JASS' Role at the NWI's "Women Redefining Democracy" Conference

JASS was thrilled to play a significant role in conceptualizing, planning, and facilitating the Nobel Women's Initiative's international conference entitled Women Redefining Democracy for Peace, Justice and Equality that was held in Antigua, Guatemala from May 10-12, 2009. More than 100 women from around the world, including four women Laureates, gathered to examine the challenges of democratization, and to reshape democracy through the lens of women's experiences. The JASS community was represented by more than twenty women, including our allies Petateras and Feminist International Radio Endeavour (FIRE), who participated in the three day strategy meeting by speaking on panels, acting as moderators, and documenting the conference.

Addtionally, Lisa VeneKlasen, JASS Executive Director, collaborated with Alda Facio, a JASS Mesoamerica regional advisor, in authoring the concept statement of the conference. And the Declaration of the Nobel Women’s Initiative Conference on Women Redefining Democracy for Peace, Justice and Equality, was drafted by two JASS board members, Malena de Montis and Srilatha Batliwala, based on input from the participants. The declaration is available in Spanish as well.

Declaration of the Nobel Women's Initiative Conference

Declaration of the Nobel Women's Initiative Conference
on
Women Redefining Democracy for Peace, Justice and Equality
Antigua, Guatemala
May 10-12, 2009

[The declaration was drafted by JASS board members: Malena de Montis and Srilatha Batliwala with input from all participants.]

We call upon all states and multilateral institutions to recognize that the democratization process is incomplete, and does not end with elections. No country or society can claim to be democratic when the women who form half its citizens are denied their right to life, to their human rights and entitlements, and to safety and security. Despite this, we women have made extraordinary efforts to democratize the institutions of society that frame our lives and the well-being of all humanity – the family, the community, clan, tribe, ethnic or religious group, political, legal, economic, social and cultural structures, and the media and communications systems. But our search for justice is continually overwhelmed by the violence perpetrated upon us, by the exploitation and colonization of our bodies, our labor, and our lands; by militarization, war and civil conflict; by persistent and increasing poverty; and by environmental degradation. All of these forces affect us, and our children, far more severely and in unique ways. We know that democracy that comes from the heart is not the rule of the majority, but safeguards dissent and difference with equal rights, and fosters a culture of peace. We are in search of democracy that transforms not just our lives, but all society – and we will not be silenced until it is achieved in every part of the world.

Reflections on the NWI Conference and Guatemala Observatorio

After the Nobel Women’s Initiative Conference in Antigua, a group of us – Petateras, JASS, FIRE, and key international allies – conducted an Observatorio and Fact-Finding Mission on the situation of violence against women in Guatemala.

As we heard accounts, statistics and testimony from indigenous women leaders, organizers, activists and human rights defenders, I was struck by the level of violence and the level of impunity that prevails in Guatemala. We kept hearing from the women we spoke to that the levels of violence in general are even higher today, 13 years after the signing of the Peace Accords, than they were during the internal armed conflict. I also found myself thinking about why, what are some of the root causes for the violence targeted against women - and in the Guatemalan context forms of violence that target and are especially vicious towards indigenous women, pointing to a deep-seated racism that is prevalent not only there but throughout the region.

I remember one of the panelists at the NWI Conference, Eva Mappy Morgan from Liberia, spoke about how part of the work that they are doing is on a grassroots and society-wide level changing the way that women - women's lives, women’s roles, women’s bodies - are perceived. Creating a shift in consciousness - through education efforts and effective law-enforcement and prosecution - whereby it is no longer seen as an acceptable solution/act to rape or kill women. In the Liberian context, having a woman president and other women in all levels of decision-making is, according to Morgan, beginning to create that shift in perception, with men (and other women) accepting and seeing the added value of women in leadership roles. This was one of the things that Rigoberta Menchú spoke about as well - changing the perception of politics from being automatically corrupt and "dirty" to a shift whereby it would be plausible for a Mayan woman, not tied to corporate, military or other traditional/corrupt power structures, to be president of Guatemala.

There is work to be done in terms of challenging images and discourse, which have an immediate, life-or-death impact on women.

An article that I received today, about Femicide in Baja California, reminded me of that as well. The last paragraph states:
“Most local reporting on women’s murders in Baja California could be classified as falling within the school of sensationalistic crime reporting, with very little follow-up investigation or analysis of the deeper causes of violence against women.
An unscientific, online-poll conducted May 18 by the Baja California Internet news site Lacronica.com asked readers to select from several possible explanations of the murders of sex workers. Of 1092 responses, 81 percent selected two answers that explained the murders in terms of the women’s lifestyles. Slightly more than 9 percent of responses picked a serial killer as a possible reason, while a small minority- just above three percent- considered lack of law enforcement or public security as reasons for the homicides."

To read the full article, go to: http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=c4dace58475880c3117d3eb2a3a38850

There are some key opportunities both to deepen and regionalize the analysis, and also to look at some of the strategies that are already in place or being developed to combat the corruption, impunity, and begin to combat some of the root causes of violence.

During the fact-finding mission, we heard about some key strategies -- around the elections, electing new magistrates who are not tied to trafficking rings and prosecuting lawyers who are part of trafficking rings; a lot of the work that UNAMG, Actoras de Cambio and other orgs are doing around healing and empowerment for women survivors of rape and other forms of violence; the work that Moloj is doing in different areas, including indigenous women's political participation. These and other strategies should also be highlighted - it's the "trabajo de hormiga" that women do that does have an impact on individuals', families' and communities' lives, but often goes unrecognized.

-Alejandra

Participant Profile: Safaa Adam

End of Day Two of Nobel Women Conference

Day Two Reflections

Context: Guatemala

36 years of violence and oppression because of the armed conflict in Guatemala left more than 100,000 dead, 50,000 disappeared, 250,000 orphans, more than 350 communities erased from the map, tens of thousands displaced, and hundreds of indigenous communities destroyed. Clandestine cemeteries are still being uncovered and countless human rights violations are left unpunished. Waves of violence continue to plague the country, affecting women in particular.

End of Day One of Nobel Women Conference

Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire closes day one of the international conference "Women Redefining Democracy." Participants reflect on the full day of learning and knowledge, and proceed to a lively reception hosted by Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchu Tum.

Participants Reflect on Day One: Morning

Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum Opens Conference

Rigoberta Menchú Tum welcomed participants to the second international conference of the Nobel Women's Initiative in Antigua, Guatemala on May 10th. She introduced the Vice President of the Republic of Guatemala, who welcomed the women on behalf of the President.

JASS at the Nobel Women's Initiative Conference in Antigua, Guatemala

JASS, along with the Nobel Women's Initiative and the Rigoberta Menchu Tum Foundation, are convening an international conference, "Women Redefining Democracy" from May 10-12th in Antigua, Guatemala. Follow the JASS blog for up to date blog entries and videos from the conference. You can also read more on the NWI Conference Blog and Open Democracy's coverage of this important event.