- 2006-03-01: Rodolfo Stavenhagen – Mexico;
- 2006-03-02: Tom Plate – USA;
- 2006-03-03: Cynthia Maung – Burma;
- 2006-03-04: Ulrich Tilgner – Germany;
- 2006-03-05: Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold – Switzerland;
- 2006-03-05: Mohammed Farouk Auwalu – Nigeria;
- 2006-03-06: Sainkho Namtchylak – Russia / Siberia;
- 2006-03-07: Fackson Shamenda – Zambia;
- 2006-03-08: Wafa Sultan – Syria & USA;
- 2006-03-09: Maryam Namazie – Iran & UK;
- 2006-03-10: Susan Ahmed-Böhme – Iraq;
- 2006-03-11: Konrad Paul Liessmann – Austria;
- 2006-03-12: Patrick Brantlinger – USA;
- 2006-03-13: John Grahl – England;
- 2006-03-14: Mehdi Mozaffari – Iran & Denmark;
- 2006-03-15: Sobhi Hadid – Syria & France;
- 2006-03-16: Nina Karpachova – Ukraine;
- 2006-03-17: Sevim Arbana – Albania;
- 2006-03-18: Orhan Pamuk – Turkey;
- 2006-03-19: Kiran Bedi – India;
- 2006-03-20: Julien Florence Mona Saroinsong – Indonesia;
- 2006-03-21: Beatrice Weder di Mauro – Switzerland & Italian;
- 2006-03-22: Art Spiegelman – USA & Sweden;
- 2006-03-23: Roger Willemsen – Germany;
- 2006-03-23: Irshad Manji – Canada & Uganda;
- 2006-03-24: Malalai Joya – Afghanistan;
- 2006-03-25: Marjana Senjak – Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- 2006-03-26: Limota Goroso Giwa (Hajiya) – Nigeria;
- 2006-03-27: Sheika Lubna Al Qasimi – United Arab Emirates;
- 2006-03-28: Veer Munshi – Indian Kashmir;
- 2006-03-29: Otilia Lux de Coti – Guatemla;
- 2006-03-30: Aziza Abdirasulova – Kyrgyzstan;
- 2006-03-31: Durga Sob – Nepal;
Mois : mars 2006
Durga Sob – Nepal
Linked with our presentations of Dalit Women and Reservation Policy, and also of DALIT WOMEN: The Triple Oppression of Dalit Women in Nepal.
And linked with our presentation of Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) – Nepal
She says: « Nepalese Dalit issue is always hidden in national and international level. We want equal society to live as human beings (not ‘men’). So we want your solidarity to eliminate caste (Untouchability) from society. » (Read more here).
Sorry, I can not find any photo of Durga Sob, Nepal (see also my comment ‘Brave women without photos‘).
She works for the Feminist Dalit Organization.
The hazards, which Dalit women in Nepal are subjected to, are double: one from the caste based socio-economic discrimination of occupational communities they belonged to, and another from the gender based discrimination in the prevailing patriarchal male dominated society. The ramifications of these hazards having direct impacts on their socio-economic and political conditions are even manifold, and have led to their general exclusion from the mainstream of the society they live in. Durga Sob, a noted Dalit woman activist, has even described the prevailing conditions as “the triple oppression” emphasizing the multiplicity of these ramifications occurring in the forms of untouchability, economic exploitation, illiteracy, low-life expectancy, political non-representation, sexual exploitation, slavery and so on. (Read more on NepaDalitInfo).
NGOs call on Member States to adopt Draft Convention on Enforced Disappearance:
Dring the National Seminar on Raising Dalit Participation in Governance: Ms. Durga Sob in her speech expressed during the first session, that the lack of participation of the Dalits, including the Terai Dalits in the governance is the main reason for the backwardness of this community. In the third session Dalit activist and Chairperson of FEDO, Ms. Durga Sob presented her paper on « Dalit Women and Reservation Policy. » In her paper, Ms. Durga Sob stated that the government ignored the problems of the Dalit women. She also said that the protective actions in favour of Dalit women could not be properly implemented. She expressed surprise as to how the Dalit population declined by 3% in the 2001 census. She concluded that since the Dalit women are triple victims from society, males and economic and social conditions, they should be given due participation at different levels through reservation. (Read this long debate about Nepal on Friedrich Ebert Stiftung).
(See National Seminar on Raising Dalit Participation in Governance.
Aziza Abdirasulova – Kyrgyzstan
She is one of the 1000 women proposed fort the Nobel Peace Price 2005.
Linked with our presentation Public Fund “Kylym shamy”.
She says: « Peace and justice are the two main goals of my life. »
Aziza Abdirasulova – Kyrgyzstan
She works for the Kylym Shamy; and for the Guild of Prisoners of Conscience.
Aziza Abdirasulova (born 1958) is a well-known human rights activist who works on behalf of the citizens of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. She is an advocate for prisoners’ rights and the right to assemble peacefully. Her activity is directed towards the fight against injustice and inequality by means of nonviolent conflict resolution. She works for the sake of justice without a personal or political agenda, and her action is based upon tolerance and transparency. She has worked with a diverse range of people in her country and has earned their trust and respect.
Otilia Lux de Coti – Guatemala
She is Permanent Representative of Guatemala to UNESCO Executive Council, with Portfolios in the PFII: Economic and Social Development; in Education; in Culture; and in Gender and Women’s Issues. She has a Lincence in Educational Administration.
Otilia Lux de Coti – Guatemala
The (UN) Council of the Permanent Forum of Indigenous Peoples’ ten elected, for a three-year term, the following members by acclamation, beginning on January 1, 2005:
Eduardo Aguiar de Almeida (Brazil), Yuri Boychenko (Russian Federation), Njuma Ekundanayo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), William Ralph Joey Langeveldt (South Africa), Otilia Lux de Coti (Guatemala), Ida Nicolaisen (Denmark) and Qin Xiaomei (China). (Read more here, and also here).
She says at an UN press conference on 23 May, 2003: « Indigenous participants proposed more recommendations than denouncements. The Permanent Forum has two principle challenges. The first is to make our recommendations addressed to States and cooperating agencies a reality; the representatives of the Indigenous Peoples of the world have repeatedly said they want to see themselves reflected in the policies that affect them…we all want to see the work of the Permanent Forum receive funding and support. We applaud the joint work of Indigenous Peoples, UN agencies and States. » Otilia Lux de Coti, of Maya Kiche ancestry, emphasizes the collective vision. « In twenty years we want to see this contribute to the alleviation of poverty and eliminate discrimination and move forward to building just and democratic societies. »
Veer Munshi – Indian Kashmir
Veer Munshi is a visual artist in exile from Kashmir valley who lives in New Delhi. He is one of the few painters in India who is able to express his anguish about his homeland through the paintbrush. At the just running Worls Social Forumin Karachi he has done a series of paintings as a reaction to human rights violations, and the turmoil that is borne of separation from his heritage.
Veer Munshi – Indian Kashmir
He talks to TerraViva, the website of the WSF 2006 in Karachi:
Q: How have the past 16 years of conflict affected the artist fraternity in Kashmir? – A: The cultural space is increasingly getting narrow and we are desperately trying to decrease that by trying to keep the cultural fibre intact.
Sheika Lubna Al Qasimi – United Arab Emirates
She is one of the 1000 women proposed fort the Nobel Peace Price 2005.
She says: « You do not have to strip off your identity in order to achieve your goals. People should be judged for what they are and do, not the way they look. »
Sheika Lubna Al Qasimi – United Arab Emirates
She works for the Tejari.com; the UAE Ministry of Economy & Planning (UAEMEP); and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI).
Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi obtained a BS from California State University of Chico, and a MBA from the American University of Sharjah. She was the CEO of Tejari.com, one of the giant successful business-to-business marketplaces in the U.R.E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi became the first woman minister of the UAE. She has a global reputation and a well-connected network both at home and abroad. She lectures in universities worldwide, putting her emphasis on equal rights of gender. Sheikha Lubna is a role model to young women in the UAE with an inspiring charisma for young girls. (Read on the Nobel Peace Price 2005).
Continuer la lecture de « Sheika Lubna Al Qasimi – United Arab Emirates »
Limota Goroso Giwa (Hajiya) – Nigeria
Linked with our presentation of The Women Institute Initivative in Nigeria.
She is one of the 1000 women proposed fort the Nobel Peace Price 2005.
Goes with ‘Assuming Authority‘.
She says: « If you want to work with the rural women on communication issues, you have to speak their language. And their language is the language of survival. »
Limota Goroso Giwa (Hajiya) – Nigeria
She works for the International Women’s Communication Center (IWCC).
Limota Goroso Giwa, born in Ilorin, in Kwara state of Nigeria, was raised by fishing grandparents. Her father, an imam (leader for Muslim prayers), died when she was 11. She studied human rights at the University of Columbia and obtained her masters in social planning. A senior advocate on women’s rights and coordinator of women and fishery projects in riverine communities in Nigeria, she occupies several humanitarian posts, among them coordinator of the Pan-African and West African Women. In addition, Goroso Giwa addresses issues around the trafficking of Kwara women to Saudi Arabia.
Continuer la lecture de « Limota Goroso Giwa (Hajiya) – Nigeria »
Marjana Senjak – Bosnia and Herzegovina
She is one of the 1000 women proposed fort the Nobel Peace Price 2005.
She says: « Love and kindness will prove to be the successful tools of peace building. Every day thousands of ordinary people all over the world work diligently for the world to be a better place. »
She works for Medica – the Women’s Therapy Center in Zenica.
Marjana Senjak – Bosnia and Herzegovina
In August 1992, Marjana Senjak established the Center for Psychological Help in Zenica. She initiated cooperation among her professional colleagues and began working at collective refugee centers. She and her colleagues established a SOS hotline for people with war traumas, also for soldiers. In 1993, Marjana co-founded the Medica Zenica Center for treatment of women survivors of rape and people suffering from war trauma.
Continuer la lecture de « Marjana Senjak – Bosnia and Herzegovina »
Malalai Joya – Afghanistan
She is one of the 1000 women proposed fort the Nobel Peace Price 2005.
Linkd with our two presentations Malalai Joya’s Historical Speech in the Loya Jirga, and The Hamoon Health Center in Afghanistan.
Malalai Joya, one of the prominent winners in Afghanistan’s landmark parliamentary elections, is an outspoken critic of the country’s warlords.
She says: »Women in Afghanistan are in exigent need of peace. I believe that once peace is achieved, they can get their full rights. » And: « I hope by being a member of parliament I will be able to serve my people, especially the women. I will do my best to stop the warlords and criminals from building any laws that will jeopardise the rights of Afghan people, especially the women. »
Malalai Joya – Afghanistan
She works for the Hamoon Health Center. And she heads the non-governmental group, « Organisation of Promoting Afghan Women’s Capabilities » (OPAWC).
Irshad Manji – Canada & Uganda
Linked with our presentation of an open letter from Irshad Manji.
Irshad Manji (born 1968) is a Canadian author, journalist, and activist. Manji is also a Shi’a Muslim from the Twelvers (ithna asheri) sect. She is an outspoken feminist, and critic of Islamic fundamentalism and literalist interpretations of the Qur’an. She calls herself as a rebel and a self-proclaimed Muslim Refusenik.
She was once described by The New York Times as « Osama bin Laden’s worst nightmare ». Manji was born in Uganda in 1968, but her family moved to Canada when she was four, as a result of Idi Amin exiling all South Asians from Uganda. (Read more on wikipedia).
Irshad Manji – Canada & Uganda
She writes: Friends, by now you know about the Manifesto of 12 – ‘Together Facing a New Totalitarianism’. I signed it, as did Salman Rushdie, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Taslima Nasrin and several others.
On March 11, we received a serious death threat from a chat thread on ummah.com, an Islamic website in Britain. (See more on her personal blog on March 15, 2006, and on My comment to a new fatwa.
Her book ‘The Trouble with Islam Today ‘. In it Manji describes her turbulent youth, including an incident when her father chased her around the house holding a knife. Manji holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of British Columbia, and became the first humanities student to win the Governor-General’s Gold Medal for the top graduates.
In this controversial and ground-breaking book, she exposes the disturbing cornerstones of Islam as it is widely practised today: tribal insularity, repression of women, and an uncritical acceptance of the Quran. But The Trouble with Islam Today goes deeper, offering a practical vision of an Islamic reformation that empowers women, promotes respect for religious minorities, and fosters a competition of ideas. Manji’s vision revives « ijtihad, » Islam’s lost tradition of independent thinking. In that spirit, Irshad Manji travels throughout the world with her challenge for both Muslims and non-Muslims: Dare to ask questions – out loud.
Contents: Foreword by Professor Khaleel Mohammed The Letter How I Became a Muslim Refusenik Seventy Virgins? When Did We Stop Thinking? Gates and Girdles Who’s Betraying Whom? The Hidden Underbelly of Islam Operation Ijtihad In Praise of Honesty Thank God for the West Afterword Recommended Readings Acknowledgements. (ISBN 8188861022).
On this link, this book can be downloaded for free in the Arabic, Urdu, and Persian editions!
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She wants the liberal reformation of Islam through the « Project Ijtihad »:
What’s Ijtihad?