From: beijing-conf-digest-owner@mail.edc.org To: beijing-conf-digest@mail.edc.org Subject: Beijing Women's Conference Digest V2 #35 Reply-To: beijing-conf@mail.edc.org Errors-To: beijing-conf-digest-owner@mail.edc.org Precedence: Beijing Women's Conference Digest Thursday, 3 August 1995 Volume 02 : Number 035 In this issue: WCW: GARMENT WORKER ADVOCATES BEIJING: NGO Regional preparation BEIJING: Final UN Preparations BEIJING: IPB members activities BEIJING: problems/controversy IWTC GLOBALNET # 27 NGO list Re: Official US Withdrawal from WCW? Comfort women a question for Beijin Meeting others who communicated on the list World Conference on Women 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: Debra Guzman Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 08:05:00 +0100 Subject: WCW: GARMENT WORKER ADVOCATES ## author : iwtc@igc.apc.org ## date : 27.07.95 - --------------------------------------------------------------------- BEIJING AND BEYOND THE STRUGGLE OF GARMENT WORKERS ON THE GLOBAL ASSEMBYLINE Workshop Planning Committees: Lora Jo Foo and Laura Ho, Asian Law Caucus, San Francisco, California Karen SAcks, Common Threads, Los Angeles, California Leti Volpp, Equal Rights Advocates, San Francisco, California Cathy Powell, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, New York, New York 14 July 1995 Dear Garment Worker Advocates (Please pass this on as soon as possible to a garment worker advocate): Greetings from the United States! We are a group of garment worker advocates who will be hosting a workshop during the NGO Forum on Women in August and September 1995. We are writing this letter to invite your participation and input in the workshop, as well as with the planning process. As explained below, your participation is very important and welcome even if you are not attending the NGO Forum, so please take a few minutes to read this letter. The title of the workshop is: The Struggle of Garment Workers on the Global Assembyline. We envision the goals to be: 1) getting to know who works on issues in the garment industry around the world 2) sharing information about the work we all do, the struggles we've engaged in, and the strategies we've employed successfully, 3) identifying the different issues faced by workers in different countries or regions, and 4) developing and maintaining international contacts with an eye toward future global strategies While our goals are admittedly high, we believe that the NGO Forum is a perfect opportunity to begin this global work collectively. GLOBAL GARMENT WORKER ADVOCATES MANUAL With your help, we will be assembling a resource manual of garment workers advocates and organizations around the world for distribution. We invite you to write a half-page description of your work or organization and the issues you find most pressing in your work within the garment industry. We will collect all of the stories and put them together in one manual. The manual will be available to everyone whether or not you actually attend the NGO forum. The manual will be available to everyone whether or not you actually attend the NGO Forum. In this way, we hope to create a network to serve as a basis of future cooperative work. Some of the issues we think are of particular significance and which we invite you to address if you work in the area as follows: 1) The issues garment workers face in your country or region, e.g., the prevalence of homework, child labor, workplace violence and abuse, etc. 2) The advocacy strategies that have been successful in your country or region, e.g., union or non-union organizing, transnational solidarity movements, legal challenges, consumer based campaigns or boycotts. 3) The impact of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other institutional lending practices on the conditions in the garment industry in your country or region 4) The effect of NAFTA, GATT, and/or other transnational trade agreements on conditions in the garment industry in your country or region. These are not the only important areas of discussion, so please feel free to write about issues of importance in your work. ************************************************************** The deadline for submitting your piece for publication and distribution is July 27 1995. Please fax to (415) 391-1655 (United States) or e-mail to sacks@anthro.sscnet.ucla.edu (United States). Please include a telephone number, fax, and/or e-mail address and a time when you can be reached. ************************************************************** ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPATION We hope to select 4 or 5 representatives from different regions to present information on different topics during the first hour of the workshop. We need your help in finding these representatives. If you or anyone you know can speak on the issues listed above and will be attending the Forum, please tell us their name and a way to reach them. Also, please indicate on your submission whether or not you will be attending the NGO Forum. Speakers will be asked to prepare a short statement of 10 to 15 minutes on their topics. After the first hour of presentations, everyone who attends the workshop is encouraged to participate in the facilitated discussion. We have requested a 3 hour workshop with room for 50 people. We also plan to continue our discussion on later days of the Forum. The workshop will be conducted in English, but the United States contigent will have some Cantonese, Mandarin, and Spanish capability. While we will not be able to provide simultaneous interpretation, we can help summarize in the above three languages. If you will be attending the rroundtable and can provide similar services in other languages, please let us know. We are excited to have this opportunity to meet garment worker advocates from around the world. We hope you will join us to make this workshop and the development of a global network a success. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to let us know at the numbers listed above. We look forward to your response! ********************************************** NOTE: This piece was posted by IWTC at the request of Cathy Powell, Staff Attorney at the Black Women's Employment Project, tel (212) 219-1900 / fax (212) 226-7592. For replies and/or requests for further information, please fax directly (415) 391-1655 or e-mail to sacks@anthro.sscnet.ucla.edu. ********************************************** ------------------------------ From: Debra Guzman Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 08:11:00 +0100 Subject: BEIJING: NGO Regional preparation ## author : ipb@gn.apc.org ## date : 27.07.95 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- Peace Issues in the Regional NGO Preparations for Beijing For each of the five official regional preparatory conferences NGOs held preceding regional and sub-regional events. The participation was often twice as high as expected. NGOs held workshops and produced documents setting priorities for action and for lobbying. Many common themes emerged, such as the need to reduce military budgets and the need for increased women's participation in peace negotiations. Here is a look at key peace issues from some of the NGO documents and meetings: NGO Pacific Women Programme of Action Report from a Pacific Island consultation, Suva, February 1994 Protest US chemical weapons incineration on Kalama Island (Johnston Atoll) Stop international arms sales, especially to small island developing countries Initiate a Regional Pacific Charter on Human Rights and Zone of Peace Disband all standing armies/military forces in Pacific Island countries Call for a halt to testing of ballistic missiles and Star Wars technology Include peace education/conflict resolution all educational curricula Reduce military budgets; convert funds to social purposes Call for a halt to French nuclear testing in the Pacific Remove all foreign military installations in the Pacific Compensate all victims of nuclear testing Prevent tribal violence through negotiations Complete the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Support the WHO's resolution asking the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the use of nuclear weapons (World Court Project) Recognize the universal right of self-determination for those living under colonization and for Pacific-region aboriginal peoples NGO Proposed Amendments To The African Platform For Action 12-15 November 1994, Dakar, Senegal African NGOs often reversed the Beijing theme "Action for Equality, Development and Peace" to "Action for Peace, Development, and Equality." Their concerns: The disproportionate impact of war and violence on women The devastating effects of anti personnel landmines Lack of women in conflict management and peace-building initiatives Vienna NGO Forum - Call to Action E/ECE/RW/HLM/7/Add.1 12-15 October - Vienna, Austria Recognize peace as a prerequisite for development Reduce military expenditures, transfer funds to social purposes Support military conversion End nuclear testing, halt nuclear and fissile materials production Provide health services and compensation for those affected by environmental abuses e.g. Nuclear, chemical and biological weapons testing and production Increase the participation of women in peace negotiations/conflict resolution Strengthen the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe - OSCE NGO Caribbean Platform for Action 27-29 June, 1994 - Curagao Discusses military persecution of women and the effects of militarization/armed conflict on women. Decrease military spending; reject violence in conflict resolution Implement 48th general assembly resolution 47/19 calling for an end to the us blockade against Cuba Promote self-determination for Haitian people, end militarism there Asia & Pacific Symposium of NGOs on Women in Development, 16-20 November 1993, Manila and Key Recommendations to Governments from the Asian & Pacific Symposium of NGOs on Women in Development 7-11 June 1994, Jakarta Give personal security precedence over national security Reduce military spending; convert the funds to social services & other needs Involve women in peace negotiations Reorganize the Security Council; reorient UN military activities toward peacekeeping Denounce the culture of militarism and enforce bans on nuclear arms and nuclear testing Develop an early warning system, rely on non-violent conflict resolution The draft NGO Regional Action Program for Latin America/Caribbean (22-25 September 1994) focused on personal or domestic violence. No final document was available from the Western Asian NGO meetings. Nordic Forum: Turku, Finland - 1-6 August 1994 15,000 participants met to prepare for Beijing in their region. The Nordic Women's Peace Net held workshops on conversion, arms trade, women and peace work and related issues. Highlights of the Youth Caucus statements from the NGO meetings: Alleviate the suffering of young women and girls in armed conflict and other disasters; provide assistance for their rehabilitation (Asia-Pacific) Gradually reduce military expenditure, release funds for education, health and welfare (West Asia) Focus on educating about regional peace treaties and negotiation (W. Asia) Give more attention to the impact of conflict situations, particularly on refugee women, children and young people (Latin American-Caribbean) Peace must be a priority for the well-being of the region. (Europe) Foster reintegration of women affected by wars and conflicts into society with special attention to the young, abandoned, migrants, and refugees. Create and strengthen programs to establish a culture of peace and the peace process (Latin America-Caribbean) ------------------------------ From: Debra Guzman Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 08:11:00 +0100 Subject: BEIJING: Final UN Preparations ## author : ipb@gn.apc.org ## date : 27.07.95 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Final Preparatory Meeting for Beijing: Fraught with Problems The 39th Commission on the Status of Women (March 15-April 7) served as the final preparatory committee for the UN Fourth World Conference on Women. Chaired by Patricia Licuanan of the Philippines, the meeting was marked by divisiveness, as political lines were heavily drawn between the European Union and the Group of 77 and the Holy See pushing a conservative agenda. While Australia called for Beijing to be a conference of commitments, many countries expressed unhappiness with the draft Platform for Action, the Beijing conference's plan for enacting positive changes in women's lives, and little was agreed upon. One of the CSW's biggest tasks was to take decisions on the accreditation of NGOs to the CSW and the Beijing Conference. Tibetan, Taiwanese, and Armenian groups as well as Catholics for a Free Choice and lesbian rights groups were denied conference accreditation. The decisions were deferred to the mid-summer ECOSOC meeting. NGOs also experienced obstacles in gaining access to "informal informal" government sessions and the drafting committee meetings, making lobby work difficult. Both the lack of access and the accreditation problems drew loud protests from the NGOs. (More on accreditation in the "Other Side of Beijing" section.) Although the Commission ran days beyond its scheduled end, huge portions of the Platform for Action were not discussed or completed, leaving much work for the Beijing Conference. (For further information, see the enclosed section on the Platform for Action.) NGO Consultations and Lobbying The official meetings were preceded by two day NGO consultations, where some 1,400 NGO representatives made final changes to an NGO compilation document which brought together suggested changes to the Platform for Action from the five regions. The first draft of this NGO document was prepared by a 27-member international NGO editing committee to which IPB was represented. The resulting document was used as a basis for lobbying. During the Commission, a peace caucus (approximately 50 groups) met together daily during the Commission to plan lobby work. The caucus focused on conversion, disarmament, and the involvement of women in peacemaking. NGO lobbywork was paralleled by dozens of workshops for the 1,400 NGO representatives, including ones on women in peace processes, women in war, the effects of radiation on women's health, finding alternatives to militarism, `comfort women' and women in conflict resolution. A peace celebration and press conference was held where women from all regions decried the neglect of core peace issues. Also, the Women's Peace Platform for the 21st Century was distributed to hundreds of participants. Resolutions adopted by the Commission on the Status of Women: urging the release of women and children who have been taken as hostages in areas of armed conflicts before the opening of the FWCW and requests the UN Secretary-General and relevant international agencies to facilitate. condemning the rape and abuse of women in the areas of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia, calling rape a war crime, a "heinous practice" which constitutes a "deliberate weapon of war in fulfilling the policy of ethnic cleansing" in Bosnia and Herzegovina urging the integration of women in the Middle East peace process calling the international community and the financial organizations of the United Nations system to increase their assistance to Palestinian women Draft Declaration for Beijing (Proposals for Consideration in the Preparation of a Draft Declaration, A/CONF.177/L.1) As suggested by the Group of 77 nations, the 39th session of the Commission on the Status of Women decided to transmit to the World Conference on Women material for a Draft Declaration to accompany the Platform for Action. There was broad agreement on the principle of the declaration with the following stipulations: it should be short and concise, easily understandable and appealing to a wide range of audiences, focused on a few "cross-cutting" themes, broad, rousing and inspiring. The Declaration will draw from previous international instruments and conferences and cover the following cross-cutting themes: Empowerment of women, full and equal partnership between women and men, mainstreaming women in the development process as agents as well as beneficiaries, diversity of women and their situations. Early suggestions for the text regarding peace: The original draft text was submitted by the Group of 77 and supported by the United States: "national, regional and global peace is attainable and women are a fundamental force in leadership and for the promotion of lasting peace." Canada added - "it is both essential and possible to design and implement effective, efficient and mutually reinforcing policies that will foster equality, development and peace." The European Union expressed support for including the role of women in promoting peace. ------------------------------ From: Debra Guzman Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 08:12:00 +0100 Subject: BEIJING: IPB members activities ## author : ipb@gn.apc.org ## date : 27.07.95 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- What are IPB and its members doing for Beijing? The International Peace Bureau, the world's largest and most comprehensive peace network (140 national/local member organizations in 46 countries + 19 internationals), is participating for the World Conference on Women and the NGO Forum through our own projects and through our member organizations. IPB will be represented in Beijing at the Forum and the government conference. We have focused much of our Beijing preparations on sharing information about the peace aspects of the Conference and Forum through our newsletter - IPB News, electronic mail, and other methods. In cooperation with the NGO Working Group on Women and Peace (New York), we have coordinated the Women's Peace Platform which will be distributed in several languages to thousands of participants at the NGO Forum. Through the NGO Working Group on Women and Peace (Geneva), we are coordinating a workshop on peace education. We are taking part in the planning the NGO Forum's Peace Tent, a space for NGOs to meet and share ideas and experiences on peace, disarmament and conflict resolution work (for more information on the Peace Tent, contact the IPB secretariat) and will be involved in its many activities. IPB has been represented at various governmental and non-governmental preparatory meetings. Here is what some of our member organizations are planning for Beijing: Canadian "Voice of Women" for Peace "After attending the Beijing prepcomm in New York, we published a special edition newsletter sent to about 1100 women across Canada and to all the contacts we made in New York. Its purpose was to describe the New York experience to both the NGO Forum and the governmental process around the Platform for Action (PFA). It also contained suggestions for "Beijing At Home" actions. "Along with other select NGOs in Canada ("Lead Groups") which concentrate on issue areas identified in the PFA, we are critiquing the bracketed text of the governmental Platform for Action particularly for regressive language relative to previously accepted government statements. We will submit this to our government by mid-July. "With the above team of NGOs, we will draft an independent statement of our priorities and strategies. From this we will produce a pamphlet for distribution in Beijing and a full text for on-going education/lobby work at home. "Together with the city of Toronto, Voice of Women will host a public reception and information evening "Look at the World Through Women's Eyes: From Mexico City to Beijing" July 6, 1995. Toronto's Mayor, Barbara Hall, will take part in the programme. "In Beijing, VOW will host a 3-hour workshop "Don't Give Us Military Solutions!" with an international panel, facilitate small group discussion to draw up a Plan of Action, and resource materials for sale and display. We invite anyone with related resource materials to get in touch with us. "Four members are candidates for the Canadian (governmental) Delegation. We would like to help strengthen peace-related language in the PFA." Voice of Women, 736 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2R4, Canada, +1-416-537-9343, fax 631-6214. Femmes pour la Paix/Women for Peace - France In the months before Beijing, Femmes pour la Paix are busy with their work on nuclear issues. Their main focus: the effects of nuclear testing on the environment and on people, especially French nuclear testing in Polynesia and Western Sahara. They want to make it clear that nuclear testing is a human rights violation and must be stopped. They have been a driving force behind the upcoming fast to stop nuclear weapons (6-9 August). Femmes pour la Paix will be represented in Beijing. Their message to women: Don't leave disarmament to men. We can no longer accept the solving of conflicts by war. Femmes pour la Paix, c/o Solange Fernex, 68480 Biederthal, France, +33-89-40-71-83, fax 40-78-04. Frauen f|r Frieden/Femmes pour la Paix/Women for Peace - Switzerland are working with other Swiss NGOs around WCW preparations and will be represented in Beijing. They have been focusing on the issues of women in war situations and human rights and are planning a Swiss speaking tour for members of the Committee of Russian Soldiers' Mothers for the fall of 1995. Frauen fur Frieden, Mulhauerstr. 113, 4056 Basel, Switzerland. "The International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) will be conducting several panels and workshops on the theme of how women of different faiths can cooperate in peace initiatives. We are interested in promoting dialogue on this, and in starting a possible network. One panel will deal specifically with the conflict in the Sudan. IFOR will have information available at the Peace Tent on nonviolence training for women. At the official conference, a delegation from the FOR/Japan will lobby for just recompensation for "comfort women", or women prostituted by the Japanese military during World War II. The IFOR delegation will consist of IFOR women from Tanzania, India, the USA, Sweden and Japan, among other countries." IFOR, 38 Spoorstraat, 1815 BK Alkmaar, The Netherlands, +31-82-123-014, fax 151-102, ifor@gn.apc.org. National Peace Council - UK "In 1995 the National Peace Council UK launched its Women & Militarism Project. This was due to our concern that the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the end of World War II would become a glorification of war, and that the perception of wartime women would be consigned to Vera Lynn-style nostalgia (popular wartime singer for the troops). We wanted to show that the suffering and sacrifice that characterised women's experience in WWII is still a living reality for many women today. The UN Women's Conference taking place in Beijing is a very valuable opportunity to campaign against militarism and its specific effect on women. "On 8 March, International Women's Day, the NPC initiated a mass sending of messages of support or ideas for common action from women in Britain to women's groups worldwide working for peace, human rights, and the environment. The NPC has been collecting these messages - and ones sent since 8 March - and intends to present them to the Beijing Conference via one of our member organisations, the Women's International League for Peace & Freedom. We intend to organise another Message Sending Day nearer the conference. "To accompany the project we produced a Women & Militarism Information Pack. The pack is a resource on the effect of war and militarism on women fifty years ago and today, as well as a handbook for the Message Sending part of the project. It included a list of e-mail and fax points around the country for women to use, details on how to use e-mail, a postcard for those women not keen on new technology and a comprehensive list of contacts for women's groups around the world. This is available for #3. "As part of the project, the NPC organised two film days on the topic of women & war. The first looked specifically at the conflict in the Middle East, and an afternoon of films from Israel, Palestine and Lebanon was followed by a discussion between four prominent Middle Eastern women. The highlight of the project: a film day at the National Film Theatre looked at traditional areas of NPC concern - Northern Ireland and the Balkans. We were very pleased to have women from both areas involved in peace and reconciliation work as well as well-known journalists and film critics to discuss both the effect of war on women and its presentation." National Peace Council UK, 88 Islington High Street, London N1 8EG, UK, +44-171-354-5200, fax 354-0033, e-mail npc(gn.apc.org Nuclear Age Peace Foundation "We are planning to present a performance piece at the NGO Forum on Women which we performed in New York for the International Citizen's Assembly: "The Atomic Mirror: Reflecting Our Nuclear History - A performance piece of personal narratives, poetry, and music focused on the Nuclear Age. Words and voices by Pamela Meidell and Mayumi Oda. Music by Edie Hartshorne.- "1995 is the 50th year of the Nuclear Age: What have we learned? Where are we now? What is our vision for the next 50 years? "Join us for a journey through the nuclear landscapes of our planet and our own minds and hearts: we will travel together through the uranium mines of American Southwest, the desert and island atomic test sites, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the shadowlands of our own psyches, the fields of our own imaginations, the interior worlds of nightmares and dreams. "Pamela Meidell coordinates the nuclear weapons abolition program for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and directs the Atomic Mirror. As a writer and activist, she has worked on nuclear issues in Nevada since 1988. Edie Hartshorne is a musician, peace activist, and psychotherapist working with Plutonium Free Future in Berkeley, CA. She studied classical Japanese music in Kyoto, Japan and plays koto, traditional wooden flutes, and Tibetan singing bowls. Mayumi Oda is a visual artist who founded Plutonium Free Future and Rainbow Serpent in Berkeley, California to bring about a nuclear free world. "All three activists will be leading aspects of the Atomic Mirror Pilgrimage this summer, retracing the route of humanity's first atomic bomb from New Mexico to Japan." Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, 1187 Coast Village Rd, suite 123, Santa Barbara, CA 93108-2794, USA. +1-805-965-3443, fax 568-0466. Pax Christi International has two members going to Beijing from the Slovak and American sections, and their Austrian section represented them at the Vienna preparatory meeting and Vienna NGO Forum. Pax Christi International will be keeping a close eye on results of the Beijing activities. Pax Christi International, Oude Graanmarkt 21, 1000 Brussels, Belgium, +32-2-502-5550, fax 502-4626. Peace Action USA has brought together a Consortium of seven organizations to provide a service for women going to Beijing, facilitating their registration, transportation and hotel stay. Four hundred sixteen women have signed on. Peace Action's Cora Weiss (also an IPB vice president) will speak at the Voice of Women session "Don't Give Us Military Solutions!" and participate in the programs for the Peace Tent. Peace Action - International Office, 777 UN Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA. +212-697-8945, fax 682-0886. Peace Movement Aotearoa will have members in Beijing. Recent activities include promoting participation in the International Day of Disarmament Action for Women (May 24). Peace Movement Aotearoa, PO Box 9314, Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand +64-4-382-8129 (phone and fax). ------------------------------ From: Debra Guzman Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 08:13:00 +0100 Subject: BEIJING: problems/controversy ## author : ipb@gn.apc.org ## date : 27.07.95 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Other Side of Beijing: Problems China and Human Rights Since the beginning of the Beijing process NGOs have wrestled with the contradictions of holding what is essentially a human rights conference in China, a nation with well-documented and long-standing human rights abuses. China's occupation of Tibet and violations of Tibetans' human rights, its political problems with Taiwan, and its human rights violations against its own people present NGOs with serious challenges, as do China's continuing nuclear tests and their devastating effects on the people in occupied East Turkestan. Some groups are boycotting the Conference and Forum, one of which is the Women's Working Group of IPB member organization War Resisters' International. They have issued a detailed statement regarding their reasons for the boycott and human rights violations in China and its occupied territories, including government crackdowns on dissidents during international events in China and many women-specific human rights violations. The full text is available c/o War Resisters' International, 5 Caledonian Road, London, N19DX, UK, +44-171-278-4040, fax 278-0440, warresisters(gn.apc.org. Another IPB member organization, the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR), is asking women going to the Beijing conference to take copies of the International Committee of Lawyers for Tibet reports on human rights violations against Tibetan women. They can send interested individuals or groups one copy of each document so they can then photocopy them and bring them for distribution at the NGO Forum. The reports may be delivered to IFOR delegates in the Peace Tent. Contact: IFOR, Spoorstraat 38, 1815 BK Alkmaar, The Netherlands, +31-72-123014, fax 151102, ifor(gn.apc.org. Access issues. All NGOs not in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) must be granted accreditation to participate in the Beijing government meeting. At the final official preparatory meeting in March, over 500 NGOs out of 1,326 applying for accreditation were denied; many being Tibetan and Taiwanese groups, along with abortion rights and lesbian rights groups. Decisions on accreditation are being taken at the ECOSOC June-July meeting. As of July 5, 714 previously unaccredited NGOs were granted accrediation, but several Iranian and Tibetan women's organizations were removed from the "recommended" list. Final decisions are still pending. One of the NGOs denied accreditation in New York, Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO), feels that it has been targeted because it represents the people of Tibet, Taiwan and East Turkestan. As they represent over 100 million people of 47 nations, many other voices may not be heard in Beijing. Contact UNPO, Postbus 85878, 2508 The Hague, The Netherlands, +31-70-360-3318, fax 360-3346, unponl(antenna.nl, or see APC conference . The Chinese government has promised to grant visas to all the accredited participants, but many NGOs remain unconvinced that this promise will be honored. Some NGOs have reported problems in their countries, such as national governments telling the Chinese embassies and consulates who should or should not be given visas. NGOs are running through a bureaucratic maze, as it was announced in June that all participants must have an NGO Forum registration confirmation and a hotel confirmation (made before July 5 with a just released form) to obtain a visa, with all previous hotel reservations being invalid. While these procedures cause mere inconvenience for some participants, for many others, such women in developing countries coping with slow communications systems, these procedures will make it difficult to obtain visas at all. While 36,000 women have registered for the NGO Forum, the actual attendance may be significantly lower. Regional problems The regional preparatory meetings were not free from problems. Several participants from Gaza experienced problems entering Jordan. Women from Mauritania were denied access to the Dakar government meeting, and women from the Western Sahara were deported from Senegal. During the Vienna government meeting, Europe/US-based Tibetan and Taiwanese women's groups saw their names disappear from the participants list with no warning or explanation. NGO Forum Site During the final preparatory meeting, the Chinese announced that structural problems had been found in one building of the sport stadium complex chosen for the NGO Forum site. The replacement was a tourist area 60 km from the center of Beijing, with greatly reduced facilities. Through phone calls, letters, faxes, petitions and meetings, NGOs from around the world swiftly and loudly protested to the Chinese government, the UN, and national governments. After several weeks of negotiations between the Forum organizers and the Chinese government, the new site was accepted with modifications, such as improved facilities. One "compromise" is the repeat an old Chinese promise to give visas to all participants. The biggest problem remains: up to two hours travelling distance between the Forum site and the government conference. And while a satellite site was given to accredited NGOs near the official conference, it is a recreation center with little meeting space and will separate accredited and non-accredited NGOs, upsetting both groups. NGOs will go to Beijing trying to make the best of a very difficult situation. There are concerns about access to meeting sites, to governments' delegates and to the women of China, as well as free speech questions and fears of negative consequences for Chinese women and others living under Chinese rule. ------------------------------ From: "International Women's Tribune Centre" Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 14:15:43 -0700 Subject: IWTC GLOBALNET # 27 GLOBAL FAXNET 27 International Women's Tribune Centre, 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, Tel: (1-212) 687-8633. Fax: (1-212) 661-2704 . e-mail: iwtc@igc.apc.org PLEASE CONTINUE SHARING THIS INFORMATION WITH ALL YOUR NETWORKS. July 28th, 1995 by Anne S. Walker Errata We deeply apologize for accidentally not listing 3 donors to Global Faxnet (and Global Net) in Faxnet 26. They are Mama Cash (Netherlands), Amnesty International (UK) and a personal donation from a staff member of The Global Fund. These 3 were the first ones to support the effort, and in fact made it possible for us to continue Global Faxnet in its early days. Sincere thanks to these three special donors. Reports and Rumours Fly Following Press Conference in Beijing 1. At a recent press conference in Beijing, a Mr Wan Siquan (or Xihuan), a member of the China Organizing Committee (COC) reported that only 15,000 participants will be able to enter the NGO Forum on Women site in Huairou because of lack of space. As reported by various news agencies, he then added that all of the women who could not enter the site would be offered tourist trips instead... IWTC visited the NGO Forum Office here in New York yesterday, July 28, and was given the following information: 2. The NGO Forum Executive Director wants it to be known that there will certainly be enough space on the Forum site for all registered NGOs. When asked why a member of the COC would give such a misleading comment regarding site access for NGOs, she thought it was probably a badly construed attempt by the Chinese officials to show hospitality to the visitors expected, emphasizing that there were many things they could do in China besides attend workshops, plenaries and panels. 3. The majority of NGO Forum on Women participants will probably be involved in other Forum activities that will be taking place at the same time as the Forum plenaries, workshops and panels. These other activities include (this is by no means a complete listing) a) The Marketplace (which will hopefully include a Women Ink. WomenUs Bookstore); b) Cultural events, including dance performances, singing groups, performance art etc. at the Middle School Sports Ground stage, at the Cultural Palace and at various other locations throughout the Forum site; c) informal small meetings at the Sports Ground, where there will be 1,000 parasols complete with chairs and tables; d) special on-going programmes including the Once and Future Pavilion (women, science and technology), the Human Rights Education programme, the Environmental Web, the Peace Tent not to mention the other thematic tents, and the regional and diversity tents. Add to this the activities taking place at the Exhibition Hall (2 floors of exhibits, crafts, etc.), the 7,000 or so accredited NGOs daily who will be at the Beijing Recreation Centre and/or attending meetings in the Beijing International Convention Centre where the World Conference on Women is to be held, and all those who will be in the various restaurants, cafeterias and eating places around the site. 4. To summarize, the figure of 15,000 given by Mr. Wan Sihuan refers to the actual number of seats available at any given time for plenaries, workshops and panels. Multiply this figure by the four time slots each day and that adds up to 60,000 seats for plenaries, panels and workshops each day. The ratio of 15,000 seats to 35,000 expected participants at the NGO Forum on Women is in fact a better ratio than at previous forums. For instance, at the NGO Forum for the World Summit on Social Development, the ratio was 6,000 seats for 18,000 participants, and there were always seats to spare (unquote). 5. Global Faxnet commentary! There is no doubt that not having a plenary hall larger than one that will seat 3,000 (with another 3,000 watching closed-circuit TV on another floor) is a tremendous loss for NGOs in Huairou. The originally planned site had a covered gymnasium with a capacity of 13,000 and an open stadium with a capacity of 80,000. We lost those venues when the NGO Forum on Women was moved to Huairou. But that is old news now and we need to press on as best we can with what we have. 6. Vaccinations for China: IWTC has received the following information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the USA and Kaiser Travel Health Services. a) You should have up to date: Measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus and polio. b) It is recommended that you have shots for: i) Hepatitis A (gamma globulin not necessary if you can get this); ii) Typhoid. You may also want to consider: iii) Malaria prophylactic (fansidar) and iv) yellow fever vaccine. Take mosquito netting and repellent no matter where you are going! To contact CDC in the USA for any updates on this information, call: (404) 332-4555. ------------------------------ From: Rita Maran Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 16:37:46 -0700 Subject: NGO list Has anyone seen a list that has, apparently, been made up indicating the several hundred NGOs accredited to the NGO Forum? Is it available on email? If anyone knows, I'd appreciate receiving the email address to enable me to pick it up on email. Or in hard copy, for that matter. Thanks very much. Rita Maran ------------------------------ From: Spanda Kala Bhavani Date: Wed, 26 Jul 95 03:26:00 -0700 Subject: Re: Official US Withdrawal from WCW? forwarded message: 18 Jul 1995 From: Rita Maran Subject: Re: Official US Withdrawal from WCW? "If people/NGOs agree with any or all of the above, I suggest letters to Hillary." Does anyone have Hilary's e-mail address? ------------------------------ From: Debra Guzman Date: Sat, 29 Jul 1995 07:46:00 +0100 Subject: Comfort women a question for Beijin ## author : theearthtime@igc.apc.org ## date : 28.07.95 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The question of comfort women By Deborah Sklar During World War II, the Japanese Imperial Army forced an estimated 200,000 Asian and Dutch into sexual slavery. These girls and women were euphemistically referred to as "comfort women." They were systematically abducted by Japanese soldiers and forced to serve as sex slaves in hundreds of front line brothels built across Asia. The rape of women during war and militarized sexual slavery are common practices. They have been employed by militaries and sanctioned by government officials for centuries. The systematic rape of women in the former Yugoslavia and Central Africa are two current cases in point. Clearly the rape of women is not an isolated phenomenon limited to Japan and World War II but one that continues today. Why then is the specific situation of the "comfort women" such an important and urgent one to publicize and redress? The answer is that the "comfort women" system was the largest and most highly organized system of military sexual slavery ever established and a subsequently erased from the historical record. It involved the sexual enslavement of girls as young as 11. Japanese wartime officials even went as far as to set up a price hierarchy based on the women's nationality. After the war, Japanese officials, with the help of Allied Occupation Forces, made every effort to obliterate any trace of the "comfort women" system and the Japanese government has since denied allegations of its very existence. It should also be noted that during the postwar trials held after Japan's surrender, the Allies only prosecuted Japanese soldiers responsible for enslaving Dutch (read Caucasian) women. Furthermore, the "comfort women" issues was not been mentioned in any history textbooks until recently and many documents remain classified. The official silence on the issue was compounded by the fact that after the war, many of the women's families rejected them. Others completely hid their past. Since the war the majority of women have lived in impoverished conditions, unmarried and plagued by the after effects of sexually transmitted diseases. Despite these obstacles, hundreds of former military sex slaves had the courage to come forward. Since 1991 the victims have been actively seeking legal redress in Japanese courts, the United Nations and other fora, demanding apologies and compensation for the torment and misery they experienced during and after the war. Heretofore, the Japanese government has acknowledged that some wrongdoing may have occurred but compensation and an official apology have not been extended. Until recently, Japanese officials were even hard put to admit that women were forcibly recruited by the military and instead claimed the system was set up by private brokers. The majority of former military "comfort women" are now in their 70s and compensation and apologies would allow them to live their last years with dignity. Currently, the "comfort women" issue has spiraled into an international controversy. This past April at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, supporters of the women successfully charted the issue of sexual slavery on the Draft Platform of Action to be presented at Beijing. It specifically urges investigations and prosecution of all war criminals responsible for sexual slavery and militarized rape. In addition, an official fact finding mission on the "comfort women" was just conducted in Japan this past July by Radhika Coomaraswamy--the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women. Despite the critical attention focused on Japan, Japanese officials have been reluctant to apologize to the women, let alone compensate them directly. Instead, Japanese officials have offered a succession of hollow gestures. Last August the government proposed allocating one billion dollars over 10 years to a "Peace, Friendship and Exchange Initiative" which among other things would facilitate Asian youth exchanges, as well as the building of research centers to study wartime atrocities including the "comfort women" issue. It is not research, but apologies and direct compensation that the women and their international network of supporters desire. The Japanese further outraged the women in December of 1994 when they offered to set up a civilian fund which would be finance by private donors especially businesses who supported today. ------------------------------ From: SDiane Bogus Date: Mon, 31 Jul 95 17:24:16 EST Subject: Meeting others who communicated on the list I proposed that we who have been corresponding by e-mail wear a blue(dark blue) ribbon on our upper left arm to show solidarity with each other and to the idea of communication and hrealing in China and the world. It would serve the high thought that we gfo to China with and as ameans for us to recognize women from the Net and make contact. I also want to add that we have already done the work for change in China and the world:manifestation follows Confusion and Cause follows COnfiguration. We are a critical mass of Good, whether we all agree on particular issues or not. The new century will prove us visionary and powerful beyond anything we've dreamed. Go with love and think high thoughts.Avoid blame, accusation, suspicion. The words of trust we've shared here will be the beacon of light that we embody there. Dr. SDiane Bogus, Professor of Composition & American Literature and Publisher Woman in the Moon Publications (408) 738-4623 or SunFax 1-800-480-FAX x895 A Service-oriented New Age Book Publisher P.O. Box 2087 Cupertino, CA 95015-2087 DeAnza College-21250 Stevens Creek Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014-1466 The Founding Sight for "The Studenthood Training"(TM) (408) 864-8212 Note:I check my e-mail twice a day: 6a.m.-7.a.m. 6 p.m.-7pm. I'm trying not let it consume me. I don't want to be electronically enslaved. I don't even have a beeper or celluar phone and I need them. But its the principle of the thing.I resist to much tv, why not too much e-mail reading and generating? ------------------------------ From: Debra Guzman Date: Sun, 30 Jul 1995 18:00:00 +0100 Subject: World Conference on Women ## author : 76702.1202@compuserve.com ## date : 28.07.95 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - Fourth World Conference on Women Fourth World Conference on Women September 4 - 15, 1995 Beijing, China The Department of State and the American Embassy in Beijing stand ready to provide regular consular assistance to and protection of U.S. citizens traveling to China to participate in the Fourth World Conference on Women and the NGO Forum. The Consular Section at the American Embassy in Beijing strongly urges all participants to register by fax in advance of leaving the United States. Consular officers from the American Embassy will be available to participants who need consular assistance at the Conference and NGO sites, and after hours through an emergency duty officer program. Registration: The fax number for the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing is (011) (86-10) 532-3178. Please provide the following information by fax to the U.S. Embassy, Attn: American Citizens Services Section, Consular Section: --Name (as it appears in your passport) --Date and Place of Birth --Passport Number --Date and Place of Issuance of Your Passport --Address and Telephone Number in Beijing --Arrival and Departure Dates --Travel Itinerary in China (if any) --U.S. Contact (address and telephone number) Country Description: The People's Republic of China (PRC) has been a one party state controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since its founding in 1949. It is one of the world's largest and fastest growing economies. Modern tourist facilities are not widely available, except in major cities. How to Avoid Legal Problems: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations. In some instances, laws in China differ significantly from those in the United States and do not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Exercise caution and carefully obey local laws. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating the law, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Chinese laws prohibit public demonstrations without a valid permit obtained from the Chinese Public Security Bureau in the city where the demonstration is planned. Information on Crime: China has a low crime rate; however, crime has increased in the past few years, principally in the major cities. Americans and other foreigners have seldom been victims of violent crime. Theft is the most common crime affecting visitors and occurs most frequently in crowded public areas, such as hotel lobbies, bars, restaurants, and public transportation sites. The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Police reports are necessary in China in order to obtain new visas from Chinese authorities. Chinese authorities require that travelers have valid visas to exit China and to travel and register in hotels within China. Useful information on guarding valuables and protecting personal security while traveling abroad is provided in the Department of State pamphlet, A Safe Trip Abroad. It is available for $1 from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Entry Requirements: Passports and visas are required. Conference and NGO Forum participants require a business visa. The length of stay is determined by the amount of time requested when applying for the visa. Most tourist visas are valid for only one entry. Travelers require a new visa for additional entries into China. Chinese authorities fine those who arrive without a visa up to 5,000 renminbi (about $600 U.S.) at the port of entry and may not allow them to enter China. Specific information is available through the Chinese Embassy at 2300 Connecticut Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, tel: (202) 328-2500, or from one of the Chinese Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, or San Francisco. Consular Access: U.S. citizens are encouraged to carry photocopies of their passport data and photo pages with them at all times so that, if questioned by PRC officials, proof of U.S. citizenship is readily available. (Do not carry your original passport with you. Your passport and other valuables should be placed in a hotel safety deposit box.) U.S. consular officers are not always notified when a U.S. citizen has been detained. However, U.S. citizens have rights to consular access under the U.S. - P.R.C. Consular Convention and should insist upon contact with the U.S. Embassy or one of the U.S. Consulates General. If you are denied this right, continue to protest. Under the U.S. -P.R.C. Consular Convention of 1980, U.S. consular officers shall be notified if a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained no later than four days after the arrest or detention. Under the Convention, U.S. consular officers must be informed upon request of the reasons for the arrest or detention and have a right to visit the citizen after a formal request is made by the consular officer. Visits shall take place as soon as possible, no later than two days after the request is made. Visits may be made on a recurring basis. U.S. citizens arrested abroad are subject to the judicial process of the foreign country. Upon learning of an arrest, U.S. officials will demand consular access to you, visit you, advise you of your rights according to local laws, and contact your friends and family if you wish. They will do whatever they can to protect your interests and to ensure you are not discriminated against under local law. Consuls can protest if you are held under inhumane or unhealthy conditions or treated less favorably than others in the same situation, and will protest any such treatment. Although U.S. consular officers cannot serve as attorneys or give legal advice, they can provide a list of local English speaking attorneys you may retain and help you find legal representation. Consular officers can assist in providing emergency medical and dietary assistance when necessary and act as an intermediary in furnishing letters and packages from family members to arrested citizens through local authorities. Medical Facilities: The quality of medical and health care in China is uneven. Sanitation facilities, particularly outside Beijing, may not meet Western standards of cleanliness, convenience and accessibility. Participants should expect limited sanitary facilities at the NGO Forum site. Competent, trained doctors and nurses are available in major metropolitan centers. However, hospital accommodations are spartan and medical technology is not up-to-date. Review your health insurance policy. If your insurance does not cover you abroad, consider purchasing temporary insurance that does. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services. The Medicare/Medicaid program does not provide payment for medical services outside the United States. Persons taking prescription medicines or syringes into China should carry a copy of a doctor's prescription. It is wise to carry more than one pair of eyeglasses or to bring a copy of your eyeglass prescription. All travelers to China are encouraged to acquire medical insurance which covers medical evacuation from China. There are a variety of companies offering this service. The following two suggestions are not endorsements; both companies, however, have doctors and clinics in Beijing and have worked with the U.S. Embassy in the past in assisting U.S. citizens who were ill. You may wish to do comparison shopping if you are considering purchasing insurance for your trip: Asia Emergency Assistance International Seattle, Washington Phone: 1-800-548-7762 24-hour number: (206) 781-8770 Fax: (206) 781-8771 SOS International Philadelphia, PA 24-hour numbers: (215) 245-4707 or (215) 244-1500 Questions on health matters can also be addressed to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention through its international travelers hotline at (404) 332-4559. Drug Penalties: Travelers are subject to the laws and legal practices of the country in which they travel. Criminal penalties for possession, use, or trafficking of illegal drugs are strict, and convicted offenders can expect severe jail sentences and fines. Hong Kong passport holders have been executed for drug offenses, and one U.S. citizen, convicted on drug-related charges in Shanghai, has received a fifteen-year prison sentence. Customs Information: Information concerning regulations and procedures governing items that may be brought into China is available through the Chinese Embassy and Consulates. Importation of equipment for personal use during the conference and forum such as computers and other electronic devices may be permitted without the payment of customs duty, so long as the items are re-exported from China upon departure. Items for professional use may be subject to import duties (regardless of whether they are later re-exported), if prior approval is not obtained from the China Organizing Committee. Some Americans resident in China have been required to pay customs duty on certain large items each time they temporarily departed China, because procedures were not followed when the items were originally brought into China. The U.S. Embassy can make inquiries about customs disputes, however, interpretation of Chinese customs laws and regulations is solely the jurisdiction of Chinese authorities. Passport Confiscation: The confiscation of foreign passports of persons involved in commercial disputes occurs in China. Under such circumstances, the U.S. government will issue another passport to any American citizen who applies for one. Even if a new U.S. passport is issued, the Chinese government may block departure. As noted above a valid visa is required to exit China. Dual Nationality: China does not recognize dual nationality. U.S. citizens who are also Chinese nationals have experienced difficulty entering and departing China on U.S. passports, and some U.S. passports have been seized by Chinese authorities. Dual nationals may be subject to Chinese laws which impose special obligations. Such persons are often required to use Chinese documentation to enter China. U.S. citizens attending the conference should report any difficulties immediately to the U.S. Embassy. The United States requires that all U.S. citizens enter and depart the U.S. on U.S. passports. Dual nationals who enter and depart China using a U.S. passport and a valid PRC visa retain the right of U.S. consular access and protection under the U.S.- PRC Consular Convention. The ability of the U.S. Embassy or Consulates General to provide normal consular services would be extremely limited should a dual national enter China on a Chinese or other passport. China does not recognize the U.S. citizenship of children born in China, when one of the parents is a PRC national. Such children are required to depart China on PRC travel documents. Children born in the United States to PRC national parents, who are neither lawful permanent residents nor U.S. citizens, are not recognized as U.S. citizens under Chinese nationality law. Although Chinese consulates have frequently issued visas to such individuals in error, they are treated solely as PRC nationals by Chinese authorities when in China. Before traveling to China, dual nationals may wish to contact the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-6769 or the U.S. Embassy in Beijing at (86-10) 532-3831 (ext. 229) for additional information. Travel to Tibet: The Chinese government requires U.S. citizens wishing to visit Tibet to apply in advance for approval from the Tourist Administration of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. More information is available through the Chinese Embassy or a Chinese Consulate in the United States. Document Seizures: Chinese authorities have seized documents, literature, and letters which they deem to be pornographic or political in nature or those which are intended for religious proselytizing. If you seek to enter China with religious materials in a quantity greater than what is considered needed for personal use, you could be detained and fined. Religious proselytizing or passing out of religious materials is strictly forbidden. Americans suspected of engaging in such activities have been fined, arrested or deported. Magazines with photographs considered commonplace in Western countries, including some advertisements, may be regarded as sexually explicit pornography. Books, films, records, tapes, etc., which are "detrimental to China's politics, economy, culture, and ethics" will be seized by Chinese Customs to determine that they do not violate these prohibitions. Embassy and Consulate Locations: Americans may call or visit the U.S. Embassy or a U.S. Consulate General to obtain updated information on travel and security within the country. If calling from within the United States about an emergency situation regarding a friend or relative attending the conference, you may wish to direct your initial call to the following number: Bureau of Consular Affairs Office of Overseas Citizens Services U.S. Department of State (202) 647-5226 Contact Persons: Mrs. Kerry Holmes-De Haven or Ms. Robin Morritz If you are in China and are involved in an emergency situation, the following information may be of assistance to you. U.S. Embassy Beijing 2 Xiu Shui Dong Jie, Beijing 100600 The principal points of contact for emergency matters related to the welfare and well-being of American citizens in China are: Mr. Arturo S. Macias Minister-Counsellor for Consular Affairs Consul General, and, Mr. Daniel W. Piccuta First Secretary and Consul Chief, American Services During normal business hours, both gentlemen may be reached at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing's telephone numbers. Telephone: (86-10) 532-3831 ext. 252 or 253, (86-10) 532-3831 ext. 229, (86-10) 532-3431 ext. 249 Fax: (86-10) 532-3178 For emergencies after normal business hours, contact the U.S. Embassy's 24 hour emergency number : (86-10) 532-1910 (Duty Officer) Additional Travel: In the event other travel within China is contemplated, the following information regarding locations of U.S. Consulates in China may also be of assistance: Shanghai 1469 Huaihai Zhong Lu Shanghai 200031 Telephone: (86-21) 433-6880 Fax: (86-21) 433-4122 After Hours: (86-21) 433-3936 Shenyang No. 52, 14th Wei Road Shenyang, 110003 Telephone: (86-24) 282-0038, (86-24) 282-0048, (86-24) 282-0068 Fax: (86-24) 282-0074 After Hours: Same as above Chengdu No. 4 Lingshiguan Road Chengdu 610041 Telephone: (86-28) 558-3992, (86-28) 558-9642 Fax: (86-28) 558-3520 After Hours: (86-28) 901-1899 (mobile phone) Guangzhou 1 South Shamian Street Guangzhou 510133 Telephone: (86-20) 886-2418, (86-20) 886-2402 (ext. 256) Fax: (86-20) 886-2341 After Hours: (86-20) 900-4511 (mobile phone) Hong Kong 26 Garden Road Hong Kong Telephone: (852) 2841-2211 Fax: (852) 2845-4845 Consular Information Program: The Department of State issues Public Announcements as a means to disseminate information quickly about transnational conditions which pose problems for U.S. citizen travelers. You can listen to them 24 hours a day by calling 202-647-5225 from a touchtone phone. To receive them by fax, dial 202-647-3000 from a fax machine, using the machine's receiver, and follow the instructions. To view and download with a personal computer and modem, dial the Consular Affairs Bulletin Board on modem number 202-647-9225. Set your communications software to: no parity, 8 bits, one stop bit (N-8-1). ------------------------------ End of Beijing Women's Conference Digest V2 #35 *********************************************** 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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