Women's Global Charter for Humanity in Jerusalem
The 13th International Conference of Women in Black received the Relay of the Women's Global Charter for Humanity in Jerusalem on August 1. A workshop on Women, Violence and Occupation was held. The event was co-organized by Palestinian and Israeli women together with the World March of Women. A number of women from the World March attended the international event, held from August 12 to 16, along with 600 women peace activists.
Adopted on December 10, 2004, in Kigali, Rwanda, the Women's Global Charter for Humanity contains five values: freedom, equality, solidarity, justice and peace. Peace, a core value for so many women, was highlighted during the Relay, especially in Colombia; in Cyprus, where Greek and Turkish Cypriot women from the World March staged a joint action; in Japan, where women showed their opposition to the country's remilitarization.
Arab women are calling for peace in their region as the Relay passes through Lebanon (July 31-August 2), Tunisia (August 3 and 4) and Jordan (August 5-9). After Jerusalem, the Relay goes to Sudan (September 4-9) and on to the region of the Great Lakes of Africa (September 11-17).
The World Relay of the Charter began on March 8, 2005, in São Paulo, Brazil. It has travelled the Americas, Europe and Asia. It will end on October 17, 2005, in Burkina Faso. Throughout the Relay, the women of the World March have called government officials' and the general public's attention to the contents of the Charter. They have also made quilt squares depicting the values in the Charter. Sewn together, the squares form a giant patchwork quilt that will be presented in Ouagadougou on October 17, at a call for world peace.
Also on October 17, women in successive time zones will stage an action at noon, following the course of the sun, thereby carrying out 24 hours of feminist solidarity.
To read about and see photos of the World Relay and the patchwork quilt, visit World March's 2005 actions.
The World March of Women is a global feminist action network made up of 5500 women's groups from 163 countries and territories. The World March of Women is struggling for an end to poverty and violence against women.
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