Mois : juin 2006

Linked with our presentation of Self Employed Women’s Association SEWA.

She says: « The poor mostly work on manual job for lack of education and modern skills, have to work using the strength of their body. Therefore, we see them suffer from many occupational health hazards. Also the women start aging at an early age; childbirth and maternity are a health hazard for her. Since her work is manual, her most important asset is her own body. This body needs to be protected, maintained, and enhanced through adequate healthcare and nutrition. Moreover, a woman worker is also a mother, a builder of the future generation. Therefore, women’s health is most crucial to the development of our nation ». (Read this whole interview on sewa.org).

Ela Bhatt – India

True to the spirit of her country and her inspiration, Mahatma Gandhi, Ela Bhatt is a gentle revolutionary. Gentle but tough. For decades, she has quietly gone about the business of kicking ass on behalf of some of India’s most disenfranchised — women working in the “informal sector.” A former lawyer and social worker from a well-to-do family, she launched the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in 1972. As chief of the women’s section of the Textile Labour Association in Ahmedabad, she had witnessed the crappy conditions confronting women in the garment industry and resolved to organize self-employed women to help them develop a bit of collective clout … … She says also: “Gandhi tried to find out that what kind of employment opportunity can be given to even the most illiterate woman in the village,” she says, “so that each family has economic strength.” (Read the rest of this article on adventure divas.com).

In recognition of her courage, innovation and leadership, we are honored to present the 2005 George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award to Sister Ela Bhatt, on behalf of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), a 700,000-member union of women workers in India. Sister Bhatt and SEWA are committed advocates for the rights of poor, women workers in the unorganized, informal sectors of the economy.

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Linked with our presentation of SSP Swayam Shikshan Prayog – India.

Linked also with our presentation of The Huairou Commission.

She says about NGO governance: « There are over hundred thousand organizations registered as trusts or societies under the relevant Acts; bulk of which, may be defunct or mere tax shelters. Time has come for the establishment of an autonomous entity to conduct a performance audit along internationally recognized norms and grade all development NGOs on critical factors: staff welfare, internal governance, records, accounting, goal attainment, etc. » (See on Indian NGOs.com).

Prema Gopalan – India

Prema is empowering women to influence and change government policy from inside the system, creating a « micro-macro » balance that will help stop the tremendous waste of resources. Prema has made it possible for women to be involved from the first step of the policy process: to draft a new sectoral reform policy at the Maharashtra state level to effect a transfer of power and resources relating to water and sanitation to women at decentralized, community institutions and local governments. Prema is now taking advantage of this historic policy to involve the women in promoting community ownership of water supply systems and their management by demonstrating how collaborations between gram panchayats (village administration committees) and community groups that are operated by women can manage water systems. This is not only changing the way women participate in the planning process for development of their own community, but also creating for them channels of economic development. She and her team at SSP, Swayam Shikshan Prayog (literally, swayam: own; shikshan: learning; prayog: practical application) have been working closely with the government–and now international institutions–to realize their long-term vision: transforming the way water supply and sanitation projects are managed through institutionalized community ownership. (Read the rest of this article on this page of Ashoka Fellow Profile).

She is a founding member of the Huairou Commission.

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Linked with our presentations of Women Rights Are Limited in Seminars, and of Crimes Against Women Are Still Prevalent. Further of International Women’s Conference Held in Arlington, and also about Nepal in peace, and also of Peace Journalism.

She writes: Productive and prosperous transformation in the development process, can become viable only through permanent economic development. The essentiality of today, is to ensure the solidarity of national development, with economic re-strengthening. Is it going to guarantee sustainable peace? Will there be earnest effort in harnessing cooperation from all respective sectors? … and … Economic development, whether in personal, group, or international relations, requires a variety of capacities for self-transcendence: transcendence of one’s own interests and perspectives for the sake of understanding the interests and perspectives of the other side, which calls for the virtue of empathy; transcendence of one’s pride and defensiveness. (Read the whole article on the LA Chronicle, June 7, 2006).

Kamala Sarup – Nepal

She writes: For Children’s development we must produce children development program who can work through the Internet. Knowledge work does not require tranportation and large capital investments. However, children development program must be competitive in a world environment. This requires, in turn, world-class education in those subjects so that the graduates are able to compete around the world via the Internet. Many underdeveloped countries today are doing what I described above. Therefore, I can’t think of a better way for us to spend its revenues toward the objective of making us a richer country for our children. It is true, our aim is committed to addressing the challenges of peace and development. We can make this world become the workshop of the world, has very prosperous enclaves on its coast. We too have seen a stunning change to its fortunes as the world has changed with rise. So what does this mean for the children who are being born today? What will their world look like in 2006 and 2010? To have a child can be looked at a number of ways. In adulthood, children are the expected result to approved building block of any civilization. (Read the rest of this article on WEB Commentary).

Writer and journalist Kamala Sarup (M.A. in Journalism) is an editor of peacejournalism.com. Some of the main focus of the e-magazine has been on disarmament, conflict resolution, nonviolent sanctions, conflicts and crises. Its activities include training, research and supports peace, democracy and development in societies undergoing crisis and change. Kamala Sarup is specialising in in-depth reporting and writing on Peace Resolutions, Anti war, Women, Terrorism, Democracy, Development, Politics and HIV/AIDS. She wrote and published many articles, books and research papers.

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Linked with our presentation of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners – Burma AAPP.

Linked also with our presentation of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy – Burma.

Hkun Oo Kya, elder brother of Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) leader Hkun Tun Oo, both of whom were detained and sentenced to long term imprisonments, was transferred from Kyaukme in northern Shan State to Mandalay early in May, according to sources close to the family … (Read this on June 2, 2006 on Shan Herald Agency for News).

Khun Htun Oo – Burma

June 1, 2006: The Supreme Court in Rangoon on Thursday summarily rejected appeals by seven Shan leaders against their conviction and lengthy prison sentences on charges of treason and defaming the state. An eighth member of the group of defendants died in prison, reportedly of epilepsy, before his appeal could be heard. The eight were convicted by a Rangoon court last November and given sentences of up to 106 years imprisonment. That heavy sentence was imposed on Maj-Gen Sao Hso Ten, president of the Shan State Peace Council. Hkun Htun Oo, chairman of the Shan National League for Democracy, was sentenced to 92 years, and Sai Nyut Lwin, SNLD general secretary, to 75 years. Aung Thein, a member of a defense team provided by Burma’s opposition National League for Democracy, told The Irrawaddy the appeals had been summarily dismissed with no explanation.

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Linked with our presentation of African Women Committee on Peace and Development AWCDP.

She says: « My mission is to see the emancipation of rural women through functional skills development and access to micro-financing to ensure internally generated improvement. »

Specioza Naigaga Wandira Kazibwe was the elected Vice President of Uganda, serving from 1994 until 2003, being the first woman in Africa to hold that position. Dr. Kazibwe has been an advocate for women in their position in Africa. In collaboration with the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, she founded the African Women Committee on Peace and Development (AWCDP) in 1998 to help enable women’s participation in peace and development processes on the continent, an organization which she has chaired. Dr. Kazibwe has also been chair or a member of various national interest groups, including the Senior Women’s Advisory Group on the Environment, the Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited, and the Uganda Women Doctors Association. In 1998, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) awarded her the « Ceres Medal » for her « contribution to food security and poverty eradication » (see wikipedia).

Specioza Kazibwe – Uganda

As Africa’s highest-ranking female politician she tackles wife-beating taboo. She had spoken out about the beatings which she said were responsible for her separation from her husband. Wife-beating is not uncommon in Uganda where culture dictates that a man overrules a woman in every decision in a home. (Read the rest of this article on this page of BBCnews).

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Linked with our presentation of Youthcare International.

Linked also with our presentation of Some reports on Africa and Education.

Mr. Frederick Akhelumele – a Nigerian school teacher who has lived in Austria for many years, founded the organization in August 2002. Since then, Mr. Akhelumele has embarked on a mission to give children in Nigeria and other developing countries a brighter future through the agency of Youthcare International.

Frederick Akhelumele – Nigeria

In the final week of October, 2005, Dr. Rupp and a small team of Austrian sponsors visited Nigeria for four weeks. There they attended the official opening of the Ebhebe Project and experienced the first few weeks of the school in action. Below is a report from Dr. Rupp.

On the 25th November 2005, the school was officially opened in the presence of many important members of the Nigerian society including politicians, religious leaders, educators, doctors etc. Currently the school has eleven highly qualified teachers who instruct the classes according to the West African curriculum. The standard of education is quite high and comparable to European standards. Remedial teaching is also ongoing for a number of children between the ages of 12 and 14, who still cannot read and write properly. Healthy snacks are available to the children during the breaks. The children have often expressed how happy and proud they are to be attending the school. Security is provided by competent watchmen 24 hours per day. Mr. Akhelumele, the founder of Youthcare International, has remained there to teach and supervise the project. The executive directors from the Austrian company « print & more », Mr. Wolfgang Winkler and his wife Mrs. Angelika Winkler donated 2000 schoolbooks. Although start-up has been quite successful and inspiring, we still need a lot of support to sustain the current classes and to implement other vital aspects of the project. These include upgrading the current classes, finishing the kindergarten, completing and outfitting the computer centre, maintaining the remedial teaching programme for children and improving our efforts to disseminate information about AIDS. (Written on 09. Nov. 2005, read more on this page of Youthcare International).

Sorry, but all other informations by Google are only in german.

here these german links:

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Linked with our presentation For a fair sharing of time – Brazil households.

Linked also with our presentation of Women’s Leadership Center, Brazil.

She is the President of the Women’s Leadership Center, Brazil, and she was formerly president of the National Council on Women’s Rights. She is actively engaged in the cause of gender equality for more than thirty years. She was Co-chair of the Brazilian Delegation to the Beijing Women’s Conference. (See worldforum.org).

Rosiska Darcy de Oliveira – Brazil

About her book: A radical proposal that equality between men and women will only be achieved through the acknowledgment of their difference without hierarchy. « In no other book have I learned so much about women in the public sphere as in this impressive essay. In a continent whose culture has been marked by the work of great women from Sor Juana to Rigoberta Menchú-Rosiska Darcy de Oliveira is one of the most outstanding. »-Tomás Eloy Martinez, Rutgers University. Rosiska Darcy de Oliveira is arguably the most influential and visible feminist in Brazil. The emergence of the feminine as a paradigm for social change constitutes the landscape of her essay In Praise of Difference. And here the book: In Praise of Difference, The Emergence of a Global Feminism, Translated and with a preface by Peggy Sharpe, Subject: Women’s Studies/Latin American Studies. Cloth ISBN 0-8135-2557-8, Paperback ISBN 0-8135-2558-6. (See Rutgers Univ. Press, and also Univ of Oklahoma Lib.). Same in Portuguese Elogio Da Diferenca: O Feminino Emergente, 1st edition ISBN: 8511160175.

In the fight against terrorism, citizens have all too often been forgotten. In addition to the state response, the strengthening of civil society is critical in formulating a long-term response to terrorism. During the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security, hold on 8-11 March 2005 in Madrid, they discusses the roles citizens can play in strengthening democracy and countering terrorism. She participated this working group 14 , to examine the impact of terrorism and political violence on civil society. They attempted to define the sometimes delicate relationship between the citizens and the terrorists. See also this page of Safe democracy foundation.

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She said « There are some social obstacles blocking the way of women from reaching judicial positions. But sometimes, the woman herself also hinders her own advancement. Part of it is personal incentive. Any change in the status of women in our country or in other Arab countries to reach a new position always needs a political decision. »

Tagreed Hikmat – Jordan

Tagreed Hikmat, Judge, International Tribunal for Rwanda, Jordan – Judge Tagreed Hikmat was the first female judge appointed in Jordan in 1996. Since then she has served as an Assistant to the Prosecutor General, Judge in the Court of Appeals, and currently as Judge in the Higher Criminal Court in Amman. In 2003, Judge Hikmat was also the first Arab woman judge to be elected to the International Tribunal for Rwanda. Prior to becoming a judge, she was an attorney representing cases in Jordanian civil and criminal courts for fourteen years, from 1982-1996. Judge Hikmat has also been a teacher in Amman from 1965-1978 and served as the Director of the Educational Institute in Amman until starting her career as an attorney. In addition, Judge Hikmat is a member and chairwoman of a number of Jordanian and international human rights and women’s organizations.

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