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Ways Women Lead - January 2010 Newsletter

A new year… a new decade… and new currents of women’s leadership becoming visible!

In 1995 the Beijing Declaration of Indigenous Women was created at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Huairou, Beijing, People’s Republic of China.  This is its first declaration:

The Earth is our mother. From her we get our life, and our ability to live. It is our responsibility to care for our mother and in caring for our mother, we care for ourselves. Women, all females, are a manifestation of Mother Earth in human form.

 
In December 2009, almost 15 years later, two global conferences were held that brought this awareness into the mainstream.  They were the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, Australia, where both the sacred feminine and worldwide indigenous perspectives were honored, and the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, where technology united over 13 million global citizens expressing their concern for the earth.

In January 2010, reflecting upon this new visibility, we begin this new year and new decade with a renewed sense of purpose.  Countless organizations and people are coming forward to work together to make a difference, and Ways Women Lead is proud and grateful to be part of this great turning of humanity, and deeply thanks you for joining us in the ways you are called to do so.

As we continue exploratory conversations on our journey to Sofia, Bulgaria, you are warmly invited to co-create with us the WWL events that are emerging for 2010.  See more details below.

• Two WWL-co-sponsored workshops at the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York, the week of March 1st.
• Growing leadership skills in Sofia, the week of May 25th.
• Global event in Sofia, Oct. 24-27th

Offerings and participation, introductions and connections to Bulgarian leadership, grassroots and traditional, to global organizations offering particular expertise, to funding sources and strategies, to CSW/UN networks will be greatly appreciated.  Please contact Ann@wayswomenlead.net .

On behalf of the conveners of Ways Women Lead, wishing you a fruitful, blessed, and collaborative (!) New Year,

Jeanie DeRousseau

NEWS

Setting the stage for 2010, Melbourne and Copenhagen hosted global events in December 2009, supporting women, indigenous cultures, and the earth:

For perspectives on these global events, the Parliament of the World’s Religions and the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, see http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/ , www.womenattheparliament.blogspot.com , http://en.cop15.dk/ , www.womenatthecopenhagentalks.blogspot.com , http://www.gpiw.org/pdf/copenhagen-aboutsummit.pdf .

Ways Women Lead represented at the Copenhagen event:                     

Caroline Usikpedo-Omoniye, National President of the Niger Delta Women's Movement for Peace & Development and WWL Coordinator  for Africa with Donna Goodman, founder of the Earth Child Institute and WWL Coordinate for children, at the Bella Center, Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, COP15, Dec 09 

Caroline and colleagues at the COP15 march

And next...Beijing +15 to be reviewed at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, March 1-12, New York

       “In March 2010, the Commission on the Status of Women will undertake a fifteen-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly.   Emphasis will be placed on the sharing of experiences and good practices, with a view to overcoming remaining obstacles and new challenges, including those related to the Millennium Development Goals.”  Taken from the official UN site: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing15/index.html .

The Non-Governmental Organization Committee on the Status of Women (NGO-CSW) will be holding a 2-day Global Women's Forum just prior to the 2010 CSW, also a review of Beijing +15. Registration for this event is separate from the (free) registration for the CSW proper, and costs approximately $150. More information about this Committee and the 2-day Global Women's Forum can be found at: http://www.ngocsw.org/en/events/2010-forum

Parallel events proposed and co-sponsored by Ways Women Lead for the UN CSW 2010:  (Both requested to be scheduled the week of March 1st.)

Call to Conscious Leadership

We live in a time when each person’s impulse to leadership is important to effect positive and sustainable change. This workshop will explore ways in which leadership may be fostered, and personal and collective power may be mobilized for the common good.  Models of leadership development, experiential exercises, and written materials will allow each attendee to pass on what they learn to their own communities, and to stay connected and further supported through online networks.  Growing and networking leadership capacities in these ways will foster the rapid transmission of best practices for growing prosperous businesses and healthy communities.

----Sponsored by the International Public Policy Institute with WAYS WOMEN LEAD; co-sponsors are Anglican Women’s Empowerment, Millionth Circle, Gather The Women Global Matrix, Circle Connections, Women’s Learning Exchange, Evolutionary Women, Imagine the Good 

Overcoming sex trafficking

The conveners of Ways Women Lead in partnership with Soroptimist International and Anglican Women’s Empowerment will present global approaches to overcome sex trafficking pervasive worldwide. WaysWomenLead.net supports collaborative efforts and positive directions to stop trafficking by integrating awareness, advocacy and action through global connections, partners and sponsors.  They will focus on conscious leadership at their program in Sofia, Bulgaria, October 24-27, 2010, that will address this issue.  Soroptimist International has an exemplary record of applying successful solutions that they will present from a global perspective. 

Inviting donations for two events in Sofia, Bulgaria: