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IWTC
WOMEN’S GLOBALNET #350 ACTIVITIES
& INITIATIVES OF WOMEN WORLDWIDE WOMEN GATHER AT INTERNATIONAL
COLLOQUIUM IN LIBERIA TO ADVANCE WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP February 26, 2009 Mavic Cabrera Balleza & Helena Gronberg |
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The International
Colloquium on Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International
Peace and Security, co-convened by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia and President Tarja
Halonen of Finland, will take place 7-8 March, 2009
in Monrovia, Liberia. It is expected
to bring together some 800 participants reflecting a cross section of society
nationally and internationally including current and former heads of state,
high-level government officials, market women from Liberia, youth, academics,
NGOS and representatives from intergovernmental organizations. The colloquium is being organized to address the following goals: GOAL
1: Empower women to be more effective
leaders by linking with their peers from around the world and sharing best
practices This aim looks at
strengthening the achievements of women leaders in conflict-affected areas as
well as building global networks and facilitating collective action among
women in these areas. It will develop effective models of economic
empowerment and decent work for women and men and engage young people in
supporting and embracing women’s empowerment, leadership development and
contributions to international peace and security. GOAL
2: Support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 Through discussions and
events on Resolution 1325, this aim will lead to a review of methods and
strategies for engaging women in peace negotiations and examine the impact
that women have had on peace processes, including women’s priority issues
during peace negotiations. In addition, discussions on Resolution 1325 will
examine the gender-responsiveness of the justice sector in post conflict
context. This will include an assessment of strategies that work in ensuring
women’s access to justice in post-conflict situations. A number of side events,
including a 1325 media showcase and a peace tent, will also be organized to
complement the Colloquium discussions and allow for networking and exchange
of experiences and strategies, particularly among NGOs. The International
Women’s Tribune Centre is acting as the NGO convener on the 1325 aspect of
the colloquium. GOAL
3. Contribute to the achievement of Millennium Development Goal 3 on Gender
Equality and Empowerment of Women (MDG 3); This goal will focus on
sharing lessons learned in reaching MDG 3 across regions and adapt strategies
from other countries to the Liberian context, especially related to political
participation and gender-based violence. GOAL
4: Demonstrate the clear gender dimensions of climate change, environment
protection and sustainable development; The fourth goal aims at
strengthening women’s participation in sustainable development, especially in
developing sustainable livelihoods in rural areas. It will strive to make
women leaders aware of the important role of women in the management of
natural resources as well as the linkage between gender and climate change. GOAL
5: Launch the Angie Brooks International Centre on Women’s Empowerment,
Leadership Development, Peace and Security in Monrovia to support the
implementation of action emerging from the Colloquium through but not limited
to training and research. Goal 5 will culminate in
the Launch of the Angie Brooks International Centre on Women’s Empowerment,
Leadership Development,
International Peace and Security, which will be based on the University of
Liberia campus in Monrovia. Through training to empower current and future
women leaders, research, analysis and advocacy on women’s leadership, the
centre will work to sustain the results of the colloquium. -
Women’s Leadership and Launch of Initiatives by Women are Key Features of
Colloquium A major thrust of the
colloquium is to create an environment for women to discuss, learn,
demonstrate and act on the benefits and lessons learned from women in
leadership. It will be organized into three plenary sessions followed by
concurrent thematic sessions, break-out groups and side events. It is
anticipated that one of the outcomes of the colloquium will be a Call to
Action and it is highly likely that other declarations or plans of action
will be agreed upon. One of the issues to be
explored during the two days of deliberation is how women’s leadership makes
a difference—if it does. Underscoring
this issue is the panel entitled “The
Great Debate: We Have Wasted Our Time
Pushing for More Women in Decision-making Positions – They are Indifferent to
the Concerns of Women” with respondents arguing the question from both
sides. Whatever the outcome of
the debates, it is clear that the Liberian colloquium will serve as a launch
pad for several important initiatives including: -
the
launch of the Angie Brooks International Centre on Women’s Empowerment,
Leadership Development, Peace and Security; -
the
launch of the SCR 1325 Liberian National Action Plan; and -
The
International women’s Tribune Centre will also take advantage of the
opportunity to meet with its partners to discuss the formation of the Women
Peace Builder’s Community of Practice (WPBCoP). The
WPBCoP is a network that unites the initiatives and
engagements of women’s peace advocacy groups that will increase their
outreach, accentuate the multiplier effect and to enhance the collective
impact of women’s peace building advocacy and action. It is expected that the
Liberian colloquium will also be a “seedbed” for a number of other
initiatives demonstrating the potential of women’s leadership for change and
stimulating action both within Liberia as well as in other countries. The Angie Brooks International Centre will
serve as the institutional focal point for follow up to the colloquium. -
Emerging Leaders Forum for Youth With a focus on orienting
young women to the main thematic areas of the colloquium and providing them
with skills and opportunities to network with each other and the presidents
of the co-convening countries, a pre-colloquium forum for youth will unfold
on March 6. This event is expected to gather 80 young women, including 40
participants from countries other than Liberia and 40 from Liberia. Discussions
and conversations at the forum aim at exploring the main themes and
formulating responses based on the y0uth’s experiences, thoughts and
knowledge, all towards the development of a youth resolution which will be
presented during colloquium. The possibility of
forming an International Youth Consortium, concerned with follow-up and
evaluation of progress towards the implementation of the colloquium’s outcome
document, will also be explored. Further, the consortium will enable
communication and continued linkages between participants and will explore linkages
with the Angie Brooks Center to ensure sustainability. On the evening of March
6, Liberian youth participating in the forum will treat their international partners
to a night of festivities celebrating the rich Liberian culture, including music,
arts, drama and food. For more information on
all colloquium-related topics, visit: http://womenscolloquium.org/index.html |
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