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Report on NAWO Actions / July 17-23 2005

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NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF WOMEN (NAWO)

WORLD MARCH OF WOMEN (WMW)

 

Report of the World Relay of the Charter in India

July 17 – 23, 2005

The "Women's Global Charter for Humanity" launched on March 8, 2005 in the 163 participating countries in the world, along with the International launch in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The World Relay of the Charter and building of the "Feminist Solidarity Patchwork Quilt" also started in Sao Paulo. Between March & October the Charter and the Quilt was scheduled to travel to 53 countries around the world, when each country would add a piece to the Solidarity Quilt depicting their vision of a new world. After traveling to 39 countries the Charter reached Kolkata, India on July 17, 2005 from Thailand/Burma. During the 5 days, the Charter was in India. National Alliance of Women (NAWO), the National Co-ordinating body for World March in India organized a series of regional events in 6 different cities – Kolkata in West Bengal, Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, Ranchi in Jharkhand, Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh and in New Delhi.

 

We translated the Charter in 4 regional languages – Hindi, Tamil, Marathi & Oriya, which was widely used for discussions at the grass roots level meetings. We also printed the Charter on hand made silk in Hindi and English for the Regional Events and built two National Patchwork Solidarity Quilts. Each of the participating groups contributed a patch. One of these Solidarity Quilt was given to the World March Organizing Committee in Pakistan.

 

A Glimpse of the Regional Events :

         During the week of July 17 to 23, 2005, six Regional Events were organized as already mentioned above. The first event in Kolkata on 18th was a roaring success. With more than 800 participants from rural Bengal, activists from Kolkata and other dignitaries including the Mayor of Kolkata and the Chairperson of Women's Commission. On the occasion we also honoured an Advasi (tribal) woman named Andhari Majhi for her leading the struggles for Advasi Rights specially for land, water and forest. Ms.Koely Roy, Ms.Indrani Sinha, Ms.Nupur Sanyal and the other members of the State Organizing Committee organized this programme with full participation of more than 68 Organizations in the State.

In Ranchi, Jharkhand 200 women participated at the Regional Event. Ms.Suman Gupta, the Superintendent of Police was the Chief Guest, who affirmed that women are capable of bringing about change in the world. Ms.Vineeta Meher introduced the "Land to the Tiller" Campaign taken up by World March and also launched the Postcard Campaign to be sent to the Chief Minister of the State & the Prime Minister of India by the women demanding the implementation of the Land Ceiling Act, whereby each woman would be entitled to 5 to 7 acres of land. Ms.Chaina Moitra was honoured as the Brave Woman at this event for her struggles for the Right of the Daughter in the father's property. This event was organized by the State Organizing Committee for World March under the leadership of Ms.Rosalia Tirkey.  

           In Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh the Regional Event was organized under the leadership of Ms.Prarthana Mishra,  member –  National  Co-ordination Committee for World March. 150 Women from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh gathered together for this Regional Event. Two women – Ms.Basni Bai of Ekta Parishad, Morena and Ms.Gangotri Bai of Bilaspur were honoured as Brave Women for their struggle for women's access and control over land. The cultural team of Sangini, an umbrella organization for groups in Madhya Pradesh presented a Street Theatre based on the Charter.

           The Regional Event in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh brought together nearly 400 women from 35 districts in Uttar Pradesh, most of them representing women's organizations, people's organizations and civil liberties organizations. The cultural team of Sakhi Kendra, Kanpur presented songs and raised slogans of solidarity.  Ms.Kumkum Tripathi of Mahila Samakhya, Lucknow informed that the names of 6 women from the state of Uttar Pradesh for the Nobel Prize for 1000 women had been recommended. At this event, 15 women from different districts were honoured as Brave Women. A cultural team – Natya Yuva Manch presented a Street Play, "Faisla Kiske Haq Mein" raising the issue of Violence faced by women. The programme concluded with women marching on the streets as an expression of their solidarity to women of the world struggling to create a better world.

           A total of 1000 women from 60 organizations in the state of Andhra Pradesh gathered together for the Regional Event where the Charter was presented in their regional language – Telugu. Each woman was given a cloth patch on which to express their vision of a new world. These patches were displayed as a State Solidarity Patchwork Quilt. It was also shared that Ms.Vasanth Kannabiran has been nominated for the Nobel Prize from the state.

           This Regional Event was organized by the NAWO – State Committee under the leadership of Ms.Vasanth Kannabiran, who was also on the National Delegation to Pakistan as part of the World Relay of the World March Charter.

Finally, the last Event was organized in Delhi at the India International Centre, where Ms.Girija Vyas, Chairperson – National Commission for Women (NCW) and Ms.Mohini Giri, Former Chairperson of NCW were the Chief Guests. About 50 representatives of different organizations of Delhi itself had gathered. They also flagged off the National Delegation to Pakistan. The presence of 3 International Delegates – Dr.Roya, Founder Member of Turkestan Peace Foundation, Turkestan, Ms.Farah from Iran and another delegation from Iraq was very important as they had traveled to India to express their solidarity to the Delegation to Pakistan and to stitch their patch on to the Solidarity Quilt of the World March. Ms.Nasreen Faiyaz, National Liaison Secretary and Ms.Deepa Rathore of NAWO Secretariat at Delhi organized the programme and also made the logistic arrangements for the National Delegation to Pakistan.

 It is important to mention that these events were possible only because of the NAWO – World March team in India. During the Preparatory Meeting of the programmes on the receipt of the Charter, Shashi received news of her brother in the US being critically ill. All the members of the Co-ordination Committee took on the responsibility of organizing the 6 Regional Events as part of the World Relay of the Charter and even though, she returned to India only 3 days before the Charter arrived, the Programmes had been well planned, within the spirit of collective leadership in NAWO – World March.

Date: August 2005

Venue: Mahasamund, India                                                         

    Ms.Shashi Sail


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Last modified 2007-06-18 02:43 PM