VOICES RISING
VOICES RISING
YEAR II -
VOL 2. Nº87
February 20 th, 2004
CONTENT
1.- THE 2003/4 EFA GLOBAL MONITORING REPORT
VIEWS FROM CIVIL SOCIETY
2.- ICAE DINNER MEETING
3.- GEO WORKSHOP “EDUCATION FOR INCLUSION: A GENDER PERSPECTIVE”
4.- RAPPORT DE MISSION SUR
5.- SARA LONGWE'S HUSBAND, ROY CLARKE, RELEASED
6.- GENDER AND COMMUNICATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
7.- TEACHER ISSUES
8.- EUROPEAN RESPONSIBILITY IN GLOBAL
GOVERNANCE: FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT FOLLOW-UP PROCESS
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1.-
THE 2003/4 EFA GLOBAL MONITORING
REPORT VIEWS FROM CIVIL SOCIETY
Anne Jellema
e-news@campaignforeducation.org
EFA
MONITORING MUST COME FULL CIRCLE
By: Maria Lourdes Almazan-Khan
Secretary General, Asian South Pacific
Bureau of Adult Education (ASPBAE)
The EFA Global Monitoring Report 2003/4 (GMR) is a mine of information and meticulous analysis to inform much needed policy action. It successfully highlights enabling measures and conditions to enhance the participation and retention of girls in schools. It demonstrates that while it is a foregone conclusion that for many countries the 2005 targets would not be reached, there are measures which CAN BE put in place to accelerate progress. For the GMR to fulfil its purpose it needs however to go full circle - it is the responsibility of governments, CSOs and the international community to apply this rich analysis in defining policy measures and critical strategies that best fulfil our collective commitment to end the continuing injustice to girls and women in education. In the last EFA Working Group Meeting, we raised our concerns about the EFA agenda becoming increasingly dispersed among different agencies within the UN and the different flagships, without the necessary mechanisms for coordinating between the obviously overlapping mandates at the country level. The international mechanisms should decisively tackle the issues of resourcing articulated by governments and CSO groups, seek coordinated rather than disparate responses, and work to dispel the notion that gender is the agenda of women alone. Unless the issues of girls and women in education are translated into practical linkages with all aspects of mainstream sustainable development, gender equality and gender parities in education will remain an elusive dream.
GLOBAL MONITORING REPORT UNDERESTIMATES EDUCATION CRISIS
The UNESCO EFA Global Monitoring Report fails to expose the full extent of the education crisis around the world, alleges experienced child rights activist Alam Rahman in a review published this month. Rahman criticizes the report for relying too heavily on government’s own definitions and
statistics. Myanmar's military dictatorship has decided that the official age for primary schooling is 5 to 9, hence a 10 year-old Burmese child sent to work in the fields is not counted by UNESCO as a child out-of-school.
The usefulness of the monitoring report is also limited by the fact that most of the data is badly out of date, says Rahman. A good first step towards more robust data would be for UNESCO to allocate more than 0.1% of its budget to EFA monitoring work, he suggests. Read the article in full at: http://www.girlseducation.org/PGE_Active_Pages/NetworkMembers/BeyondAccess/Active_Pages/team.asp
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2.- ICAE DINNER MEETING
January 17th, Chakra , Mumbai
World Social Forum, Mumbai, India, January 16-21, 2004.
GOOD NEWS!! ADULT EDUCATION ORGANIZES ITSELF IN ORDER TO INFLUENCE ON WSF’S THEMATIC ISSUES.
The ICAE members present at the WSF met for the second time in Mumbai, having met for the first time in the WSF 2003 held in Porto Alegre: persons from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe, approx. 20 in total. Some got lost in the city and could not arrive on time, a common occurrence in Mumbai, with a population of 18 millions, and where the language spoken is mostly Hindi, making communication with the taxi drivers a bit difficult.
The objective of the meeting was to develop strategies for 2005. This meeting was possible thanks to ASPBAE and Maria Khan, ASPBAE Secretary General, who offered us dinner and a venue for the meeting.
Celita Eccher, ICAE Secretary General, welcomed the participants and applauded the fact of gathering together once again in Mumbai. She also reported on ICAE’s recent activities, the move of the Toronto Office, the establishment of the General Secretariat in Montevideo, the need to foster the communications among members, and ICAE Training Institute Project.
Afterwards, there was a round of impressions about the WSF in Mumbai. Maria Khan informed about the existing difficulties of giving visibility to the education issue at the forum, and therefore the importance of elaborating strategies for the next forum. In sum, there is consensus and excitement around the move of the forum to India, which was a logistical challenge: Mumbai city made the forum more inclusive, small groups got together to make things happen. Mumbai city has not been touched so much as Porto Alegre, mainly for geographical reasons. Efforts at putting the forum in the press were made, however, linkage and communication were not as in Porto Alegre.
Directing the focus on education was no easy task. ASPBAE campaigned to this end, but finally this did not happen. There is a feeling of disappointment around the fact that the education issue was not part of the main conferences.
Babacar Diop Buuba, ICAE Vice-president for Africa, expressed to be impressed by the dalits; there is a great deal of internal contradictions, and maybe this made it more difficult to approach other issues and debates, and that is why there might have been some simplification in the issues.
Education may not have been at the panels but it was everywhere, the WSF was in itself a learning space. The WSF says more about education than what we think education is.
Maria Slowey, University of Glasgow, expressed that she was very pleased to be participating in this gathering; not being an ICAE member as individual, nevertheless she worked for the ICAE Report, which she considers to be the best presentation at CONFINTEA +6 in Bangkok. She also acknowledged the numerous obstacles we had to overcome, arriving in Bangkok with a good product and positioning ICAE in an advocacy line, and the creation of a global advocacy team.
There was a typical Indian dinner shared and enjoyed by everyone, while the exchange of ideas continued.
Everybody agreed on the following:
In February a process of
organization and participation of all ICAE members begins with the aim of
strengthening our resources and capacities in order to arrive in Porto
Alegre 2005 with a high capacity for strategy and lobby in the issue of
adult education, trying to incorporate Education in the central issues of
the WSF.
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3.- GEO WORKSHOP: “EDUCATION FOR INCLUSION: A
GENDER PERSPECTIVE”
WSF, January 18th,
2004, Mumbai, India.
Co-sponsored by REPEM, GEO/ICAE
On a hot and dusty afternoon, like all afternoons, we arrived to one of the farthest areas of the big storehouses where the panels took place. The partitions of the rooms were made of strips of timber covered in jute and sackcloth.
From the first, there was a “no smoking” recommendation, which was repeatedly issued, considering the potential danger of fire. Each room had a fire extinguisher, but only few had loudspeakers and microphones. As we had requested a room for less than 200 persons, we had no microphone, as it was considered that it was not necessary. Therefore, the acoustic pollution was huge, we heard the sounds from three other simultaneous workshops in the adjoining rooms that did actually have loudspeakers and microphones.
In spite of all that, thanks to the participants’ patience these obstacles were overcome.
There were people from United Kingdom, Nigeria, India, Zambia, Austria, Brazil, United States, Uganda, Pakistan, Spain, and Uruguay.
Sofía Valdivielso coordinated the panel and introduced the workshop thematic. She started with the idea of women’s exclusion from education and the way in which this idea led us to the reflection regarding the concepts of inclusion and exclusion, stating that education for inclusion implied women’s inclusion. This idea of women’s inclusion in education made us aware of the complex nature of the inclusion/exclusion pair. Then she explored the symbolic exclusion, the secondary exclusion that is sustained by other variables such as race, social class, ethnic groups or sexual orientation and, finally, the equality/difference pair and the emergence of a new vision of human beings as multidimensional beings. Exclusion analysis from this perspective implies taking into consideration all dimensions: the economic one, the dimension related to social link dissolution and disaffiliation, and fragilization of relationship network and the personal dimension typified by the disruption of communications, weakness of expectations and the erosion of vital dynamisms (trust, identity, reciprocity, etc.).
Sue Meyer, from NIACE, United Kingdom, spoke, based on her experience on Adult Education, particularly in England and Europe, from an analysis of exclusion and globalization and of how exclusion works in a society with universal education. She explained how Great Britain’s concern on knowledge economy results in the prevalence of the ability agenda and in vocational education. Therefore, education is seen as a way of increasing productivity. Then, Sue Meyer, made an analysis on demographic factors that affect society and on how the combination of market economy and changes in family structures have resulted in a society that is more and more divided between those who have a rich knowledge and those who have a poor knowledge and how these sectors have different expectations and how this has a stronger impact on women and children. After reviewing figures that clearly demonstrated such exclusion, worsened by race or incapacity, she offered a proposal to change education provision, and to promote educational demand, for example, through campaigns.
Sergio Haddad takes up again the exclusion/inclusion pair which Sofía had already mentioned, but he gets deep into the three dimensions to be taken into account when we talk about education. He highlighted the importance of the fact that those working on education, analyze the economic, cultural and personal dimension. Then, he made a review of the consequences of the analysis of these three dimensions when we talk about school and education. He emphasized that one of the factors we should take into account is that there are different levels of professionals on education, therefore, we must learn to work together and talk to each other, and, for this purpose, we need to be trained to work jointly.
As we, feminists, believe that what is personal is political, Sara Longwe made an analysis on what is education for exclusion based on her recent personal experience. Sara’s husband was deported from his country, Zambia, he is a columnist from the Zambia Post and he is accused of having insulted the President and his bad governance. Sara made an explanation, from an education for exclusion perspective, through a clear example on her personal life, where his rights were violated with no reason.
An important fact was that workshop participants were involved from their experiences and the difficulties for inclusive education were reaffirmed. It was really impressive to hear the testimony of a person who is in the lowest class within the Dalits (the untouchable) whose translation had to be done by three people from India, two social workers and a man who tried to figure out what he was saying. Basically, he said that, as an educator, he had no access to resources or materials neither from the State nor from NGOs. Many times, the educational work he carried out was coopted by political parties.
In the round of final evaluations, it was emphasized that despite the different contexts, there were similarities in the concerns and reasons that hindered an education for inclusion.
Those who were present saw the importance of keeping in contact with GEO through e-mail addresses.
Sofia Valdivielso’s concept paper, Spain
The context
GEO is a network whose main aim is to work for education throughout life be a reality in every corner of the planet. Two networks working specifically on education organize this workshop. REPEM is a popular education network among women based in Latin America and GEO is the gender and education office of the International Council for Adult Education. We are networks that work in the field of education with a special focus on adult education.
Given the fact that education is far from being a right fully exercised in all the planet (today there are more than 600 million people that do not have or have never had access to education, two thirds are women and girls) that is why we devote a big part of our efforts to follow this situation in figures.
Patriarchy has not considered convenient that women and girls were educated, since the place given to women and girls is the domestic space where they play a reproductive role, and this situation continues in many parts of the world. The exclusion of women from education guided us to deepen our reflections around the concepts of inclusion and exclusion.
The first phase of this process, was mainly carried through virtual seminars, and we stated that education for inclusion will only be reached if women were included, since, as we said before, millions of women are still excluded from the exercise of education which is a basic right.
This first idea of inclusion of women in education made us be more conscious about the complex dimension of the binomial inclusion/exclusion. We started exploring the symbolic exclusion that was exercised through the different cultural codes. There, in the societies where women have the right to education, the processes of exclusion are more symbolic, more subtle. Women get into a system that is still andocentric and where there is no room for women s values and culture . Therefore we started the process reflecting this type of exclusion and this led us to introduce in our debates the concept of interlinkages.
This was a very useful term that helped us in the description and analysis of this second type of exclusion in which more complex variables intervene. We are not only referring to a physical exclusion that we could even name primary exclusion, but to a secondary exclusion that nurtures from other variables such as race, social class, ethnicity or sexual orientation. That is to say, we should add the variable sex to social class, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. This amplification of the variables in the analysis of the right to education took us to analyze in a first phase the binomial equity/difference.
In the literature related to the topic there is a debate that has had for year an hegemonic position. In the last few years we have understood that this is a false dichotomy since the concept of equality cannot be opposed to the concept of difference. The opposite of equality is inequality. The opposite of difference is, in our opinion, the concept of homogenization, uniformity.
Educational systems in the XX century, have homogenized, in other words, they have overlooked the difference. They have NOT being able to understand or assume the multiplicity nor the multidimensionality of human beings. They still have not understood that the difference makes us equal. A man differs as much from a woman than a woman from a man. The distance between both men and women is exactly the same distance that take us directly to the new debate related to how we can guarantee equality while respecting and departing from the difference and how to introduce a more holistic approach into the educational system that departs from diversity while guaranteeing equality of every human being.
A new vision has emerged in the last few years. This new perspective goes beyond the false dichotomies and understands that human beings are multidimensional. We are biological, anthropological, social and historic beings. Each of these dimensions is cause and consequence of all the others. That is to say, these are not isolated elements; one is included in the other. From this new perspective the discussions around the inclusion/exclusion debate acquires new meaning.
The analysis of the exclusion from this perspective implies bearing in mind the dimensions we mentioned before. Some social analysts affirm that the exclusion presents at least three faces: social, cultural and personal.
The first refers to structural elements and the economic dimension is a highly important one. The economic contradictions of a social organization that have been built on the abyss of inequality converge on the exclusion: The accumulation, the consumption, and the logic of the market have made that wealth and social goods of humanity benefit mainly, only the 20% of world population and that distances within the countries range between 1 to 6 and between 1 to 10. The nature of the economic inequalities reveals the fact that the current social organization is not in the position of universalizing its most precious goods that shape the social expectations, the protection systems and even the personal identities.
The second is related to the dissolution of social bonds, the break of the disaffiliation and fragility of the relational network. We can consider the transformations produced within the structure of the family, the social mobility, the vital worlds, the relational webs, etc as indicators of this dimension. The damage produced by any social event does not only depend of the intensity of the hit, but on the resistances of the context. For this reason, the same hit produces minimal effects in some people and a real catastrophe in others.
The third face, refers to the personal dimension characterized by the break down of the communication, the weakening of the expectations and the erosion of the vital dynamics (trust, identity, reciprocity, etc). The indicators that appear in this dimension are related to the shocks occurred in the subjectivity, cultural fragility to offer a sense of life, the despondency and the weakening of trust, identity and self esteem.
To sum up, three juxtaposed factors come together in the current state of exclusion, they come one on top of the other and they feed from each other. The path that goes from the integration to exclusion is the same path that goes from exclusion to relational isolation and from here to the lack of motivation and meaning for living. This also happens the other way round: The weakening of the vital dynamics erodes social bonds and these feed the new processes of exclusion. Therefore the problem of marginalisation and exclusion is an issue of interlinkages. If we want to solve the problem of social exclusion we have to place ourselves in the intersection of these three above-mentioned faces. In this intersection there are many intermediate and multiple positions.
The objectives of the seminar would be:
1.To deepen our proposal and awareness of the implications of education for inclusion.
2.To facilitate a more clear understanding of the concept of the interlinkage as it relates to education and other dimensions, in the context of globalization.
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4.-
RAPPORT DE MISSION SUR
LE FORUM SOCIAL MONDIAL
DAKAR – PARIS – MUMBAI
Du
13 au 30 janvier 2004
ANAFA
anafa@sentoo.sn
Notre rapport est structuré autour des trois objectifs qu'on s'était fixés à
savoir la participation au Forum Social Mondial, la consolidation de notre
partenariat avec nos partenaires français en l'occurrence le CCFD, les
structures faîtières en France (CRID, Coordination Sud), les membres de la
commission mixte France-Sénégal et enfin la communauté sénégalaise en
France. Il faut ajouter à cela une visite à l'UNESCO.
I. La participation au Forum Social Mondial.
Le voyage sur l'Inde en passant par Paris a été très long (20 heures à peu près y compris le transit parisien), mais il s'est déroulé sans problèmes entre le 12 et 13 janvier 2004.
Dès le 14, nos partenaires du CCFD qui nous avaient invité ont commencé à dérouler le programme qui nous a permis de visiter certaines des expériences de leurs partenaires indiens, ex. Creative Handicrafts: une petite unité de productions d'objets d'art. Nous avons aussi pris connaissance des efforts déployés par ces partenaires en faveur des populations vivant dans des bidonvilles, habitats spontanés. Les jours qui ont suivi (les 15 et 16) et jusqu'à l'ouverture du F.S.M. ont pu permettre :
Ø d'avoir des informations générales sur l'Inde et sur la philosophie et la préparation, le déroulement du FSM, de mieux connaître les autres invités du CCFD (Europe de l'Est, Amérique Latine, Afrique, Asie).
Des travaux d'atelier et de groupes ont permis d'échanger sur nos expériences et nos attentes sur ce registre, une rencontre avec les représentants de l'ICAE et de l'ASPBAE a pu permettre de compléter mes informations.
Ø d'échanger sur les dynamiques du FS européen et africain et sur le rôle que le CCFD et le CONGAD pourraient jouer dans les interactions ;
Ø de suivre les initiatives des groupes francophones.
Le FSM à proprement parler s'est déroulé du 16 au 21 janvier 2004. Nous avons pu assister à l'ouverture et à la clôture.
A l'ouverture nous avons pu apprécier la participation africaine (troupe musical Sud africain) et les discours importants de représentants britannique, brésilien) et de personnalités (prix Nobel de la Paix de nationalité iranienne), d'écrivains (Inde) et des messages de Palestine, d'Irak, etc.
L'offre était assez diversifiée : conférences, séminaires, animation artistique, films, expositions etc.
Concernant les conférences et séminaires, nous avons pu participer à des
conférences sur les discriminations en Inde (le problème des castes), sur le
droit à la terre et à la souveraineté alimentaire, sur l'éducation et la
formation, sur le commerce équitable, sur l'économie solidaire, sur les
actions communes des fédérations nationales d'ONG (Asie, Afrique, Amérique,
Europe)
Ø Nous avons pu participer au Forum social africain et apporter notre contribution lors des discussions sur le NEPAD, sur les arts et la culture, sur le genre, la dette, la paix et les conflits, la question paysanne. Nous avons assisté aux rencontres organisées ou visité de stands mis en place par des partenaires africains ou intervenant en Afrique (Aide Action, Action Aid, Christian Aid, Oxfam, etc.)
Ø Nous avons contribué par des articles dans la presse (Flamme d'Afrique, bulletin du FSAfricain) ou par des interviews à des radios et à des TV en donnant le message du CONGAD, du Sénégal et en partageant nos analyses.
Conclusions et recommandations
L'édition 2004 de FSM à Mumbaï nous a révélé 3 choses :
- Le monde bouge : nous avons eu la photographie d'un double phénomène : d'une part la fragmentation, l'éclatement des préoccupations, des formes d'organisations et d'autre part les convergences en termes de refus, de rejet des politiques néo libérales – Des alternatives se dessinent, que ce soit en termes d'économie solidaire, de commerce équitable, d'éducation et d'apprentissage, de luttes contre les discriminations raciales, religieuses. Il faut partir des besoins des populations pour régler les problèmes, s'appuyer aussi sur leur expertise, savoir-faire.
- Des lignes s'esquissent en termes de stratégie et de technique: le socle ONG et syndicats de travailleurs, mouvements de femmes et de jeunes se consolide, quelques Etats dans le monde expriment leur solidarité ou leur curiosité (Brésil, Cuba, France, Sénégal, Afrique du Sud…). Le FSM a permis de rassembler une bonne documentation sur les positions réformistes, révolutionnaires, non violentes et parfois violentes. Il nous a aussi permis de noter avec satisfaction et intérêt le développement d'une conscience des consortiums des ONG à l'initiative de coordination Sud (France), Abong (Brésil) Vani (Inde) élargie à des représentants du reste du monde. Une déclaration a été adoptée et le CONGAD l'a appuyée et a fait des suggestions en matière de suivi et de priorités.
- Enfin le FSM a renforcé notre espoir pour un monde meilleur tout en suscitant des interrogations sur les orientations et les impacts des actions de la société civile internationale.
Des appels pour la convergence sont notés (en matière de commerce, des rendez-vous sont donnés entre 2005 et 2006 pour le suivi de certains dossiers).
Des connaissances et des consciences sont élargies (reforme ou démantèlement de certaines structures comme l'OMC, diversités des stratégies, pluralité d'institutions qui interagissent pour le développement et la satisfaction des besoins essentiels : eau, santé, éducation.
Des questions d'éthique et d'organisation sont posées: amélioration de situation ou revendications pour l'équité, la justice.
Concernant l'Afrique : il faut contribuer à dynamiser le FSA en s'appuyant sur les acquis surtout en matière de communication et favoriser les débats continus sur les questions essentielles (la dette, le NEPAD et les alternatives, la diversité culturelle et la mondialisation, etc.
Il faut surtout répondre sérieusement à l'invitation faite à l'Afrique d'organiser le FSA, en 2006 : nous avons déjà exprimé quelques suggestions à tous ceux qui nous ont interpellé sur la question ; l'Afrique doit saisir l'occasion pour montrer sa diversité, son unité, ses défis, ses réalisations, ses problèmes. Bref nous sommes pour relever les défis avec réalisme et lucidité, une co-organisation par trois (3) pays au maximum (Maroc, Sénégal, Afrique du Sud) sur une période de 21 jours au maximum avec des options pour l'ensemble ou une des phases la 1ère (Maroc), la 2ème (Sénégal) ou la 3ème phase (Afrique du Sud). Mieux encore, chacune des phases pourrait permettre de se concentrer sur 3 thèmes au maximum.
Exemple, Maroc : sur le genre, sur l'environnement et sur la culture; le Sénégal : sur l'autosuffisance alimentaire, le commerce et l'éducation; l'Afrique du Sud : sur les conflits, le commerce et la santé. Si la proposition est faite à nouveau à l’Afrique dans une dizaine d’années on pourra privilégier l’Est puis le centre ainsi de suite. On a toute la vie pour reconstruire l’Afrique
Immersion post Forum
Du 22 au 27 janvier, notre partenaire le CCFD nous a permis de faire une immersion dans le Tamil Nadu dans le Sud de l'Inde. Ce programme nous a permis :
- de compléter notre information sur l'Inde et sur un de ses problèmes essentiels la question des castes, de visiter des expériences de partenaires du CCFD à Chennai ex Madras : travail de l'AICUF (All India Catholic University Federation) de Janodayan (Centre pour l'émancipation des Dalits – les dits "Intouchables", échanges avec le TAAMS (Organisation fédératrice des Dalits) avec HRFDL (Human Rights Forum For Dalit Liberation) avec le RDS (Rural Development Society).
Ø La visite s’est étendue à d’autres expériences à Chengal pattu et dans quelques villages où nous avons visité des écoles, des temples, des cimetières, des champs, échangé avec des femmes leaders, des enseignants, des artistes, des élus locaux, vu des films, des diapositives ; des montages PowerPoint ont complété notre information sur l’Inde, sur ses réalisations et ses défis et surtout sur la lutte des Dalits pour leur émancipation, sur la richesse des leurs cultures et leurs affinités avec l’Afrique et le Sénégal.
II. Les échanges avec les partenaires français à Paris
Ø Le 29 janvier nous avons pu participer à la restitution à chaud organisée par le CCFD pour son personnel. A cette rencontre les échanges ont porté sur la crise ivoirienne et le rôle des ONG et de la société civile française et ivoirienne. Nous avons ensuite eu des échanges approfondis avec la responsable du secteur Afrique-Sahel (Fabienne Michalon). Nous avons pu approfondir l’analyse sur le FSM et le FSA, échangé sur les programmes du CCFD et du CONGAD et exploré des pistes de Coopération sur les actions futures (Economie solidaire objectif 2005 à Dakar), sur le NEPAD (la Revue des Pairs) sur la gestion des conflits (cas Casamancais).Le CCFD considère le CONGAD comme partenaire stratégique avec lequel il veut rester en contact permanent pour des échanges d’analyse et initiatives mutuellement avantageux (ainsi il pourra aider à soutenir les initiatives entre consortiums de la sous région Ouest africains).
Ø Le même jour nous avons pu travailler au siège des Cités Unies avec les animateurs de la commission mixte, côté société civile : Henri Vilette (GREF), Jacques Brochier (GREF) et Astrid Frey (Secrétariat Technique des commissions mixtes).
Les échanges ont porté sur les initiatives de la société civile non seulement pour renforcer et améliorer leurs partenariats mais encore pour influer sur les partenariats entre les deux Etats (France et Sénégal) dans un sens favorable et efficace aux populations et aux sociétés civiles organisées ; des réflexions et suggestions ont porté sur la coopération décentralisée, sur l’éducation, sur les banques de projets stratégiques ; le côté français va réagir de manière systématique aux suggestions de la partie sénégalaise, la partie CONGAD va partager l’information avec les non membres du CONGAD et se rapprocher des élus locaux sénégalais pour une mutualisation des acquis.
Nous avons demandé à des représentants de la communauté sénégalaise de nous accompagner à cette rencontre, ceux qui nous ont invité à animer une conférence pour la communauté sénégalaise ont pu être en contact avec nos partenaires français et nous les avons encouragés à rester en contact.
Ø
La rencontre
avec la communauté sénégalaise s’est déroulée le 30 janvier à Nantère au 74
Av. Pablo Picasso au siège de l’Association Solidarités. La rencontre
initiée par des animateurs de Sénégal 2000 a été élargie à d’autres
représentants de la communauté sénégalaise, les autorités officielles
(représentation de la délégation sénégalaise à l’UNESCO) ont pu assister à
la rencontre qui a porté sur la situation économique, politique et sociale
au Sénégal, sur l’action du CONGAD, celle de la société civile. Une
vingtaine de participants ont pu échanger. Le groupe qui est resté à Paris
va étudier les modalités de la poursuite de la coopération avec le CONGAD,
avec le Forum Social Sénégalais.
Ø
Enfin nous avons pu rendre visite à son Excellence Michael Omolewa,
Représentant du Nigeria à l’UNESCO et actuel Président de la conférence
générale. Nous lui avons exprimé les félicitations et les encouragements de
la Société Civile Sénégalaise et Africaine et il nous a fourni des
informations utiles sur les financements des projets par l’UNESCO.
Conclusion générale
Il faut dire un grand merci au CCFD et à tous nos partenaires français et indiens, merci aussi à la communauté sénégalaise à Paris, exploiter la documentation et assurer le suivi.
Babacar DIOP Buuba
Président du CONGAD
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5.-
SARA LONGWE'S HUSBAND, ROY CLARKE, RELEASED
Roy Clarke, Sara Longwe's husband, finally got out of jail last Friday at 11.00 (13 Feb.), on police bond of K500,000. Roy will appear in a magistrate's court on Monday at 0800hrs. The car is still missing with no trace nor feedback from the police!
You can write protest letters to the Zambian High Commissioner/Consulate/Embassy in your country with a copy the Zambian Minister of Foreign Affairs (www.foreign.gov.zm - through google).
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6.-
GENDER AND COMMUNICATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Barbara Specht
barbara@wide-network.org
Regional training seminar on Gender and communication in the Middle East /
Maghreb context
The Centre for Research and Training on Development (CRTD) is organising a training workshop on Gender and communication in the Middle East /Maghreb context:
Anyone who has even a casual acquaintance with gender issues has become accustomed to referring to gender roles, relationships, and identities as being "socially constructed". Furthermore, when we are trying to identify obstacles to achievement of gender equality we frequently come up with an explanation in terms of the "persistence of traditional gender stereotypes".
Very often our analysis ends there. We do not examine the forces and mechanisms behind "social construction", or the persistence of that construction through gender stereotyping.
In this seminar we shall examine the all-pervasive and hence often underestimated role of communication in this process. Our definition of communication includes, but goes far beyond, the mass media, which are usually blamed for keeping negative and outmoded images of women in
circulation. We will also review the ways in which mass and other modes of communication interact, and how they all both reflect and affect societal action. We shall also see whether the potential of communication to enhance gender equality is being realised.
The seminar will enhance participants' ‘literacy’ with respect to diverse forms of communication, and will strengthen their capacity to employ communication to redress gender disparity as we move towards Beijing +10 in 2005.
Participants are expected to be from the Middle East/Maghreb region, to have knowledge and awareness of gender and development concepts and issues, to have some working experience (or are concretely planning to work) in this area and, preferably, to be in a position to integrate the experiences and knowledge gained into their organisations within a process of organisational change.
Application deadline: 12 April
2004
Date of training: 24 28 May 2004
Location: Cavalier Hotel, Beirut/Lebanon
Further information:
nabiha@macmag-glip.org
********************************
7.-
TEACHER ISSUES
Anne Jellema
e-news@campaignforeducation.org
AFRICAN TEACHERS RESOLVE TO ‘FORM OR JOIN’ GCE COALITIONS
Lome - The capital
city of Togo was bursting into a flurry of educational activities when 60
teachers’ organisations from 48 countries in Africa assembled from the 18
-26th January 2004 under the aegis of Education International to discuss
Education for Global Progress. The final communique of the conference called
on all African teachers organizations to join the GCE national coalitions
where they exist, or lead a process towards forming one in alliance with
other actors in civil society.
*************************************************
8.-
EUROPEAN RESPONSIBILITY IN GLOBAL
GOVERNANCE: FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT FOLLOW-UP PROCESS
CIDSE
ogereau@cidse.org
Organised by the
CONCORD Working Group on Financing for Development (FfD),
led by ActionAid Intl, BOND, Broederlijk Delen, CIDSE, CNCD, CRBM and EURODAD in collaboration with Trocaire
Brussels, Wednesday March 3rd 2004
Global development policy remains high on the international agenda as new political alliances in the South challenge a business-as-usual approach towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015. The High Level Policy Dialogue on Financing for Development in the framework of the UN General Assembly, that took place in October 2003, proposed some key requests, demanding in particular that the European Union resume its responsibilities in reforming global economic governance structures and in providing adequate support to mitigate the net outflow of financial resources from the South. The challenge extends to European NGOs, which are called upon to engage in a critical but forward-looking dialogue with European policy makers.
The conference intends to take up these hot issues, which dominated the FfD related discussions at the UN General Assembly in the autumn of 2003:
- Although of high interest for a majority of Southern governments, FfD follow-up mechanisms are bound to remain weak, constraining UN input in the ongoing dialogue with the Bretton Woods Institutions about the equitable representation and voting power of Southern governments on the Boards of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. This has become the key political challenge for the year 2004 by which the international community will measure the EU's commitment to engage in reforms in the spirit of the Monterrey Consensus. The EU must define its strategy of political cooperation with the UN bodies entrusted with the Monterrey follow-up process and indicate which role it will play in the reform of the international financial institutions' governance structures.
- Unshakable debt burdens and inadequate levels of official development assistance threaten to undermine international efforts to reach the Millennium Goals and challenge the EU's seriousness to live up to the global partnership for development as formulated in MDG Goal No.8. The EU must define its role in the definition of forward-looking policies to reduce the debt burden of developing countries to sustainable levels, in the wake of the HIPC scheme's failure, and to generate additional resources to meet the financial requirements for reaching the MDGs by the year 2015.
· The conference will take place at the “Musée Charlier”, 16 avenue des Arts in Brussels.
· Registration will begin at 8h30 until 9h00.
· Interpreting in English and French will be provided.
Participating NGOs are invited to attend the CONCORD Working Group on FfD's planning meeting for 2004 on the following day.
Information and registration:
Claire Terlinden
info@actionaidalliance.org
VOICES RISING
YEAR II - VOL 2. Nº85
February 6 th, 2004
CONTENT
1.- A BRAZILIAN PASS TO INDIA
2.- LIMITS AND POSSIBILITIES OF THE WSF
3.- CANDIDATES NEEDED ON INDICATORS AND STATISTICS
4.- COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST WOMEN
5.- INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP
6.- GLOBAL FUND ACTS TO SECURE RESULTS
7.- INVITATION: AIDS-INDIA E FORUM
…………………………………………………….
1.- A BRAZILIAN PASS TO INDIA
by Mario
Osava
Tierra Viva N°1 - IPS
Jan 17 th 2004
Holders Brazil have executed a brillant pass and it is now up to India to
see where the WSF football is headed.
So far, India as the new hosts of the movement, seem set to score by deftly maneuvering through a minefield of local issues that plague the Indian political system, to launch the WSF
Oded Grajew one of the organisers of the WSF at its original home al Porto Alegre in Brazil said the staging of the WSF in India, in fact, exemplified the spirit of the movement in accommodating the divisive nature of society and movements.
Grajew who presides over the Ethos Institute, dedicated to the promotion of responsible behaviour in business, said it was division in society that allowed small elites tocontrol the world. In Porto Alegre, wich staged the first three forums, the WSF was largely dominated by Christians, westerners and whites.
"We hope that in India, participation would become more popular, more open, more Asian,more plural,more Islamic, more Buddhist, more hindu". said Pedro Stedile, director of the Landless Movement (Movimiento de los Sin Tierra).
Mumbai, according, Francisco Whitaker, representative of the Comission of Justice and Peace of the Catholic Church of Brazil and member of the organising committee in Brazil, hed consolidated the WSF movement as a world process.
Candido Grzybowski, another member said the fourth WSF would reduce the global deficit in social equality that has so far affected the forum.
"In Mumbai the majority of participants will be from among poorer sections of the people who are more numerous and more organised in India Than the economic and intellectual elite", he said.
********************************************
2.-
LIMITS AND POSSIBILITIES OF THE WSF
Tierraviva, IPS
By Candido Grzybowski, Sociologist, director of IBASE (Brazil) and member of the International Committee of the WSF.
Mumbai is coming to an end. It has been the epicenter of the annual global encounter of the planet’s emerging citizenry that opposes neoliberal globalisation and the logic of domination that feeds it: imperialism, terror and war.
What exactly is the force that drives the Forum? What is its secret? What does it mean to be a part of it? The answer perhaps is simply to dream of what is possible, to act with faith in the potential of action itself, to seek with others, in the equality of our numerous differences, the possibilities of changing the relations, processes and structures that oppress and exclude.
A space of freedom
The most radical experience of participating in the WSF is to feel that one is in a space of freedom to think, to speak, to propose, to be heard –and to be respected for this. It is a joyful, colourful and boisterous forum for thinking about the actions we will develop in the places we live, making us part of a powerful global movement of citizens.
But the WSF is also a crossroads, a confluence of the contradictions, tensions and social struggles that permeate the different civil societies of the world and mark the limits and possibilities of contemporary historic processes. This divergence, lack of consensus, lack of unified thought, itself crating a great deal of noise and not permitting the definition of common proposals and agendas, are nevertheless the basis of the WSF’s vitality. The Forum would stop being what it is at the moment it eliminates the sources of divergence, of lack of consensus, of the multiplicity of thoughts and ways of thinking.
The challenge today
That said, we should take a closer look at the principal challenges of the WSF today. To be global, the Forum must galvanise the world, feed itself on the most vital strengths of the different civil societies, in the framework of the Charter of Principles, maintaining the goal of recreating globalisation on radically democratic and sustainable foundations. Beyond being against neoliberal globalisation and getting involved in imagining a different possible globalisation, another world, it is essential to recognize the major deficits in the WSF process. A first and contradictory deficit of the Forum resides precisely in its global nature.
The deficit can be diagnosed in geographic terms and in social and cultural terms. The WSF is, undoubtedly, global, but not sufficiently so. Countries and entire regions have little or no presence in the process. The move to India is a response to this challenge. We also must go to Africa, Eastern Europe and deep Asia, to Latin America’s neighbour, the Caribbean. To a great extent, the Regional Forums respond to this challenge.
In social and cultural terms, the geographical relocation of the WSF resolves in part, but not fundamentally, the deficit that we face. We must recognize, because this is our own contradiction, that we are an elite of citizen activism. The larger, more excluded sectors, although organized in social movements and networks, do not participate in a meaningful way in the Forum, whether because they lack the economic means to do so or because the Forum, because of its dynamic, does not draw them in. Or could there be another reason for the absence of a significant urban popular participation in the three World Social Forums held in Porto Alegre?
The Old and the New
This brings me to what I call the thematic deficit of the WSF. We are a novelty in the way we come together, but we seem old fashioned in the themes we choose for centralized discussion. This is reflected in the enormous contradiction between the major events within the Forum and the numerous free activities, self-organised, that the participating delegates carry out.
On the one hand, a persistent presence of an old style of leftist politics, a bit repetitive and hollow in its discourse. On the other, an anarchic force, impossible to condense in terms of common themes, that benefits from the diversity of visions, of experiences, of conditions and of proposals.
Party politics?
The third great deficit of the WSF is of a political order. We engage in a fully political act, but it seems that we fear its consequences. Worse, we are entangled in a false debate that confuses the necessary politicizing of the Forum –the blossoming of the multiple contradictions that give it life and reason for existing- with party politics. It is clear that the WSF is a way of doing politics, and this in itself affects other political processes. It is also clear that for this same reason the Forum is the target of internal partisan disputes.
So far, that is not a problem. The problem will come at the moment the WSF becomes a hegemonic arena for some partisan force. Does such a danger exist? Without a doubt! It is worth remembering some aspects in which the Forum possesses innovative potential in political terms, which must not be confused with parties. At the last Forum, in Porto Alegre, the great public embrace between Israeli and Palestinian participants, reveaing a search for unity with respect to difference, was a symbolic act of the new way of doing politics that the WSF itself wants to encourage.
Another politics
To try to eliminate contradictions at the core of the WSF and turn it into a more homogenous space and process for confronting neoliberalism is the aim of certain forces, inspired on the classic political partisanship of the left. I would even say that this struggle within the Forum is legitimate and deserves respect, given its visions and values. But it destroys innovation of the WSF, what it possesses in terms of potential to feed a brad and diverse movement of the global citizenry in building another world.
The risk does not lie in who is seeking this, but rather in that other organizations and movements would cease to play their role as a counterpoint. In the end, conflict, in particular the democratic struggle of ideas, is what drives societies –without destroying them. It is as a space for democratic conflict that the WSF must be preserved if the Forum is to continue being what it is.
We must be radically political in the process of the Forum, and each one must seek out his or her party to achieve what is necessary and possible in the society in which one lives.
For this to occur it is essential, certainly, that all who believe that another politics is possible and is a condition for another possible world do not wane in their effort. And we must continue forward....
***********************************
3.-
CANDIDATES NEEDED ON INDICATORS AND STATISTICS
Office
for the Advancement of Women
oaw-nyc@bic.org
Dear NGO colleagues,
Kindly send me names of appropriate candidates from the NGO community who could participate in the High-Level roundtable during the 48th session of CSW on "Gaps and challenges in measuring progress in implementation, in the context of the review and appraisal of the implementation of Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty third special session, by the CSW at its 49th session in 2005".
The UN is looking for suggestions for candidates with expertise in the area of indicators and statistics from both user and producer sides. They should be senior level representatives of their organizations and strong speakers and communicators and represent the different regional perspectives.
****Lastly, they must already be coming to the CSW as the UN Divison for the Advancement of Women does not have the funding to bring anyone to NY for participation in this event.****
Warm regards,
Bani
Chair, NGO Committee on the Status of Women
**********************************
4.-
COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN
UN Press
Release
WOM/1432
Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women
647th Meeting (PM)
WOMEN’S ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE CONCLUDES CURRENT SESSION
Recommends Use of Temporary Special Measures, Such as Quotas, to Accelerate Equal Treatment of Men, Women Wrapping up a three-week session in which it assessed implementation of the Women’s Convention by eight States parties, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today adopted its draft reports, as amended, as well as a general recommendation -- the first since 1999 -- promoting the use of temporary special measures, such as quotas, to accelerate the equal treatment of men and women.
The Committee, which monitors implementation of the 1981 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, is comprised of 23 experts who, in their personal capacities, examine steps taken by the 175 States parties to improve the situation of women in their countries.
By the adoption of its draft reports, the Committee decided that its thirty-first session would be held from 6 to 23 July 2004 and that its thirty-second session would be held from 10 to 28 January 2005. The Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol would hold its fourth session from 30 June to 2 July 2004 and its fifth session from 31 January to 4 February 2005.
The Optional Protocol, which entered into force in 2000, allows the Committee to consider petitions from individual women or groups of women who have exhausted national remedies. It has so far received three such communications.
During the current session, which began on 12 January, the Committee examined the reports of eight States parties: Belarus, Bhutan, Ethiopia, Germany, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal and Nigeria. Those included initial reports from Bhutan and Kuwait. Under the Convention, a State party is required to report to the Committee every four years on steps it has taken towards implementation.
Generally, progress was noted in each of the countries, such as the enactment of new laws and, in some cases, sweeping legal reforms, as well as efforts to strengthen the national mechanisms to promote women’s rights. At the same time, however, experts repeatedly drew attention to the persistence of discriminatory stereotypes and entrenched patriarchal attitudes, which had led to grave and systematic violations of women’s human rights across the spectrum of nations.
Concerning adoption of the general recommendation, article 21 of the Convention empowers the Committee to make general recommendations based on the examination of reports received from States parties. It has adopted 25 general recommendations, which, since 1991, have addressed specific provisions of the Convention and themes such as: unpaid women workers in rural and urban family enterprises; measurement of unremunerated domestic activities and their recognition in gross national product; violence against women; equality in marriage and family relations; women in political and public life; and women and health.
Announcing the completion of her 38-year career at the United Nations, Angela King, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, said that, among the most satisfying developments, had been the steady improvement of awareness of women’ human rights, which had been especially boosted by the work of the Committee. She congratulated the experts on the adoption of general recommendation 25. That would provide critical guidance to States parties on article 4.1 on temporary special measures -- the scope of meaning of which still seemed to be fraught with uncertainties.
In closing, Committee Chairperson and expert from Turkey, Ayse Feride Acar, said that several commonalities had emerged once again in the States’ reports, which continued to challenge the achievement of gender equality.
Those factors concerned the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women and the persistence of prejudices and customary and other practices, as well as the stereotyped roles of women and men. Those phenomena took different forms in different countries, but in each case, the Committee had taken the firm view that States parties had a clear obligation under the Convention to eliminate such discriminatory practices without delay.
The other members of the Committee are: Sjamsiah Achmad, Indonesia; Meriem Belmihoub-Zerdani, Algeria; Huguette Bokpe Gnacadja, Benin; Dorcas Ama Frema Coker-Appiah, Ghana; María Yolanda Ferrer Gómez, Cuba; Cornelis Flinterman, the Netherlands; Naela Gabr, Egypt; Françoise Gaspard, France; Aída González Martínez, Mexico; Christine Kapalata, United Republic of Tanzania; Salma Khan, Bangladesh; Fatima Kwaku, Nigeria; Rosario Manalo, Philippines; Göran Melander, Sweden; Krisztina Morvai, Hungary; Pramila Patten, Mauritius; Victoria Popescu Sandru, Romania; Fumiko Saiga, Japan; Hanna Beate Schöpp-Schilling, Germany; Heisoo Shin, Republic of Korea; Dubravka Šimonovic, Croatia; Maria Regina Tavares da Silva, Portugal.
Summary of Statements
ANGELA KING, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, congratulated the Committee on the adoption of general recommendation 25, on temporary special measures. That represented a significant contribution to the Committee’s work and would provide critical guidance to States parties concerning article 4.1 on temporary special measures, whose scope of meaning still seemed to be fraught with uncertainties on the part of many States parties and other stakeholders. She was also pleased that the Committee had taken the initial steps towards the preparation of its next concluding comment on conforming domestic legislation with the Convention.
She said she also welcomed the Committee’s continuing attention to enhancing its working methods. Its responsibility to consider the reports of States parties was now complemented by its responsibilities under the Optional Protocol. The reports of 33 States were awaiting consideration and, since the beginning of the thirtieth session, two more States, China and Australia, had submitted their periodic reports, bringing that number to 35. She trusted that the Committee, at its informal meeting in May, would carefully weigh all implications of those numbers to chart the way ahead for future sessions. She was particularly pleased by the adoption of the recommendation on special measures and the thorough preparations that preceded that by Ms. Schöpp-Schilling. The United Nations had long used article 4 as its “raison d’être” for achieving the gender balance target of 50/50 women and men staff.
On a personal note, she announced that today would be the last time she would attend the Committee session as Special Adviser, as she had decided to leave the United Nations after serving in many capacities for nearly 38 years and in the Permanent Mission of Jamaica for nearly two years before that. Among the most satisfying developments over the four-decade period had been the steady improvement of awareness of women’s human rights, which had been boosted by the Vienna and Beijing International Conferences, the adoption of the Women’s Convention, and especially by the work of the Committee, whose concluding comments had promoted gender mainstreaming and implementation of the Convention. Indeed, the Committee had given hope to women’s groups and non-governmental organizations worldwide.
Committee Chairperson and expert from Turkey, AYSE FERIDE ACAR, recalled the consideration of two initial reports, of Bhutan and Kuwait. The Committee had been pleased to hold that first dialogue with those two reporting States and had been very happy with the commitment made, especially by Bhutan, to more regular reporting in the future. Several of the reporting States, including Ethiopia, Nigeria, Bhutan and Nepal, had been represented at a high level. The Committee had also been very pleased that the political leadership of several delegations had been complemented by high-quality technical expertise. That had allowed for a careful probing of important aspects that either facilitated or hindered implementation of the Convention in those countries.
Noting that the Committee’s concluding comments would be transmitted to States parties in the next few days, she requested the reporting States to give wide publicity to those. She expected that they would be the basis for specific follow-up action in the area of legislative initiatives, policy and programme development and administrative measures. The Committee had emphasized the role of civil society and, in particular, women’s non-governmental organizations, urging States parties to cooperate with non-governmental organizations in the implementation of the Convention and of the Committee’s concluding comments. The Committee had also pointed to the critical role of parliamentarians, encouraging States parties to emphasize the Convention’s implementation in legislative initiatives.
While the status of the Convention’s implementation was specific to each reporting State, several commonalities had emerged, she said. A series of factors in all reporting States that constituted challenges to the achievement of gender equality could be grouped around article 5 of the Convention, namely, social and cultural patterns, the persistence of prejudices and customary practices and stereotyped roles of women and men. The Committee had taken the view that States parties had a clear obligation under the Convention to eliminate discriminatory practices without delay.
While tradition and culture were sources of richness for a country, they could not be allowed to function as impediments to women’s enjoyment of their human rights.
The Committee had noticed progress in many areas, including legislative revisions to penal, family and civil codes, she said. It had also assessed national action plans for gender equality and increasing efforts at gender mainstreaming. States had been encouraged to set timetables for implementing particular actions, to prioritize their activities and to monitor the impact of their policies and programmes. The need for greater awareness of the Convention had also been emphasized.
The session had witnessed the culmination of efforts to elaborate and adopt a general recommendation on article 4.1 of the Convention, she said. She was particularly pleased that the Committee had adopted general recommendation 25 on temporary special measures. The Committee had also continued to review the effectiveness of its working methods and had made progress in its work under the Optional Protocol. The Working Group on Communications under the Optional Protocol had now registered three communications, and the Committee had continued to implement its mandate under article 8 of the Optional Protocol, to conduct inquiries into alleged grave or systematic violations of the rights protected under the Convention.
Also during the session, the Committee had focused attention on the situation of women in Iraq, noting a decision by Iraq’s Governing Council to repeal existing civil statutes governing issues related to marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance. The Committee had also adopted a statement in support of the women of Iraq. It drew attention to the fact that Iraq was a State party to the Convention and emphasized the essential importance of women’s enjoyment of their human rights to the development of Iraqi society. The Committee called on all responsible authorities in Iraq, with the assistance of the international community, to ensure full compliance with the Convention.
The fact
that it was Ms. King’s last time in a closing session was most moving, she
said. It was difficult to imagine the Committee and the United Nations
without her. She expressed her personal thanks and the Committee’s
appreciation for Ms. King’s tremendous support both for the Committee’s
individual’s members and for its mandate. Her commitment to women’s rights
had allowed the Committee to make significant steps forward. It was not
easy to see someone of such “monumental importance” leave.
************************************
5.- INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP
ADVANCING RURAL WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT: ICTs IN THE SERVICE OF GOOD GOVERNANCE, DEMOCRATIC PRACTICE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL WOMEN IN AFRICA, Johannesburg, South Africa, 23-25 February 2004
Women'sNet would like to extend an invitation to a workshop to be held in Johannesburg, February 23-25, 2004. The international workshop is being hosted and organised by Women'sNet, with the support of the Food and Agricultural Organisation's (FAO) Dimitra Project.
The workshop in South Africa will bring together organisations, government departments, and individuals involved in projects and initiatives that specifically targets rural and disadvantaged women with a view to facilitating their participation in democratic debates and practice, advance good governance, and as well as the development and empowerment of rural and peri-urban women in Africa, through a variety of information and communication technologies.
The aims of the conference are to identify the pertinent issues, share and discuss existing ways and platforms used in the region for bringing rural and disadvantaged women into the Information Society, identify remaining challenges, as well as to begin to strategise as to the future directions and initiatives. We would also like to share and discuss best practices on working collaboratively with rural women in advancing their own empowerment and development through ICTs.
We therefore very much hope that you will be able to join us in Johannesburg at the end of February 2004. Priority will be given to participants who meet the abovementioned criteria and have outreach programmes targeting rural women, using print or electronic media.
If you would like to send a delegate (or come as an individual) Please send us the name of the person you wish to nominate as well as information about your organisation or your work in the sector.
To send
your details or to ask questions contact:
Lauren Fok
Conference Logistics Coordinator
Women'sNet
24 Pim Street, Newtown, Johannesburg 2001, South Africa
PO Box 62577, Marshalltown 2107, South Africa
Tel/Fax: 27 11 838 9871
http://womensnet.org.za/dimitra_conference/
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Sally-Jean
Shackleton
Information Co-ordinator
Women'sNet
http://womensnet.org.za
T +27 11 833 5959
********************************************
6.-
GLOBAL FUND ACTS TO SECURE RESULTS
Jove
Oliver
EU.719932@prnews2.com
MASSIVE
EFFORT NEWS ALERT
The Global Fund Acts to Secure Results
On January 31st, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria again demonstrated its commitment to developing inclusive and accountable Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCM).
The Global Fund has temporarily withdrawn its support for the three principal recipients of its grants in Ukraine in response to concerns about slow implementation, management and governance issues. In order to speed up the work it finances in the Ukraine and ensure that the original targets for getting people on treatment and building effective outreach and information programs on HIV/AIDS are reached, the Global Fund will be asking a reliable organization to take over implementation of the programs for several months. For further details, please click here.
In the Ukraine, the Global Fund has signaled that it is willing to take firm action to ensure that CCMs are fulfilling their obligations to secure results and work in cooperation with NGOs, the private sector and people living with the diseases.
The Global Fund stands ready to provide significant financial support to organizations preventing and treating AIDS, TB and malaria. An effective CCM is an integral part of this funding process and therefore must work effectively. For information on the current Global Fund call for grant proposals, please click here.
This information is provided as a service of the Massive Effort Campaign. If you would like to receive weekly e-mail updates on global efforts to fight AIDS, TB and malaria, please email info@massiveeffort.org
************************************
7.- INVITATION: AIDS-INDIA E FORUM
We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.
Date:
Thursday, February 5, 2004
Time: 5:30PM EST (GMT+11:00)
You are invited to join AIDS-INDIA e FORUM
(Please forward this to a colleague who may find this FORUM useful)
AIDS-INDIA e FORUM is an electronic forum to foster communication and
collaboration among those of who are involved or interested in AIDS related
issues in India.
This is a moderated forum. We would like to invite you to post messages, announcements, details of your AIDS related work in India.
Confidentiality of the list members is assured. For more details of the forum please contact the moderator.
More than 2,000 subscribers are enjoying this free service. If you are already a member of AIDS-INDIA e FORUM please forward this message to your colleagues.
Thank you for your attention.
Moderator
AIDS-INDIA eFORUM
E-mail:
aids-india@yahoogroups.com
Web page:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AIDS-INDIA/
VOICES RISING
YEAR II - VOL 2. Nº84
January 30 th, 2004
CONTENT
1.- FIGHT SEXUAL TERRORISM
2.- PURSUE RESOLUTIONS ON GENDER AT
WSF, AFRICANS URGED
3.- LES CONFERENCES MONDIALES ET LA
PERTE D'AUTONOMIE DES MOUVEMENTS SOCIAUX FEMININS DU
SUD
4.- RETOUR A L'ESPRIT DU NON -
ALIGNEMENT
5.- MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN GENDER
AND PEACE BUILDING
6.- SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1325
– WHAT’S NEXT?
7.- CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT
8.- CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: LLM
SPECIALIZATION IN GENDER AND THE LAW
…………………………………………………………………..
Africa Flame
McDonald
Lewanika
The Intercontinental Youth Camp being housed at Don Bosco School in
Matunga, Mumbai has shown maturity and asserted why youths are now in the
front line of fighting for social, political and economic justice issues.
The only disappointment is that there was a low turn up of youths
from Africa, where the Patriarchal system has strong roots.
In a dialogue organised by the IYC, delegates expressed their will
to get rid of gender disparities and made the bold statement that ANOTHER
WORLD, A GENDER EQUAL WORLD IS POSSIBLE.
After being given guidance by the Director of 50 Years is Enough,
Njoki Njoroge Nyehu, a Kenyan now resident in Washington, and other
speakers, the youths came out clearly bashing gender based violence and
gender disparities.
Patriarchy, whose most basic definition is a system in which
control and power is concentrated in the hands of the man, usually older
man, was brought out as an oppressive system, and an ideology that made
other women patriarchal.
It was argued that as a whole way of thinking, it is taught to both
man and woman, and thus legitimised. As such, a firm stance needed to be
taken by both man and woman to fight this exploitative system, whose roots,
the delegates rightly observed where located in the oppressive capitalist
system.
One of the delegates to the IYC an Indian student, Smita V. Dakhore,
reiterated that, as young people, the delegates needed to be committed in
fighting terrorism, and seize the initiative from "terrorists".
She said that violence against women, was sexual terrorism that
also needed to be fought. She also sighted practices where by women are
forced to give up their children through abortions because they are females
and cited female infanticide as an act of terrorism as well.
The call to fight violence against woman was sealed at the end of
the discussion forum by a bold assertion that while, violence dehumanised
the victim, women, it further dehumanised the man as they would be portrayed
as no different from beasts.
………………………………………………………………..
2.- PURSUE RESOLUTIONS ON GENDER AT WSF, AFRICANS URGED
by Brenda Zulu
More men than women have represented Africa at the World Social Forum in
Mumbai observed Africa Social Forum Gender focal Point Sara Longwe.
She said that there are not as many women representation as the
Addis Ababa Consensus, which says that there should be a 50 - 50 percent
representation. She pointed out that for Africa there was need to try and be
practicable so that we try and achieve our goals.
She however pointed out these are issues which have a direct
relation with funds. If funds are fond at the last minute in many cases this
does not favour women because of so many gender roles they have to
abandon.
She also observed that at the World Social Forum there was a little
bit of diversity from the commitment although their form of expression is in
form of demonstartions and theater but in general the women are not
speaking.
"Visibly there are a lot of women from the continent but they are
carrying babies on their backs", said Longwe.
She pointed out that in mass movements like this there was a need
to start addressing and taking into account facilities that are needed by
babies and children. She said there was need for the WSF to have a holistic
approach.
Maibo Zeila, a participant from Africa said that the numbers seemed
to be good but she did not know if their voice was being heard.
Africa Social Forum (ASF) had called on the World Social Forum (WSF)
to unequivocally commit itself to the principle of gender equality in all
its policies, structures and activities. The call was made in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia during the ASF, which took place on the 5th to 9th January 2003, in
the Draft resolutions on gender.
The ASF resolved that it should provide in its charter a clear
vision and principle for promoting gender equity and equality on the African
continent. The ASF adopted a 50:50 ratio representation of women and men as
a mechanism for mainstreaming gender in all it processes and activities.
The ASF therefore promotes and suports strategies on elimination of
gender discrimination against women as stipulated in regional and
international declarations and conventions. It has also committed its
structures to urge the constituent movements and organizations at national
level to ensure implementation of gender principles. The ASF intends to
popularise the Draft Protocol on Women to the African Charter and advocate
for its adoption by the African Union and its implementation by the member
states. The ASF made the call because it is concerned that pervasive gender
discrimination against women in Africa continues to place African women in a
disadvantaged position.
The ASF was further concerned of the continued marginalisation of
the principles of gender equity and equality in the process of social
transformation. ASF observed that gender issues continues to be treated as
an "add on" or "an annex" and also only as conditionality for legitimising
receipt of financial aid and neo-liberal partnerships. ASF recalled that
women's rights have been recognised and guaranteed in all international
human rights instruments. As ASF aim to build space for convergence between
various components of the African Civil Society, which rejects the
neo-liberal model in its national, continental and international events.
ASF further considered that the absence of women in the shaping and
monitoring of the macro-economic policies influence their livelihood. ASF,
therefore, committed itself to the full participation of the African woman
as equal partners and beneficiaries in the development.
Africawoman journalist
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3.- LES CONFERENCES MONDIALES ET LA PERTE D'AUTONOMIE DES MOUVEMENTS SOCIAUX FEMININS DU SUD
En vingt ans, de 1975 à la Conférence de Mexico, à 1995 à Beijing, l'Onu a
réussi à neutraliser la capacité de revendication des femmes et le potentiel
de transformation sociale dont leurs mouvements étaient porteurs. Les
organisations de femmes n'ont plus le temps de réfléchir sur leur propre
situation, occupées qu'elles sont à répondre aux exigences de préparation
des conférences et des suivis, consacrant une rupture entre une élite et la
base et surtout une dépolitisation du mouvement féminin. Leurs activités
portent uniquement sur les priorités définies par les bailleurs de fonds.
Même quand elles estiment que leur travail dans un domaine est
nécessaire, elles l'abandonnent s'il n'est pas inscrit dans l'agenda des
institutions internationales. Elles se content de travailler sur des
thématiques fragmentées et déconnectées, les unes des autres et ponctuelles,
comme l'environnement, la gouvernance, le développement local, sans les
questionner. Tel est le cas du micro-crédit qui est une façon de faire
supporter aux femmes les coûts sociaux de l'approche ultra libérale. Pendant
que les entreprises licencient à tour de bras et que les hommes sont
condamnés au chômage, les femmes seront de plus en plus obligées d'assurer
la survie de la famille. La partition que le système international entend
fair jouer aux femmes est celle d'assumer la prise en charge de l'exclusion
sociale qui résulte des approches néolibérales.
A l'avenir les femmes risquent d'apparaître comme les principales
forces de contestation du Continent. Leur présence de plus en plus massive
dans le secteur informel sera accélérée par le rôle q