Iran Women on Front Line of Street Protests

The iconography dominating global television coverage of Iran’s biggest demonstrations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution is stunning: women are on the front line of the protests against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s allegedly fraudulent re-election. It is no surprise. They feel most robbed by his “stolen” victory. “We feel cheated, frustrated and betrayed,” said an Iranian woman in a message circulated on Facebook. Iran’s energetic female activists are using the social networking site to mobilise opposition to Mr Ahmadinejad. Iranian women also have a dynamic presence on the country’s blogosphere – the biggest in the Middle East – which they are using to keep up popular momentum against the election outcome. Many Iranian women will suspect that a prime reason the election was “stolen” was to keep them in their place. To the regime, their demands for equal rights are inseparable from the opposition’s drive for greater democracy.

Continue on: http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090617/FOREIGN/706179978

Statement of President Barack Obama on Rescinding the Mexico City Policy

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                            January 23, 2009

Statement of President Barack Obama on Rescinding the Mexico CityPolicy“It is clear that the provisions of the Mexico City Policy are unnecessarily broad and unwarranted under current law, and for the past eight years, they have undermined efforts to promote safe and effective voluntary family planning in developing countries.  For these reasons, it is right for us to rescind this policy and restore critical efforts to protect and empower women and promote global economic development.

“For too long, international family planning assistance has been used as a political wedge issue, the subject of a back and forth debate that has served only to divide us.  I have no desire to continue this stale and fruitless debate.

“It is time that we end the politicization of this issue.  In the coming weeks, my Administration will initiate a fresh conversation on family planning, working to find areas of common ground to best meet the needs of women and families at home and around the world.

“I have directed my staff to reach out to those on all sides of this issue to achieve the goal of reducing unintended pregnancies.  They will also work to promote safe motherhood, reduce maternal and infant mortality rates and increase educational and economic opportunities for women and girls.

“In addition, I look forward to working with Congress to restore U.S.financial support for the U.N. Population Fund.  By resuming funding to UNFPA, the U.S. will be joining 180 other donor nations working collaboratively to reduce poverty, improve the health of women and children, prevent HIV/AIDS and provide family planning assistance to women in 154 countries,” said President Obama.

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE UNITED STATES AGENCY

FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SUBJECT:      Mexico CityPolicy and Assistance for

Voluntary Population Planning

The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151b(f)(1)), prohibits nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that receive Federal funds from using those funds “to pay for the performance of abortions as a method of family planning, or to motivate or coerce any person to practice abortions.”  The August 1984 announcement by President Reagan of what has become known as the “Mexico City Policy” directed the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to expand this limitation and withhold USAID funds from NGOs that use non-USAID funds to engage in a wide range of activities, including providing advice, counseling, or information regarding abortion, or lobbying a foreign government to legalize or make abortion available.  The Mexico City Policy was in effect from 1985 until 1993, when it was rescinded by President Clinton.  President George W. Bush reinstated the policy in 2001, implementing it through conditions in USAID grant awards, and subsequently extended the policy to “voluntary population planning” assistance provided by the Department of State.

These excessively broad conditions on grants and assistance awards are unwarranted.  Moreover, they have undermined efforts to promote safe and effective voluntary family planning programs in foreign nations.  Accordingly, I hereby revoke the Presidential memorandum of January 22, 2001, for the Administrator of USAID (Restoration of the Mexico City Policy), the Presidential memorandum of March 28, 2001, for the Administrator of USAID (Restoration of the Mexico City Policy), and the Presidential memorandum of August 29, 2003, for the Secretary of State (Assistance for Voluntary Population Planning).  In addition, I direct the Secretary of State and the Administrator of USAID to take the following actions with respect to conditions in voluntary population planning assistance and USAID grants that were imposed pursuant to either the 2001 or 2003 memoranda and that are not required by the Foreign Assistance Act or any other law:  (1) immediately waive such conditions in any current grants, and (2) notify current grantees, as soon as possible, that these conditions have been waived.  I further direct that the Department of State and USAID immediately cease imposing these conditions in any future grants.

This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

The Secretary of State is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in theFederal Register.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE, January 23, 2009.

Israeli & Palestinian Women Call for End to Military Action & for Peace

Dear friends–
Beacuse women expreience the pain of conflict, The International Women’s Commission (IWC) which is an entity dedicated to bring together Palestinian, Israeli and international women  to an end of the Israeli occupation and a just peace based on international law [including relevant UN resolutions], human rights and equality issued the following statement.

“The IWC is a coalition of Palestinian, Israeli and international women who recognize the urgent need to achieve a meaningful peace between Israelis and Palestinians and feel a shared commitment to accomplish this goal. Participation in the IWC is grounded in mutual respect for diversity and the rights and dignity of all parties. “

Peace,
Elahe

http://www.iwc-peace.org

December 29, 2008

Israeli and Palestinian Women Call for Immediate End to Israeli Military Aggression in Gaza

The International Women’s Commission (IWC) for a Just and Sustainable Palestinian–Israeli Peace demands an immediate cessation of the aggression by the Israeli military forces in Gaza, which has already cost hundreds of lives. This slaughter can only further fuel the conflict and quash any remaining hope for peace between the Israeli and Palestinian people. The IWC calls on the international community, and specifically the Quartet, to immediately deploy an international force to bring an end to this madness, to protect innocent civilians and to alleviate the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The IWC further appeals to the Quartet, and in particular to the incoming US Administration, to press for immediate resumption of peace negotiations based on the Arab Peace Initiative as the only way of bringing an end to the occupation and achieving sustainable peace between Israel and Palestine, and in the region. On behalf of IWC Members: Palestinian Steering Committee
Wafa‘ Abdel-Rahman
Maha Abu-Dayyeh Shamas
Samia Bamieh
Lama Hourani Israeli Steering Committee
Naomi Chazan
Galia Golan
Anat Saragusti
Aida Touma-Sliman International Steering Committee
Sylvia Borren
Luisa Morgantini
Jessica Neuwirth
Simone Susskind The International Women’s Commission for a Just and Sustainable Palestinian–Israeli Peace (IWC) <http://www.iwc-peace.org/>  comprises Palestinian, Israeli and international women leaders. It was established in 2005 under the auspices of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) as part of efforts to implement UN Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. For more information:

• UNIFEM IWC International Coordinator: iwc.int@iwc-peace.org. Tel: +32 2 213-1444. Fax: +32 2 213-1449.
• IWC Israeli Coordinator: iwc.il@iwc-peace.org Tel: +972 54 225-6633. Fax: +972 2 563-7633.
• IWC Palestinian Coordinator:iwc.pl@iwc-peace.org.Telefax: +972 2 297-4650.
  

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<http://www.unifem.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/>  GAZA-ISRAEL VIOLENCE – WOMEN’S EXPERIENCE OF PAIN OF CONFLICT

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/12/28/world/20081228MIDEAST2_3.html

Junie Mattice speaks out!

Continuing WIN and CAWA’s missions to give all women a voice, particularly our sisters who have not had a forum for their voices,  WIN held an energizing and thought provoking SPEAKOUT on October 7, 2008 at Delancey Street Club Room with MARCUS BOOKS, as part of our Get Out the Vote campaign.  Panelists were Dr. Raye Richardson, Founder/Owner MARCUS BOOKS;  Irene Lu, US Representative Afghan Women’s Network and WIN Board of Directors;  Junie Mattice, Tolowa;  Alicia Wang, Candidate for San FRancisco County Supervisor, Dist. 1; and MC Rose Aguilar, Author and Host of ‘Your Call’ on KALW.
Junie Mattice spoke passionately about Human Rights and the Indigenous people of California. You can read her remarks here:

First I SANG MY WAR SONG… then said:
I am Junie Mattice, a citizen of Tolowa Nation and of the United States , and I have no Human Rights.  Why a war song?  For our husbands, brothers and sons who have lost their path, for battered women and abused children.  All of you, everyone has a healing song passed down by your ancestors.
We all have a culture, this is no melting pot.  We women are the life givers in this country of Euro thought, dominated by man.  This progress of Euro thought created this cement world, a world defying Mother Earth.
Your mothers and grandmothers have retained your ancestor’s culture thru your homes.  The kitchen, cupboards and foods show this culture.
In 500 years of progress, 5 million American Indians have been murdered.  Where is our Holocaust Museum ?  In 1992 the United States Congress did a 7 year study of the California Indian Genocide and documented all and 90,000 plus Non-Federally Recognized California Indians have no Human Rights.  No Rights of Freedom of Religion, rights to protect ancient village sites, sacred sites, cemeteries and massacre graves.  Del Norte County census in 1910 stated only 120 of us Tolowa were left.
Capitalism is okay, greed is not.  Change is good.  We need to change all of our Representatives; Representatives who don’t believe in family first.  We women are the core infrastructure of California .
Environmentalists don’t believe in American Indian sovereignty.  They want to develop people corridors and animal corridors on a fast tract to nirvana.  I say, “Let them introduce grizzly bears to Los Angeles .”
All that is left for American Indians is song and prayer.  With your help of collective prayer we can turn the tide of mans greed.  Power thru collective prayer and voting.  A cousin told me to “Pray for evil to leave your home.”  It works.  Voting works too.
The American Indian is the original “steward” of the land, and then Spain came and destroyed the people of California .  This destruction was continued by the over Landers greed for gold, land, otters, trees, fish, elk, deer, bear, ad nauseaum.
The 1st convention of California was built on “… a thousand drinks and a thousand payoffs…”  Thus the Spanish, Mexicans and over Landers divided “free” lands and created California .  This creation ignored 15,000 plus years of American Indian culture with knowledge of plants, medicine and Mother Earths needs.
California Indians were forcibly rounded up, numbered, deloused, marched, shipped, hair cut, religion and dress denied and language all outlawed.  General John Bidwell and John Sutter created the Indentured Law that placed us into the hands of any Whiteman.  We became the slave trade and 12 year old brides.  We were still indentured after the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the black people.  Even Treaties signed under these conditions have never been honored.
The 1st Governor, Peter Burnett declared, “…a total eradication of nations…”  They cut up pieces of land, shaped and reshaped to the highest bidder.  A surrealistic checkerboard of existence they created for all of us, and with no stable infrastructure.
California is named after a legend of warrior like women, they called Amazon.  This is your legacy; we are the women warriors of today.  We have to stand up and demand to be counted as equals.
This greedy, controlling society is so paranoid, they will try to steal the Presidency again…as California women warriors we cannot let this happen.
Dominate Euro mans thought created this cement society and is the perfect example of “Skinners Rats.”  Thank God women know how to nest.  We have been able to nest under major changes throughout history and survive under any conditions.  But now we need to leave our nests and change our Representation and recreate California using “Honor, common sense and give our children the best education we can.
Let us women drop a pebble into water and create a life of Honor, common sense and education for our children, the rings we create will travel these lands and turn the tide of greed.
Thank you,
Junie Mattice