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"In times of great emotional difficulty, of isolation, I would read the words of other women whose lives seemed like mine. I came to understand that all women share my history - due to abuse, solitude, political violence, sexual violence and the terror that accompanies these experiences. ...I have carried inside many of the voices that appear in a "Map of Hope." -Marjorie Agosin from "Map of Hope"In its vision to secure human rights for all people, Amnesty International (USA) stands strong at the forefront of the international struggle that proclaims women's rights as human rights. We know that discrimination against women and girls harms entire families, communities and nations - in times of peace and armed conflict. Every day, in every corner of the world, violations rob women and girls of their health, their livelihood, their bodily integrity - even their lives. Such abuses are compounded by factors such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion. These are the challenges faced by activists - women and men together - who understand that supporting women's human rights will contribute to the promise of better standards of human rights for all. As activists and advocates for women's human rights, we have accomplished much in terms of education, movement towards equal standards of living and representation, and the call for social justice. It is a time to reflect, learn from, and develop these achievements as we direct our thoughts and voices towards building a solid foundation for the future.
The 2000 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will focus on moving international women's human rights forward in the new century and celebrating achievements in the advancement of those rights. Palestinian human rights activist Hanan Ashrawi will join an impressive roster of women's human rights defenders that will address the conference.
Ashrawi, currently Secretary General of the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy, was formerly the Palestinian National Authority's Minister of Education. A leader in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian peace dialogue, Ashrawi is internationally acclaimed for her work to end conflict in the Middle East. Having long presented the Palestinian case in a pragmatic way, she was one of the architects of the Palestinian Authority and served as part of the official Palestinian delegation at the Madrid peace negotiations from 1991 to 1993. Ashrawi has been outspoken in her criticism of human rights abuses by the Palestinian Authority. Working to put civil liberties on the Palestinian agenda, she founded and built practices and policies for a civil society through the Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizen's Rights. A co-founder of Jerusalem Link, a feminist alliance, Ashrawi has also been involved in joint discussions between Palestinian and Israeli women, who often share similar concerns on how gender issues need to be addressed in the international community. Ashrawi will be keynote speaker at the AGM Opening Plenary on Saturday morning March 11.
Another high-profile human rights defender, Mary Robinson, will not be able to attend the AGM in Providence as previously announced. Robinson, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and former President of the Republic of Ireland, had been expected to address the meeting's opening plenary. She recently sent her regrets to the AGM office, announcing she had to withdraw due to urgent commitments that have developed since she accepted AIUSA's invitation. Amnesty has extended an open invitation for High Commissioner Robinson to appear at a future annual meeting.
Among other prominent speakers, AGM 2000 will present 5th Annual Ginetta Sagan Award recipients Giulia Tamayo León and Hina Jilani. Co-founder of the first Pakistani all-female law firm advocating the legal needs of women seeking to divorce abusive husbands, Jilani witnessed the brutal "honor killing" of her client and will raise awareness about tribal systems of justice and violence in her country. León, a human rights lawyer and reproductive rights activist, is currently affiliated with the Latin American Committee for the Defense of Women's Rights. She has documented human rights abuses against low-income women in rural and urban communities and was the primary researcher for a report and documentary video on violence against women in Peruvian public health facilities. She received threats for her work on a campaign to end the forced sterilization of Peruvian women.
Other international defenders scheduled to speak at the AGM are Tsitsi Tirampano from Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe, who will address violence and human rights violations against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in Africa; Najat Bouda, who at age 23 is one of the founding members and president of RAJ, an Algerian non-sectarian youth organization dedicated to mobilizing young people to tackle social problems; and Tonya Frishner of the American Indian Law Alliance, who will describe the courage and plight of Native American defenders who risk personal safety as a result of their determined activism.
Help defend the defenders, like these remarkable women, by protecting the fundamental freedoms of women human rights defenders around the world. Join us in campaigning against violence perpetrated by non-state actors. Advocate for the rights of girl children with regard to juvenile justice, female genital mutilation, and sexual slavery. Work with us at the local, state and national level to achieve ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Join us at this year's AGM in Providence and raise your voice to protect and promote the human rights of girls and women! Let's work together to achieve a world where women's rights are unquestionably part of a broader vision of universal human rights and social justice for all.
The AIUSA AGM welcomes people of diverse communities, identities, approaches and ideas. Programming concepts, speakers, organizers, and vendors will be sought from a wide diversity of communities. The AGM upholds AIUSA's commitment to address issues of critical concern to diverse communities within the context of its mandate and to ensure the full participation of multicultural communities in the leadership structure and decision-making processes of the organization.
