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BULLETIN NO. 001-2011
JULY 26, 2011
ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S ALLIANCE (IWA)
FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY (FGA) HELD ON
JULY 5-6, 2011 IN MANILA, PHILIPPINES
The International Women's Assembly (IWA) successfully held its First
General Assembly (FGA) on July 5 and 6, 2011 in Quezon City, Philippines
under the theme, “Advance the Global Anti-imperialist Women's Movement!
Strengthen the International Women's Alliance!”.
The FGA which was hosted by GABRIELA Philippines was attended by 99
delegates and observers from 67 organizations from 20 countries namely:
Argentina, Australia, Canada, Ecuador, Germany, Hong Kong, India,
Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Kurdistan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan,
Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, The Netherlands and the USA.
On the morning of July 5, participants to the IWA FGA joined hundreds of
individuals from all over the world in opening the International Festival
of Peoples' Rights and Struggles (IFPRIS), a space for workers, peasants,
women, migrants, indigenous peoples, youth, artists and many other sectors
from around the globe to learn, share and interact with one another as
they confront the issues and challenges in the struggle against the
exploitative and repressive system of patriarchy and imperialism.
As co-sponsor of this event, the IWA organized the panel of grassroots
gender experts composed of Azra Talat Sayeed of Pakistan who talked about
the struggle of oppressed women and people against imperialist attacks and
terror in general and Pakistan in particular and Lina Solano of Ecuador
who discussed women's resistance against foreign mining corporations in
Latin America. The speech of Keynote Speaker, Leila Khaled from the
General Union of Palestinian Women who was unable to come due to a family
emergency, was read by Liza Maza of GABRIELA.
Khaled said that the vision of the Palestinian people is to build a
democratic state in Palestine, where all citizens have the same rights and
duties regardless of religion, ethnic identity and gender. She also called
for solidarity with the Palestinian people by joining the growing BDS
movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel.
The organizational meeting of IWA commenced in the afternoon of the same
day with
participants performing a ritual of unity led by dancers with flowing
colored streamers from GABRIELA's cultural group Sining Lila (Purple Art).
The performers punctuated the following two days with their rhythmic
harmonies and progressive songs.
Liza Maza of the IWA FGA Organizing Committee delivered the opening
remarks. She noted that the FGA is a continuation of the process that
started in 2008 when the Women's Commission of the International League of
Peoples' Struggles (ILPS) unanimously adopted a resolution calling for the
formation of an anti-imperialist global alliance of women. The call was
realized when the founding assembly of IWA was held in August 16, 2010
following the two-day Montreal International Women's Conference in Canada.
She acknowledged the hard work done by the IWA FGA Organizing Committee
composed of Marie Boti of the Women of Diverse Origin (Canada), Liza Maza
and Lana Linaban of GABRIELA (Philippines), Azra Talat Sayeed of the Asia
Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (Pakistan), Valerie Francisco
of GABRIELA-USA, Rita Acosta of the Mouvement contre le viol et l'inceste
(Movement against rape and incest, Canada), Hsiao-Chuan Hsia of the Action
Network for Marriage Migrants' Rights and Empowerment (Taiwan), and Coni
Ledesma of the Support Committee for Filipino Women and Children (The
Netherlands).
She stressed that the Alliance was formed as an anti-imperialist,
anti-patriarchy, anti-racist, anti-sexist and anti-homophobic alliance to
organize women as a political force and to link the women's movement with
the people's movement for national and social liberation and gender
equality.
The Organizing Committee presided the plenary approval of the agenda of
the FGA and the approval of application of 30 new members bringing to
close to a hundred IWA's membership to date.
Marie Boti reported on the accomplishments of the Alliance for the past
year: representation of IWA in various regional, international and
sectoral conferences and meetings; issuance of March 8 statement and
solidarity messages; holding of internationally coordinated action on
March 8 International Women's Day; participation in campaigns for the
release of political prisoners and preparation for the FGA.
The Accomplishment Report was followed by the panel presentation on
Women’s Resistance Against Imperialism. The panel was composed of Sarojeni
Rengam of the Asian Rural Women’s Coalition and Pesticide Action Network
Asia-Pacific (Malaysia) for Asia; Clelia Iscaro of the National Encounters
of Women (Argentina) for Latin America; Emime Ndihokubwayo of Kenya for
Africa; Daphna Whitmore of the Auckland Philippines Solidarity (Australia)
for Oceania; Monica Gail Moorehead of the Women’s Fightback Network (USA)
and Kelti Cameron of the Ontario Committee for Human Rights in the
Philippines (Canada) for North America; and Monika Gaertner-Engel of the
Women’s Political Caucus (Germany) for Europe.
The panel of speakers coming from different regions across the globe spoke
on the intensifying imperialist attacks on women's lives and livelihood
and shared their strategies of resistance and the need to unite in the
struggle against imperialism and all reaction.
The assembly deliberated on and adopted the Manila Declaration of Unity of
the International Women's Alliance that called for a global militant,
anti-imperialist women's movement that will “link ourselves and our
struggles to fight our common enemy-imperialism and feudalism including
patriarchy, to stop the economic and political domination of the
capitalist system, and to end imperialist wars of aggression and measures
against the oppressed peoples of the world.”
The Manila Declaration further stated that “as the global economic,
political, social and environmental crises deepen, there is urgency for us
women to unite, heighten our militancy and join the wave of the people's
struggle to defend our hard won rights and advance our liberation.”
The IWA Constitution was also discussed and adopted by the assembly.
Workshops by global regions were held to deliberate on the draft General
Program of Action (GPOA) of the Alliance and to draw up its Four-Year Plan
of Action cognizant of the major and important issues and context of the
regions.
The plenary then approved by acclamation the GPOA, Four-Year Plan and
resolutions on particular issues and concerns the Alliance would work on.
The Plan of Action includes the work of projecting IWA's analysis and
positions on major issues affecting the majority of the world's women and
oppressed peoples, building IWA regional chapters and enjoining women
youth to IWA among others.
The Assembly elected the members of the Executive Council. Below are the
elected members of the EC and their responsibilities:
Chairperson – Liza Maza (GABRIELA, Philippines)
Vice Chairperson for Internal Affairs – Azra Talat Sayeed (Roots for
Equity, Pakistan);
Vice Chairperson for External Affairs – Lina Solano (El Frente de Mujeres
Defensoras de Las Pachamama, Ecuador);
Secretary General – Marie Boti (Women of Diverse Origins, Canada)
Deputy Secretary General – Maitet Ledesma ( Pinay sa Holland, the
Netherlands)
Treasurer - Retno Dewi (Aliansi Gerakan Reforma Agraria, Indonesia)
Auditor – Daphna Whitmore ( Aucklands Philippine Solidarity, New Zealand)
Member - Lana Linaban ( Gabriela, Philippines)
Member - Monica Gail Moorehead (Women’s Fightback Network, USA)
The EC assigned Valerie Francisco of the USA who energetically facilitated
the two-day FGA to lead the development of a platform for participation of
women youth to the IWA.
In the closing ceremony, the participants recognized and honored four
Women of Valor – Edith Ballantyne of the Women’s International League for
Peace and Freedom (Canada), Leila Khaled of the General Union of
Palestinian Women (Palestine), Carmen “Nanay Mameng” Deunida of Kalipunan
ng Damayang Mahihirap (Philippines), and Clelia Iscaro of National
Encounters of Women (Argentina). These courageous women were recognized
for their “steadfast commitment and invaluable contribution to the
promotion of women's emancipation, freedom, peace and social liberation”.
Each woman received a dedicated plaque in the shape of the IWA logo
designed especially for the occasion.
The assembly then offered a moment of silence for Magda Maasbommel of the
Red Morgen, the Netherlands who just passed away last June. She gave her
whole life in the service of the people. The participants also called the
presence of all the other women comrades who have passed and whose legacy
continues to inspire and strengthen the women's movement for a new system
founded on genuine democracy, liberty, equality, peace, freedom and
justice.
Singing songs of struggles and shouting slogans, the Assembly participants
linked arms forming a large circle symbolizing greater unity and strong
resolve to carry the struggle forward to the 21st century.
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