TAKE PART, TAKE ACTION!
Join the International Women’s Alliance (IWA) at the Women’s Tent, People’s Global Camp against WTO!
December 5, 2013, GOR Ngurah Rai Sports Center, Jalan Melati, Denpasar, Indonesia
In a bid to highlight the current struggles and perspectives of grassroots women in crafting an alternative to the neoliberal agenda of the WTO, the International Women’s Alliance (IWA), in partnership with the Indonesian women’s organizations, Seruni, RUPARI and Beranda Perempuan/Srikandi and the Asian Rural Women’s Coalition (ARWC), GABRIELA Philippines, Asia Pacific Research Network (APRN), Amihan Peasant Women Federation, Phils., Women of Diverse Origins-Canada, Fire-USA, Peace for Life People’s Forum and Movement for Global Justice and Peace, Women’s International Democratic Federation (WIDF) Asia, One Billion Rising Movement and the International Migrants’ Alliance (IMA) will be organizing activities dubbed “Grassroots Women’s Solidarity” as a part of the People’s Global Camp against the WTO scheduled on December 2-6, 2013 at the GOR Ngurah Rai Sports Center, Jalan Melati, Denpasar, Indonesia.
The Grassroots Women’s Solidarity aims to gather leaders and advocates from various women’s organizations, CSO’s and grassroots social movements to raise our collective voices against the devastating impacts of neoliberal trade in our lives and livelihoods and to craft an alternative system that takes grassroots women’s perspective on human rights and women’s equality at heart.
The following are activities set to take place during the Grassroots Women’s Solidarity:
December 5:
9:00-11:00am—Workshop on “Grassroots Women’s Struggles and Alternatives to WTO” aims to tackle the wide range of struggles being undertaken by grassroots women and their perspectives on alternatives to the present neoliberal trade and investment system;
11:00am-1:00pm—Women’s Solidarity Action Against the WTO, a women- initiated and led action wherein female participants wearing traditional garments will expose the destructive effects of neoliberal trade, not only on the global garments industry, but on women’s lives and livelihoods in general;
“Women Building Peace and Resisting US Military Intervention in the Asia Pacific and Beyond” Campaign Launch aims to assist and consolidate women’s organizations and advocates in addressing negative impacts of the increasing US military intervention in the Asia-Pacific region. IWA will also be launching a toolkit for this campaign.
Apart from IWA-initiated side-events, members of the Alliance will also be participating in the People’s Global Camp plenary sessions, as well as other side events including
December 2: Global Day of Action –consisting of internationally-coordinated actions registering the perspectives of various social movements, organizations, CSO’s and advocacy groups regarding the WTO’s neoliberal agenda;
December 2-6: Travelling Journal: Our Stories, One Journey: Empowering Rural Women in Asia—a travelling journal, featuring journal entries written by rural women, which forms part of the global campaign to achieve food security through a more equitable and sustainable system of growing food;
December 4: Workshop on Land-grabbing and Women’s Resistance—organized by the Asian Rural Women’s Coalition (ARWC) and the Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development (APWLD) discussing the experiences and campaigns waged by rural women against the neoliberal offensive on agriculture.
December 4: Speak Out: Women Rise, United Resist for Liberation—initiated by Indonesian organization Seruni, which aims to provide a venue for women to share their thoughts and experiences on the negative impacts of WTO trade facilitation agreements, free trade agreements and Economic Partnership Agreements on women’s lives.
The Grassroots Women’s Solidarity will be an opportune moment for women’s advocates from around the world to come together and articulate their visions and alternatives for a genuinely rights-based, transformative, democratic and equitable trade and investment system.
IWA is enjoining all advocates and parties interested to take part in this momentous occasion to please get in touch with us via email at internationalwomensalliance@gmail.com.