CALL TO WOMEN - REPLY TO COMMENTS
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From: Nadine M.
Date: Saturday, July 8, 2006, 6:52 AM
Subject: Call to Women - Reply to Comments
Reply to: 255634
ID: 253229

Hi all -

at this point in time I have to say I am extremely suspicious and uncomfortable moving forward on anything here. I appreciate Bruce's words and will respond to that separately.

Andre - it would be helpful if you gave people more background on who you are and how you came to be so passionate about this call. It is obvious from reading your post that you have been trying to organize this for some time, and that you have met with only relative receptivity over the past couple of years.

It is interesting that you chose the 4th of July to post your call to a whole bunch of lists - that is what prompted me to respond, because it showed up on at least 5 other lists I am on - this is the only list that actually generated conversation though.

What disturbs me right now is that you are not calling for women to come together and self- determine a plan of action - you seem to have a plan all thought out and you are just looking for someone in a leadership role and with some name recognition to stand in front of your already devised plan. And, that you only intend to reveal the plan in pieces and you recognize that there will be opposition -

(snipped from Andre's post) I expect there will be many people who will disapprove and disagree with parts of it, if not all. There will have to be much compromise and there-in lies the dilemma. How, when, and where is the compromise?

A “Call to Women” is set up as a strategy, or guideline, in which I have attempted to structure as a manager would. The strategy creates awareness, implements a coordinated plan to break into the powerful arena of politics, plans a transition phase of conflict resolution, and concludes with the implementation of humanitarian programs. Strong steps, in each phase, are recommended to influence the financial world and the media, all of which are male dominated.

(me here) - I find this letter you include from Howard Zinn - I thought his name was Cabot-Zinn - maybe I'm thinking of the wrong person - anyway - I find this very interesting because he warns you that you can't just jump into things like strikes, boycotts and militant actions - you have to build a groundswell - he then recomends you start with a call to action - which is what you are doing now apparantly -

Letter from Howard Zinn 10-25-04

Dear Andre: Your "Call to Women" is excellent. Well written, clear, strong. No doubt women represent non-violence best. And there are wonderful women spokespersons around, like Sister Chittister and Arundhati Roy to bring the message to others. As for strikes and other militant actions, generally movements have to reach a certain point, when enough people are ready for that. Preparation comes in the form of petitions, picketlines, marches, demonstrations, buildinig up to boycotts and strikes. The process can start with a stirring call to action, but it has to be initiated by women, and then use the internet to spread the word, get tens of thousands of supporters. There's nothing wrong with your call. It's just a matter of finding the significant others to sign it and be willing to have it circulated widely. Best wishes, Howard

(me here again) - I do feel your passion and your commitment to this - you have been working at it for a number of years - but - I really think you need to be willing to let go of any control issues as to how this might unfold if it were to be taken up by actual women - and if a prominant woman were to take leadership, you would need to let her do just that - and not expect to play the puppet master behind the scenes - if you feel so strongly that this should be a women's movement then you need to let it be just that - and see what happens from there - going in with a full blown agenda is not going to work

I joined Gather the Women a few years ago, and unfortunately never had the time to get that involved - but I joined because I was attracted to the concept of women coming together and deciding from within how best to make an impact on the world - if there is still Gatherings that happen maybe I;ll be able to make it this year - and maybe a unified effort for peace is something that the women who gather can coalesce around - but as Howard says - it really then needs to be initiated by us - and you will need to be willing to let it live its own life, however that unfolds or not

thank you Nadine