The global launch of the World Relay took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where Brazilian women held a march (see text under “launch”) on March 8. Then, on March 12, at the border between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, women received the Charter and the Quilt and handed it to Argentinas.

Pictures - Sao Paulo, March 8

Pictures - Porto Xavier, March 12

On March 12, women from Argentina received the Charter and the Quilt at Puerto Xavier, in Brazil. This city is at the border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Then, they passed to Buenos Aires and held an event in the center of the city, reading the Charter, listening to music. The Charter and the Quilt went to Salta and La Quioca before being handed to Bolivian women.

Buenos Aires, March 13

The international bridge linking Argentina and Bolivia was the scene of the Relay on March 15. The Charter then went across the country before being handed over, on Saturday, March 19, to Peruvian women gathered in Desaguadero, a town on the shores of Lake Titicaca. To the strains of a brass band and under a scorching sun, they exchanged the first greetings. Then they went to the Town Hall in Desaguadero for a more formal ceremony at which the Bolivians delivered the Charter and quilt into the Peruvian women’s hands.

See the pictures in our News section.

Over 3000 women gathered at the Rumichaca bridge to be present for the Relay’s arrival in Colombia. They blocked the highway to demand, in particular, that the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) be rejected, and they protested against neoliberal globalization.

More information and pictures in our News section.

On April 12, close to 3000 Cuban women gathered to witness the Relay’s objects be passed on from the hands of Haitian women. In an open forum, they voiced their support for the demands expressed in the Women's Global Charter for Humanity. Among the Cuban women’s proposals were the wish to see a reform of monetary policies, which currently have the effect of creating inequality and poverty; they also want to see the democratization of the United Nations so that it looks out for the interests of all peoples, and a review of the Millennium Accords.

Women are holding actions on the borders of Honduras and Guatemala; the capital city will be the site of more activities to inform, denounce and mobilize the public. Salvadorian women plan to use the Charter to denounce the impact of free trade agreements (NAFTA, Pueblo-Panama Plan, etc.), for example, immigration and the accompanying violence.

More information and pictures in our News section.

Rallies took place in Chiapas, Mexico City and Chihuahua. Women hold meetings, town hall sessions, news conferences; they created a national quilt in addition to the square that will be joined to the global quilt. On October 17 they will also take part in the 24 hours of solidarity.  For indigenous communities, noon, when the sun is at its highest point, is an important hour.

More pictures and texts in our News section

The Charter and the quilt went from Texas to Seattle then were passed to canadian women in Vancouver.<br>

Women welcomed  the Charter arriving from the United States on May 1. A public rally took place at the Vancouver Public Library. In Yellowknife May 2, 2005, they played a round of the Poverty Game ™. In Winnipeg May 3, 2005, they hold a public rally ending at the legislative buildings. The events in Ottawa, May 4, 2005 opened with a young women’s breakfast, sponsored by the Canadian Federation of Students at 9:30 am. A public rally followed at noon at the Human Rights Monument where there was speaker focusing on Pay Equity. There was an evening reception at 5:30 on Parliament Hill hosted by Status of Women Canada. In Moncton May 5th, 2005, the women of Moncton organized a supper and evening event from 4pm – 10pm.

Read the text and see the pictures in our News section.

May 7th will was a national day of action with the receiving of the Charter and actions in front of the National Assembly in Quebec City.  The Charter arrived by boat with the Canadian delegation and a long feminist human chain brought the Charter from the Old Port to the National Assembly, being passed from one pair of women’s hands to another. 

See pictures and read more news in our News section.

Our coordination made the launch of the Charter on March 8th in Lisbon, we created a Web site with information about the Charter and the Relay, we launched a petition so that the Portuguese can subscribe to the world Charter and we shall be in streets during the demonstrations of April 25th (on The 31 years of the Portuguese Revolution) and of May 1st (Labour Day). See also the following article for the actions foreseen during the passage of the Relay in May.

Pictures, news in our News section.

On May 20th, we received in GALICIA the Global Charter and the Patchwork quilt from the hands of our partners of Portugal and on May 23rd, we transmitted the Relay to our counterparts of the Basque country.

Read more about the relay in the News section.

European rally. Took place on May 28–29, in Marseille, in the south of France. During these two days, 12 000 women held debates and workshops on the different themes of the Charter and on the 17 demands. The French coordinating body also held information sessions in schools and address civil society, the media, and elected officials.
See report and pictures in our News section.
Have a look at the program on the Website created for this event.

Women held relay marches from March 4–14, travelling by barge, bicycle and on foot and stop in shelters for battered women, police stations, social assistance offices, and refugee centres. Women took turns reading sections of the Charter. there was the public launching of the Charter on March 8th where 200 persons gathered up. Women will use the Charter to draft demands to present to local authorities. We still are planning a big event on October 16th where we count on the participation of 5 000 to 10 000 persons.Theatrical presentations on violence, marches and a symbolic action at the Grand-place on October 17, are also being planned.

The Belgian coordinating body presents virtual quilts on its Website.

About 400 Belgians went to Marseille to receive the Charter and participate to the European feminist meeting of the WMW. Women from Belgium wanted the people to see in the medias and to a policital level that an important delegation of women is participing to it. They also wanted to present our European demands to the Belgian Minister in charge of Equality of chances.

On June 2nd we had a (small scale) activity in the City of Utrecht where the Wereldvrouwenmars NL (WMW in The Netherlands) is based.The program is as following:

June 2nd: colourful gathering on the square in front of the Utrecht City-Hall after the official arrival of the Charter, the Global quilt and the Dutch quilt.
The Mayor of the City of Utrecht, Ms. Annie Brouwer-Korf, symbolically received and welcomed the symbols of the 2005 actions of the World March.
Then we walked to the COS Utrecht, where the gathering continued. Charlot Pierik, the coordinator, gave some information about the 2005 action symbols and the journey they have made so far. All women who were at the gathering participated in the vote to choose which part of the Dutch quilt will join the global quilt and continue with its journey.

June 3rd: five women traveled by car to Copenhagen to bring the symbols.

Pictures in our News section.

Joint focal point with Sweden. The action will take place in Denmark.

Joint focal point with Denmark. The action tookplace in Denmark.

We received the Relay with the Charter and the Patchwork quilt on June 4th, in Copenhagen. From Sweden we can report the activities in the following program. You can also take a look at our homepage: www.varldskvinnomarschen.se

The Charter has been translated into Swedish. Our Swedish Platform contains 24 demands to the government and to all of us.

From June 6–8, women will be relaying the Charter through the country's three regions. They will discus the importance of the Charter and see how women who are fighting for their rights can use the Charter as an instrument to reinforce women's political presence.

Within the 3 days of the stay of the Women’s Global Charter of Humanity in Bulgaria we will actively work to promote it into the local language (Bulgarian) to local organizations and individuals. We will continue to promote the Charter far after the dates are finished.

Activities to popularize the Women’s Global Charter for Humanity among Bulgarian and foreign NGOs:

• Publish the English and the Bulgarian versions of the Charter on the following websites: GERT www.gert.ngo-bg.org, Social Rights Bulgaria www.socialrigths.org, Women’s Information Technologies Transfer Project www.witt-project.net;
• Publish the French, English and Spanish versions of the Charter on the website of Les Penelopes: www.penelopes.org;
• Send a press-release in Bulgarian to local medias;
• Publish summary of the Charter in Bulgarian in some local medias;
• Send the Women's Global Charter for Humanity to local women’s mailing-lists;
• Print and distribute copies of the Women's Global Charter for Humanity to local women’s rights NGOs;
• Promote the Charter during any activities organized by GERT (press-conferences, workshops or participation at local or international meetings).

Swiss women will receive the Charter from one represent who will travel from Bulgaria. Then, one of them will go to Valladolid, in Castilla.

For more information, consult the Web site: http://www.marche-mondiale.ch/.