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Reclaiming Mother's Day;  getting ready for the G8 Summit; women for peace in Zimbabwe; WLOE and EFF, resources

Reclaiming the 'real' Mothers Day

In 1870, after the devastation of the American Civil War, social activist and poet Julia Ward Howe wrote the original Mother's Day Proclamation calling on women of the world to unite for peace:
...From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
-- from the original Mother's Day Proclamation, 1870
Background on the Proclamation
In 2007 many women didn't wait for flowers and candy: in Washington DC and more than 50 other cities they called for an end to the Iraq war and continued funding of the conflict.  Reports and photos here -- and more, direct from the local actions. CODEPINK is one of the founding organizations of "Mothers Day for Peace" See their 'star-studded' Mothers Day for Peace video at YouTube or their website.

"The Power of Love Conquers the Love of Power: Women of Zimbabwe Challenge Mugabe's Regime"

Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) is an organization committed to peaceful democratization. This article in the May 2007 issue of Peacework Magazine was excerpted from their website: www.wozazimbabwe.org.
..."This year, two thousand members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise and Men of Zimbabwe Arise (MOZA) took to the streets of Harare and Bulawayo on February 13 -- a day ahead of Valentine's Day -- hoping to catch the police napping. The peaceful protests marked WOZA's fifth Valentine's Day procession. Over 274 men and women and 20 babies were arrested in Bulawayo and about 10 women in Harare. The Bulawayo protesters were arrested with life-size images of President Robert Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai, and Arthur Mutambara, who were about to be presented with copies of the People's Charter (WOZA's alternative political platform) in a ceremony outside the state-owned Chronicle.
...As WOZA turns five we are saddened to compare the Zimbabwe of five years ago to the Zimbabwe of today and we find that the levels of violence that led us to form a nonviolent movement are back with a vengeance..."

Women and the G8 Summit (Germany, June 6-8)

Well one will be there, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel. But women in the 'Group of 8' rich industrialised countries (and Russia) and beyond will find their issues addressed more at the Alternative Summit and in the streets of Rostock.  For more information, check our English homepage www.wloe.org, where we will also report on the G8, women and trade and justice issues and our WLOE workshop on June 5th: Feminist Perspectives and Action on Migration and Global Trade

WLOE and EFF

The European Feminist Forum is both a process and an event, planned to bring women across Europe together for a reinvigorated feminism in a changed world. The process involves 'affinity groups' working on broad issue areas via the EFF's interactive website. Cyberspace will give way to fact-to-face when the European Feminist Forum meets in Poland, June 13-15, 2008. Women and Life on Earth is coordinating the group: Women's action for peace and security. Interested? Read our invitation to participate here.

Resources of interest

"WIDE's monthly electronic newsletter includes news, resources, and opinions on current developments in the fields of gender, development policy and trade. It provides insights into European Union policies on trade and development and the impact of these policies on women, and follows the work of international bodies such as the UN and the World Bank. Besides articles, each issue of the newsletter contains links to useful online resources and announcements of upcoming events, as well as updates on what WIDE members and partners are working on in their regions."

Need info on all kinds of movements for communication and sustainable change? Check out Electronic Magazines/Newsletters, "A selection of electronic updates and publications - available online and by electronic subscription - addressing communication and development issues."

Feminism in Africa and the Diaspora: http://feministafrica.org
An on-line journal in pdf format offering comprehensive analysis: "The latest issue of Feminist Africa explores the disparate and dynamic meanings of diaspora that are revealed through the intellectual work of leading and emerging feminist scholars."