CEE/NIS regional Women's Leadership institute, WArsaw

crossposted from Civil Soc List

The following item comes from the list [email protected]

The original poster was "Basia Godlewska" <[email protected]>

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: [email protected]

Application Deadline: June 30th, 2002

Anticipated Notification of Selection: end of July, 2002