Events Outside of Utah
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TORTURE IS A MORAL ISSUE
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Dear Friends:
Please join us in an interfaith prayer during religious services the weekend of June 6-8 to observe the first full weekend of Torture Awareness Month.
Two months ago, President Bush vetoed legislation that would have banned the use of torture by US intelligence services. We worked hard to win passage of that legislation by both houses of Congress. This June we will publicly recommit ourselves, as people of faith, to continuing the struggle to end US-sponsored torture.
NRCAT is organizing a number of ways that you and your congregation can mark Torture Awareness Month. More than 150 congregations across the country have already committed to displaying a banner as part of our Banners Across America project. By June 1, we will have bumper stickers available for purchase on our website.
In addition, we are collaborating with Rabbis for Human Rights to encourage faith communities to incorporate a Prayer of Recommitment into religious services during the weekend of June 6-8 (and throughout the month). Offering a prayer is a simple but very important way to ask God to help us be faithful in this work, to raise awareness within our congregations and to join our voices with others all across the country. We offer this prayer as our government continues to assert the right to use interrogation tactics that torture other human beings.
As religious people, we must recommit ourselves to the important work of healing the soul of our nation and healing the wounds inflicted on those who have been tortured.
Click here for further information about the Prayer of Recommitment and plan to join faith communities across the country in this important witness during the weekend of June 6-8.
Sincerely,
Linda Gustitus, President
Rev. Richard Killmer, Executive Director
Join fellow activists, media makers, educators, journalists, policymakers and concerned citizens in calling for real and lasting changes to our nation’s media system.
2008 provides us with a great opportunity to put the issue of media reform in the national spotlight. Join us in Minneapolis and help us build this critical movement.
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Heartwood Forest Council in Ohio
http://www.heartwood.org/
We would like to invite you to the 18th annual Heartwood Forest Council, to be held
Memorial Day weekend, May 23-26, 2008, at Boy Scout Camp Oyo in the Shawnee State Forest
near West Portsmouth, Ohio. Hosts for this years event include Heartwood, the Buckeye
Forest Council, Save Our Shawnee Forest, Voices for the Forest, Meigs Citizens Action
Now, Protect Biodiversity in Public Forests, EarthWatch Ohio, Southern Ohio Neighbors
Group and Portsmouth/Piketon Residents for Environmental Safety and Security. The theme
of this year’s Forest Council is “Burning Issues: Climate is a Forest Product.”
Additional Forest Council information can be found below.
**************
18th Annual Heartwood Forest Council Program
Theme: Burning Issues Climate Is A Forest Product
Program Tracks:
1) Forest Issues
2) Coal, Energy and Sustainability - Positive Alternatives
Where: Camp Oyo Shawnee State Forest - Ohio
When: Friday, May 23 to Monday, May 26, 2008
Weekend Schedule:
Friday, May 23 General Goals: Introductions and Reunions
Afternoon hike - Shawnee State Forest/Park Hike led by Kevin Bradbury - Regional Manager
Shawnee and Adams Lake State Parks.
5:30-7:00 Dinner: Vegetarian Gumbo with tofu hot dogs, brown rice, roasted asparagus,
Salad greens, vegan Cornbread, Strawberry shortcake.
7:00-9:00pm - Forest Council welcome:
Ernie Reed - Heartwood
Barb Lund - Save Our Shawnee Forest
David Maywhoor - Buckeye Forest Council
History of the Shawnee Forest:
Shawnee Nation Reflections - Dr. Cora Tula Watters
Lower Scioto Valley history Dr. Andrew Lee Feight
Flora and Fauna of Shawnee - Kevin Bradbury & Jenny Richards -
9:15 til? Campfire behind the dining hall for planned and unplanned music, and
spontaneous revelry
Saturday, May 24 General Goals: Explore the Issues: Follow one of the tracks or do some
of both:
Forest Issues - physical and economic issues
Coal, Energy and Sustainability - Positive Alternatives
6:30 - Bird Hike, Yoga Stretch or Polarity work
7:30-9:00 Breakfast: Baked Omelet with asparagus, feta, ramps, fresh herbs with green
tomato salsa, Vegan Paw Paw cornmeal pancakes OR vegan Paw Paw Buckwheat pancakes with
maple syrup, Tempeh/potato sausages (vegan) or sun choke latkes, Fruit
9:00-10:30 - General Introduction to the workshops burning issues by the leaders of
the workshops.
10:30-10:50 Break
11:00-12:30 Forest/Energy Issues Workshops Session 1
(The session 1 workshops will be repeated in session 2.)
Forest Issues Choices:
#1 introduction to Forest Ecology, Prescribed Burns, Clearcuts, and certification.
#2 Introduction to Forest Economic.
#3 Specific Economic Study: Green Fire/Heartwood Economic Impact Study in the
Wayne National Forest.
#4 Prescribed Burning Issues (for those already somewhat knowledgeable on this
issue.)
Energy Issues Choices:
#1 Introduction to Local and Regional Coal Issues & explore the whole coal cycle.
#2 Introduction to the Community Impacts of Coal.
#3 Issue of Coal Fired Power Plants, led by John Blair.
#4 Nuclear Power Issues
12:30-1:45 Lunch: Tempeh sloppy Joes, Raw Snow Peas, Spring Potato salad with mint and
peas
1:45-3:15 Forest/Energy Issues Workshops Session 2
Repeat of all Session 1 workshops.
3:15-3:30 Break
3:30-5:00 Forest/Energy Skill Building Workshops Session 3
#1 Tree Climbing Dale Wallace,
#2 Forest Monitoring David Maywhoor,
#3 Waste Issues Where Does It Go? Jeff Stant,
#4 Climate Issues 1Sky - Liz Butler,
#5 Working with Municipalities to Stop Coal Fired Power Plants,
#6 Market Campaigns Alliance for Appalachia, Dogwood Alliance, ForestEthics
#7 Bio Mass Issues Mike Ewall and Denny Haldeman
5:00-6:00 Self Reflection Time or Movie Time or Therapeutic Touch or Body Recuperation
Massage Polarity Work
6:00-7:00 Dinner: Crumbs Bakery Ramp pasta with Chris Schmiel’s wild mushroom pasta
sauce, Roasted Veggies, Arugula salad w/ Raspberry vinaigrette dressing and Italian
bread, Vegan Tiramisu.
7:00-8:30 Music and Keynote Speaker
Music by Steve Free
Speaker Harvey Wasserman, Solartopia: Our Coming Green-Powered Earth
9:00-11:00 Music and Dancing: John Simon and Friends
11:00 Music and Dancing continued: Mothman
Sunday, May 25 General Goals: Sustainability & Cooperative Strategies:
6:30 Bird Hike, Yoga Stretch or Polarity work
7:30-9:00 Breakfast: Warm, fresh, homemade granola, rice or cows milk, fruit, yogurt &
biscuits with soy protein gravy.
9:00-9:20 Introduction to the Days Activities & Announcements
9:30-10:45 Sustainability Workshops Session #4
Sessions to introduce these topics:
#1 Introduction to growing Ginseng - Chip Carroll with United Plant Savers! and
Randi Pokladnik
#2 Principles of Environmental Justice Charlie Fredrick
#3 David Coyte Small Scale Hydropower, Solar Power and Wind - Third Sun Solar
and Wind, Geoff and Michelle Greenfield plus Mark Donham
#4 Community Rights-Based Organizing and Local Democratic Self-Governance
Shireen Parsons
Session for people who want to work on (participated in) these topics:
#5 Emerging Corporate Campaigns RAN Alliance for Appalachia
#6 Permaculture Successes Rhonda Baird
#7 Successful Community Models ACE-Net, Community Food Initiatives-CFI, Lost
River Community Coop, Pine Mountain Settlement School .
10:45-11:15 Break
11:15-12:30 Sustainability Workshops Session #5
This is a repeat of Session #4 workshops
12:30-1:45 Lunch: Black Bean Soup, Portuguese corn bread, green salad w/shredded roots &
miso dressing or vinaigrette, pawpaw sorbet.
Also during lunch - Chris Schmiel Paw Paw Plenary
1:45-5:00 Field Trips, Hikes and workshops either at the camp or off site.
Off site field trips / hikes:
Shawnee Forest led by John Howard and Cheryl Carpenter
Permaculture Farm Field Trip led by Robert Klouman
At home composting led by Liska Kunn, her property is next to the camp.
Rock Run, part of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System
Tree Identification - at the camp may be one or two sessions held - times to be announced
2:00-3:30 Workshops - Sustainability Session #6
#1 Principles of Environmental Justice
#2 Ohio Student Environmental Coalition Matt Reitmann, Sonia Marcus, Head of
Ohio University’s Resource Conservation Office - “Tackling Climate Change on a College
Campus”
#3 Current Corporate Campaigns Scot Qaranda, Dogwood Alliance & Linda Wells,
ForestEthics
3:30 4:00 Break
4:00-5:30 Workshops - Sustainability Session #7
#1 Body Work Chris Keller
#2 Self Care
Cloud Watching On A Horizontal Plane
5:30- 7:00 Dinner: Veggie Curry with coconut milk, vegan cole slaw, chocolate cake &
strawberry coconut milk ice cream (vegan).
7:00 7:30 Keynote speaker: Nancy Stranahan - Arc Of Appalachia Preserve System
Sunday evening activities will be at a farm next to the camp where alcohol is allowed.
7:30-8:30 Heartwood Benefit Auction & Keg Tapping Ritual
8:30 until? Talent Show! Danny Dolinger Master of Ceremonies
Monday, May 26 General Goals: Cooperative Strategies and Action Planning
7:30-9:00 Breakfast: Wild mushroom frittata; parsnips & potato hash; vegan biscuits with
hemp & poppy seeds and nutritional yeast gravy; fruit.
9:00-10:30 Discussions about Future Actions and Campaigns and key note speaker Brock
Evans.
10:30 - 10:40 Break
10:40- 11:30 Presentation by Albert Bates, author of Post-Petroleum Survival Guide and
Cookbook: Recipes for Changing Times
or
10:40- 11:30 Memorials and Megan Hollingsworth grief work/ discussion
11:30 to 12:30 Closing Circle: Final thoughts, big ideas, and looking forward
12:30-1:30 Lunch: The weekends culinary hits revisited
1:00 Collective Action and Memorial Tree Plantings
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Cosponsor the Forest Council!
We invite you to become a co-sponsor of the 2008 Heartwood Forest Council. As a
co-sponsor, you or your organization or business will be listed in all applicable
promotional materials and have the option of setting up a display table with merchandise
and information at the event. Individuals may also co-sponsor and co-sponsors may choose
to remain anonymous.
Co-sponsorship also entitles you to a one year organizational membership in Heartwood
with full member benefits. Funds raised will be used to underwrite the event and make it
affordable for those who might otherwise be unable to attend.
For groups and organizations, we offer the following general guidelines based on annual
budget:
Suggested donation Annual budget
$25 under $25,000
$50 $25K - $100K
$100 $100K - $250K
$250 $250K - $500K
$500 $500K - $2million
$1000 $2 million or over
To cosponsor, make checks payable to “Heartwood,” and send to: Heartwood Forest Council,
PO Box 1011, Alton, IL 62002-1011. Please make sure to include your name and contact
information, and that your donation is intended for the Forest Council.
***************
Co-sponsors 2008 Heartwood Forest Council
Buckeye Forest Council (OH)
Voices for the Forest (OH)
Save Our Shawnee Forest (OH)
Meigs Citizens Action Now! (OH)
Protect Biodiversity in Public Forests (OH)
Portsmouth/Piketon Residents for Environmental Safety and Security (OH)
Appalachian Ohio Group of the Sierra Club (OH)
Ohio Sierra Club (OH)
EarthWatch Ohio (OH)
Ohio Environmental Council (OH)
Cincinnati Wildflower Preservation Society (OH)
Southwest Ohio Green Party (OH)
Southern Ohio Neighbors Group (OH)
www.getoutzine.com (OH)
Full Circle Soil (OH)
Trader Joes (Columbus, OH)
Clintonville Food Coop (OH)
Integration Acres (OH)
The Village Bakery (Athens, OH)
Annette McCormick (OH)
Kentucky Heartwood (KY)
Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KY)
Blue Grass Sierra Club (KY)
Alliance for Appalachia (regional - KY)
Concept Zero (regional - KY)
Karst Environmental Education and Protection (national - KY)
www.voiceyourself.com (international - KY)
Coal River Mountain Watch (WV)
Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (regional - WV)
West Virginia Highlands Conservancy (WV)
Citizens Coal Council (national - PA)
Allegheny Defense Project (PA)
Protect Our Woods (IN)
Indiana Forest Alliance (IN)
GreenFire Consulting (national - IN)
Permaculture Activist (international - IN)
Knob and Valley Audubon Society (IN)
www.BloomingtonAlternative.com (IN)
Shagbark (IN)
www.smalltownphotographs.com (IN)
Apple Press (IN)
Branches Magazine (IN)
www.sustainableeconomics.org (international - IN)
Regional Association of Concerned Environmentalists (IL)
Missouri Forest Alliance (MO)
Confluence (MO)
Black Bear Bakery (MO)
Newton County Wildlife Association (AR)
Bean Mountain Farms (AR)
Flora (AR)
Wild Virginia (VA)
Virginia Forest Watch (VA)
Virginians for Appropriate Roads (VA)
Living Education Center for Ecology and the Arts (VA)
Appalachian Voices (regional - NC)
Dogwood Alliance (regional - NC)
Environmental Paper Network (national - NC)
Northwoods Wilderness Recovery (regional - MI)
Superior Wilderness Action Network (regional - WI)
RESTORE: The Northwoods (regional - MA)
Global Justice Ecology Project (international - VT)
www.lowbagger.org (international - MT)
ForestEthics (international - CA)
Wild Wilderness (national - OR)
Save America’s Forests (international - DC)
The Wilderness Society (national - DC)
Big Wildlife (international - BC, Canada)
The Environmental Justice Teach-in Earth, Wind, Fire, and
Water will be repeated at NDE’s 2008 August Desert Witness
August 7-9, 2008
At Christ Episcopal Church in Las Vegas
Featuring Colonel Ann Wright and other speakers
Together with representatives of the United Methodist
Boards Peace with Justice Committee from S. California and
the islands and other local Interfaith groups, we will
commemorate the 63rd Anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
(Aug. 6th & 9th, 1945) with a vigil, listening and acting
to oppose all war and nuclear weapons at the Nevada Test
Site on the evening of Friday, August 8th, 7 10 p.m.
Please download flyer here
http://NevadaDesertExperience.org/lit/ADW08.pdf
The Spring Newsletter is now available download the May
2008 issue of Desert Voices
http://NevadaDesertExperience.org/lit/desertvoices/DesertVoices21-2.pdf
Special appeal from Takashi Tanemori:
Takashi, artist, Hiroshima survivor, and friend of Nevada
Desert Experience, will be exhibiting his art at the Atomic
Testing Museum in Las Vegas this August. This is an
excellent opportunity to bring a powerful nuclear abolition
message into a museum about nuclear weapons. He urgently
needs to raise money to properly frame each piece. Please
consider donating $50 to sponsor one of Takashi’s beautiful
art pieces about Hiroshima. Whatever amount you are able to
give, please make checks out to Takashi Tanemori and mail
them to 2020 Durant Ave. #203, Berkeley, CA 94704. Thank
you!
Here is more information from Takashi on his art and
message:
I have chosen 100 artwork out of nearly 180 series that my
9 years of research and artwork. I have tried to present
the subject, as a human drama: Japanese/American Century
Olde Love Affaires, two differing nations, seeing it from
its historical perspective. I have merely attempted to
unearth events that changed the course and destiny of
Japan, irrevocably and irreversibly from feudalism to
modern Japan that shocked the European nations and
bewildered the nation of America.
My Heart Desires for Our Exhibition at 63rd Anniversary of
Hiroshima:
This Art Exhibition at Las Vegas Atomic Testing Museum may
allow both parties [both nations of people], especially who
have fought each other, to learn the lessons from the past,
to understand and appreciate the background history of both
differing nations that can help define the genesis of the
long historical conflict between these nations and suggest
direction toward solution for human conflicts.
No matter how much we long for peace and current our
actions that are taken us to the streets for anti-war
peace-marches, I know that peace cannot be found on the
street; Peace is the reflection of ones heart
it comes
from the one looking in the mirror! This understanding has
made difference in my life, as I was able to see, as my
long journey from the charred cradle of my childhood and a
heart twisted by hatred and revenge on Americas had been
rooted in [by] darkness of my own heart! I thought about
that and I realized the problems of mankind in the world
come from the darkness in the hearts of mankind.
I now know what is important in my life: Preventing
another World War II is the only legacy that mankind asks
of us, and Peace is the only real gift that we can give
them! This is my task; this is my prayer; and this has
become the touchstone of my life.
Therefore, my artwork is only to re-enforce and re-connect
with pasthistory. At the end, we might be able to see our
own face squarely in the mirror with all blemishes,
discovering for the first time who we really are, without
any pretence, but truth and honesty where we are today in
the geo/political landscape that we have created. This
would give us the basis for us to be honest to our own
history and be enabling us to see others with our heart.
My Pictorial presentation: Bridge to Forgiveness in my
collage art form is my sincere attempt:
1. To probe the history and events that shaped and
redirected humanity, my view of the world, as a survivor of
Hiroshima.
2. More poignantly, it is my heart desire to probe deeply
into the hearts and souls of the Japanese and Americans to
find ways for healings and reconciling, especially who
fought in the war. And,
3. To discover the answer to the RIDDLE for the Sneak
Attack on Pearl Harbor, While Soldiers Slept was the root
cause and the genesis for the United States, which ushered
unwanted, but unavoidable war, declaring the Pacific War
[World War II], as we have been told
promulgated by the
President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Could it be that by providential guidance that Las Vegas
Atomic Testing Museum is giving us unprecedented GIFT
through this art exhibition for the TIME to learn from
the PAST, ACT in the PRESENT with HEART OF VISION for
the FUTURE. Together we can all be apart of creating peace
in our world!
Therefore, my pictorial presentation has been my simplistic
way of recognizing and embracing that the residue of the
past will have a dramatic influence on the future and to
mitigate our own disjunctive knowledge of the history. I
can assure you that there has no intended purpose for
incrimination and therefore there is no room is provided
for any hostility or a personal interpretation toward
either side, as the history has unfolded the events that
changed the course of humanity for it is my firm
understanding that the root cause of all human conflicts
and objectives goals of my art can be seen and understood
only in the prism of your own heartbeat.
How could we be part of efforts to go about achieving the
goal? Here is proposed idea: it is the high-time for us to
repudiate and refute, as if we are determined to drive the
final spike on the lid [cover] of coffin, in an oft-used
quotation from the history, as philosopher George Santayana
noted a century ago,Those who cannot learn from history
are doomed to repeat it? Why should we give him
continuously the pleasure of satisfaction, seeing his
prediction of the past is still stands, as the proof of
human folly? Lets bury it, forever! We could do it
together by one-forgiven-heart-at- a- time!
Contact Takashi:
Silkworm Peace Institute
[Takashi Tanemori Peace Movement]
Takashi Thomas Tanemori
2020 Durant Ave. #203
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 845-0035
Silkwormpi-usa@sbcglobal.net
Nevada Desert Experience
www.NevadaDesertExperience.org
info@NevadaDesertExperience.org
702-646-4814
Call for an Open U.S. National Antiwar Conference
Stop the War in Iraq! Bring the Troops Home Now!
2008 has ushered in the fifth year of the war against Iraq and an
occupation ?without end? of that beleaguered country. Unfortunately, the
tremendous opposition in the U.S. to the war and occupation has not yet been fully
reflected in united mass action.
The anniversary of the invasion has been marked in the U.S. by Iraq
Veterans Against the War?s (IVAW?s) Winter Soldier hearings March 13-16, in
Washington, DC, providing a forum for those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan to
expose the horrors perpetrated by the U.S. wars. A nonviolent civil
disobedience action against the war in Iraq was also called for March 19 in
Washington and local actions around the country were slated during that month as well.
These actions help to give voice and visibility to the deeply held
antiwar sentiment of this country?s majority. Yet what is also urgently needed
is a massive national mobilization sponsored by a united antiwar movement
capable of bringing hundreds of thousands into the streets to demand ?Out Now!?
Such a mobilization, in our opinion, commemorating the fifth
anniversary of the war — and held on a day agreeable to the IVAW — could have greatly
enhanced all the other activities which were part of that commemoration in the
U.S. Indeed, a call was issued in London by the World Against War Conference
on December 1, 2007 where 1,200 delegates from 43 nations, including Iraq,
voted unanimously to call on antiwar movements in every country to mobilize
mass protests against the war during the week of March 15-22 to demand that
foreign troops be withdrawn immediately.
The absence of a massive united mobilization during this period in the
United States — the nation whose weapons of terrifying mass destruction have
rained death and devastation on the Iraqi people — when the whole world will
mobilize in the most massive protests possible to mark this fifth year of war,
should be a cause of great concern to us all.
For Mass Action to Stop the War: The independent and united
mobilization of the antiwar majority in massive peaceful demonstrations in the streets
against the war in Iraq is a critical element in forcing the U.S. government to
immediately withdraw all U.S. military forces from that country, close all military
bases, and recognize the right of the Iraqi people to determine their own
destiny.
Mass actions aimed at visibly and powerfully demonstrating the will of
the majority to stop the war now would dramatically show the world that
despite the staunch opposition to this demand by the U.S. government, the struggle
by the American people to end the slaughter goes on. And that struggle will
continue until the last of the troops are withdrawn. Such actions also help
bring the people of the United States onto the stage of history as active players
and as makers of history itself.
Indeed, the history of every successful U.S. social movement, whether
it be the elementary fight to organize trade unions to defend workers? interests,
or to bring down the Jim Crow system of racial segregation, or to end the war
in Vietnam, is in great part the history of independent and united mass
actions aimed at engaging the vast majority to collectively fight in its own
interests and therefore in the interests of all humanity.
For an Open Democratic Antiwar Conference: The most effective way to
initiate and prepare united antiwar mobilizations is through convening
democratic and open conferences that function transparently, with all who attend the
conferences having the right to vote. It is not reasonable to expect
that closed or narrow meetings of a select few, or gatherings representing only one
portion of the movement, can substitute for the full participation of the
extremely broad array of forces which today stand opposed to the war.
We therefore invite everyone, every organization, every coalition,
everywhere in the U.S. ? all who oppose the war and the occupation — to attend an
open democratic U.S. national antiwar conference and join with us in
advancing and promoting the coming together of an antiwar movement in this country
with thepower to make a mighty contribution toward ending the war and
occupation of Iraq now.
Everyone is welcome. The objective is to place on the agenda of the
entire U.S. antiwar movement a proposal for the largest possible united mass
mobilization(s) in the future to stop the war and end the occupation.
Join us in Cleveland on June 28-29 for the conference.
Sponsored by the National Assembly to End the Iraq War and Occupation
P.O. Box 21008; Cleveland, OH 44121; Voice Mail: 216-736-4704; Email:
NatAssembly at aol.com
The Third Global Congress of Women
in Politics and Governance
Focus on Gender and Climate Change
October 19-22, 2008
Dusit Hotel, Makati City
Metro Manila, Philippines
1. Background and Context
Why Gender and Climate Change?
Differential impact on men and women: The Gender and Climate Change website states: “Climate change is not a neutral process; first of all, women are in general more vulnerable to the effects of climate change, not least because they represent the majority of the world’s poor and because they are more than proportionally dependent on natural resources that are threatened. The technological change and instruments that are being proposed to mitigate carbon emissions, which are implicity presented as gender-neutral, are in fact quite gender based and may negatively affect women or bypass them.
Gender, like poverty, is a cross cutting issue in climate change and needs to be recognized as such. In fact, gender and poverty are interrelated and create mutually reinforcing barriers to social change. There is a need to be strident to overcome the uninformed view of many involved in climate change that climate change is neutral, and real life examples are needed to make the alternative case clear and convincing”. (Gender and Climate Change web site: http://www.gencc.interconnection.org/about.htm)
For example, women comprised the majority of those killed and who were least likely to recover in the 2005 Asian Tsunami. In Aceh, more than 75 percent of those who died were women, resulting in a male-female ratio of 3:1 among the survivors. As so many mothers died there have been major consequences with respect to infant mortality, early marriage of girls, neglect of girls’ education, sexual assault, trafficking in women and prostitution. (In Gender aspects of climate change, Gender and Disaster Network, 2005/REF).
If action on climate change is partly about reducing vulnerability and building resilience, then is it important that vulnerable groups do not suffer disproportionately from its adverse effects. Women figure among such vulnerable groups. (Point de vue, Bulletin African Bioressources, October 2001).
Lack of Women’s participation: Women and environment experts have raised concern over the absence of women in the discourse and debate on climate change, a global mainstream issue that is currently impacting the entire world.
A document from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development states: “An overall assessment of the climate change debate to date shows women are patently absent in the decision-making process. Their contributions in environmental policies are largely ignored. Decision-making and policy formulation at environmental levels such as conservation, protection and rehabilitation, and environmental management are predominantly male agenda. The climate change debate is an indicator of how gender issues tend to be omitted, leaving room for complex market-driven notions equated in terms of emission reductions, fungibility and flexible mechanisms. Nevertheless, in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development reflected in Agenda 21, one notes the key role ascribed to women as principle actors in the management of natural resources and the development of sustainable and ecologically sound policies. Perhaps the fact that there are few trained women environmental specialists tends to accentuate this gender deficit in environmental policy. Institutional weakness in women’s organizations and under-representation informal decision-making are factors that lend to swing the pendulum away from their oft-valuable input.”
Women can contribute to the solution: The involvement of women in areas of environmental management and governance should not be perceived as an afterthought. Women’s roles are of considerable importance in the promotion of environmental ethics. Their efforts in waste management through recycling and re-use of resources are an indication of the extent of their significant input to community development. Women in rural areas, due to their daily contact with the natural habitat for the provision of food, fodder and wood, tend to have sound ecological knowledge that could be useful in environmental planning and governance.
Women must understand and engage in mainstream issues. Gender must therefore be taken up as part and parcel of these issues. Women must understand these mainstream issues and how women are affected by it as well as how women can become part of the solution. In this spirit, the Third Global Congress of Women in Politics and Governance will be organized in October 19-22, 2008 and its focus will be on gender and climate change.
“Discussions on action to alleviate the impacts of climate change is not simply a scientific debate. It is about questioning the ability of countries and their people’s to anticipate and respond effectively to the adverse human and physical effects of climate change. From a livelihood perspective, poor communities are potentially the big losers in the scramble for markets within the overall emissions trading and climate policy debates. Thus, efforts must be devoted to creating a situation in which all stakeholders – women included - can derive some benefit. Measures should include the demystification of the climate change issues in order to generate popular consensus… It is about creating opportunities that the poor could benefit from; giving them greater responsibility in environmental management, creating environmentally friendly technologies that would generate revenue and jobs. “(Fatma Denton, Point de Vue, p. 2)
The current imperative is for women to understand the phenomenon of climate change and its impacts and implications at individual, household, community and national levels. “Studies show that women have a definite information deficit on climate politics and climate protection.” (Gender and Climate Change - a forgotten issue? In Tiempo Climate Newswatch)
Also, there is an urgent need for political leaders and legislators to commit to creating an enabling environment for responding to climate change and to address disaster risk reduction at a national and international level. More and more politicians and legislators have shown growing interest in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, but much of this has been concentrated in Europe. It is vitally important to extend the dialogue and to involve legislators from different regions, especially those most vulnerable to the impact of disasters and climate change. (The First Consultative Meeting of Parliamentarians for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, 21-23, April 2008, Manila, Philippines, Concept Note)
2. Objectives of the Congress
Specifically, the Congress will have the following objectives:
Overall Purpose: To provide a forum for women legislators at all levels in formulating gender-responsive legislation.
Specific Objectives:
a). To understand the phenomenon of climate change, its impacts and implications;
b). To review and examine the gender aspects of climate change and formulate appropriate actions to address such;
c). To define the roles women can play in addressing the impacts of climate change at global, national and sub-national levels; and
d). To identify and define the action agenda for policy advocates and parliamentarians to support global and national actions to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
3. Papers
The discussion on gender and climate change will be organized around identifying the challenges to action, as well as defining the appropriate responses to effectively address the impacts of climate change. Inputs to the discussion will be collected and organized around: 1) geographic location; and 2) types of actions i.e. preparedness; risk reduction; building community resilience; adaptation; and mitigation. Cross-cutting these discussions will be the identification of technologies in aid of responding to climate change.
The focus of the discussions will resolve around defining and elaborating actions (i.e. preparedness, disaster risk reduction, adaptation and mitigation) to cope with climate change and its impacts.
Preparedness and disaster risk reduction is about building individual and community capacities to position themselves and their communities so that the likelihood of climate change-induced disasters is reduced; the intensity or adverse impacts of disasters are cushioned and that inhabitants are able to respond promptly, expeditiously and effectively. Adaptation entails actions to moderate harm or exploit benefits of climate change. Mitigation entails actions that minimizes or cushions the adverse impacts of climate change.
In all these actions, special attention will be given to defining how women and gender could be mainstreamed. In other words, the Congress should define how women can be given the social space to participate, influence and benefit from global and local responses to climate change.
Proposed Plenary Papers
· Global Perspective in Climate Change: Impacts and Implications for Women
· What Can Women Do About Climate Change? A Proposed Action Agenda
· Mainstreaming Gender Perspectives in Disaster Risk Reduction Processes
Environment organizations and all the other participants are welcome to share papers for distribution during the Congress. These papers should be emailed in advance so that they can be included in the CD of resource materials that will be distributed to the participants during the Congress.
4. Knowledge Fair/Exhibition on Gender and Climate Change
A knowledge fair/Exhibition on Gender and Climate Change will be organized at the venue of the Congress: The Dusit Hotel. Participating organizations are invited to exhibit their materials for display or for sale. Those who are interested should contact the Secretariat to make their booth reservations. There will be minimal charges for the rental of the booth. This is aside from the space that will be made available for all organizations to display and distribute materials that you would like to share with the other participants.
5. Expected Output
Expected Outputs:
· Gender Responsive Legislative Agenda on Climate change
6. Who Can Join?
· Women Parliamentarians
· Women in Decision-Making and Governance
· Youth Leaders
· Environment Organizations
· Funding/donor organizations/agencies
· Members of media
7. Venue of the Congress
The Dusit Hotel, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines (www.dusit.com.ph)
8. About the Organizer
Global Network of Women in Politics
The Global Network of Women in Politics is a project of the Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP). It is a loose network of organizations and individuals who are committed to the agenda of transformation in leadership, politics and communities.
This network is committed to be the forum for Women Parliamentarians to meet every two years and learn about relevant gender issues that will enable them to promote gender responsive legislation.
From the beginning, CAPWIP has recognized the need for broad international support to effectively promote women’s participation in politics. The Center studied previous efforts to create a global network for WIP. They found that some of the factors that hindered the creation of an effective network were that efforts had been confined either to a small group of elite women or research institutes and/or that it had a narrow focus of interest. Realizing that CAPWIP has no real model for a global network, the group decided to work slowly toward their ultimate objective.
Time and again, CAPWIP took advantage of opportunities to talk about what it was doing. One such break was the 1994 Taipei Global Summit on Women’s Leadership in Politics. The summit brought together women interested in WIP and key CAPWIP personalities, among them Supartra Masdit, Kanwaljit Soin, Sylvia Ordonez, Irene Santiago, Sochua Leiper, Annette Lu Hsiu Lien, Leticia Ramos Shahani, Kao Tien Shang, Anne Summers, and Solita Monsod. International luminaries included Bella Abzug, Monica Barnes, Joaquima Alemay, Betty Bigombe and Kazimiera Prunskiene. The group agreed to work towards forming a global network and to meet at the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the Beijing World Conference to be held in New York in March 1995.
At the PrepCom, CAPWIP posted its invitation for a “Planning Workshop for the Preparatory Activities in Beijing for the Organization of the Global Network of Women in Politics.” Hosted by the African-American Institute, the 17 March workshop was attended by a large group of women which included: Christine Pintat (Inter Parliamentary Union); Anita Amlen (Swedish Federaton of Liberal Women); Jytee Lindgard (National Council of Women in Denmark); Sdalwa Sharawy Gomaa (Social Research Center, Egypt); Malena de Montis (Centro Para La Participation Democratica y El Desarrollo, Nicaragua); Nadia Raveles (Women’s Parliament Forum, Surinam); Dr. Pam Rajput (Punjab University); Slote Wananisan (Fiji Mission to the UN); Dr. Ilina Sen; NandiniAsad (Working Women’s Forum, India), and Ayesha Khanam (Bangladesh Mahila Parishad). The African-American Institute, which had planned a WIP meting in Botswana, later hosted the Planning Meeting for the Global Network of WIP held in Beijing.
Several steering committees were formed that would produce Regional WIP Platforms for Action for the Beijing Women’s Conference. Focal points were established for the different regions: Nadia Raveles for Africa, Jytee Lindagard for Europe-North America, CAPWIP for Asia-Pacific, Salwa Gomaa for West Asia, and Malena de Montis for Latin America-Caribbean.
It was also agreed that a Global Network of Women in Politics (GLOBALNET) would be organized and incorporated in the Philippines, with CAPWIP serving as the permanent secretariat. In 1995, GLOBALNET was formally incorporated with Ms Remmy Rikken as president.
Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP)
The CENTER FOR ASIA-PACIFIC WOMEN IN POLITICS (CAPWIP) is a non-partisan, non-profit and non-governmental regional organization dedicated to promoting equal participation of women in politics, governance and decision-making. CAPWIP was established in 1992 by a group of women from the Asia-Pacific region who have defined their paradigm for change as:
Politics that is both TRANSFORMED and TRANSFORMATIONAL.
TRANSFORMED because…
it uses power to create change, to develop people,
and to build communities;
it is non-hierarchical and participatory in its
structures and processes; and
it accords priority to the disadvantaged sectors,
such as the poor grassroots women in rural and
urban areas and indigenous women;
TRANSFORMATIONAL because…
it is development-oriented, issue-based,
and gender-responsive;
it seeks economic, social, and political equity between sexes
and among sectors; and
it builds a society that is just and humane and
a way of life that is sustainable.
CAPWIP operates through a network of national affiliates clustered into five sub-regional groupings: Central Asia, East Asia, Pacific, South Asia and Southeast Asia. These sub-regional coordinating focal points and national affiliates are autonomous organizations actively involved in women’s political empowerment in their respective countries.
CAPWIP supports its network through technical assistance in organizational and program planning, training, research and information sharing, advocacy and networking. CAPWIP receives administrative and program support through voluntary contributions from its board members and grants from bilateral and multilateral aid agencies such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Asia-Pacific Gender Equality Network (UNDP-APGEN), Regional Programme on Governance in the Asia-Pacific (UNDP-PARAGON), Southeast Asia Gender Equity Programme of the Canadian International Development Agency (SEAGEP-CIDA), United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
CAPWIP’s programs on training include developing modules and training programs for women’s leadership and responsible citizenship based on the framework of transformative leadership and conducts trainer’s training for women’s political empowerment, transformative leadership and gender-responsive governance.
The CAPWIP Institute for Gender, Governance and Leadership (CIGGL) aims to provide trainings to women and men involved in:
Electoral politics (in all levels: national, provincial, city/municipality)
The bureaucracy (in all levels: national, provincial, city/municipality)
Political parties (officials and members)
Training institutes (government, private sectors and non-government)
The development of governance policies, programs and projects
Working with NGOs, civil society groups interested in gender, governance and leadership; or
Women and men who are simply interested in the question of gender, governance and leadership
9. Secretariat
Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP)
4227-4229 Tomas Claudio Street Baclaran, Parañaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines,
Tel: (632) 8516934; Tele Fax:(632) 8522112; mobile phone 632 0918 940 3711
Email: globalcongress2008@gmail.com; globalcongress2008@capwip.org; capwip@capwip.org
Web: www.capwip.org; www.onlinewomeninpolitics.org
10. Cost Per Participant
Single Accommodation: US$ 1,950
Twin Sharing Accommodation: US$ 1,550
These fees are INCLUSIVE of:
Congress fees
Transfer in and out of the hotel
Accommodations at the designated hotels
All congress materials
All meals during the congress
Accommodations (excluding meals) for one night before the congress (October 18, 200 
This fee, which does NOT include airfare and airport terminal fees is non-refundable and must be paid in advance as soon as the reservation to the Congress is confirmed. Congress fee payments should be sent/remitted to:
Account Name: Center for Asia-Pacific Women in Politics or CAPWIP
Account Number: 710 271000417 4
Account Type: Dollar Savings Account
Bank’s Name: Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (METROBANK)
Bank’s Address: Magallanes Branch, Paseo de Magallanes, Magallanes Village, Makati City, PHILIPPINES
Swift Code: MBTCPHMMXXXX
Unfortunately, scholarships are NOT available from the organizers. You are encouraged to seek your own funding from various donor/funding agencies or your own institutions. The organizers will rely solely on the congress fees to fund the congress expenses.
Please email us a copy of the wire transfer/remittance document as soon as funds have been remitted. Also, bring this document to the Congress for verification. Payments upon arrival are NOT allowed. All participants must confirm their attendance on or before July 31, 2008. If we get fully booked before this date, you will be informed. This is the reason why you are all encouraged to book as early as possible. All accommodation types are available on a first-come first-served basis. If you are alone and you would like to request for a twin accommodation, we will inform you if we can pair you with another participants, otherwise, you may have to pay for a single room.
Accommodations beyond the congress period can be arranged. Participants will have to pay for the hotel charges in advance to secure the booking. These will also be remitted to the CAPWIP account.
11. Congress Schedule
19-22 October 2008
Congress is scheduled on October 19-22, 2008 .Participants are required to arrive one day before (Oct. 1 the start of the Congress and leave the day after the last Congress day (Oct 23,200 . This fee only includes the accommodation for the Oct 18, 2008 all meals for the October 18 is for the personal account of the participants. Depending on your departure schedule, all meals for the October 23, 2008 except for the breakfast will be on the personal account of the participants. Meals for personal account of the participants will have to be paid in cash every time you incur them at the hotel. Charging of personal accounts in restaurant outlets of the hotel will not be allowed.
12. Target Participants
· Women Parliamentarians
· Women in Decision - Making and Governance
· Political Parties
· Environment Organizations
· Youth Leaders
· Media Practitioners
· Funding/donor agencies/organizations
Note: The policy of “first come first served” will be applied in selecting the participants from among the applicants. Therefore, it is best that registration is made at the earliest possible time.
12. Accommodations
The participants’ accommodation will be booked at the venue of the training (Dusit Hotel) and other hotels in the same vicinity, all within walking distance from the Congress venue. For purposes of organization, the assignment of the hotels will be on a “first come first served” basis. The first that will confirm and pay their fees will be given accommodations at the hotel venue.
13. Registration
Please download the congress’ information sheet and registration form here and email/send it, together with your latest curriculum vitae or bio data, latest electronic photo (2×2) and a one (1) page narrative explaining your reason/s for joining the Congress. Send these to:
The Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP),
4229 Tomas Claudio Street Baclaran, Parañaque City, Philippines
Tel: (632) 8516934;Tele Fax (632) 8522112; Mobile +639189403711
E-mail: globalcongress2008@gmail.com; globalcongress2008@capwip.org;
capwip@capwip.org
