Activities and Initiatives of Women
Worldwide
SEVENTH WORLD SOCIAL FORUM CONVENES IN
By Sofia Binioris
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1. WOMEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF ORGANIZING
WORKSHOPS ON CONFLICT AND PEACEBUILDING EVENTS AT THE WSF 2. FEMINIST DIALOGUES CONVENES IN
NAIROBI, KENYA 3. FEMINIST
EVENTS AT THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM |
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With a
rallying cry of “Another World is Possible, more than 100,000 activists from around
the world are converging in Nairobi, Kenya, from January 20-25, 2007, to
participate in the 7th World Social Forum (WSF). The WSF, which originated in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 2001, is conceived as an open
meeting-place where civil society groups and movements against globalization
and other imperialisms, meet to debate ideas democratically, formulate and
launch action plans and net The theme for
this year’s WSF is “People’s Struggles, People’s Alternatives.” More than 1,000 |
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WOMEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF ORGANIZING
WORKSHOPS ON CONFLICT AND PEACEBUILDING EVENTS AT THE WSF Of the more
than 1,000 events being organized at the WSF, women’s organizations are at
the forefront of those that address conflict resolution and peace building
concerns. Among these - “Another World is Possible: Women Building Another World – A Panel
with Four Nobel Peace Laureates,” organized by the Nobel Women’s Initiative
and the Green Belt Movement International.
- Women Speak Out: Peace in 2007 January 23,
2007; 5:30-8:00pm; 19 IN B Lower Gate 19, Kasarani
Stadium “Women Speak
Out: Peace in 2007,” is a planning and mobilization - Violence Against Women in Conflict and
Post-Conflict Situations: Stopping the Scourge—A Panel Discussion January 23,
2007—11:30-2:00pm—24 IN B Upper Gate 24, Kasarani Stadium Contact Mavic
Cabrera-Balleza, mavic@iwtc.org or in |
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2. FEMINIST DIALOGUES CONVENES IN NAIROBI, KENYA The 2007 Feminist Dialogues opened in
Nairobi, Kenya, on January 17, 2007.
The plenary session for Day 1 of the Dialogues focused on
“Transforming Democracies.” Gina
Vargas of Articulacion Feminista
Marcosur (AFM), Peru, introduced the plenary and
spoke on new democratic perspectives put forward by the social and feminist
movements, new elements for democratic citizenship and radical
democracy. Stella Mukasa,
from Akina Mama wa
Africa, Uganda, focused on the interaction of feminists and the state in
Africa, and used the example of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,
to illustrate her arguments. Wendy
Harcourt, from Italy with the Women in Development Europe (WIDE) gave her
view on contradictions, limits, and manipulations of liberal democracies. Graciela Guasira
from Brazil took a look at the situation in Latin America. The second day of the Feminist
Dialogues opened with a report from the African Feminist Forum (AFF) held in
November 2007 and the launch of the African Charter of Feminist
Principles. The presenters reflected
on the AFF and its role in reenergizing the African feminist movement and
highlighting pressing issues for African feminists today, including
citizenship, democracy, sexual and reproductive rights and HIV-AIDS. The final event, a strategic meeting on how
the feminist dialogues will contribute to the World Social Forum process,
stressed the importance of making certain that feminists contribute to
different WSF events and ensuring that there was the promised 50%
participation of women in all key spaces.
The Feminist Dialogues is hosting a women’s rally, a controversy
panel, and a multigenerational dialogue at the Youth Forum during the 2007
WSF. The first Feminist Dialogues were
held in Mumbai, India in January 2003, as a follow-up to the Women’s Strategy
Meeting held in Porto Alegre in 2002. Highlighting issues of women’s human
rights, sexual and reproductive rights, sexuality, and linkages between the
local and the global, the first FD was attended by over 150 women from across
the world. It was followed by a
Feminist Dialogue held in Porto Alegre, Brazil in
2005. For more information, visit: http:
//feministdialogue.isiswomen.org/ |
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3. FEMINIST EVENTS AT THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM - Feminist Youth Tent January 22, 2007 — 8am-11am —
Terrain 9 at Kasarani (WSF Grounds) A special moment of reflection,
dialogue and the sharing of ideas among young feminist women, this event has
been imagined as a roundtable discussion with young women from different
regions. Participants include three
young feminists from Africa, Latin American and Asia – Saida
Ali from Kenya, Kalindy Bolivar from Ecuador and Rodelyn Marte from the
Philippines. Organizers include: Youth
Latin America and Caribbean for Reproduction and Sexual Rights (RedLac), Young Women’s Leadership Institute (YWLI), Development
Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), and Coordinating Group of
Feminist Dialogues (FEMNET). The Feminist Freedom Rally January 23, 2007 — 8:30am-11:00am —
Terrain 5 at Kasarani (WSF Grounds) In today’s world, democratic rights
are undermined due to war, militarisms, militarization, fundamentalisms, and
neo-liberal globalization. Feminists
from across the world will join together to ‘speak out for freedom’ from such
dehumanizing practices and ideological constructs that strengthen patriarchal
control over women. Organizers:
Coordinating Group of Feminist Dialogues, FEMNET Controversy Dialogue on Anti-war Wovements
and Fundamentalisms 23 January 2007—Time TBA—Terrain 2
at Kasarani (WSF grounds) What are feminist perspectives on war
and peace in the present context of the Global War against Terror? What criteria do we use to define the
political alliances we make in our search to challenge globalization and
militarization and radicalize the democratic project? Are these alliances of convenience and
opportunism or are they potentially spaces in which we can see mutual shifts
and transformations? These questions and more will be addressed by a panel of
speakers including Line Bareiro (Latin America), Dita Sari (Indonesia), and Avesha
Imam (WLUML). Organizers include: The Latin America and Caribbean Committee
for the Defence of Women’s Rights (CLADEM); INFORM (Sri Lanka); Women Living
Under Muslim Laws (WLUML—Africa), Coordinating Group of Feminist Dialogue
(FEMNET). Reports from the Feminist Dialogues
will be posted by the Media Team on various mailing lists and on the Feminist
Dialogue website at: http://feministdialogues.isiswomen.org |
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