WILPF International Board meeting 2010
Updates:

US Section Update (07 Jan) | Swedish Section Update (06 Jan) |
Swedish Section Update (05 Jan)

US Section Update (07 Jan)

It's hard to know whether to try to describe everything that's already happened at the meeting or get back to the proceedings. I'm at an internet cafe across the street and I'm sure I've missed some important events by taking this time to report back to the US Section.

We've been represented by five people: Laura Roskos, our co-president is the alternate IB member since Audley Green could not attend. Nancy Munger, our other co-president is also here. Nancy Ramsden, our international treasurer is here, as is Joan Bazar, the editor of International Peace Update. I'm here as the convener of the Communications Committee.

I co-lead a workshop on Tuesday and had a successful committee meeting yesterday. I'm also trying to write the story of this meeting on my laptop and plan to post more detailed updates once I get back to the States on Saturday.

I am so grateful for this opportunity to represent WILPF US and am so excited about our future. Thank goodness we exist and thank goodness we're growing towards our 100th anniversary. Yesterday, Amparo gave an exciting presentation on the emerging Mexico Section. We also had an Americas regional meeting, and Sandra gave a great talk on what's happening in Colombia. So much is happening and I wish you could all be here. I also wish we could stream video from our meetings, though that might be tricky since several people do not want to be on film. I think we need discussion about this because to me, it's important to utilize all available forms of communication to spread our events to members who are unable to attend.

By: C.J. Minster, to check her blog please click here.

Swedish Section Update (06 Jan)

The formal meeting was opened the other day with a review of the agenda. Despite some changes and comments on the important programme of work, we reached consensus on the weekly schedule. The President elaborated on the report, which dealt with everything from global challenges to the actual work that we have achieved over the past year and caused strong feelings among those present. In an international organisation that brings together women from around the world, with different perspectives, experiences and desires, disagreements are of course inevitable.

Our phenomenal Secretary-General Susi Snyder, who is unfortunately leaving her post mid January, presented a report on the relevant work WILPF has done internationally in the past year. Her report shows WILPF's success, despite the limited financial resources we have. Within the field of disarmament, civil society organizations are really important and with WILPF at the helm we addressed the Conference on Disarmament for the first time during a regular session. In the room of the meeting, dominated by men in person, painted on the walls and into the traditional pattern of thinking that so often characterizes the disarmament body, this is a huge success. A few days later the Conference managed to adopt a Programme of Work for the first time in 12 years. It is inspiring to us all to see the results from WILPF's disarmament work.

Next to discussing the agenda and reports, we were able to hear the presentations by eminent Indian scholars in the seminar on Non Violence and South Asian Realities. The presentations focused on the need for regional cooperation, women's equality as a precondition for peace and sustainable development throughout the world. I was inspired by the message that the West can learn clear lessons from India concerning consumption of resources. To come back to Stockholm and fill my bathtub with hot water for a 10 minute bath feels pretty far away now.

Not only the days, but also the evenings are planned in detail and put to use. The Indian Section has been extremely competent in providing wonderful food, dancing and music. Yesterday we had the honour to visit a center for poor women who survived domestic violence. The organisation behind it all is called Ahmedabad Women's Action Group (AWAG). AWAG themselves write that: "Two and a half decades of engagement with poor urban women has provided AWAG insight into the problems faced by them. Poverty grinds their bodies while domestic violence makes them bleed inside. Their condition worsens in the event of calamities, as the poor are worsed hit and among the poor women are worst hit."

Every day starts with a so-called diversity exercise. The purpose of these exercises is to overcome stereotypes through communication. Age, ethnicity and social background are just some of the variables that affect our ability to participate equally in our organisation. I would like to thank especially Nancy from the USA and Mary from Australia to provide these interactive exercises daily, aiming to counter the problems and obstacles.

Wednesday continued with a presentation of Swedish IB Member Emma, who spoke about how the Swedish project Paying the Price was linked in with the international programme's objectives. Emma emphasized that the Swedish section works on strategic, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound projects. She also highlighted the importance of information coming from the projects, Reaching Critical Will Women and PeaceWomen and from the International Secretariat in Geneva and how it can be used in the everyday work by the different Sections.

Next to these interesting discussions and the wonderful people who have gathered in Ahmedabad, WILPF's future work remains to be done. To realize WILPF's future work, both the structural and substantive changes are needed. To make our work more effective and more accessible, we must consider how we communicate our message and how we can best take advantage of the resources that already exist. It is of utmost importance that our different sections and groups work hard. Hopefully some of these issues will be resolved during the remaining days here in India.

By: IKFF, to check the IKFF blog please click here.

Swedish Section Update (05 Jan)

At the moment the WILPF international board meeting is taking place in Ahmedabad, India. There are several Swedes present; Gothenburg's own star Christina Hyllner has biked from Sweden to China and was quoted in The New York Times, Emma Rosengren, IKFF President Kirsti Kolthoff, spokeswoman Pia Johansson and of course WILPF's international co-president Kerstin Grebäck. They joined international friends from several countries in a busy and exciting schedule, which is really well organized by our sisters in the Indian section.

The meeting began with the Gertrude Baer seminar, which aims to create a space for young and new members to learn more about WILPF. Emma joined Adili from Costa Rica in a workshop that focused on young people's experiences and difficulties to enter into an organizational culture that is not created by them. Emma said that the Swedish student group that works with cluster munitions is an example of how young people can engage in a limited subject in a specific time frame. The Internship Programme, which takes place in cooperation with the WILPF offices in Geneva and New York, as well as application-specific work of the Swedish section, were also mentioned as positive examples.

For the participants it is a rich experience to be staying at the university (Gujarat Vidyapith University) where Gandhi himself developed his leading ideas. The rooms are simple but comfortable and it is obvious that you can live in greater interaction with the limited nature than many of us do in Sweden.

The afternoon began with a formal meeting and we look forward to report further on what is happening here in Gandhi's hoods.

Peace out!