A Short History of Women in Black

In January 1988, one month after the first Palestinian Intifada broke out, a small group of Israeli and Palestinian women stood once a week, at the same hour and at the same location - a major traffic intersection in Israel. They were dressed in black and held up a black sign in the shape of a hand with "Stop the Occupation" written in white.'It was a simple form of protest that women could do easily... We could bring our children, there was no chanting or marching, and the medium was the message. Within months vigils sprang up throughout Israel'
-- Bat Shalom - Israeli women's peace organisation
http://www.womeninblack.org.uk/History.htm

Women In Black on the web

See what Women in Black are doing in New York City: http://www.womeninblack.net/

"Women in Black Frederick, Maryland, is pleased to announce that our website it officially launched." See www.wibfrederick.org (photo at right is from their opening page).

..."We are a world-wide network of women. Women gathered, supporting each other as we advocate for peace and justice. We invite you to stand with us. Please wear black.
Frederick Vigils: First Friday of each month:12- 12:30 p.m. War Memorial Park, 2nd & N. Bentz Streets, Frederick Third Wednesday of each month: 6:30 – 7 p.m. Intersection of Patrick and Market Streets, Frederick. Both men & women are welcome to vigils; signs will be provided"

Women in Black in Farmington, Maine
"Women in Black is part of an international network of women calling for peace, justice and non-violent solutions to conflict. Begun in 1988 by Israeli and Palestinian women in reponse to the first Intifada, it has spread to conflict areas all over the world. Each group is autonomous, related to the others by the way women stand in silent vigil dressed in black.

Since January, 2002 we have been holding a vigil each Friday from 12:00-12:30 in front of the post office on Main St., a site of political protest for the last twenty years. In addition to the regular weekly vigil, we also commemorate Veterans Day with ceremonies recognizing all the war dead and participate in other civic actions."

In Belgium: Women in Black Leuven was born in 1994, and commenced with weekly silent vigils in solidarity with the women of Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia. These vigils continued until the Dayton agreements in 1995. In 1999 during the second war in the Balkan and till the agreements of June 6 and the end of the war, we came back in the streets of Leuven with our weekly silent vigils...

In the UK:
http://www.womeninblack.org.uk/

In Australia:
http://www.womeninblackoz.com/

Cynthia Cockburn's extensive writings resulting from her research on WIB, as well as those of WIB from around the world, are on her weblog, notowar.

Website Links to groups active in peace in Palestine/Israel

From Women in Black, Vienna, Austria
Contact: Womeninblack-vienna(at)gmx.at

www.womeninblack.org - Women in Black International
www.newprofile.org - Movement for the Civil-ization of Israeli Society
www.batshalom.org - Bat Shalom (Israeli women’s peace group)
www.gush-shalom.org - Gush Shalom (Israeli Peace Block)
www.btselem.org - B’tselem (Israeli human rights organization)
www.machsomwatch.org - Women for Human Rights – Checkpoint Watch
www.hamoked.org - Center for the Defense of the Individual
www.rhr.israel.net - Rabbis for Human Rights
www.peacenow.org - Peace Now Israel
www.yesh-gvul.org - “There is a limit“ (Appeal to soldiers, not to serve in the occupied territories)
www.seruv.org.il - “Courage to Refuse” – Signature campaign in support of soldiers refusing to serve in the occupied territories
www.refuz.org.il - Petition in support of sentenced Conscientious Objectors
www.alternativenews.org - Alternative Information Centre („News from Within“) (Progressive magazine)
www.indymedia.org.il - Independent Media Centre
www.phr.org.il - Physicians for Human Rights
www.rebuildinghomes.org - Global campaign to rebuild homes in Palestine
www.icahd.org - Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
www.taayush.org - Arab-Jewish Partnership
www.ariga.com - Israeli-Palestinian Human Rights and Peace Groups
www.palestinemonitor.org - The Voice of Civil Society
www.stopthewall.org - Pengon’s website on the Wall
www.miftah.org - The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy
www.tmfm.net - Nablus website – regularly updated
www.rafah.vze.com - Rafah website
www.arij.org - Applied Research Institute, Jerusalem
www.infopal.org - Independent Palestinian Information Network
www.imemc.org  - International Middle East News website
www.ramallahonline.com - (articles by Israeli and Palestinian journalists and intellectuals in English
www.pchrgaza.org – Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Gaza
www.pmwatch.org - Palestine Media Watch
www.nad-plo.org - Palestinian Peace Negotiations Site (Landkarten von Siedlungen u.a.)
www.passia.org - Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs, Jerusalem
www.phrmg.org - Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group
www.birzeit.edu- Birzeit University
www.alhaq.org - Palestinian NGO in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
www.electronicintifada.net - Updated information on the Intifada and action alert possibilities
www.badil.org - Badil Resource Centre (with emphasis on Refugees, Right of Return)
www.mideastweb.org
www.pij.org - Palestine/Israel Journal
www.cpt.org - Christian Peacemaker Team Hebron
www.rapprochement.org - The Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between People, Beit Sahour
www.palsolidarity.org  - International Solidarity Movement
http://www.adalah.org/eng/index.php - Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel www.adalah.org/eng/index.php
http://www.addameer.org/index_eng.html - Prisoner Rights and Human Rights Association
www.womenspeacepalestine.org - International Women’s Peace Service – reports on human rights violations and on life under occupation in the Salfit district (near Nablus)
www.fmep.org - Foundation for Middle East Peace
www.mepc.org - Middle East Policy Council
www.amnesty.org  - Amnesty International
www.hrw.org - Human Rights Watch
www.freemedia.at - International Press Institute, Vienna
www.ejjp.org - European Jews for a Just Peace
www.endtheoccupation.org - U.S. initiative to End the Israeli Occupation
www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org - U.S. initiative for a just peace
www.thestruggle.org - Middle East Crisis Committee, USA
www.jppi.org - Jews for Peace in Palestine and Israel
www.btvshalom.org - Brit Tsedek V’Shalom: Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace
www.jewishfriendspalestine.org - Jewish activists for a free Palestine
www.middleeastdaily.com
www.ifamericansknew.org - U.S. website giving information on the occupation, Intifada, etc.