Kozep-europai noi csoportok vezetoinek 2 hetes konferencia: CEE/NIS regional Women's Leadership institute, WArsaw

[Fabian Katalin]

> THE REGIONAL WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
FOR EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE
>
> October 21st - November 1st 2002
>
> Major changes are taking place in Central and
Eastern Europe very rapidly.
> The social, economic and political position of women
is worsening, and the
> level of their political representation is decreasing.
The development of a
> feminist constituency among the next generation of
> CEE women leaders is essential to the future of the
women's movement in the
> region. Strategies are needed to lobby governments
to implement policy
> shifts, along with networking and strategizing across
national
> lines to ensure that governments, international
organizations and other
> global actors fulfill their commitments to women's
rights. To do this
> effectively, women need to continue developing
leadership skills and gain a
> better understanding of the various mechanisms
from the local, regional and
> global level that can be utilized to advance of
women's human rights.
>
> Specific training for women's activists from the CEE
is critical to their
> continued development and to their role in the future
of the region. The
> vision of this initiatives is to develop an ongoing
institutional response
> to this need: annual women's leadership institute.
The graduates
> of the Institute will be in a unique position to
encourage and develop
> regional cooperation, as well as to involve the
countries of the region in
> international lobbying and advocacy for women's
rights.
>
> The First Regional Women's Leadership Institute will
explore the concepts,
> strategies and practices by which the understanding
of human rights has been
> expanded to more comprehensively incorporate
women's lives and gender
> differences. It will analyze and build upon the
methods by which women have
> taken leadership to increase awareness of the
promises made by governments
> to end human rights abuses of women and will
explore ways to utilize a
> women's human rights framework in diverse
communities. The Institute will
> strategize about critical areas of action for the
decades ahead.
>
> This first Institute will bring together women who have
been working on
> issues of women's human rights including local and
national organizers,
> public officials, policy makers, researchers, and
activists working on
> varying aspects of the topic. We welcome women
from all countries of the
> Region of Central and Eastern Europe and Newly
Independent States who have
> taken leadership in various fields to make the abuse
of female human rights
> visible and unacceptable.
>
> The Regional Women's Leadership Institute is a two-
week intensive working
> session of approximately 25 women representing
diverse countries, and
> interests. Participants will spend time sharing their
reflections on the
> fundamental feminist values that inform the
movement and strengthening the
> skills needed to carry out the work of women's
human rights. They will work
> on collaboration and plans for influencing local,
national, regional and
> international community approaches to these issues.
They
> will also learn and exchange leadership skills and
organizing techniques.
>
> Participants will meet with resource people from the
UN and European Union,
> non-governmental organizations, and foundations
operating in Eastern Europe.
> Some of the Central and Eastern European
Countries are applying for
> membership in European Union and we will try to
show that the Regional
> perspective is still needed and actual by working out
new strategies.
>
> Participants must stay for the entire two week period.
No exceptions will be
> accepted. They should bring materials, resources,
and documents from their
> region. They should have worked on these issues or
related concerns for at
> least two years in either professional or volunteer
capacities.
>
> Applicants should have clear plans to take the skills
and contacts gained at
> the Institute back to their own projects, networks,
governments or regions.
> The sessions will be conducted in English only, and
fluency is a must for
> effective participation.
>
> The three project organizers: OSKa - The National
Women's Information Center
> from Warsaw, CRCEES - Center for Central and East
European Studies from
> Rutgers University and the Center for Women's
Global Leadership have been
> actively involved in leadership development and
women's human rights
> advocacy. The Global Center has held eight women's
global leadership
> institutes for almost women from all regions of the
world. The program of
> the Institute and the selection of the participants is
done jointly with
> women's organizations from the region: KARAT
Coalition, B.a.b.e. from
> Zagreb, Gender Studies Center from Prague, Center
for Gender Studies at
> European Humanities University in Minsk, Women's
Information Network from
> Moscow, and Women's Alliance for Development
from Sofia.
>
> Due to the high volume of applications anticipated,
early application is
> encouraged. Applicants are encouraged to submit
letters of endorsement from
> their organization and/or networks if their participation
is on behalf of
> the groups. For more information or to request an
application,
> please contact: Barbara Godlewska, Institute
coordinator, The National
> Women's Information Center - O|KA, 02-534 Warsaw,
Falata 2/48, Poland,
> phone: 48-22 849 79 43, fax 48-22 849 51 79, e-mail:
bgodlewska at oska.org.pl
>
> Application Deadline: June 30th, 2002
>
> Anticipated Notification of Selection: end of July, 2002
>
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