Video Collage from Women’s Conference in Guam
“Resistance, Resilience and Respect for Human Rights”
Sep 12-19, 2009
Women from Australia, Belau, Chuuk, Guahan, Hawai’i, Japan, Okinawa, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and US gathered to support the people in Guahan (Guam) in resistance to the largest planned military build-up in the world on their island.
Guahan is the indigenous name for Guam given by its inhabitants for over 4000 years, the Chamorro people. It means “we have”.
Give thanks to:
I FANLALAI’AN
Women for Genuine Security (WGS)
Hurao Camp
Famoksaiyan
We Are Guahan
East Side Arts Alliance
OneLoveOceania (OLO)
Guahan Coalition for Peace and Justice
Fuetsan Famalao’an
Ramirez Clan, Ordot
and all the other org, families, and individuals
who make this work possible!
Free Guahan!
Say No to the Military Build-Up!
www.WeAreGuahan.com
www.genuinesecurity.org
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Click here to check out the Women’s Voices Women Speak Blog: http://wvwshistory.blogspot.com/
Who We Are
Women’s Voices Women Speak (WVWS) began as a collective of 4 women activists in Hawai’i that attended the 5th International East Asia-US-Puerto Rico Women’s Network Against Militarism held in Manila, November 2004. Since then, this collective has expanded to include more women from Hawai’i who attended the 6th International Women’s Network Against Militarism 2007 meeting in the Bay Area and who will attend the upcoming 7th meeting that will be in Guam.
This work has allowed women of different cultural backgrounds to learn about the impacts of militarism in countries across the Asia-Pacific, U.S. and Caribbean. By continuing this work, our goal is to advocate for women’s perspectives in developing strategies to demilitarize Hawai’i.
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7TH MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF WOMEN AGAINST MILITARISM
Visit the website for the conference: http://genuinesecurity.blogspot.com/
7TH MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF WOMEN AGAINST MILITARISM
Resistance, Resilience, and Respect for Human Rights
CHinemma’, Nina’maolek, yan Inarespetu para Direchon Taotao
Location: University of Guam, Mangilao, Guåhan
Dates: September 14-19, 2009
Women across the globe have endured tremendous struggles to protect their families and survive during times of war and unrest. It is from these struggles that women have gained the strength to fight for peace. This September, they will gather on the island of Guam for the 7th Meeting of the International Network of Women Against Militarism themed, “Resistance, Resilience and Respect for Human Rights”.
The five-day conference will bring together women from Japan, Okinawa, South Korea, Hawaii, Philippines, Australia, Republic of Belau, Marshall Islands, Guam, United States, Puerto Rico and Saipan – all of whom have felt the tremendous impacts of US military bases in their homelands.
The International Network of Women Against Militarism has been meeting since 1997 to share information and strategize about the negative effects of US military operations. These effects include military violence against women and girls, the plight of mixed-race Amerasian children abandoned by US military fathers, environmental contamination, cultural degradation and the distortion of local economies. They focus on how military institutions, values, policies and operations impact communities, especially women.
The United States has had a strong military presence on Guam for more than a century, and occupies nearly one-third of the island. Guam, which has been dubbed “the tip of the spear” by the US Department of Defense, is in the midst of an unprecedented military build-up as the US plans to move 17,000 Marines and their dependents from Okinawa to the island. The conference comes at a critical time in Guam’s history, and aims to bring international attention to the concerns being raised about the proposed build-up.
The conference will feature workshops and public forums on human trafficking and prostitution; political arrangements with the United States; rethinking peace and security; exploring alternatives for economic sustainability; environmental contamination and toxicity; and much more.
There will also be a historical tour of the island; a community vigil to honor the past and heal for the future; a public art event featuring local and international artists; and many opportunities to network and establish goals for the future.
For more information please contact: Dr. LisaLinda Natividad at lisanati@yahoo.com or (671) 735-2962.
Sponsoring Organizations: Conscious Living; Famoksaiyan; Fuetsan Famalao’an; Guåhan Coalition for Peace and Justice; Guåhan Indigenous Collective; GUAHAN Project; Global Fund for Women; Office of Minority Health Resource Center; Sage Project, Incorporated; Women and Gender Studies Program, University of Guam.
Rape in the Military
Resources
Does military service turn young men into sexual predators? (October 22, 2009) By Penny Coleman for Alternet.
Why soldiers rape: culture of misogyny, illegal occupation, fuel sexual violence in the military (August 13, 2008) An article by Helen Benedict from In These Times.
Reproductive Justice: A New Vision (2005) A Publication by Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice that affected the national dialogue on reproductive justice.
Betrayal in the Ranks (2004) A special series of the Denver Post focusing on the epidemic of violence against women committed by military personnel.
Misdiagnosis: Reproductive Health and Our Environment: If we want to foster healthy communities, we need to make connections between reproductive health, environmental toxins, and the food we eat (April 28, 2008) By Mariana Ruiz Firmat for Alternet
Links
Women of Color Resource Center
Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN)
Expanding the Movement for Empowerment and Reproductive Justice (EMERJ)
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