General Program of Action
2024-2028
Adopted and Approved 18 June 2024
The General Program of Action (GPOA) guides the work of the alliance between International Assemblies.
The GPOA serves as a guide for the members of the alliance to further link their local issues and campaigns to the chronic crisis of the capitalist system and its impact on women around the world through coordinated efforts among members of the alliance in the global regions. Members should review, discuss and plan for local, regional, and international implementation in accordance with the current political situation
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After 9 years, member organizations, prominent women leaders, delegates and observers from around the world came together for the 3rd International Assembly of the International Women’s Alliance (IWA) held in Penang, Malaysia on June 17 – 18, 2024 with the theme “Women Resist Imperialist Wars, Militarism, and Exploitation! Unite and Fight for Land, Labor Rights & Liberation!” In the two day assembly, 200 participants from over 20 countries and various national liberation struggles united on the General Program of Action for 2024 – 2028 to be implemented for the alliance. Additionally, global regional breakouts allowed for participants to focus on particular planning for campaigns and priorities at the regional level.
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After 14 years, the International Women’s Alliance continues to forge ahead to build and strengthen the unity of our member organizations amidst the worsening economic and political crises. In every country plagued by these crises women are the most vulnerable and have been most impacted. Aggressive resource extraction and overproduction has led to the climate crisis, impacting 380 million women who don’t have access to basic necessities like water (which is projected to increase to 674 million by 2050). Furthermore, up to 158 million women and girls globally may be pushed further into poverty due to climate change.
A majority of women suffer from immense exploitation and poverty, while facing the added burden of living under oppressive patriarchal rule that often subjugates them to that of their male counterparts. This is especially true of women in the global south who live under a backwards and feudal system which leaves them vulnerable to landlessness, hunger, and neglect. Between 60-80% of women and girls produce food in developing countries yet are disproportionately affected by poverty. Today more than 236 million women and girls to suffer from food insecurity – showing that many of the world’s food producers do not benefit from a globalized and liberalized food system.
As more communities are displaced by corporate plunder, climate crisis, and violence rural populations continue to shrink. About 70% of the women globally are expected to be housed in urban areas by 2050, totaling about 3.3 billion women worldwide, yet alarming trends suggest that a third of these women and girls will find themselves living in inadequate housing. Women workers continue to be exploited, especially in the garment industry where more than 60% of the workforce are women.
The current political crisis has reached new heights among the top contending imperialist powers. As the U.S. tries to assert its global hegemony through direct political, economic, and military action the whole world is at increased risk of impending war. US military expansion places women and children at the highest risk of vulnerability as systemic sexual violence against women and girls is used as a war tactic to destabilize and terrorize communities. War also destroys opportunities for economic development and the advancement of women’s rights and therefore, has sweeping economic impacts on women and their families. Women and girls in living in conflict-ridden areas have increased by more than 50% since 2017 and is expected to rise as the world continues to face 3 major fronts of war in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed the ongoing rottenness of the imperialist system. Joblessness, landlessness, access to housing and healthcare, are only some of the manifestations of this crisis. Meanwhile, neoliberal policies and rising fascism around the world pursued by anti-people governments curtail the political and civil rights of the people. Now, more than ever, it is critical that IWA’s member organizations unite together and continue to organize women in their numbers to confront and reverse the crises we face today.
The following draft General Program of Action (GPOA) will guide the work of the International Women’s Alliance (IWA) for the period from June 2024 to June 2028. Proposed resolutions to the GPOA can be submitted prior to the 3IA where said resolutions can be discussed for approval during the plenary of the 3rd International Assembly to be held on June 17-18, 2024.
The GPOA will serve as a guide for the members of the alliance to further link their local issues and campaigns to the chronic crisis of the capitalist system and its impact on women around the world through coordinative efforts among members of the alliance in the global regions. Members should review, discuss and plan for local, regional, and international implementation in accordance with the current political situation.
With the escalating militarism and wars of aggression, it is more urgent than ever to strengthen the global militant women’s movement. It is in this spirit that IWA puts forth the following GPOA to amplify the voices of the most marginalized and oppressed women and carry out our two central campaigns.
WOMEN OF THE WORLD UNITE AGAINST US LED WAR, MILITARISM, RACISM AND IMPERIALIST INTERVENTION!
NO TO MONOPOLY CAPITALISM, FEUDALISM, PATRIARCHY AND CLASS OPPRESSION! WOMEN’S NEEDS OVER PROFIT! FIGHT FOR WOMEN’S LIBERATION!
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The International Women’s Alliance is committed to undertake the following to intensify the struggle for total liberation of women and all oppressed and exploited people:
Build and develop a broad international anti-imperialist women’s movement that is deeply rooted among the masses of women peasants and workers of all nationalities, indigenous, youth, and other democratic forces and sectors, to transform women into an organized political force in the struggle for national and social liberation and gender equality;
Resist imperialist plunder and war as it intensifies the climate crisis and environmental degradation;
Expose and oppose imperialist neoliberal policies, structures and discourses;
Fight to end all forms of violence against women;
Conduct political education among our members on the root causes of women’s oppression and exploitation;
Build and strengthen international cooperation, mutual support and sharing of strategies of resistance among activists, women’s organizations, institutions, and social movements.
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The International Women’s Alliance (IWA) shall provide information to its member organizations and the general public regarding the political situation of women in different global regions, including providing an analysis on the impacts of the current economic, political, and climate crisis on women perpetuated by corporate greed and military aggression. The educational components of the alliance shall serve to agitate and organize the masses of women to take collective political action towards building a broad anti-imperialist united front against imperialism, fascism, neoliberalism, and all reaction.
The IWA Executive Committee, Regional and Country Coordinators along with members of the alliance can cooperate to produce and disseminate various educational materials accessible to members of our communities and organizations.
Development and distribution of educational materials regarding issues that impact women in accordance to the major political thrusts of the alliance including but not limited to:
Workers Struggles
Peasant Struggles
Struggle to defend indigenous people and land
Political Prisoners
Imperialism & Neoliberalism (trade agreements, economic policies, etc.)
War & Militarism
Gender Based Violence & Femicide
Women’s Rights (i.e. reproductive rights, sexual exploitation)
Working with global regions to provide translated materials to ensure public educational/informational materials and key outreach materials are language-accessible to the majority of our membership as needed. Ensure materials coming from organizations in the Global South are also translated for wider dissemination.
Maintain the IWA website and ensure it is updated regularly with political developments and to reflect burning issues and interests of the most exploited and oppressed women all over the world
Maintain official IWA Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, email and other relevant social media networking sites to reach a wide range of women and the general public.
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IWA will coordinate with the global regions and chapters, organizations and individual members on mass campaigns and mass struggles, mobilizations and activities, specifically carrying the calls of our two central campaigns and relating it with all relevant issues that oppose war & militarism and economic exploitation and oppression of women. Strengthen our capacity to hold globally coordinated actions on major campaigns by coordinating efforts with the global regional and country representatives of the alliance.
IWA will promote our two campaign platforms to engage the broadest number of the toiling masses of women and continue to grow and strengthen the broad anti-imperialist united front.
Member organizations should carry out their local issues and link them to these major calls, and continue to expose the rottenness of the exploitative imperialist system and are the main causes that curtail the rights and impose the highest forms of violence towards the majority of the world’s women.
IWA members can utilize and engage the broader alliance by seeking support from the Executive Committee and Secretariat of the Alliance to garner support and further the reach of their campaigns. IWA will support the campaigns of member organizations and raise their issues and struggles to an international scale. IWA will also work in cooperation with other international anti-imperialist and progressive formations.
When it is in our interest, IWA shall also engage with national and international governmental bodies such as local/national governments, the United Nations, etc. and assert the rights and welfare of women and promote pro-people and pro-women policies among them.
IWA shall also advocate for the issues, interests, and rights and welfare of children, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people.
IWA aims to broaden and strengthen our capacity to hold globally coordinated actions on major campaign days such as:
Primarily
March 8 (International Working Women’s Day)
May 1 (International Workers Day)
October 15 (Rural Women’s Day)
November 25 (International day to Eliminate Violence Against Women)
For these dates we encourage member organizations to release statements, hold actions or activities, host political educational discussions.
Secondarily
February 14 (One Billion Rising Day; Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s Day – Canada)
March 29 (Day of the Landless)
May 5 (Missing and Murdered Indigenous People’s Day)
May 15 (Nakba Day)
June 19 (International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict)
August 10 (IWA Anniversary)
August 14 (International Day of Comfort Women)
October 7 (Anniversary of Al Aqsa Flood)
November 20 (International Day of Action for the Protection of the Rights of Children)
November 20 (Trans Day of Remembrance)
November 29 (International Human Rights Defenders’ Day and International Day of Palestinian Women)
December 10 (International Human Rights Day)
December 18 (International Migrants’ Day)
Global regions are encouraged to add additional days that are relevant to their own organizational programs and objectives. For major global campaign initiatives taken up by the alliance, campaign toolkits can be made available on the website which would contain guidance and a collection of other resource materials to support members in amplifying the campaign objectives.
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IWA seeks to deepen the political unity of its membership and sharpen our articulation and analysis of the global imperialist system and its effects on women.
IWA shall continue to expand its membership by recruiting from among progressive and issue-based women’s organizations and institutions.
IWA will develop relations with grassroots women and people’s organizations who unite with the Declaration of Unity of the Alliance. IWA will support the building of the global regions and encourage the formation of regional councils to exercise the systematic implementation of the GPOA in the respective regions.
The alliance will focus on and improve its efforts towards:
Further strengthen the leadership and consolidate the members of the Alliance
Solidify and further develop the committee system of the Alliance (ie. Regional Councils, Country Chapters, Propaganda Committee, Education Committee, etc.)
Continue to strengthen recruitment towards the building of IWA Americas global region
Make concerted efforts to build in solidarity with and recruit organizations in the African continent, West Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean to the Alliance
Strengthen existing IWA global regions (IWA ASPAC, IWA Europe)
Participate and coordinate with other multi-lateral formations on common issues and campaigns towards building a strong united front and mass movement (International League of People’s Struggle, International Migrants Alliance, Resist US Led War Network, etc.)
Continue to support and strengthen the International People’s Front (IPF) as part of the International Coordinating Body (ICB).
Engage international governments including parliamentarians, and intergovernmental institutions such as the United Nations, to advocate and promote pro-people and pro-women policies.
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IWA sees financial work as an important element in building the overall capacity to build and strengthen the Alliance. IWA will make a concerted effort to actively build our financial capability through fundraising and other forms of resource generation.
IWA shall maintain appropriate accounting and fiscal processes. A yearly budget for the operations of the Alliance will be drafted and approved by the IWA Executive Committee.
All member organizations of the Alliance have the responsibility to support the Alliance by paying their annual dues promptly. Organizations based in the Global South contribute $50 USD/yearly. Organizations based in the Global North contribute $100 USD/yearly. Regional coordinators are responsible for collecting and tracking membership dues from their respective member organizations. Organizations based outside of our global regions can directly submit their dues to the Treasurer of the Alliance.
RESOLUTIONS FROM
THE 3RD INTERNATIONAL ASSEMBLY
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WHEREAS, women of East and South Asia aspire for a world free from discrimination, including violence and bullying, based on sex, gender, class, and race, with measures to ensure accountability;
WHEREAS, women of East and South Asia aspire for an end to patriarchy and the caste system, as well as the domination of imperialist powers, capitalists, and local elites and landlords;
WHEREAS, women of East and South Asia aspire for equality in terms of job security and opportunities, as well as access to education;
WHEREAS, women of East and South Asia aspire for living wages and equal right to control the means of production;
WHEREAS, women of East and South Asia aspire for the right to own land, control the price of their produce, and better social protection for women in rural communities;
WHEREAS, women of East and South Asia aspire for better wages, employment benefits, and labor protection migrant women workers, including seasonal and/or undocumented workers;
WHEREAS, women of East and South Asia aspire for an end to forced migration and for decent job opportunities in migrant women’s home countries;
WHEREAS, women of East and South Asia aspire for freedom to make their own decisions, to be liberated from unpaid reproductive work, to pursue other employment opportunities aside from elementary occupations and jobs that are considered extensions of their reproductive roles;
WHEREAS, women of East and South Asia aspire for an end to modern-day slavery and all other forms of exploitative work;
WHEREAS, women of East and South Asia aspire for food sovereignty, climate justice, and the protection of the rights of all living things and the preservation of eco-biodiversity;
WHEREAS, women of East and South Asia aspire to build a community of women where they can learn from and help politicize each other;
WHEREAS, women of East and South Asia aspire for a strong women’s movement that collectively advances justice, equality, and peace;
WHEREAS, women of East and South Asia aspire for the right to organize toiling women and masses, including migrant workers, without oppression and violence;
WHEREAS, women of East and South Asia aspire for women to be more involved and in the frontlines of liberation struggles;
WHEREAS, women of East and South Asia aspire for an end to militarization, police brutality, red-tagging, and other repressive measures that are guised under means for “national security” and/or against those deemed by the ruling powers as “terrorists”;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the women of East and South Asia:
Shall politicize more women and build movements that will advance the interests of toiling women and masses;
Shall establish strong solidarity with other women in the struggle; and
Shall highlight the issues and struggles in Palestine and the Philippines to inspire other communities and movements of women
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WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire for protection of women’s land rights and an end to land-grabbing, including those for conversion to palm oil plantations;
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire for improved economic, social, and political participation of rural women, and for their issues to be prioritized, amid governments’ continued imposition of policies that are detrimental to rural women’s sociocultural life as well as poor understanding of rural women’s equal role in decision-making and their right to equal opportunities;
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire for an end to the oppression and discrimination of indigenous peoples and national minorities;
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire for forests to be protected in order to address climate change and for more reserve/protected land, where indigenous peoples often serve as forest protectors;
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire for a pesticide-free world, with sustainable farming systems/agroecology and food sovereignty;
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire for more protection for labor rights and the freedom to associate and for decent wages and regular work, where workers own the means of production;
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire for decent labor for migrant workers and for the inclusion of migrant workers’ labor and human rights in placement countries, as well as for the root causes of forced migration to be addressed;
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire for the right to return for both migrant workers and indigenous peoples forced out of their homelands and ancestral territories;
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire for infrastructures that are responsive to the needs and disabilities of communities;
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire for improved healthcare system for women and children, especially as they are more prone to illness;
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire for the repeal of neoliberal policies that disproportionately impact vulnerable sectors of women and children;
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire for a world where children can live in peace and go to school without fear;
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire for gender-sensitive laws and protection for women and children, especially for women and girls who continue to have limited to no access to education and job opportunities;
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire to be rid of imperialism especially as imperialist countries intensify provocations and war instigations, which demand puppet government and allies to channel resources to war instead of prioritizing social protection measures;
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire for their countries to be able to act in self-determination, without imperialist intervention.
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire to hold accountable perpetrators of exploitation, including governments that rely on tourism and the abuse of women to keep the economy afloat as well as transnational corporations who hold power over governments due to the revenues they generate;
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire for an end to injustices, like those resulting from militarism and the prevailing patriarchal systems, and for oppressed women and peoples to have access to remedies; and
WHEREAS, Southeast Asian women aspire to establish a socialist society where the masses own the means of production and the rights of women are protected;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the women of Southeast Asia:
Shall educate and raise the masses’ awareness of alternatives to capitalism;
Shall strengthen and highlight the importance of social movements and collective action, including by sharing stories of successful efforts to build such movements and by:
Changing the narrative and being clear about women’s development agenda to prevent co-opting, shifting, and contesting definitions by WB/IMF, etc.
Strengthening grassroots movements and rebuilding movement, having exchanges regarding simultaneous campaigns, knowledges, and experiences;
Having resource centers for the exchange of knowledge and information, learning exchanges, updates, and success stories;
Staying connected through social media and through other means of online exchanges;
Building capacities and leadership of grassroots organizations and movements;
Networking and reaching out to other groups; and,
Expanding memberships and strengthening what we have;
Shall build global union movements and strengthen support provided to workers (eg, production and consumer/market countries to work together to strengthen workers’ rights);
Shall mobilize international networks to bring voices of workers from production countries to the global level for network and awareness, negotiating power and advocacy campaigns;
Shall counter the individualistic cultures/greed perpetrated by capitalism;
Shall build a critique of neoliberal policies and imperialist forces, state fascism, and puppetry through:
Naming the oppressors and exploiters within country contexts to further concretize our critique, mobilizing communities and victims, and support whistle blowers; and
Addressing specific threats by imperialists within the Asia-Pacific region (eg, the Indo-Pacific strategy to serve as IWA’s campaign in the region, with emphasis on a regional campaign against imperialist forces and allies at work here like China, Japan, and Australia);
Shall strengthen coordination and cooperation in the region through specific campaigns and utilization of summits and platforms to expose work on issues;
Shall address militarism and its impacts on everything, including environmental health, livelihoods, etc (eg, military exercises/balikatan through bombings that affect both the communities and their environment); and
Shall engage in advocacy work with relevant bodies like the UN (see UNEP resolution on environmental impact of wars)
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WHEREAS, women of Indonesia aspire for liberation from oppression and exploitation carried out by imperialism, capitalists bureaucrats, and landlords;
WHEREAS, women of Indonesia aspire for a strong women and peoples’ movement, having resolved or risen above internal conflicts that lead to the movements’ weakening; and
WHEREAS, women of Indonesia aspire for strong international solidarity, where people in developed countries express strong solidarity towards developing countries that are still left behind;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the women of Indonesia:
Shall organize women from various sectors, so that the women and peoples’ movement can become stronger and more powerful;
Shall work towards upholding sovereignty in the management of natural resources that are crucial in building national industries and a stronger society; and
Shall strengthen solidarity between organizations all around the world
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WHEREAS, women of the Pacific aspire for more services and protection for temporary migrants, such as through issuance of refugee visas, especially amid continued demonization of migrants that contributes to the worsening mental health crisis
WHEREAS, women of the Pacific aspire for an end to family violence;
WHEREAS, women of the Pacific aspire for young people to be genuinely protected;
WHEREAS, women of the Pacific aspire for protection of LGBTQIA+ rights, including the rights of migrant transgenders;
WHEREAS, women of the Pacific aspire for a change to women’s image as mere slaves of capitalism and imperialism, especially as migrants are treated as ‘pawns’ to help in developing economies of other countries like Australia; and
WHEREAS, women of the Pacific aspire for freedom to move akin to how capital can move freely, and for a world free from imperialism, neoliberalism, and capitalism;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the women of the Pacific:
Shall strengthen efforts to arouse, organize, and mobilize, especially working peoples, as well as to improve solidarity work with temporary workers;
Shall expose the plight of women and peoples in the Pacific;
Shall shed light on the issue of climate change;
Shall strengthen anti-war policies in solidarity with organizations between developed and developing countries; and
Shall strengthen solidarity between organizations all around the world, including through knowledge exchange and revolutionary education.
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WHEREAS, IWA Europe present at 3IA consisted of Pinay sa Holland, CENI, GABRIELA Germany, Revolutionaire Eenheid, WoW (women for Filipino women and children) and prospective member from movements based in Middle East/West Asia were APN (Jordan) and Samidoun.
WHEREAS, these participants discussed and identified key issues for the works of IWA Europe/Middle East in strengthening our alliance and our women's movement.
WHEREAS, forced migration, with women and children being the most vulnerable, to both Middle East and European countries.
WHEREAS, the extreme exploitation of migrants robs them of their basic rights and dignity. This extreme exploitation is also a central barrier to organizing migrant workers.
WHEREAS, the current rise of fascism is spreading across Europe and the world and is a threat to us all.
WHEREAS in Germany, the Netherlands, France and other European countries our movements and our methods of exercising our democratic rights (including legal organizations) are being criminalized and banned.
WHEREAS, attacks on individuals are intensifying to scapegoat activists and mainstream media is being utilized for imperialist propaganda against our movements and organizations.
WHEREAS, this part of the psychological warfare waged by the counter insurgency policies of imperialist powers, designed to instill fear especially in our youth from joining our militant movements.
WHEREAS this relates to the cultural offensive to materially and ideologically pacify the resistance of peoples against imperialism; that is strengthening in our region.
WHEREAS, the war in Eastern Europe, is part of the efforts to increase support for NATO and strengthen its position in the region and elsewhere. The overall effect is heightening militarism, especially targeting the youth in Europe. This poses a serious threat.
WHEREAS, we have summarized the aforementioned points to expand our analysis as
Neoliberalism – expansion of extraction of resources and labor
Current trend in fascism in Europe and Middle East (criminalization, cooptation of the movements)
Imperialist cultural offensive that is increasing and fostering militarism
WHEREAS, to effectively build IWA work in our region we must clarify our organization's positions on these to allow us to confront the barriers with the strongest unity possible.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that we host a regional chapter IWA Europe Political Conference in the coming year with the following objectives:
Deepen our SICA (social investigation and class analysis) of our allied organizations and the local/national contexts;
Develop political education material accessible to our IWA constituencies for awareness raising;
Clearly define our unities on common struggles that will further strengthen our the basic unity in IWA (the broad women’s anti-imperialist united front);
Unify on IWA's campaigns rooted in and supported by struggles of our constituents and their political contexts.
Expand and consolidate membership of IWA Europe and give particular attention to building the alliance in the Middle East.
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RESOLUTION TO EXPOSE AND OPPOSE NATO, RIMPAC, CANSEC, AND APEC DUE TO THEIR ROLE IN PERPETUATING IMPERIALIST VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD!
WHEREAS, NATO acts as an armed wing of US-led war and mobilizes its member nations to instigate and militarily support inter-imperialist conflicts, recently between US-NATO and Russia, and between US and China. NATO continues to support so-called "Israel" as the main outpost of US imperialism in the Middle East.
WHEREAS, The RIMPAC military exercise provides further opportunity for US imperialism to enhance interoperability and strategic maritime partnerships, developing more interchangeable and integrated military systems, and further versatility of training of military forces to strengthen the abilities of 26 militaries around the world to wage wars of aggression
WHEREAS, CANSEC is Canada’s largest display of military equipment. It is a trading ground for weapon manufacturing companies and oppressive regimes like the Zionist state (“Israel”). CANSEC, held annually since 1998, has announced that over 70% of its over 12,000 participants have “purchasing power” of military goods.
WHEREAS, APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) does not represent the interests of the people or the planet; it exists to increase the profit-making of big business by giving its owners control over trade and employment laws, privilege access to key decision makers, and the green light to make super profits off of our labor and steal from our wages and livelihood; APEC leads to wide-scale plunder of world resources, forced seizure of our land and desecration of the environment to maximize the profit and power of big business and the ruling elite
WHEREAS, these alliances, formations & organizations have perpetuated violence in the form of militarization, economic exploitation, sexual exploitation, land-grabbing, environmental destruction, forced migration, and genocide, with a disproportionate impact on women & children
WHEREAS, working and poor women in the Global South bear the brunt of the violence & exploitation WHEREAS, women around the world have historically and are currently rising up against NATO, RIMPAC, CANSEC and APEC
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the International Women’s Alliance (IWA) resolves to unite its members and allies to organize against all of these imperialist alliances in whatever capacity they can in the forms of campaigns, political education, propaganda and mobilization.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that these actions should be particularized to their global region and its complicity & participation in these alliances. The goal of these actions should be to expose US-led imperialism and its puppet actors and co-conspirators, such as the puppet regimes in semi-colonies and partners in wars of aggression like the imperial forces in Canada, Japan and India.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that IWA should implement plans to expose and oppose NATO, RIMPAC, CANSEC and APEC into its General Program of Action because of their ongoing yearly convening across the world.