Global NGO Forum for Women: Beijing + 15 – Pre Conference to Commission on the Status of Women- NYC Feb. 27 and 28 2010
Dawn Marie Lemonds, International Programme Director Soroptimist International
40 plus Soroptimist members ( we hope) have converged into New York City during a fierce snow storm and we know that some of our delegations were on the over 1000 flights that were cancelled. In spite of that- 1200 plus women showed up to the forum with anticipation and energy from every corner of the globe for this 2 day celebration Forum held prior to the 54th Annual Commission on the Status of Women Conference at the United Nations.
I was one of those lucky 50,000 attendees at the NGO Forum in China in 1995- where I was firmly planted in a perpetual yearning to participate in global forums where issues for women of the planet robustly emerge. The frigid morning was warmed by endless hugs, hellos, bright costumes from many countries, and the rousing sound of the Salvation Army Brownsville Corps Steel Orchestra. Vivian Pender- the chair of CSW- NGO welcomed us and established a few principles that will be the banner of advocacy this week at the Government sessions- Accountability and Enforcement- urging us to hold our governments accountable to implement the Beijing Platform for Action in all of the countries that they agreed to in 1995 (this reminded me to open my well worn copy and review it once again!)
The morning progressed with activities so reminiscent of other UN Events I have attended since- starting with a lovely cultural presentation from Southern Philippines – of indigenous dance, music and song- part of which we joined. The stage was set illustrating the life of women and even presented a dance called the “towel dance” where women, not allowed to show their emotions in their culture- instead- slapped and flipped towels as their expression of their feelings. This was sweetly presented as a possible peaceful strategy to replace war!
I will share a few more stories of today’s session in a further article- but already have more quotes and sound bites that haunt me than time to write! At this opening session we were thrilled to hear from Dr. Sima Samar- chair of Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission who told us stories of the real life of Afghan women today.
We heard from a marvelous panel who addressed the history of Advancing Women’s Rights via Women’s Conferences 1975-2010- What the World Conferences on Women have accomplished- which included luminaries in the NGO community including Patricia Licuanan- from the Philippines, Charlotte Bunch from many arenas including Rutgers University-USA, and Gertrude ( Mama) Mongella president of the Pan African Parliament ( Tanzania) who told us all that we looked like we were Beijing MINUS 15 years- not PLUS! ( this encouraged us to revive our energy for the work ahead for women.)
Some of my favorite thoughts I leave you with are:
“ When women are in positions of power they must not forget that they are women and abandon women’s issues….We have to be united. We have to break the boundaries that oppress us. Our failures are shared by all of us. We have to continue to work. Our job is not done. We have to make a better place for our daughters and granddaughters.” Sima Samar
“ Women are not invitees on this planet we belong on this planet. We are not asking for our rights as a favor- they are our human rights!” Gertrude Mongella
“The women’s conferences over the past 50 years both locally and sponsored by the UN have been places where the debate opened a space for the transformation of the women’s movement…. Our challenge is to carry on the history- the gathering of women to work on all kinds of intergovernmental issues and to pressure the governments and the UN for Accountability and Implementation!” Charlotte Bunch
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Project SIerra- More stories from the January Study Tour
I have been on a life changing Study Tour to Sierra Leone and since I returned I want to share some experiences and thoughts with those who log on!
Project Sierra is an excellent partnership project- you can be assured of that! We are making a big difference to the lives of many women and girls through our contributions raised in so many innovative ways around the world.
We met 2 young women working in hotels we stayed at in Bo and Makeni- they had been in the ‘Teenage Mothers’ programme. They had completed their schooling, trained in catering and obtained these positions. They were now independent- had places to live and care for their children. They were full of praise for HANCI (Help a Needy Child in Sierra Leone) the NGO through which Hope and Homes works in Sierra Leone. What mattered to them was that HANCI keeps on supporting them- making sure that they are coping and are happily settled in their careers.
We were welcomed everywhere we went in exuberant fashion with acrobatics, dancing and singing followed by speeches and more dancing and singing and often roleplay. How humble I felt when they could not thank us enough for all we had done for them- they have nothing compared with us and I knew that we need to give more!!
In each community we were graciously welcomed and given food beautifully prepared and served as well as 2 goats from one community! Exporting them could have been a problem so they went to one of the other projects!
There are many pictures I could paint of our Study Tour January 2010 but do read the new e-TIS in March and also visit the SI website where there will be a longer account of our visit. It was well planned by Hope and Homes and Jo and Kirsty, who accompanied us, made the whole experience special. HANCI staff were thrilled that we were there and I feel that I must emphasise again what amazing work they are doing in such poverty stricken circumstances. In one village we visited we were told of the respect the community has for HANCI-they are they only NGO working there (it was a long journey to get there). They say that not only do they come and talk with the community about what is needed- they then start work and stay and develop the work- they do not leave. A very heart felt tribute in a country where many NGO’s come and go.
The memories I carry with me are precious! Speaking with the First Lady- she invited us to meet with her, meetings with the media in Bo, Makeni and Freetown (the latter becoming front page news!!!), talking with the benefactors of the projects, dancing with the welcomers as we were received rapturously, meeting a group of ladies in Makeni who are so keen to be Soroptimists, shaking many, many people by the hand using the African handshake, driving on ‘interesting roads’ and seeing how Christrians and Muslims live side by side and respect each other.
Alison, our SI Project Liaison, helped in every way she could to make our stay enable us to understand Sierra Leone and the difficulties the country faces.
I have left a little of my heart in that country!
Margaret Cook International Assistant Programme Director
Think Global- Gina- Study Tour participant from SISWP
In Sierra Leone, the signs of an increasingly globalised world were all around. We drove past signs for a German bank, drank water with labels written in French and Arabic, were greeted at the airport with a sign for Coca-Cola and every day saw NGOs from the USA, Netherlands, UK, Denmark, China and countless others. Nestle’s reputation for exploiting coffee farmers in West Africa, little sachets of their coffee showed up at our breakfast table every morning. Sierra Leone is also rich in natural resources, exporting bauxite, rutile, coffee, cocoa and fish on top of their most famous export, diamonds. It occurred to me during my trip to Sierra Leone that this country was one of many. In just about any country in the world you can find global influences, good and bad. Which is why it makes no sense to dismiss the problems of developing nations as being someone else’s responsibility when you live in a wealthy, developed country. If wealthy nations want to get rich off the resources of poor nations and sell their products in developing country markets, then to me it’s not a great leap in logic that there is something missing in the equation. The world is ever-interdependent, and the problems of the world’s poor are problems for us all.
Project Sierra is an excellent partnership project- you can be assured of that! We are making a big difference to the lives of many women and girls through our contributions raised in so many innovative ways around the world.
We met 2 young women working in hotels we stayed at in Bo and Makeni- they had been in the ‘Teenage Mothers’ programme. They had completed their schooling, trained in catering and obtained these positions. They were now independent- had places to live and care for their children. They were full of praise for HANCI (Help a Needy Child in Sierra Leone) the NGO through which Hope and Homes works in Sierra Leone. What mattered to them was that HANCI keeps on supporting them- making sure that they are coping and are happily settled in their careers.
We were welcomed everywhere we went in exuberant fashion with acrobatics, dancing and singing followed by speeches and more dancing and singing and often roleplay. How humble I felt when they could not thank us enough for all we had done for them- they have nothing compared with us and I knew that we need to give more!!
In each community we were graciously welcomed and given food beautifully prepared and served as well as 2 goats from one community! Exporting them could have been a problem so they went to one of the other projects!
There are many pictures I could paint of our Study Tour January 2010 but do read the new e-TIS in March and also visit the SI website where there will be a longer account of our visit. It was well planned by Hope and Homes and Jo and Kirsty, who accompanied us, made the whole experience special. HANCI staff were thrilled that we were there and I feel that I must emphasise again what amazing work they are doing in such poverty stricken circumstances. In one village we visited we were told of the respect the community has for HANCI-they are they only NGO working there (it was a long journey to get there). They say that not only do they come and talk with the community about what is needed- they then start work and stay and develop the work- they do not leave. A very heart felt tribute in a country where many NGO’s come and go.
The memories I carry with me are precious! Speaking with the First Lady- she invited us to meet with her, meetings with the media in Bo, Makeni and Freetown (the latter becoming front page news!!!), talking with the benefactors of the projects, dancing with the welcomers as we were received rapturously, meeting a group of ladies in Makeni who are so keen to be Soroptimists, shaking many, many people by the hand using the African handshake, driving on ‘interesting roads’ and seeing how Christrians and Muslims live side by side and respect each other.
Alison, our SI Project Liaison, helped in every way she could to make our stay enable us to understand Sierra Leone and the difficulties the country faces.
I have left a little of my heart in that country!
Margaret Cook International Assistant Programme Director
Think Global- Gina- Study Tour participant from SISWP
In Sierra Leone, the signs of an increasingly globalised world were all around. We drove past signs for a German bank, drank water with labels written in French and Arabic, were greeted at the airport with a sign for Coca-Cola and every day saw NGOs from the USA, Netherlands, UK, Denmark, China and countless others. Nestle’s reputation for exploiting coffee farmers in West Africa, little sachets of their coffee showed up at our breakfast table every morning. Sierra Leone is also rich in natural resources, exporting bauxite, rutile, coffee, cocoa and fish on top of their most famous export, diamonds. It occurred to me during my trip to Sierra Leone that this country was one of many. In just about any country in the world you can find global influences, good and bad. Which is why it makes no sense to dismiss the problems of developing nations as being someone else’s responsibility when you live in a wealthy, developed country. If wealthy nations want to get rich off the resources of poor nations and sell their products in developing country markets, then to me it’s not a great leap in logic that there is something missing in the equation. The world is ever-interdependent, and the problems of the world’s poor are problems for us all.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Last Posting from Project SIerra Study Tour 2010
This is the last of 3 posts from the Project SIerra Study Tour team in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The last few days have been a whirlwind of visits, meetings, and inspirations. Yesterday we visited the HANCI project in Kissy providing services to street children (the majority of whom are girls). We met some amazing young girls who are trying to rebuild their lives and move off the streets, with the help of HANCI and our support.
Then we had a meeting with Mrs. Siakormi Koroma, the first lady of Sierra Leone. She graciously welcomed our team and commended us for our support of the people of her country. Like us, she is interested in helping vulnerable girls, and empowering the women here. The visit was recorded for national television, and the First Lady said she would be issuing a press statement about our visit.
Media attention for our visit has been amazing. Margaret Cook, Alice Wells and Chris Knight participated in a radio interview from Bo, Margaret did another radio interview in Makeni, and we had a print media journalist travel with us to Kamakwei and Tambakha. This morning we held a press conference at HANCI's headquarters in Freetown. 4 newspaper reporters, 1 radio, and 1 TV reporter attended, peppering us with questions about the visit and our impressions.
Everyone expressed their gratitude for the work being done by our partners, the stellar results the projects are achieving, and the level of community support wherever HANCI and HHC are operating. "Other NGOs can learn something from HANCI," SI President Elect Alice said.
After lunch, some of us said our farewells for the long journey home. The rest are staying behind for 2 more days, to visit the members of SI Freetown and some of their projects.
We are all so impressed and amazed at the resiliency of women and girls in Sierra Leone, and the staff of HANCI making a difference in their lives. We will have more to share through the Project SIerra website very soon.
Love,
Members of the January 2010 Project Sierra Study Tour
Cathy Standiford
Then we had a meeting with Mrs. Siakormi Koroma, the first lady of Sierra Leone. She graciously welcomed our team and commended us for our support of the people of her country. Like us, she is interested in helping vulnerable girls, and empowering the women here. The visit was recorded for national television, and the First Lady said she would be issuing a press statement about our visit.
Media attention for our visit has been amazing. Margaret Cook, Alice Wells and Chris Knight participated in a radio interview from Bo, Margaret did another radio interview in Makeni, and we had a print media journalist travel with us to Kamakwei and Tambakha. This morning we held a press conference at HANCI's headquarters in Freetown. 4 newspaper reporters, 1 radio, and 1 TV reporter attended, peppering us with questions about the visit and our impressions.
Everyone expressed their gratitude for the work being done by our partners, the stellar results the projects are achieving, and the level of community support wherever HANCI and HHC are operating. "Other NGOs can learn something from HANCI," SI President Elect Alice said.
After lunch, some of us said our farewells for the long journey home. The rest are staying behind for 2 more days, to visit the members of SI Freetown and some of their projects.
We are all so impressed and amazed at the resiliency of women and girls in Sierra Leone, and the staff of HANCI making a difference in their lives. We will have more to share through the Project SIerra website very soon.
Love,
Members of the January 2010 Project Sierra Study Tour
Cathy Standiford
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