revision:
Ângela Noronha,Catherine Degoulet, Maitê Llanos
Photos: World March of Women (WMW) archives
Designed by: Luciana Nobre
Financial Support: Novib (Oxfam Netherlands), Global Fund for Women,
Fund for Non-Violence, Oxfam GB - Sur América, Development and Peace,
E-CHANGER.
São Paulo, November 2007
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