From: beijing-conf-digest-owner@confer.edc.org To: beijing-conf-digest@confer.edc.org Subject: Beijing Women's Conference Digest V2 #3 Reply-To: beijing-conf@confer.edc.org Errors-To: beijing-conf-digest-owner@confer.edc.org Precedence: Beijing Women's Conference Digest Wednesday, 7 June 1995 Volume 02 : Number 003 In this issue: Sending Girls to Beijing Re: re: China Re: Getting on-line with Beijing Conference re: China Re: Docs on status of women in UN countries Re: re: China Report on Visit of Getrude Mongella to New Delhi (fwd) Women and Environment Panel at UN Asia-Pacific Women's Action Network Re: LATimes article Re: List Announcement: Fourth World Conference on Women Re[3]: China Re: re: China Negotiations with China on NGO Forum Re: List Announcement: Fourth World Conference on Women site information Re: List Announcement: Fourth World Conference on Women Re: re: China See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the Beijing Women's Conference or Beijing-Conf-Digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: JaniceB@edc.org Date: Fri, 02 Jun 95 16:12:46 EST Subject: Sending Girls to Beijing Hello from Duluth, Minnesota. I am writing on behalf of the Girls International Forum, a non-profit organization created to empower girls to take action on issues affecting them now and in the future. The goal of GIF is to support girls through education and advocacy. One of our most important (and pressing) projects is to send a delegation of 15 girls and 5 women chaperons to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing this summer. Six of the girls have been working on this project since its inception. They developed their interest in it via their participation on the Girls Editorial Board of New Moon: The Magazine for Girls and Their Dreams. The other nine girls come from around the U.S. and have been chosen for participation based on a variety of factors. The group of girls is diverse racially, economically, geographically, and culturally. Before, during and after the girls and their adult chaperons attend the conference, they will share widely their experience through public presentations, workshops, media interviews, and reporting. We are pleased to report that we have received a grant to cover the girls' travel, lodging, and conference participation. Unfortunately, we are still in need of money to cover the travel expenses of the women chaperons. This is a most urgent matter, because if the women chaperons don't go, the girls won't go either. Any assistance and/or advice would be most welcome. We also need assistance in the distribution of questions which will help us formulate a "Girls Agenda". Our intention is to present the "Girls Agenda" to the conference. We want girls to write us about these questions and we'll include their writing in the document which we prepare for Beijing. Some of the responses will also be published in New Moon: A Magazine for Girls and Their Dreams. Could you please copy these questions and give them to girls, teachers, girls' groups, etc., so as many girls as possible can have a voice in the "Girls Agenda"? Questions for the Girls Agenda: What girls' issues should the conference discuss? What is the biggest problem for girls today? What are girls' greatest strengths around the world? What can you and your friends do to make things better for girls? What can adults do to make things better for girls? Send responses, names, and addresses by June 30, 1995 to: Girls International Forum, 2127 Columbus Ave, Duluth, MN 55803, Phone 218-728-5507, Fax: 218-728-0314. To date, at least two reporters will be following our progress at the conference. The Knight Ridder organization is sending a reporter from the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and another reporter from the Duluth News Tribune is going along on her own. We also intend to send reports back to the United States from the conference via National and Minnesota Public Radio. Additionally, the girls will have press credentials and will as reporters while in attendance. If you have any further questions, comments, suggestions, or assistance please do not hesitate to contact us at the above listed numbers or by e-mail. Thanks for your help. Deborah Petersen-Perlman Member, Girls International Forum ------------------------------ From: amckean@bucs.cbu.edu Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 19:40:55 -0500 Subject: Re: re: China So the rich can have children and the poor can't or should not?? Could there possibly be a problem with economic distribution of wealth...just maybe, huh???? To abort their babies is to ignore the real problem. That doesn't make sense. Ann ------------------------------ From: PeacEdNow@aol.com Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 22:28:42 -0400 Subject: Re: Getting on-line with Beijing Conference Re << Lois West, professor of sociology/women's studies at Florida International University. The FIU Women's Studies Center is accredited with the UN women's conference >> I'd like to work with you, Lois, and any others who will be going to the Beijing conference, to provide "real-life" activities for middle school, high school, college, and "real-life" women... before, during and after the conference. Please contact me individually if you're interested ... Sue Blythe Gainesville FL ------------------------------ From: Carmen Luke Date: Sat, 3 Jun 1995 18:16:53 +1000 (EST) Subject: re: China Excuse me but I find this post a bit offensive. A radical pop. control policy cannot be foisted on people with correlative (preferrably preceding) 'ideological' changes in cultural values. What are you implying by saying that people who are poor shouldn't have children? So, affluent groups are ok to have kids?? Women & men must learn 'responsibility'?? Responsiblity according to northern Euro-American standards? For many women, having children is their only means of economic security in many patriarchal regimes. In countries colonized by Catholicism, and a Pope sliding to the right of Ghengis Khan in his old age, what are the alternatives for millions of women? I think we need to realize that the 'population' problem has been placed squarely at the groins of 'irresponsible' women in developing countries, and your commentary -- I'm sorry to say -- illustrates that kind of attitude. Carmen Luke Carmen.Luke@jcu.edu.au On Wed, 31 May 1995 etwomey@state.ma.us wrote: > > Seamus Grimes: > > I must respond to your comments about China's Population Control > movement. If China did not have a population control policy there would be > dire circumstances. It is important for birth control to be cheap in > countries where women can't afford it, and if that doesn't work abortion > which should be a last resort measure. Women and men who are poor should not > be bringing in additional children into the world. Women and men must learn > responsibility. If they can't afford children, don't bring them into the > world. > ------------------------------ From: Gautam Yadama Date: Sat, 3 Jun 1995 13:04:03 -0500 (CDT) Subject: Re: Docs on status of women in UN countries Jacqueline asked for any new books from the UN on women. Here is a short list: Women in a Changing Global Economy (1995) The World's Women 1970-1995 (Due out in July 1995). Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN) also publishes a Statistical compendium on Women in the Asian and Pacific Region. Additional info on UN documents is available from UN Publications. Their email: aviles@un.org Gautam Yadama ------------------------------ From: Kimberley LeClair Date: Sun, 04 Jun 1995 15:17:21 AST Subject: Re: re: China Dear Professor Grimes, 2/3 of the women in this world are illiterate. Women own only 1% of the land in this world. 70% of the women of this world live in poverty.(I think these things are common knowledge) Perhaps we might look at the problem from a different perspective. Perhaps the education of women might help the population problem. In Narobi it has been shown that women who were educated had fewer children. Unfortunately education has primarily occurred in and around the cities. What is needed is the education of women no matter where they are located. What the world must do is ensure that the women are given an education. What is needed is a new relationship, a new partnership with men. We have to work together. There is too much at stake as we all know. Currently we live in a society that voices egalatarian principles - --we can make this a reality. Great strides have been made in the west at present but there is much room for improvement. Success has been with the middle and upper class. Currently young women of lower socio-economic status are getting pregnant and the cycle continues-- lack of education and thereby further pregnancies. Young women quit going to school and thereby end up in a similar position of those in developing countries. We in the west deal with it by paying higher taxes so that these people are taken care of. Hence the cycle continues. The mother is the first educator of the child. Educate the mother, she will educate her children. Kimberley LeClair > ------------------------------ From: CTC National Office Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 11:25:04 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Report on Visit of Getrude Mongella to New Delhi (fwd) From: Canada Tibet Committee 4675 Coolbrook, Montreal, Qc H3X 2K7 tel: 514-487-0665; fax: 514-487-7825; E-mail: fourniel@ERE.UMontreal.CA ____________________________________________________________________________ New Delhi, June 2, 1995 AN UPDATE ON THE TIBETAN WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION TO THE BEIJING CONFERENCE The Secretary General of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Mrs. Gertrude Mongella and the Chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), Mrs. Patricia Licuanan were in New Delhi on an official visit in connection with the upcoming Beijing Conference. On June 2, the United Nations Information Centre organised an encounter with the Media and one with the NGOs, mainly to disseminate information regarding the Beijing Conference. During the morning session with the media, both the speakers briefed the Press about issues relating to the Conference. Mrs. Mongella's talk focussed on the importance of this upcoming conference and the fact that this would be a "conference of committments of Nations, moving beyond identifying problems but rather seeking solutions and possible actors." The chairperson of CSW explained the need for the conference and expressed optimism about reaching a consensus on the "Draft Platform for Action" regarding issues that are presently in brackets. During the question answer session, about 15 questions were raised, mainly in the Indian context. Two questions were specifically raised about exiled Tibetan women's participation to Beijing.. Mrs. Mongella's response was that some issues were "political" and "the question of Tibetan NGOs is under consideration, taking into consideration the sovereignity of the state." To a question about participation of HIV positive applicants, Taiwan and Tibetan women to the Conference, she remarked that China has "suspended screening of HIV" during this conference completely ignoring the Tibetan and Taiwanese issue. During the encounter with NGOs in the afternoon session, Mrs. Mongella stressed that not everybody will be able to go to Beijing but "those few NGOs attending the Beijing Conference can carry the voice of the majority." In the question answer session, about ten questions were raised, mainly by representatives of Indian NGOs. In response to a question relating to the site of the NGO Forum, Mrs. Mongella remarked that in the light of the ongoing talks she would prefer not to make any comments at present. To a direct question on the issue of Chinese visas for the Tibetan women, Mrs. Mongella stated, "it is a conference on women and not on China. If we lose sight of the goal we will compromise the majority of women." She continued to state that regarding visas each country follows its own national interest and this is China's internal problem and will be accordingly dealt with. Furthermore, she said the issue should be within the agenda of the Conference and warned that "sympathisers should not be carried away." The Tibetan delegates also questioned her on the participation of Tibetan NGOs to the NGO Forum, since it is a United Nations sponsored conference and not a Conference by China. Mrs. Mongella simply reiterated that it was upto the NGO Facilitating Committee. Towards the end of the meeting, Mrs. Mongella seemed rather agitated by the repeated questions on Tibetan women. The representatives of the Women's Issues Desk of DIIR, Tibetan Youth Congress and the Tibetan Women's Association from Dharamsala, submitted open letters to Mrs. Mongella and Mrs. Patricia Licuanan. During both the sessions, information kit and other materials were distributed to the Press and the NGOs. VOA, Observer, The Sydney Morning Herald, Philippine Inquirer and Asmita Monthly, a Nepalese Women's magazine covered the Tibetan Issue. - 30 - ------------------------------ From: beij-mod@ssi.edc.org Date: Mon, 05 Jun 95 14:06:57 EST Subject: Women and Environment Panel at UN From: UNEP Information Subject: WOMEN AND ENV PANEL AT UN FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE HIGH-LEVEL PANEL ON WOMEN AND ENVIRONMENT HIGHLIGHTS WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY ACTIVITIES AT UNITED NATIONS NEW YORK, 1 June 1995 -- World Environment Day 1995 will be commemorated at United Nations Headquarters on Monday, 5 June, with a high-level panel presentation on "Women and the Environment". Sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, the New York panel will take place from 10 a.m. to noon in Conference Room 1, UN Headquarters, New York City. Conclusions and recommendations from the event will form an important contribution to the World Conference on Women, to be held in Beijing, China, in September, at which women and the environment will be a featured topic for consideration. The panelists are: NAFIS SADIK, Executive Director, UNFPA; NOELEEN HEYZER, Director, UNIFEM; JOANNE FOX-PRZEWORSKI, Director of UNEP, North American Office, New York; ELLA CISNEROS, Founder and President, Together Foundation, Venezuela; DAVID SUZUKI, Scientist and Broadcaster, Vancouver, Canada; The Moderator is MONA YAZDI GRIESER, Senior Advisor on Gender for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), GreenCOM Project, Washington. Recording artists TOM CHAPIN and SALLY ROGERS will perform at a private reception following the panel presentation. Also at the reception, the prestigious UNEP GLOBAL 500 award will be presented to GEORGE SCHALLER of Roxbury, Connecticut, the sole North American among 27 individuals and groups worldwide elected this year to the Global 500 Roll of Honour for outstanding contributions to the cause of environmental conservation. George Schaller has spent many years in remote and rugged places studying the natural history of rare animals and fighting for their survival. As Director of Wildlife Conservation International, a division of the New York Zoological Society, Schaller and staff have helped establish more than 50 wildlife reserves around the world. World Environment Day is celebrated each year on 5 June to focus global attention on environmental action and awareness. With the theme in 1995 of "We the Peoples, United for the Global Environment", the Day also honours this year's 50th anniversary of the United Nations. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972, World Environment Day is a people's event, with Governments and communities organizing clean-up campaigns, tree plantings, street rallies, bicycle parades, green concerts, essay competitions in schools, recycling efforts and much more. Each year UNEP, the UN body responsible for coordinating World Environment Day activities, chooses a theme and selects a capital city as the main venue for international celebrations, which this year will be Pretoria, South Africa. Activities in South Africa will include an inter-denominational religious service led by ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU, a festival with an environment theme in Pretoria's largest square, an art exhibit on the environment in the capital's Art Museum, a tree planting ceremony at the Botanical Garden and Research Institute and, on 5 June, the presentation of UNEP Global 500 awards at the Opera State Theatre with the President of the Republic of South Africa, NELSON MANDELA, in attendance. The ceremony will also showcase some of South Africa's most talented performers and will be broadcast live. * * * For further information, please contact: Mr. Terry Collins, Senior Information Officer, UNEP Regional Office for North America, tel: (1-212) 963-8098; fax: (1-212) 963-7341; e-mail: collinst@un.org An information kit containing articles and editorials on the state of the environment is available. UNEP News Release 1995/39 ------------------------------ From: JaniceB@edc.org Date: Fri, 02 Jun 95 14:46:56 EST Subject: Asia-Pacific Women's Action Network ----------------------------------------------------------------- NEWSLETTER - The International Communication Project - proudly presents from its 22nd issue: ----------------------------------------------------------------- Half the World, Half the Power Ten Points to Save Beijing by the Human Rights Council of the Asia-Pacific Women's Action Network (APWAN), Philippines The globalisation of women's rights has in a way detracted us from the analyses of our subordination and oppression. We must continue to locate the context of our struggle in our realities. The push to merely identify action-oriented recommendations for the Platform for Action may deny us the political analysis crucial in developing the ideology and thrust of our alternative movements. Thus, the APWAN collective asserts that we must construct a political focus to issues we have identified as our concerns in the region. This will be our contribution to the women's movement and the Asia Pacific contribution to Beijing. 1. We must address the structural causes of Third World poverty and underdevelopment. The dominant scheme of world economics has given birth to multilateral monsters like the IMF-World Bank, the WTO and the International Financial Institutions. Seemingly by the mandate of Third World dependency or debt, these institutions have taken the task of economic policy-making imposed on Third World countries without accountability as to the consequences of this policy. These consequences aggravate poverty conditions, destitution and war due to economic inequality. 2. Violence against women - whether within the family or the community, whether perpetrated publicly or privately, by groups or individual, in the parent state or in another - must be stopped. Rape, battering, and all forms of violence continue to haunt women wherever they may be. 3. Environmental degradation in the name of development has caused land displacement of communities, natural and man-made disasters, bastardisation of culture and forced migration from the rural to the urban centres. 4. Reproductive rights as human rights which include women's right to life, health, and control over their reproductive choices should be the framework for family planning programmes. Population is a development issue and cannot be viewed simply as a mere issue of population control. Women's voices must not be used to legitimise anti-women, anti-poor, and anti-nature population control. 5. The excesses of religious fundamentalism, ethnic, cultural and communal conflict must be exposed and stopped. These have resulted in intolerance, discrimination, abuse and armed conflict of communities that further enhanced violence against women. 6. The right of peoples and nations to self-determination must be upheld. The land rights of indigenous people must be respected. Their right to exist as a people or as a culture must be preserved. 7. Governments should take steps to curb the traffic of women whether for prostitution or for exploitative labour. The number of internal and external refugees because of military or economic strife continues to increase. Refugees and migrant workers must be afforded the fullest protection, and the cause of their mostly involuntary exile must be abated. 8. The growing trend of militarism and militarisation must be stopped. National security acts and total war strategies under the guise of maintaining political stability have caused widespread violations of human rights. 9. All forms of rape and military sexual slavery against women during armed conflict situations should be recognised as a war crime and a crime against humanity. We must work toward the peaceful resolution of conflict. Women who are survivors of this gross human rights violation should be given individual compensation and reparation by the governments who perpetrated the crimes. 10. Peace and disarmament must be a major agenda of the Beijing Conference. There can be no peace without disarmament. Contact: APWAN Manila Secretariat, 4L Fil-Garcia Ave.; Diliman, Quezon City Philippines tel.: 632-9246406; fax: 632-9246381 APWAN Partners Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD); Pesticides Action Network Asia-Pacific (PAN-AP); Asian Migrant Workers Centre (AMWC); Coalition Against Trafficking of Women - Asia-Pacific (CTW-AP); Asian Peasant Women's Network (APWN); Asian Indigenous Women's Institute of Technolgy, Gender and Development Programme (AIT-GENDEV); Women's Studies Department of Chiangmai University; GABRIELA (Philippines); Korean Women's Hotline (South Korea); Indian Coordination Unit for Beijing and several Thai groups based in Bangkok; World Alliance of Breastfeeding Associations (WABA); South East Asia Women's Information (SEAWIN); Asian Pacific Resource and Research Center for Women (ARROW); Committee for Asian Women (CAW); the Asian Women's Association of Japan; National Committee for Beijing of Sri Lanka; APLWD, Kayanamitra - Indonesia; Asia Pacific Bureau of Adult Education (ASPBAE); ISIS International; Vanuatu Women's Crissis Center; Aprotech Asia; Philippine National Steering Committee for Beijing; East Asia Women's Forum-Japan; Foundation for Women - Thailand; Lesbian Rights Advocates; Coalition of Australian Participating Organizations of Women for Beijing (CAPOW) Australia; SIMORGH Collective - Pakistan; Women's Studies Center, Beijing Foreign Studies University - China; Christian Conference of Assia - Women's Programme; Cambodia Human Rights Outreach; Cambodian Women's Development Association; Human Rights Task Force on Cambodia - Women's Rights Desk; ASK Bangladesh; ACFOD - - Women's Committee; COAL - Australia; AGHS Legal Aid Cell - - Pakistan; Asian Women's Human Rights Council (AWHRC). ------------------------------ From: JaniceB@edc.org Date: Fri, 02 Jun 95 14:57:21 EST Subject: Re: LATimes article Here's the last half of an article written about the Beijing conference. It is interesting because it deals with internal political situation in Beijing currently which hasn't appeared in other publications. LAWest@eworld.com Los Angeles Times, May 24, 1995, A4 "China Has Put U.N. Convention at Risk, Groups Warn." by Rone Tempest, Times Staff Writer .... So far the Chinese government has not responded to protests and emands by the NGO forum which wants its representatives closer to the U.N. event so they can meet with and lobby official delegates. Forum organizers have asked U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali to intervene on their behalf. The U.N. conference itself is in danger of being canceled or, more likely, transferred to another country. "Right now, the Chinese are offering a Hobson's choice," said a Western diplomate in Beijing. "It's either Huairou or nothing." But other diplomats detect room to negotiate. So far, for example, the Chinese have made little attempt to defend Huairou in their official press. Part of the problem is the government's ambivalence about whether even to host the U.N. women's conference. The event is certain to focus world attention on Chinese human rights abouses and expose the Chinese people to thousands of independent, freethinking women. Besides the non-government representatives and 10,000 official delegates, an estimated 5,000 journalists are expected to attend. When China first bid to host the women's conference in 1990, the government saw it as a means--along with an (unsuccessful) effort to host the 2000 Olympic Games--to restore this country's global prestige after the bloody June 4, 1989, army crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators inthe capital's Tian an Men Square. But since then, China has seen its international status rise, largely because of its booming economy. Meanwhile, it finds itself in a fragile political mood as it prepares for the leadership succession to ailing 90-year-old leader Deng Xiaoping. More recently, the host city of Beijing has been embroiled in a tense corruption scandal involving several leaders responsible for dealing with the women's conference. A deputy major of Beijing involved in planning the conference committed suicide during the corruption probe; another official, Beijing Communist Party leder Chen Xitong, was forced to resign to is reportedly under house arrest. In short, what seemd an attractive way to win world recongnition now represents to Chinese officials a potential political nightmare. Meantime, Huairou's shortcomings are clear to any visitor who makes the hourlong drive norths. The city has only a handful of mostly second-rate hotels. As a result, many delegates will be asked to stay in a still-unconstructed tent city in the peak of late summer when temperatures exceed 90 degrees. Meeting halls, communications facilities and transportation are lacking. The main meeting hall, a 1,700-seat converted movie theatre, is still under renovation. [END]. ------------------------------ From: MULLERC@acfcluster.nyu.edu Date: Thu, 25 May 1995 22:43:54 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: List Announcement: Fourth World Conference on Women I would like more info on the "We the Peeoples" conference, but I did not see an email address for Sharyle Patton, Commonwealth Citiaens Network? Can anyone help me? thanks Cecily Muller email: ceci@apc.ipc.org ------------------------------ From: JaniceB@edc.org Date: Mon, 05 Jun 95 15:48:42 EST Subject: Re[3]: China I understand Ann's indignation about rich countries urging poor countries to have fewer children. However, realistically, there there are short term and long term solutions. The Social Summit tried to address the longer-term solution of redistribution of wealth, enjoining Summit participant countries to commit a minimum percent of GNP to development assistance. Yet the political reality is that many wealthy countries are CUTTING their development assistance -- the US, for example, is cutting its already paultry assistance allocation (now under 1%, it will be cut further if the current Congressional leaders have their way). Thus, realistically, it will take a long time to bring about redistribution of wealth. In the short term, countries can take better care of their children if they have fewer children. It is also worth noting that studies suggest that *women* in developing countries often want fewer children but do not use birth control because their husbands don't approve. There are also clear statistics that show an inverse relationship between fertility (number of children a woman has) and education, i.e., the more educated the women the more likely they will limit the number of children. The question is, what can the Women's Conference achieve that will support both redistribution of wealth between countries and (I believe equally important) among men and women within countries, How should such agreements be implemented, monitored? ------------------------------ From: Dina Kasrawi Date: Mon, 05 Jun 95 15:51:30 EDT Subject: Re: re: China On Fri, 2 Jun 1995 19:40:55 -0500 said: >So the rich can have children and the poor can't or should not?? >Could there possibly be a problem with economic distribution of >wealth...just maybe, huh???? To abort their babies is to ignore >the real problem. That doesn't make sense. Ann I agree one hundred percent!! I believe that people, poor and rich should be educated on the issues of children etc, and thus be able to make a responsible informed decision about childbearing. It should not be upto any individual nor upto any government to impose any standard upon the population according to economic and social status. How awful. Is that what education has created, a society of literate people with bird nests for brains to decide that the rich can have kids (whom they end up hiring nannies for) and usually think that they are an imposition on their lives, and the poor cant enjoy kids, because they cant enjoy anything. Why don't we just kill them all instead. Exterminate them. Or would that take away our nannies!!! I am absolutely disgusted. Most people across economic standards have the ability to have children. My suggestion is that it should be done responsibly and as a matter of choice. Dina Kasrawi dkasraw@american.edu ------------------------------ From: beij-mod@ssi.edc.org Date: Mon, 05 Jun 95 17:11:34 EST Subject: Negotiations with China on NGO Forum From: "International Women's Tribune Centre" Message-Id: <199506052047.NAA01380@igc2.igc.apc.org> To: beijing95-l@netcom.com Subject: FAXNET 15: USG to CHINA /* Written 1:43 PM Jun 5, 1995 by iwtc in igc:women.unwcw */ /* ---------- "FAXNET 15: USG to CHINA" ---------- */ **GLOBAL FAXNET** **NEWS ABOUT THE NGO FORUM ON WOMEN** International WomenUs Tribune Centre Faxnet #15: UN USG GOES TO CHINA FOR LAST MINUTE NEGOTIATIONS OVER SITE On Sunday, June 4, 1995, Mr. Ismat Kittani, Under-Secretary General and Special Adviser to the Secretary General of the United Nations Boutros Boutros-Ghali, is traveling to Beijing to attempt last minute negotiations with the Chinese authorities to move the NGO Forum on Women from Huairou Tourist Scenic Area to a more appropriate site in Beijing city. During the two months since news was received of the site change for the NGO Forum on Women, - due to Rstructural problemsS at the Workers Gymnasium in Beijing -, thousands of women and supporters worldwide have flooded the offices of the Secretary General and the China Organizing Committee (COC) with letters of protest. The overwhelming response from women worldwide has clearly shown the seriousness with which women have planned for the Beijing meetings. Mr Kittani, in looking for a win-win situation for NGOs, China and the UN, will bring the following issues to Beijing: 1. The need for accessibility to the World Conference so that NGOs, particularly those without accreditation, can take part in the dialogue and negotiation process that occurs between delegates and their NGO constituencies, a process especially significant if the follow-up and implementation activities are to be successful. 2. The adequacy of the facilities in view of the substantive, far-reaching and important activities and events NGOs have been planning for years. 3. The adequacy of the housing and transport arrangements, as no one wants to spend long hours traveling from their hotels to the Forum site, or from the Forum site to the World Conference 4. The adequacy of the communications structure, facilities and access not only for the worldUs press, but also for womenUs media networks, radio and TV programmes and all participants. This week, the NGO Forum Office has mailed out confirmation notices to about 35,000 registrants. Acknowledgement postcards have been mailed to about 5,000 NGOs who have requested time and space for activities. Planning for the Forum is proceeding on the basis that the above requirements will be met so that women worldwide can meet to network, consolidate gains and plan our agenda for the 21st Century. Wherever the final site is located, women have put the world on notice. ItUs possible to see the Forum as a part of a larger process well underway that is working towards women taking their rightful place as decision-makers and planners for the future. As part of this process, women have greatly influenced the development of regional plans of action that speak more clearly to our issues and concerns than the troubled Platform for Action. It is likely that implementation of these regional plans will be a focus of activities after Beijing. We expect the United Nations to take the concerns of women seriously in its negotiations with China. Please continue to raise your concerns with your government until the successful resolution of this issue. STOP PRESS! The COC has informed the NGO Forum Office that only 5,000 people have applied for hotel beds! Please ensure that you have applied for your hotel NO LATER THAN JUNE 23, 1995. Apply to: China Organizing Committee, No. 15 Jianguomen Street, Beijing 100730, P. R. China. Fax: (86-1) 522-5329 You will need the COC hotel confirmation letter along with your registration confirmation letter to apply for a visa. ================================== a women's development support resource ================================== International Women's Tribune Centre 777 United Nations Plaza New York, New York 10017 USA telephone: 212-687-8633 fax: 212-661-2704 email: iwtc@igc.apc.org ================================== ------------------------------ From: Women's Environment and Development Organization Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 14:29:12 -0700 Subject: Re: List Announcement: Fourth World Conference on Women Sharyle Patton, of Commonweal, does have an email address. It is mlerner@igc.apc.org Hope this is helpful. Amran Hussein, WEDO ------------------------------ From: Clara To Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 16:53:31 -0500 Subject: site information I got this email from another net, although I don't think our major purpose of attending the NGO Forum is to experience the "Chinese way" of doing things, I agree with the sender that we should go anyway. The sender wrote: Just a short report on last night's dicussion with a lady from the All China Women Federation on the NGO women conference. Their baseline is to frustrate those women groups to come to the conference. If those 'troublesome' groups withdraw from participation, then they succeed. Since Huaiyau was short of hostels and many basic facilities, the supporting staff need to sleep in classrooms. After talking to her, I do think moving to Huaiyau is not a bad thing. At least that is a 'real' experience of the Chinese way, not the one that was concealed by the skycrapers and 'fashioned' landscape of Beijing. China usually gives suprisings to us. The naive authentic/naked power is always 'lovely' than the sophisticated hyprocritic power of societies filled with words of 'democracy' and 'freedom.' TC Please, if you have friends feeling not good to go the NGO Forum, ask them to go. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- If this is the case, I also worry how the Chinese side is going to prepare for the Forum. Since the majority of the participants do not speak Chinese/ Mandarin, I am worried that people may have a hard time finding the right place /venue for the activities, if the organizer does not do their jobs, like even posting signs in English and other languages. Are the NGO Forum organizers at New York or the All China Women's Federation supposed to do these things? We need to be prepared if it is a mess at Huairou (if the negotiation comes to no avail). What can we do? C. To University of Wisconsin-Madison ------------------------------ From: Michael Lerner Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 19:17:54 -0700 Subject: Re: List Announcement: Fourth World Conference on Women From un50@igc.apc.org Wed May 31 10:10:08 1995 Received: from [198.94.6.18] (un50@ppp18.igc.org [198.94.6.18]) by igc3.igc.apc.org (8.6.12/Revision: 1.6 ) with SMTP id KAA20634 for ; Wed, 31 May 1995 10:09:53 -0700 Date: Wed, 31 May 1995 10:09:53 -0700 X-Sender: un50@pop.igc.apc.org Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Old-Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Old-Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable To: mlerner@igc.apc.org From: un50@igc.apc.org (UN50 Committee) Subject: short version WTP Sender: un50@igc.org Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Content-Transfer-Decoded: Quoted-Printable to 8bit Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-Content-Type-Bogus: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Status: RO WE THE PEOPLESTHE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE HISTORY AND FUTURE OF THE UNITED NATIONS (Draft Schedule 5/30/95) Wednesday, June 21 -- Honoring the Founders Venue: Herbst Theater 4:05 - 4:40 PM Keynote Address: Civil Society and the United Nations Speaker: Dr. Oscar Arias (invited) 4:45 - 5:05 Plenary Address: The Case for the UN -- Then and Now Speaker: Harold Stassen, US Delegate to UNCIO/Signatory UN Charter 4:45 - 6:15 PM Plenary Panel: Present at the Creation Speaker: Larry Finkelstein, founder at UNCIO Speaker: Rosalind Harris, staff at UNCIO in State Dept. Div. of Public Liaison Speaker: Jane Evans, consultant to Nat. Peace Conf. during UNCIO Speaker: Dan Cheever, UNCIO Conf. Secretariat, Asst. to Alger Hiss 6:30 - 8:00 PM Reception -- welcoming remarks by Stephanie Rapp, UN50 and Mayor Jordan. Presentation of Presidential Letters to surviving delegates. Thursday, June 22 -- The Role of Civil Society in the Founding of the UN Venue: ANA Hotel 9:00 - 10:30 AM Plenary Panel: Historical and Political Issues in the Founding of the UN Speaker: Oscar Schachter, advisor to US Delegation Speaker: Margaret Bruce, early leader on human and women's rights Speaker: Howard Schomer, early leader in UN Human Rights Division Speaker: Louis Sohn, advisor to US Delegation at UNCIO 10:45 - 12:15 PM Sub-Plenaries/Workshops -- multiple tiers Tier One: Case studies in the early history of NGO-UN relations 1) Humanitarian Aid, Civil Society, and the Founding of UNICEF 2) Changing Power Relations with the UN: A Fifty Year Retrospective 3) From Dumbarton Oaks to SF: The Role of NGOs in the Founding of the UN 4) The Role of Women in the Founding of the UN 5) Civil Society-UN Relations: The Formation of ECOSOC 6) Economic and Social Issues in the Founding of the UN 7) How to Work the UN Tier Two: Drafting sessions 1) Declaration of Accountability 2) Critique of ECOSOC NGO Review process 12:30 - 2:00 PM Luncheon Banquet -- Keynote: Civil Society and Global Security Speaker: Lincoln Bloomfield, early leader and UN Scholar 2:15 - 3:45 PM Sub-Plenaries/Workshops -- multiple tiers Tier One: Repeat Morning Workshops Tier Two: Drafting Sessions 1) Universal Declaration 2) Critique of NGO ECOSOC Review process 4:00 - 5:30 PM Plenary Panel: Citizen Action in International Affairs Speaker: Dorothy Robbins, consultant to Nat. Peace Conf. during UNCIO Speaker: Betty Jacobs, early leader in UNRRA, founder of UNICEF Speaker: Cora Weiss, peace activist and author 7:30 - 9:30 PM Roundtable Discussion: From Rio to Istanbul, Part I Speaker: Maurice Strong, Secretary General -- Earth Summit Speaker: Nafis Sadik, Secretary General -- Intl. Conf. on Population and Development Speaker: Amb. Juan Somavia, PrepCom Chair for World Social Summit Speaker: Wally N'Dow, Secretary General -- Habitat II Conference Friday, June 23 -- Civil Society 's Role in the International Governance System Venue: ANA Hotel 9:15 - 10:30 am Plenary Panel: From Rhetoric to Reality -- How NGOs Shape UN Policy. Speaker: Hilary French, Worldwatch Institute Speaker: Rachel Kyte, Intl. Women's Health Coalition Speaker: Kathy Sessions, United Nations Association - USA Speaker: Maximo Kalaw, Green Forum 10:45 - 12:15 PM Sub-Plenaries/Workshops -- multiple tiers Tier One: Case Studies: Role of NGOs in Shaping UN Policies and Programs 1) Earth Summit -- Agenda 21 & Comm. on Sust. Dev. 2) Vienna Human Rights Conference. 3) Intl. Conf. on Pop. and Dev. & Beijing Women's Conference. 4) World Social Summit. 5 - 7) UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II ) 8) Nuclear Weapons/Energy & Climate 9) Bio Diversity Treaty 10) Reforming the Bretton Woods Institutions Tier Two: Drafting Sessions 1) Universal Declaration 2) Critique of ECOSOC NGO Review 12:30 - 2:00 PM Free Idea Zone w/ Lunch -- Time for impromptu sessions that haven't been incorporated into the formal agenda. Box lunches will be made available so that discussions can take place in workshop rooms. Sessions Planned to Date (Rooms Assigned on Site): 1) The impact of globalization on the mandates which stemming from UNCED, ICPD, et al. -- International Forum on Globalization 2) Strengthening the Role of Youth in the UN -- World Federalist Association 3) Earth Charter Initiative -- Earth Council 4) NGO Coalition Building -- UNA-USA 2:15 - 3:45 PM Sub-plenaries/Workshops -- multiple tiers Tier One: Continue morning sessions and identify strategic targets of opportunity. Tier Two: Drafting Sessions 1) Universal Declaration 2) Critique of ECOSOC NGO Review 4:00 - 7:00 PM Roundtable discussion: From Rio to Istanbul, Part II Panel 1 Speaker: Fawzi Al - Sultan, President of the Intl. Fund for Agric. Dev. Speaker: Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Exec. Dir. of UN Environment Program Speaker: Nafis Sadik, Exec. Dir. of UN Population Fund Speaker: Gus Speth, Administrator of UN Development Program Panel 2 Speaker: Carol Bellamy, Exec. Dir. of UN Children's Fund Speaker: Nitin Desai, UN Undersecretary for Policy Coord. and Sust. Dev. Speaker: Noeleen Heyzer, Exec. Dir. of UN Dev. Fund for Women Speaker: Wally N'Dow, Exec. Dir. of UN Centre. for Human Settlements Speaker: Federico Mayor, Dir. Geg. of UN Educ., Scientific and Cultural Org. (tentative) Speaker: Carlos Fortin, Exec. Dir. UN Conf. on Trade and Dev. (tentative) Speaker: Jose Ayala Lasso, High Commisioner for Human Rights (tentative) Saturday, June 24 -- The Challenges and Opportunities Ahead -- Where Do We Go From Here? Venue: ANA Hotel 9:00 - 10:30 am Plenary Panel: The future of NGO-Government relations in international affairs. Speaker: Tim Wirth, US Undersecretary for Global Affairs Speaker: Bella Abzug , Women's Env. and Dev. Org. Speaker: Martin Khor, Third World Network 10:45 - 12:15 PM Sub-Plenary Panel: Reflections on the Future of NGO-UN Relations Speaker: Riva Krut, Benchmark Consulting Speaker: Thierry Lemarsquier, UN Dev. Program Speaker: Kristin Dawkins, Inst. for Ag. and Trade Policy Speaker: Maximo Kalaw, Green Forum Speaker: Roberto Saba, Poder Cuidadano Drafting Sessions 1) Universal Declaration 2) Critique of ECOSOC NGO Review 12:30 - 2:00 PM Luncheon Banquet, Keynote: NGOs,UN Reform, and Global Governance Speaker: Amb. Richard Butler, Chmn, Prep. Cmte. for the 50th Ann. Speaker: Shridath Ramphal; Co-Chair, Comm. on Global Governance 2:15 - 3:30 PM Sub-Plenaries/Workshops -- multiple tiers Tier One: Capacity Building Sessions 1) Public Education 3) Harnessing New Computer Technology 4) How to work the UN Tier Two: UN-NGO dialogue sessions. 1) UNDP & UNEP 2) UNFPA & UNIFEM 3) UNICEF & UNHCHR 4) FAO & IFAD Tier Three: Strategy Sessions 1) Habitat II x 3 3:45 - 5:00 PM Plenary Panel: Conference Wrap-up/Discussion of conference products Speaker: Randy Hayes, RAN - Declaration for Accountability Speaker: Michael McCoy, Ctr. for Cit. Advocacy - Strategies for Change Speaker: Rosalind Harris, CONGO - ECOSOC critique Speaker: Mencer Donahue Edwards, Cit. Net. - Habitat II People's Action Plan 5:15 - 5:45 Plenary Address: The UN and NGOs -- Whither Now Speaker: Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Secretary General of the UN 6:00 - 6:30 PM Summation by sponsoring /cosponsoring organizations - --------------------------------------------------------- UN50 Committee San Francisco, CA 415.989.1995 - -- Transfer complete, hit to continue -- ------------------------------ From: Seamus Grimes Date: Tue, 06 Jun 1995 09:24:16 +0000 (GMT) Subject: Re: re: China Kimberley It would be useful to have some idea your own background - all I can make out from your id is that you come from Canada. The only reason I say this is that so many voices on this list represent the UN view. In response to your message I would like to give a quick reaction to having ploughed through the first half (about 50 pages) of the programme of action for the Beijing conference. As with all such 'committee written' documents it makes terrible reading - 10 times too long, completely repetitious and extremely boring. But the biggest defect is the internal inconsistency between objectives and recommendations. Many of the aspirations are laudable, but the underlying philsophy is contradictory. It aspires towards a better life for women - soemthing the vast majority of people would support - but it accepts and promotes a view of a liberal philosophy which will most likely guarantee that this will not be brought about. The isolation of women from family and community is artificial and at times nonsensical. But this clearly reflects the widespread and uncritical acceptance of a feminist political agenda that few bureaucrats or politicians fell safe to question. So while there are many widely shared aspirations in the document dealing with respecting the human dignity of women, the all-embracing propaganda packaging in which they are wrapped is likely to prove unworkable and unaccapetable to many. Seamus Grimes Seamus Grimes (Dr) Department of Geography University College Galway Ireland Ph: 353-91-24411 Fax:353-91-25700 ------------------------------ End of Beijing Women's Conference Digest V2 #3 ********************************************** To subscribe to Beijing-Conf-Digest, send the command: subscribe beijing-conf-digest in the body of a message to "majordomo@confer.edc.org". 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