Subject: [fem-women2000 684] Women's GlobalNet #175: Gender and Racism
From: iwtc <iwtc@iwtc.org>
Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 20:56:27 +0000
Seq: 684
IWTC WOMEN'S GLOBALNET #175 Initiatives and Activities of Women Worldwide By Anne S. Walker, Kirsten Isgro and Aliya Karmali August 9, 2001 THE BEIJING AGENDA: GENDER AND RACISM UN World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR), Durban, South Africa, 28 August-7 September, 2001. 1. BACKGROUND: In the period between 1973 and 2003, the UN designated three decades for action in the fight to combat racism and racial discrimination. As part of these decades, world conferences against racism were held in 1978 and 1983. In the months leading up to third UN World Conference Against Racism (WCAR 2001), several contentious issues have emerged, with the US threatening to pull out of the conference over two of these, namely the issue of reparations for the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and the inclusion on the conference agenda of Zionism as racism. As columnist and activist Molly Secours has written: "Reparations raises disquieting questions for many countries (not just the US) about the origins of wealth, the residual effects of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and accountability for continued racial injustices inflicted on people of color around the world." With regard to the issue of Zionism as racism, Mary Robinson, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, says that this issue was resolved 10 years ago when the UN repealed a resolution equating Zionism with racism. For more information about plans and preparations for WCAR 2001, visit the web-site of the World Conference Secretariat at: http://www.un.org/WCAR/ or contact: World Conference Secretariat, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Palais Wilson, Geneva, Switzerland. Tel: (41-22) 917-9127: E-mail: wcr.hchr@unog.ch. Web-site: <http://www.unhchr.ch/html/racism/index.htm> 2. WOMEN担 HUMAN RIGHTS: WCAR 2001 will highlight a number of important women痴 human rights issues. Experience has shown that the following facts are key in any discussion around women痴 human rights concerns. Women already know that: race and gender are not mutually exclusive forms of discrimination. multiple discriminations can occur when gender, class, race and ethnicity intersect. minority, immigrant and indigenous women disproportionately face racial and/or ethnic-based violence, sexual abuse/trafficking, and limited or no employment opportunities. 3. WCAR WOMEN担 CAUCUS: This caucus was formed by more than 40 NGOs representing all world regions who participated in the First Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) of WCAR from May 1-5, 2000. The main goal of the caucus is to represent the interests of women and girls who are victims of racism and/or racial discrimination. The caucus has pushed hard for gender, age, class, sexual orientation, and economic status to be included in any analysis undertaken by WCAR. For more information, visit the Women痴 Human Rights Network website at: <http://www.whrnet.org/wcar.html>. 4. NGO FORUM: The NGO Forum will take place parallel to WCAR and regional planning meetings have been held in every world region. Central to the discussions has been the determination that there be time and space for the real voices of people suffering from discrimination to be heard. For further information about the NGO Forum, contact Moshe More, SANGOCO (South African NGO Coordinating Organization) at: <moshe@wcar.sangoco.org.za>. Tel: (27-11) 403-7270. Fax: (27-11) 403-5531, or visit the NGO Forum website at: <http://www.racism.org.za/index.html>. Also visit the web-site of the Conference of NGOs (CONGO) at: <http://www.conferenceofngos.org/txt/index.html>. 5. REGIONAL AND GLOBAL WOMEN AND YOUTH ACTIVITIES Many youth and women痴 human rights groups are planning major activities at WCAR and the NGO Forum, and some have set up listserves and e-bulletins/bulletin boards so that people worldwide can be part of the planning process. PLEASE NOTE: Where dates are given for activities, please be aware that these may change. Always check the final programme. ASIA/PACIFIC South-Genderlist at <south-genderlist-en@isiswomen.org>. To subscribe to this listserve, contact Susanna George at <susanna@isiswomen.org>. Asia Pacific Gender and Racism-List (APGR-List). To subscribe to this list, contact: <Majordomo@isiswomen.org>. An archive for this list is kept at the isis International/Manila web-site at: <http://www.isiswomen.org/womenet/lists/apgr-list/archive/>. WCAR Watch! an online bulletin board, accessible through the e-newsletter WE! To subscribe, contact Kathy Clarin at <kathy@isiswomen.org>. Asian Human Rights Commission/Hong Kong (AHRC). Write to: timgill@ahrchk.org. The Asia Migrant Centre (AMC), a mechanism for advocates on Asian migrantshuman rights. Contact: <amc@pacific.net.hk>. Asia-Pacific NGO Coordinating Committee (APNGOCC), a mechanism to promote the Asia-Pacific NGO position on racism-related issues. Visit their web-site at: http://www.hurights.or.jp/wcarasia.htm "Women of Dalit Communities: Breaking the Culture of Silence": Organized by the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) and the National Federation for Dalit Women (NFDW). This event will be held at the NGO Forum on 29 August 2001. Five Dalit women from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka will share their lives, their challenges and achievements. For further information, contact APWLD at: e-mail <alison.gita@apwld.org>, web-site <http//www.apwld.org> AFRICA *WomensNet CyberCafe: The CyberCafe will offer training courses to women on: 1) using information and communication technologies for lobbying and advocacy; 2) strategic use of the Internet; and 3) basic Internet/e-mail training. For more information contact: Jenny Radloff, APC and African Gender Institute, University of Cape Town. E-mail: <jradloff@agi.uct.ac.za>. Women'sNet is a network set up for South African women to keep them informed around women痴 human rights issues. Contact: PO Box 31 Johannesburg 2000, South Africa. Physical location: 13th Floor Longsbank Building, 187 Bree St., Johannesburg, South Africa. Tel: (27-11) 838-6943/4. Fax: (27-11) 492-1058. E-mail: <women@wn.apc.org>. Web-site: <http://www2.womensnet.org.za> Youth Summit: The South African Youth Task Team, in collaboration with SANGOCO and an International Youth Committee, is undertaking a Youth Summit on August 27, 2001. Some 200 young adults are expected to discuss issues concerning young people worldwide and to draft a joint youth statement that will be presented to WCAR. For more information, contact the Youth Task Team in South Africa at the following e-mail addresses: Major Kobese at e-mail: <major@wcar.sangoco.org> or Mokoka Seshabela at <saayc@sn.apc.org>. LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN 柊ndean Forum for Diversity and Pluralism: Held in Quito, Ecuador, November 2000 in preparation for WCAR. The forum was attended by representatives from Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Bolivia. This was a civil society sub-regional meeting , and in addition to a main Declaration, there were other declarations concerning: 1) Gypsies: Declaration of Quito; 2) Indigenous Peoples; and 3) Racism. For more information, visit the Web Community of Social Movements at: <http://movimientos.org/> Forum of NGOs and Civil Society Organizations of the Americas. Held in Santiago, Chile, December 2000. The forum resulted in a Declaration Against Racism, Xenophobia, Intolerance and Discrimination. See the Web Community of Social Movements at: <http://movimientos.org/>for more details. GLOBAL "Women at the Intersection of Race and other Oppressions: A Human Rights Hearing." The Center for Women痴 Global Leadership (CWGL) is facilitating this hearing on Thursday, August 30, 2001 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. at ML Sultan Technikon, 41/43 Centenary Road, Durban, South Africa as part of the NGO Forum. The goal is to give voice and visibility to women痴 experiences of discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, class, caste, sexuality, age and other realities. For more information, contact CWGL at: Fax: (1-732) 932-1180 or e-mail: <cwgl@igc.org>. For a schedule of topics and testimonies at WCAR, visit the CWGL website at: <http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/wc/index.htm>. Also visit the web-site of Women痴 Human Rights Network at: <http://www.WHRNet.org> World Court of Women Against Racism. The Asian Women's Human Rights Council (AWHRC) and El Taller International, with partner organizations in South Africa and worldwide, will hold a "World Court of Women Against Racism" on Thursday, August 30, 2001, 8.45 a.m. -7.00 p.m. at the Christian Centre, Durban, South Africa. Testimonies will be heard on the violence of colonialism, on cultural genocide, on militarization and nuclearization and on contemporary forms of racism. Visit the AWHRC and El Taller web-sites at: <http://www.awhrc.org> and <http://www.eltaller.org> for more details. "Breaking Through the Vicious Cycle of Humiliation: Strategies for Racial Justice through Human Rights Education." The People痴 Decade for Human Rights Education (PDHRE), will be hosting this workshop, tentatively set for 2 - 3 September, 2001 at the NGO Forum. The workshop will look at patriarchy as the system that triggers other forms of supremacy, hierarchy and exploitation. PDHRE has offices and affiliates in Africa, Asia/Pacific, Latin America/Caribbean, Europe and North America. For more information, contact PDHRE at e-mail: <pdhre@igc.apc.org>. Web-site: <http://www.pdhre.org/wcar.html> UNIFEM GENDER AND RACISM PUBLICATION "Connecting Across Cultures and Continents Black Women Speak Out on Identity, Race and Development" (1995). 89 pages. ISBN 0-912917-35-0. WE173Z US$9.95, by Achola O. Pala (Ed.). This collection of essays presents a cross-cultural multi-disciplinary critique of racism both as a development issue and as a challenge to the international women痴 movement. It provides a thought-provoking analysis of black women worldwide. Available from Women, Ink. IWTC Women's GlobalNet is a production of: International Women's Tribune Centre 777 United Nations Plaza 3rd Floor New York, NY 10017, USA Tel: (1-212) 687-8633 Fax: (1-212) 661-2704 Email: <iwtc@iwtc.org> Web: <http://www.iwtc.org> PLEASE NOTE: For back issues of IWTC Women's GlobalNet, go to our website at <www.iwtc.org> and click on Women's GlobalNet under IWTC Resources. You can subscribe to this list at any time by sending a blank message to: <iwtc-womensglobalnet-subscribe@igc.topica.com> You can unsubscribe to this list at any time by sending a blank message to: <iwtc-womensglobalnet-unsubscribe@igc.topica.com> WOMEN, INK. For quality, cutting-edge publications on women and development by, for and about women worldwide, see Women, Ink's 2001 catalogue at : <http://www.womenink.org>. Or contact Women, Ink. at 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA. Tel: Yasna Uberoi (1-212) 687-8633 ext 212 or Mary Wong (1-212) 687-8633 ext 204. Fax: (1-212) 661-2704. E-mail: <wink@womenink.org> To subscribe to the Women, Ink. monthly bulletin "BookLink", which features new titles added to the Women, Ink. collection, write to: <wink@womenink.org> WOMEN, INK. IS A SERVICE OF IWTC ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://igc.topica.com/u/?aVxinV.aVF16V Or send an email To: iwtc-womensglobalnet-unsubscribe@igc.topica.com This email was sent to: fem-women2000@jca.apc.org T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================ _________________________________________________________________________ fem-Women2000@jca.apc.org for Women 2000, UN Special Session on Beijing+5 Searcheable Archive http://www.jca.apc.org/fem/news/women2000/index.shtml visit fem-net HomePage for other mailing lists http://www.jca.apc.org/fem