Fw: PROG. INFO.- Regional Women's Leadership Inst., Oct 21-Nov 1, Warsaw

----- Original Message -----
From: "Basia Godlewska" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, June 20, 2002 2:27 PM
Subject: PROG. INFO.- Regional Women's Leadership Inst., Oct 21-Nov 1,
Warsaw


> A distribution of: CentralAsia-L - Announcement List for Central Asian
Studies
>
>
> PROG. INFO.- Regional Women's Leadership Institute, Oct. 21-Nov. 1, Warsaw
>
> THE REGIONAL WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE FOR EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE
>
> October 21 - November 1, 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 - OSKA, 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
>
> [Forwarded from: [email protected]>
>
>
>
>