Oficina de Santiago

Con el apoyo de la

Organizaciónde las Naciones Unidas

para la Educación,la Ciencia y la Cultura

Nº 7ISSN 2255-033X

8TH MARCH: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN´S DAY

THIS EDITION IS A TRIBUTE TO THE WOMEN WHO GIVE US LIFE

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Oficina de Santiago

Con el apoyo de la

Organizaciónde las Naciones Unidas

para la Educación,la Ciencia y la Cultura

"I saw that displaced women had many difficulties; they lived through atrocities and had enormous trauma. I realised that learning to write and training will help them forget the trauma, and what they had to go through. This is what pushed me to help these women and help them become independent"

2013 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award: Sister Angélique Namaika

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Human nature is inscribed on the biophysical laws of life and death; which forces us to consider our relationship with the planet Earth and our destiny as a species. A human species whose long cosmo-eco-biological evolution would lead to a huge diversity of singular cultures that have been mutually fertilizing themselves since its inception. The emergency of ecological science, cosmology and molecular biology have led to systemic and transdisciplinary understanding where the universe is inside of us, and at the same time we are the universe. Humanity has in his DNA all the history of the universe and life.

Naturally, the reductive and mono-disciplinary conception of old science is blind to the self-eco-organization that occurs in all living autonomy. The sciences of 19th and 20th centuries house the human/animal and culture/nature dichotomy despite the Darwinian demonstration that contemplates humans as a long evolution of the lineage of primates Hominoidea. Effectively, self-eco-organizing principle is characterized by the autonomy and dependence of human life regarding their environment. That is, the human autonomy is inseparable from dependence on natural energetic resources of its environment. For this reason, the understanding of prehistory, with hunter-gatherer societies as las vestige of primitive humanity of homo sapiens, means a trans-cultural start point in the current world-society of the 21st century.

In these hunter-gatherer societies organized by clans, the male and female genders were not only biologically differentiate through their sexual organs, but they would also begin to establish differences in their socio-cultural roles. Probably, the characteristics sociocultural functions of male bioclase, such as hunting or war, would cause a bigger development in the left cerebral hemisphere of the encephalon, which is the neurophysiological part that works the logic, analysis and planification. By contrast, the sociocultural conditions of female bioclase in this period, as the collection of plants and fruits -besides traditional mothering-, would lead to a bigger development of right hemisphere, which is the part responsible for the sensations, feelings, empathy, intuition and overall apprehension.

Living conditions given from the Upper Paleolithic would cause the dispersion of human groups by the Earth-Homeland during the last 40,000 years of prehistory, resulting in the emergence of historical societies in the Middle East, India, China, Mexico and the Andes. Eight or nine millenniums ago, during the climate change of the interglacial period of Holocene geological time scale, new complex societies would begin to organize themselves into city-states: dominating agricultural techniques,

transhumance and pottery. Human civilization abandoned subsistence economy based on nomadic hunting, to create a sedentary economy based in the sociocultural complementarity between male bioclase and female bioclase, that is, with the symbiosis between the pluri-skills of both genders.

Effectively, with the understanding of gender roles in the prehistoric societies, we glimpse the human being is at the highest ethical and humanistic challenge has ever been faced during all the history of his own existence. Do not exist corners in the world where the telecommunications revolution has been impeded to arrive to shed the shameful figures of gender inequality and violence which plague the face of the Earth in the 21st century. All the earthly habitat is aware of such shameful and pitiful situation of female vulnerability: employment and educational discrimination, poverty, illiteracy, maltreatment, genital mutilation, trafficking, enslavement…

Knowledge make us responsible. Responsibility and ethic commitment is, inexorably, universal. A planetary and multidimensional reformulation of trans-cultural values of current and future world-society is necessary. Male chauvinist prejudices existing in the minds and behavior in certain regions of the world, with patriarchal systems more or less marked, represent the decline of one-dimensional and linear thought of human beings, where testosterone is imposed on the foliculine. Therefore, a deeper level of awareness that understood equality and equity of womanhood as common progess of human species is required. A species that must learn to recognize at the face of its opposite and biological complementary, regardless of their cultural or religious beliefs.

We talk about starting a new stage in the history of humanity: namely the cosmodernity. A new human era characterized by the active participation of the planetary civilization in the cosmos, whose self-eco-organizing principle involves a close symbiosis between the polar opposites Ying and Yang, as well as the genuine love to all interrelated phenomens of cosmic law. We talk to note all global problems from a new spirituality free of dogmas, and from the aperture that quantum physics gives us, to evolutionate into homo conscienciatus.

Javier Collado Ruano Director of Edition

The Feminine Condition: From Homo Sapiens in the Prehistoric Era to the Homo Conscienciatus in the Cosmodernity

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La naturaleza humana está inscrita en las leyes biofísicas de vida y muerte, lo cual nos obliga a plantearnos nuestra relación con el planeta Tierra y nuestro destino como especie. Una espe-cie humana cuya larga evolución cosmo-eco-biológica daría lugar a una enorme diversidad de culturas singulares que se han ido fecundando mútuamente desde sus inicios. La emergen-cia de la ciencia ecológica, la cosmología y la biología molecular, han llevado a la comprensión sistémica y transdisciplinar de que el universo está dentro de nosotros, al mismo tiempo que nosotros somos el universo. El género humano lleva en su ADN toda la historia del universo y de la vida.

Naturalmente, la antigua concepción reduccionista y monodisciplinar de la ciencia, resulta ciega ante la auto-eco-organización que se produce en toda autonomía viva. Las ciencias del siglo XIX y XX albergan la dicotomía humano/animal y cultura/naturaleza a pesar de la demostración darwiniana que contempla al ser humano como una larga evolución de la estirpe de primates Hominoidea. Efectivamente, el principio auto-eco-organizador se caracteriza por la autonomía y la dependencia de la vida humana respecto a su medio ambiente. Es decir, la autonomía humana es inseparable de la dependencia de recursos energé-ticos naturales de su entorno. Por este motivo, el entendimiento de la prehistoria, con las sociedades cazadoras-recolectoras como último vestigio de la humanidad primitiva del homo sapiens, supone un punto de partida transcultural en la actual sociedad-mundo del siglo XXI.

En estas sociedades cazadoras-recolectoras organizadas por clanes, los géneros masculino y femenino no sólo se diferenciarían biológicamente a través de sus órganos sexuales, sino que también comenzarían a establecer diferencias en sus roles socio-culturales. Probablemente, las funciones socioculturales características de la bioclase masculina, como la caza o la guerra, provocarían un mayor desarrollo en el hemisferio cerebral izquierdo del encéfalo, que es la parte neurofisiológica que trabaja la lógica, el análisis y la planificación. Por el contrario, las condiciones socioculturales de la bioclase femenina de este periodo, como la recolección de plantas y frutas -además de los cuidados maternales tradicionales-, daría lugar a un mayor desarrollo del hemisferio derecho, que es la parte encargada de las sensaciones, los sentimientos, la empatía, la intuición y la aprehensión global.

Las condiciones de vida dadas a partir del Paleolítico Superior provocarían la dispersión de grupos humanos por la Tierra-Patria durante los últimos 40,000 años de la prehistoria, dando lugar a la emergencia de sociedades históricas en Oriente Medio, India, China, México y los Andes. Hace ocho o nueve milenios, durante el cambio climático del periodo interglaciar de la escala temporal geológica del holoceno, nuevas sociedades complejas comenzarían a organizarse en ciudades-estado: dominando técnicas agrícolas, la transhumancia y la alfarería. La civilización humana abandonaba la economía de subsistencia basada en la caza

nómada, para crear una economía sedentaria basada en la complementaridad sociocultural de la bioclase masculina y la bioclase femenina, es decir, con la simbiosis entre las pluricompe-tencias de los dos géneros.

Efectivamente, con la comprensión de los roles de género en las sociedades prehistóricas, vislumbramos que el ser humano está ante el mayor desafío ético y humanista al que haya podido enfrentarse jamás durante toda la historia de su propia existencia. No existen rincones en el mundo donde la revolución de las telecomunicaciones no haya conseguido llegar para arrojar las vergonzosas cifras de desigualdad y violencia de género que asolan la faz de la Tierra en los albores del siglo XXI. Todo el hábitat terrenal es conocedor de tan bochornosa y paupérrima situación de la vulnerabilidad femenina: discriminación laboral y educativa, pobreza, analfabetismo, maltrato, matrimonios tempranos, mutilación genital, tráfico, esclavi-zación…

El conocimiento nos hace responsables. La responsabilidad y el compromiso ético es, inexo-rablemente, universal. Se hace necesaria una reformulación planetaria y multidimensional de los valores transculturales de la sociedad-mundo actual y futura. Los prejuicios machistas existentes en las mentes y en los comportamientos en determinadas regiones del planeta, con sistemas patriarcales más o menos marcados, representan el ocaso del pensamiento lineal y unidimensional del ser humano, donde la testosterona se impone a la foliculina. Por tanto, se requiere un profundo nivel de concientización que comprenda la igualdad y la equidad de la condición femenina como el progreso común de la especie humana. Una especie que debe aprender a reconocerse en el rostro de su opuesto y complementario biológico, independiente-mente de sus creencias culturales o religiosas.

Hablamos de iniciar una nueva etapa en la historia de la humanidad: la cosmodernidad. Una etapa humana caracterizada por la participación activa de la civilización planetaria en el cos-mos, cuyo principio auto-eco-organizador suponga una estrecha simbiosis entre los opuestos polares yin y yang, así como el amor genuino a los fenómenos interrelacionados de la ley cósmica. Hablamos de comprender todas las problemáticas mundiales desde una nueva espiri-tualidad libre de dogmas, y desde la abertura que la física cuántica nos aporta, para evolu-cionar hacia el homo conscienciatus

Javier Collado Ruano

Director of Edition

La Condición Femenina: Del Homo Sapiens en la Época Prehistórica al Homo Conscienciatus en

la Cosmodernidad

Marta Benavides6.- Reflections for the 21st Century: On How to Discern

on the Importance of International Women’s Day

10. Única solución: refundar unas Naciones Unidas capaces de establecer un nuevo orden mundial

Federico Mayor Zaragoza

12. International Wo m e n ´ s D a y : Interview with Leymah Gbowee

2011 Peace Nobel Prize

16. ACNUR: La igualdad e s u n d e r e c h o , l a aceptación una decisión

Diana Díaz Rodríguez

18. Interview with Cecile Guidote-Alvarez

UNESCO DREAM

Center

29. Research Papers

30. MDGs

45. Global Education

68. Transversal Studies

88. Letters to the Editor

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Reflections for the 21st Century: On How to Discern

on the Importance of International Women’s Day

The International day of Women was created in recognition and to celebrate

the Rights of women workers, in order to promote their participation in the struggle for equity and equality, which presently is one of the UN Millennium Development Goals/MDGs.. and in the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals/SDGs, it is being considered as a possible stand alone goal, so, women can have an effective equal presence with men, for social and personal development. In the Sustainability and Social development Agenda, gender perspective and women rights are considered to be key to the eradication of poverty and hunger, and to the creation of the WORLD AND FUTURE THAT MUST BE CREATED FOR THE CARE OF PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS AND THE URGENT CARE OF THE PLANET.

It was first celebrated on 8th March1911, in Germany, Austria, Denmark and Switzerland The United Nations at its General Assembly in 1977, proclaimed 8th March as the International Day for Women´s Rights, and now this celebration and commemoration is in most countries a Nationally celebrated day.

Today, in spite of all the work about it, the concern on all types of violence and discrimination against women continues to be a major issue and

concern, to the point that in many countries there are offices to monitor them as femicides. El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico are concrete examples of this situation, which happen in many more countries and still does not seem to be effectively addressed.

Violence against women is not just what is happening to individual women, we see that the educational, economic, social and cultural aspects of the current systems, at local, national and global levels must intentionally work with a transformational agenda to be able to achieve this urgently needed change, that not only robs women and societies of peace, but does not allow the qualitative development for the new paradigm to become a reality in our life time.

There are aspects, many historical, many legal, many cultural, and economic that affect directly the maintenance of this reality: the colonial and slave enterprise, the international division of labor, the forced impoverishment that maintains people to live in survival, which in turn needs to force women into the care and the so called informal economy and to be cheap labor. All these conditions are based in ignorance and a culture of discrimination and the exploitation of peoples and whole nations, this is what we consider to be the extractive model of development, which is based in the violations of all human rights, the economic,social and cultural rights of peoples, and the rights of the planet and the environment.

The structures of the state, must reflect the commitment to this understanding, that this is a matter of peace and of national security, thus there must be policies of state and administration of government that in fulfillment of the national constitution go about meeting in a timely manner, these demands for the well being of all, and the care of the planet. The national and international budgets must reflect this commitment. This is not about assistance, but about real transformation of all the endeavors of national and global society. If a country finds a way to meet the basic needs of women by taking loans that the whole society must pay, but the national constitution, and the various policies and services do not show the timely commitment for equity and equality, the chance to eradicate poverty and hunger will only be about the alleviation of

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these two major indicators of real development and sustainability It is then urgent and important not to fall in such a trap, which only comes to add to the financial and economic indebtedness of the society, and nations, to say the least, and to maintain the system of inequality and impoverishment as it basically exist..

If we are serious about this commitments and we keep our eyes wide open, and our eyes in the prize as the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., called us to be, we will be able to detect the countless very costly gimmicks that are being created and carried out today, under the guise for women equality and for the defense of their rights.

It is time to go from the promises to real action, it can be done, and the enjoyment of the fullness of life can be a reality sooner rather than later.Now is the time... let us move now.

A way to contribute to this societal change of paradigm about equity and equality for all, and in particular for women, it is most important to make sure we have clarity of the call, FOR THE WORLD AND FUTURE THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THE CARE OF PEOPLE AND PLANET, FOR THE ERADICATION NOT THE ALLEVIATION OF POVERTY AND HUNGER.

In El Salvador we have been conducting consultations on the MDGs and toward the SDGs, with the very people that have been excluded for centuries, since the colonizers went global around the world. These are some of the considerations that are key to real, timely and relevant results:

Women, youth/children, migrants, older adults, first nations, LGBT, people with special challenges, rural and coastal peoples, who have been and

are traditionally excluded must be intentionally listened to, and brought into the circle of all.

Use the correct language when referring to people in conditions of poverty-- not the poor, the marginalized, the less fortunate, the disadvantage.. etc. etc.. you know all the names used to refer to people forced into poverty

Do remember that there is lots of expertise in our communities, we know how to transform the situations we have to face, besides resisting them, we create possibilities. When we say we know how to end poverty and hunger, listen to us.. it is because of the illegal colonial practices, that we do not have our lands, water, seeds.. we know how to feed people, we have been doing this in spite of the land graving that is still going on. See our expertise. Do not continue to dismiss it, commit to not do it any more.

Know that INGOs and NGOs can only accompany us in the social transformations that must happen, but each of person can choose to walk with us. Do not look down on us, nor use our situation to live privileged life.

Be willing to see deeply on what has been going on.. we know of high level staff at the UN, who deny the impact of the historical colonial and

slavery experiences.. these two are key to understand the conditions in which

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we are now, and to figure out the ways to move ahead. Cultural aspects are also very important factors of development

For our communities peace and development are one and the same.. and happiness is what we see as a good result of them... success and progress do not mean the same to us as those people that see them as privilege, position and money.

T h e U N i s a p e a c e organization, thus all its work must be for the enjoyment of a culture of peace.

We understand that there is a critical financial and economic crisis, a crisis of employment and an environmental - climate change crisis that are impacting very negatively all aspects of life and that is also at the roots of conflict and violence, and wars.

Especially we need to call a t t e n t i o n t o t h e f o l l o w i n g recommendation, which for our people is the most important and needed work that must carried out immediately:

W e a r e a f f i r m i n g t h e recommendation consumption and production patterns by Social Watch:

Joint civil society action around Post-2015 has to focus on goals and commitments for the countries of the North, the necessary changes of the consumption and production patterns in these countries, and the structural

framework conditions shaped by these countries, particularly in the global financial, investment and trade systems.

This call to do this urgent work is best understood and underlined by a message from Bolivians on the terrible floorings they are suffering today: Therefore the Bolivian tragedy cannot be blamed only in climate change but in the fatal combination of causes all related to the thirst for energy of the

occidental way of life.

Here are suggested indicators to measure the effectiveness of this work, they were presented Feb 2014 to the UN by the Women Major Group and the Women Post 2015 Coalition working for the creation of the SDGs:

•Secure Safe and Sustainable and Just Production and Consumption Patterns and eliminate hazardous substances and technologies.

•Guarantee (100%) application of the precautionary principle and the polluter pays principle to policies and programs on sustainable production and consumption and to new and existing technologies, products and waste management processes.

• Ensure full application of prior free and informed consent: Indigenous and local knowledge systems and technologies are adequately recognized, protected, strengthened and used ensuring control by the indigenous communities. Women and other affected groups participate effectively in

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Marta Benavides with Rosa Lizarde, Feminist Task Force

decision-making throughout all stages of technology development, including assessment.

• Eliminate (100%) hazardous substances: Phase out harmful substances and chemicals and radioactive substances linked with persistent and/or irreversible damage to humans and the environment.

• Harmful chemicals: hazardous pesticides, endocrine disrupting chemicals, CMRs, PB…etc.

• Harmful substances including so mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, asbestos in products and processes

Radioactive substances

• Eliminate (100%) all unsustainable tax incentives: Tax exemptions, subsidies, regulatory frameworks and other incentives are redirected towards sustainable, knowledge and employment-intensive sectors and local sustainable value chains and away from unsustainable activities, including industrial fisheries, forestry and agriculture, risky and otherwise unsustainable forms of energy production like fossil fuels, nuclear energy, unconventional energy production/franking and industrial bioenergy, extractive industries and chemical industry

• 100% Internalization of environmental costs for the full life-cycle of products; this includes full insurance costs for greatest expectable accidents in case of high-risk technologies. Currently, nuclear power operators and many other high-risk industrial complexes, are exempted from insurance obligations, which means that in case of accidents, the tax-payer/ citizens end up paying for the damage.

• Full environmental and social corporate reporting and accountability. Set binding criteria that industrial production and consumption practices, especially extractive industries, do not cause violence, toxic pollution,

displacement, poverty, resource scarcity, gender disparity, or environmental degradation.

• Enact corporate social accountability standards are put in place to enforce decent labor conditions and prevent overuse and overproduction of resources and pollution by investors and corporations.

• Ensure access to environmentally sound technologies, developing countries have equitable access to technologies, agreement on lifting of intellectual property barriers and measures to ensure that knowledge is in the public domain.

• Full technology assessment and authorization: Ensure independent social and environmental impact assessments to monitor and evaluate new and existing industries by establishing a multilateral mechanism for ecological, social, cultural, and economic evaluation of technologies. Enact moratorium on all technologies that can damage Earth cycles, such as geo-engineering and deep sea mining.

A n d h e r e i s a l s o t h e O x f a m d o c u m e n t o n i n e q u a l i t i e s : http://www.oxfam.org/en/policy/working-for-the-few-economic-inequality

By Marta Benavides,

GCAP Global Co Chair, and the Feminist Task Force/FTF,

SIGLO XXIII Movement for Culture of Peace,

El Salvador

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Es patente el caos en que han desembocado la codicia y las ambiciones hegemónicas de

unos cuantos países y la total irresponsabilidad intergeneracional con que han intentado gobernar el mundo.

Es necesario y apremiante poner en práctica la Carta de las Naciones Unidas y el diseño de cooperación, solidaridad, justicia y libertad para la “igual dignidad de todos los seres humanos”, tan bien establecidos en los “principios democráticos” de la Constitución de la UNESCO.

Está clara la crisis sistémica –ética, social, política, económica, medioambiental,…- que estamos atravesando y que, como tantas veces he repetido, requiere múltiples transiciones:

• La transición desde una economía de especulación, deslocalización productiva y guerra a una economía de desarrollo global sostenible y humano.

• La transición desde una cultura de imposición, dominio, violencia y enfrentamiento a una cultura de encuentro, conversación, conciliación, alianza y paz.

• Una transición, en suma, de la fuerza a la palabra.

La Carta de las Naciones Unidas se inicia con un párrafo en el que, insisto, se sintetiza la razón de ser de las Naciones Unidas en 1945 y, hoy mismo, las soluciones que podrían permitir a la humanidad en su conjunto iniciar una “nueva era”: “Nosotros, los pueblos… hemos resuelto evitar a las generaciones venideras el horror de la guerra”. No se cita a los gobiernos o a los Esta-dos sino a los pueblos, que son quienes deben tener en sus manos las riendas del destino común. Y no se aplica, una vez más, como se ha hecho a través de la historia, el perverso adagio de “Si quieres la paz, prepara la guerra”. Se tiene que “evitar el horror de la guerra”, es decir, se debe construir la paz. Paz en uno mismo, paz en relación a los demás, en relación a nuestro entorno, paz a escala nacional, a escala regional, a escala mundial. Pero el inicio de la Carta nos da otra clave esencial para el mañana: la responsabilidad intergeneracional, el tener en cuenta, como compromiso supremo, según palabras del Presidente Nelson Mandela, a la generación que llega a un paso de la nuestra. Debemos cuidar la habitabilidad de la Tierra, y debemos cuidar también desde un punto de vista conceptual nuestro legado, de tal manera que todos los seres humanos, y no sólo unos cuantos, puedan vivir dignamente.

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Única solución: refundar unas Naciones Unidas capaces de establecer un nuevo orden mundial

Fede"co Mayor Zaragozapor

Director General de la UNESCO 1987-1999Presidente de la Fundación para una Cultura de Paz

El neoliberalismo globalizador sustituyó a las Naciones Unidas por grupos plutocráti-cos y los valores éticos por los bursátiles, por el mercado. El resultado está a la vista: crisis de toda índole y de gran profundidad, en la que todos los parámetros se agravan, con en efecto, desigualdades inadmisibles -85 personas, según OXFAM, acaparan una riqueza equivalente a la de la mitad de la humanidad (¡!), estimada en 3.300 millones de seres humanos, que sobre-viven (o mueren) en condiciones de pobreza extrema-; amenaza nuclear; tráficos supranacionales de drogas, personas, armas…; incumplimiento reiterado de las responsabilidades propias de ciudadanos democráticos, puesto que evaden los impuestos en lugar de procurar comportarse como corresponde a las representaciones fidedignas de la volun-tad popular... Hace años, a principios de la década de los ochenta, puse de relieve que la adopción de medidas no podía aplazarse, especialmente en casos de potencial irreversibilidad. Y hoy, de manera particular en todo lo que tiene que ver con los procesos sociales y naturales, en lugar de asumir con criterios socialmente apropiados y con rigor científico la situación, nos dejamos guiar exclusivamente por el cortoplacismo de los beneficios dinerarios. El mercado lo domina todo, mientras que la propia habitabilidad del planeta se deteriora.

Sólo el poder ciudadano, sólo “Nosotros, los pueblos…” puede ahora terminar con la deplorable situación mundial y esclarecer los sombríos horizontes actuales.

Los siguientes títulos publicados en los últimos días en un periódico (“El País”) pueden hacernos reaccionar y expresar en un gran clamor popular el rechazo total, la objeción de conciencia y la desobediencia cívica a quienes intentan, a pesar de la severidad de los retos y amenazas que afligen a la humanidad, seguir favoreciendo la pujanza de unos cuantos cuando los muchos ven cómo se van mermando cada día sus necesidades materiales, intelectuales y culturales:

• “La rebelión laica en Siria se rompe”.

• “Ucrania se hunde en la violencia” y “La represión desencadena una matanza”.

• “Los desmanes de la mayor mina europea de cobre a cielo abierto”(las multinacionales mineras siguen produciendo estragos en el medio ambiente… llenándose los bolsillos y colmando los paraísos fiscales).

• “El negocio del cambio climático. Empresas y fondos apuestan por industrias que se beneficiarán del aumento de las temperaturas. Para los inversores, la clave estará en el agua…”.

• “Tres años después de la primavera árabe"... (y once años después de la invasión de Irak… en medio del total desconcierto, aunque, eso sí, los yacimientos de petróleo ya están, desapareci-dos Sadam Husein y Gadaffi, en manos de los “grandes del poder energético”…)

• “Se ven luces, pero Oriente Próximo no mejora”: es de especial urgencia terminar con la vergüenza del “eterno” conflicto palestino—israelí… sólo, con la autoridad de unas Naciones Unidas dotadas de un apoyo global y de los medios humanos, financieros y técnicos necesa-rios, podría reorientarse adecuadamente y sin mayor retraso, el futuro de Siria, Egipto…

• “Inflamable” (las noticias que llegan de Ucrania, Tailandia o Venezuela hacen evidente que la historia es una pelea perpetua…).

• “59 años de cárcel para siete acusados de inducir a la prostitución a menores…” (el tráfico y consumo de drogas, inmensamente mortíferos, no se resolverán hasta que se enfrenten, con acciones reguladoras apropiadas, como problemas de orden sanitario y no de seguridad, y dejen de promoverse, por los fabulosos réditos que proporcionan y por la existencia de paraísos fis-cales, que nunca desaparecerán porque son los países más ricos de la Tierra, cuya brújula está desquiciada por la ambición, los que los protegen celosamente).

• “Pequeña guerra fría: el contraataque de Bruselas a Suiza intenta contener la escalada popu-lista en Europa”…

• “Justicia Universal, sí, si no afecta al amigo… La presión política y la diplomática se impo-nen sobre los derechos si los criminales son socios. Prima la geoeconomía”…

• El G-20 promete un plan para acelerar el crecimiento un 2% en cinco años", y "las tensiones por la fragilidad de los emergentes afloran en el G-20"

Ya ven: “Para muestra, dice el refrán, vale un botón”. Este desolador panorama requiere con gran apremio un Sistema de Naciones Unidas eficaz para toda la humanidad, sin excepcio-nes. El Partido Republicano de los Estados Unidos se opondrá siempre –como lo hizo ya en 1919 con la Sociedad de Naciones- a que la justicia, la seguridad y la paz sean garantizadas por la unión de todos los países, capaces de reaccionar con prontitud y contundencia cuando un país recurra a la violencia, contraviniendo los principios de convivencia democrática.

Democracia a escala mundial es la solución.

Por primera vez en la historia, podemos construirla e incorporarla a nuestro comportamiento cotidiano. El tiempo de la obediencia ciudadana y de la sumisión ha terminado. Podemos expre-sarnos libremente y tenemos que hacer posible la gran inflexión histórica de la oligocracia a la democracia, del bienestar de unos cuantos al bienestar generalizado, donde cada ser humano único pueda desarrollar plenamente las facultades que le distinguen.

“Nosotros, los pueblos…” tenemos la palabra. Unos cuantos tienen la fuerza. No estemos distraídos ni atemorizados: ha llegado el gran momento, después de tan-tos siglos de oprobio y sumisión, en que la palabra prevalezca sobre la fuerza.

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www.globaleducationmagazine.comNº 7 International Women´s Day

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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN´S DAY INTERVIEW WITH LEYMAH GBOWEE

Javier Collado Ruano: Today, 8th March 2014, International Women´s Day, we have a special guess with us: Ms. Leymah Gbowee, President of Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET) and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, along Ms. Tawakel Karman and Ms. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Thank you very much to attend us and to share your time and some of your reflections between our readers in this special today.

Leymah Gbowee: Thank you very much to you Javier. The pleasure is mine.

JCR: As an inherent specialist in Human Rights, Woman Rights and Peacebuilding, do you think 90´ Liberian woman experiences is a good example of Human Rights and Gender flight for other countries around the world, especially in Africa?

LG: The Liberian women peace movement demonstrated to the world that grassroots movements are essential to sustaining peace; that women in leadership positions are effective brokers for peace; and the importance of culturally relevant social justice movements. Liberia’s experience is a good example to the world that women—especially African women—can be drivers of peace.

JCR: I believe you. When we met last month of September in Salvador de Bahía, Brazil, during your conferences “Fronteiras do Pensamento” (Boundaries of Thought), I felt all your enormous courage comes from your ideological convictions and specially from your role as Mum. Mother of six children, you said that social changes must be performed by mothers. What kind of message could we send today to support their role as engine of change of the world-society?

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Nº 7

2011 Nobel Peace Prize: Ms. Tawakel Karman, Leymah Gbowee and Ms. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

LG: There are three things women can do as engines of change. First at the family level, we have to go back to the space as mothers. We lay down the values and principles for our children; we show them what is right and how to care for others. Many times and in many places, mothers think of their children as friends, and don’t enforce the values and principles of healthy living, of leading a healthy life. Second, mothers understand the challenges and ills of their communities. They know what is wrong and what is right in their communities. It is incumbent upon mothers to work on the issues that can derail the safety of their communities; if left untouched, the values and principles of family are undermined. At the national level, mothers must keep their eyes open on the political dynamics because the personal is the political. Politics affect the prices in the market, the maternal mortality rate, whether our children can obtain a quality education. Politics even decide the reproductive rights of women. Therefore, we must ensure that our political representatives expand and protect our rights.

JCR: There are not doubts you see the world-society with a rich and interesting approach after your long theoretical and pragmatically experience. In this sense, how do you imagine the closed future? What are the hot points that human being should be focused to improve the current world?

LG: The issue of rights will continue to be a source of tension well into the future. If we look at the situation of conflict in many communities, a lot of it derives from individuals not respecting the

rights of others whether its determining the sexuality of others or what happens to the bodies of people. We must recog-nize that the way you treat your neighbors extinguishes or ignites conflicts. Essentially, the hot point is: How do we respect the rights of individuals?

JCR: It is a good question and it is more interesting if we take a look to the humankind future. In fact, following some statistics from different studies, such as United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs inform of 2012, DESA, what kind of challenges we will have in 2050, for example, when the number of citizens arrive to 9,600 thousand of millions?

LG: There are two major challenges we now face that will continue to define our future: the environment and youth unemployment. The environment—specifically climate change— impacts the way we relate to the Earth and to each other. The scramble for environmental resources will continue to be a source of conflict exacerbated by youth unemployment. Our failure to provide meaningful opportunities for the youth makes conflict more attractive which has a destabilizing affect.

JCR: In this sense, it is also interesting to link your reflections with the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations (MDGs), because it is the first time in the history of humanity in which almost all the countries around the world signed deals to work together under the same premises. What do you think about them? Will we see them achieved any day?

LG: The Millennium Development Goals are an important effort to address issues of gender-parity, opportunity, and safety. However, the MDGs are a little too ambitious. Unfortunately, we will likely not achieve the MDGs according to the timeline. This is evidenced by the limited commitment of national governments to fund education and gender parity programs. Instead, competing

interests often override the national political will to adhere to the MDG which further d e l a y s i t s f u l l implementation.

J C R : D e a r M s . Gbowee, thank you very much for your time and inspiring words, it was a real pleasure for me to know you and also to share your reflections today, International Women´s Day.

LG: Your welcome, the pleasure was me.

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www.globaleducationmagazine.comNº 7 International Women´s Day: Interview With Leymah Gbowee

“The Liberian women p e a c e m o v e m e n t demonstrated to the world that grassroots movements are essential to sustaining peace”

“mothers must keep their eyes open on the political dynamics because the personal is the political”

Leymah Gbowee was born in 1972 in Monrovia, Liberia, and spent most of her formative years there, which at the time was one of the most modern and sophisticated cities in West Africa. Leymah attended private school, and was always a very driven and ambitious student. In high school she served as a senator in the student government and was on the honor roll. She had dreams of being a doctor, and in 1990, after graduating from high school, she planned to enroll in the University of Liberia to study medicine.

It was at this same time that a small group of rebels passed from the neighboring country of Cote d’Ivoire into a small county in northern Liberia. Led by a man named Charles Taylor, the rebels were starting a movement to overthrow the current Liberian president, Samuel Doe. Doe was a corrupt and violent man who had sharply divided the Liberian population along tribal identities. It was in the face of this discrimination and corruption that Taylor started his rebel movement to kick Doe and his followers out of their political offices.

As Taylor and his men advanced towards Monrovia, thousands of people became displaced as well as victims of rape, looting, and violence, by both government and rebel soldiers. Because Leymah’s father worked for the Liberian Security Agency in the US Embassy, he was able to send for his family, and they found safety there. As the situation in Liberia continued to deteriorate, Leymah, along with her mother and sisters, made plans to flee Liberia on a refugee boat that was headed for Ghana. They ended up in the Buduburam refugee camp, living among thousands of other displaced Liberians.

In 1991 there was a break in the fighting, and Leymah returned to Liberia. There she ran into a man named Daniel, whom she had met in Buduburam, and they began a relationship. Daniel and Leymah had four children together, but Daniel turned into an emotionally and physically abusive

man. In an effort to gain back some independence and self-confidence, Leymah enrolled in a local social work program. There she received her social work certificate and began working with refugees of the Sierra Leone civil war, helping to heal them from the traumas of war. Leymah enjoyed her role in helping others to heal, and in an effort to also heal herself, left Daniel and moved back in with her parents.

Then, her work as a peace-builder really began. With the encouragement of her mother, Leymah returned to school and received her Associate of Arts Degree while volunteering with the Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Program (THRP). She worked with those in the rural communities who had suffered the worst acts of violence during the war; as well as with “Taylor’s Boys,” who where the children Taylor’s men had abducted and forced to become child soldiers.

Leymah’s work, especially with the women of her country, made her realize how important it was for women to have a voice in the peace process, and Leymah dreamed of a time when women would be called together to fight for peace. A friend of Leymah’s, who she had met through her trauma healing work, presented her with a life-changing opportunity to make this dream a reality.

Leymah’s friend, Thelma Ekiyor, had started an organization known as the Women in Peacebuilding Network, or WIPNET, and she asked Leymah to head the Liberian chapter. Leymah became their voice as the women of Liberia called for an end to the war. By this time, Taylor had been elected President of Liberia, but another rebel force had been carrying out attacks in and around Monrovia in an effort to overthrow him. There had now been violence in Liberia for roughly 14 years. The women of WIPNET decided they would not rest until peace was achieved. Leymah led several outreach campaigns to both Christian and Muslim women, which started the creation of the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace Movement. This movement brought

thousands of women from all over the country to Monrovia day after day, wearing white and bringing signs declaring peace. The women of WIPNET staged a sit-in at a fish market by Capitol Hill, and told Taylor they would not move until he agreed to meet with them.

They sat for weeks, in the baking hot sun and pouring rain, until Taylor eventually set up a meeting. As WIPNET’s voice, Leymah was chosen to address Taylor. She called for an immediate end to the fighting, and the resumption of peace talks between Taylor and the rebels with oversight from an international organization. Taylor agreed to these conditions. Leymah and other other core WIPNET workers made the same plea to the rebels, who also agreed. In June, Leymah and other supporters traveled to Ghana where the peace talks were being held, and staged a sit in there as well. However, the news day after day was that the negotiations were stalled. Leymah eventually led the women inside to the meeting hall, looped arms, and created a blockade, not allowing anyone out until an agreement had been signed. This last effort changed the course of the peace talks and by August, West African peacekeeping troops had arrived in Liberia, intercepting thousands of dollars worth of weapons that were intended for Taylor. A few days later, Taylor resigned and went into exile in Nigeria.

Leymah’s work was instrumental in pushing Taylor into exile and smoothing the path for Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s election -Africa’s first female head of state. Gbowee has con-tinued her work in peace and conflict resolution, and is now leading the Liberia Reconciliation Initiative, one of the six coordinating organizations that created and guides the roadmap of resolution. She is the President of the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa, based in Monrovia, and also serves as the Executive Director of Women, Peace and Security Network Africa (WIPSEN-Africa).

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www.globaleducationmagazine.comNº 7 International Women´s Day: Interview With Leymah Gbowee

MORE ABOUT THE PEACE NOBEL LAUREATE

Resource: Peacejam

El 10 de diciembre de 1948 se firmó la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos reconociendo que todas las personas nacen libres y en condiciones de dignidad e igualdad de derechos. Sin embargo, 66 años después, actos de discriminación y violencia siguen provocando la persecución de niños, niñas, hombres y mujeres alrededor del mundo.

Dentro de la totalidad de la población, las personas lesbianas, gays, bisexuales, transgénero e intersexuales (LGBTI) y los defensores de sus derechos hacen parte de uno de los grupos más perseguidos. Una muestra de los niveles atroces de violencia social y política en su contra está relacionada con el hecho de que la orientación sexual e identidad de género de las personas LGBTI son ilegales en 76 países, siete de los cuales castigan las relaciones con personas del mismo sexo con la pena de muerte. Lo anterior, sumado a ex-presiones de violencia y discriminación permanente por parte de todos los sectores de la sociedad, incluso en países en donde no es penalizado, han obligado a miles personas a huir de sus lugares de origen en busca de protección. En situaciones de conflicto armado o extrema violencia los derechos de las personas LGBTI se ven amenazados con mayor ve-hemencia, generando la necesidad de buscar protección en el exterior o ser víctimas de desplazamientos forzados internos.

Ante las más recientes y preocupantes demostraciones de brutal violencia hacia personas de la comunidad LGBTI, ACNUR manifiesta que todas las personas sin ex-cepción alguna deben ejercer sus derechos independientemente de su orientación sexual o identidad de género y saluda con gratitud las iniciativas y expresiones de solidaridad que al respecto han surgido.

Es importante insistir en que ser lesbiana, gay, bisexual, transgénero o intersexual no es una enfermedad. La violencia y la discriminación están basadas en la inequidad de género y esquemas de valores restrictivos contrarios a la libertad e integridad sexual, y al libre desarrollo de la personalidad. Ser LGBTI es ser una persona como cualquier otra que por cuenta de su orientación sexual o identidad de género se ve enfrentada a desafiar los

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www.globaleducationmagazine.com

Nº 7 International Women´s Day

ACNUR: La igualdad es un derecho, la aceptación una

decisión

modos convencionales de ver la vida en familia, la sexualidad y las relaciones de poder, es vivir de una manera que va en contra de creencias culturales que niegan el pluralismo y la diversidad. A pesar de los avances en la reivindicación de los derechos humanos, las personas LGBTI se ven obligados a vivir como ciudadanos de segunda categoría que no tienen acceso igualitario a sus derechos en una sociedad que les esconde, niega su exis-tencia y les denigra.

ACNUR con base en la premisa que “los derechos LGBTI son derechos humanos” ha convocado a organizaciones de la sociedad civil, entidades estatales, agencias de Naciones Unidas y miembros de la comunidad LGBTI a unir esfuerzos en contra de la violencia y discriminación. El pasado 25 de noviembre durante los 16 días de activismo en contra de la violencia basada en género, ACNUR lanzó una campaña que busca el respeto de los derechos a la vida, a la integridad, a la libertad, a la libre expresión, a la igualdad, a acceder a un trabajo digno, y a acceder a procedimientos de protección y asilo sin temor a ser abusados, discriminados o violentados.

En el marco de dicha campaña ACNUR invita a todos los miembros de la sociedad a ponerle fin a la desigualdad, oponerse a los actos de violencia y a hacer frente junto a personas LGBTI, activistas y defensores para que los derechos puedan ejercerse condiciones de igualdad y dignidad.

Hechos históricos de rechazo hacia personas LGBTI en varios de sus entornos sociales más cercanos (familia, iglesia, escuelas, etc.) se han convertido en esquemas de violencia cultural que se han traducido en políticas públicas y leyes restrictivas, anti-democráticas y punitivas. A menudo los asesinatos, la violencia sexual, la represión y el aislamiento son cometidos en contra de personas LGBTI como castigo por ejercer sus derechos y resistirse a la discriminación. Estos actos de violencia que se traducen en de-tenciones arbitrarias, condenas injustificadas, tortura, secuestro y demás abusos son en efecto violaciones reiteradas a sus derechos, actos que deben tener fin sin cabida a más postergaciones.

Pese a las dificultades, varios países avanzan en el reconocimiento y respeto de los derechos de personas LGBTI; desde 1990 40 países han legalizado las relaciones entre personas del mismo sexo. Países como Sur África e India llevan una trayectoria luchando por descriminalizar las relaciones del mismo sexo y muchos otros han prohi-bido legalmente la discriminación hacia personas LGBTI. Acogiéndose al Derecho Internacional de Refugiados, la Corte Europea de Justicia (ECJ) ha ordenado recientemente que personas gay puedan solicitar refugio en la Unión Europea en caso de

estar en riesgo en sus países de origen, reiterando el proceso al que cualquier ciudadano tiene derecho.

ACNUR define como refugiado a aquella persona que huye de su país de origen y cruza fronteras internacionales por un temor fundado de persecución por pertenecer a un grupo, raza, religión o partido político. Dado el contexto y las circunstancias en las que viven lesbianas, gays, bisexuales, transgénero e intersexuales, esa persona puede ser su vecino, su colega de trabajo, su amigo cercano, su hija, incluso usted, y en todos los casos dicha persona tiene derecho de acceder a un proceso adecuado de protección den-tro o fuera de su país de origen.

En las Américas, ACNUR ha trabajado en colaboración con organizaciones, ci-viles y estatales, para garantizar la protección de todas las personas de interés y en promover la creación de un espacio de protección libre de discriminación y desigualdad. El gobierno de Brasil ha concedido asilo y ha aceptado los casos de reasentamiento de personas que huyeron de la persecución por motivos de su orientación sexual. En Venezuela, ACNUR ha trabajado con la Comisión Nacional encargada de elaborar los criterios y el procedimiento de tramitación de los casos LGBTI. México ha incluido como una quinta casual para el reconocimiento de la condición de refugiado la persecu-ción por motivos de género. En Colombia ACNUR, a través del Sistema de Gestión de Datos sobre Violencia Basada en Genero (GBVIMS) que se ejecuta en coordinación con UNFPA, ha identificado graves casos de violencia sexual contra jóvenes y mujeres por su orientación sexual que han causado su desplazamiento forzado. Todos estos países se han sumado a la campaña lanzada por ACNUR con el fin de erradicar la violencia y la discriminación hacia personas LGBTI.

ACNUR agradece y fomenta que todos los países mantengan abiertas sus puertas y trabajen en aumentar la protección de aquellos que huyen a causa de la violencia por ser lesbianas, gays, bisexuales, transgénero o intersexuales, dentro y fuera de los países de origen, y se mantiene firme y comprometido en la lucha contra la discriminación, la intolerancia y la violencia basada en género.

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Diana Díaz Rodríguez

Asistente Regional de Información Pública

ACNUR Colombia

www.globaleducationmagazine.comNº 7 International Women´s Day

Javier Collado Ruano: Dear readers, today we have the opportunity to learn from a big activist and a distinguished theatre artists in drama, music, literacy, arts, dance, visual and martial arts. Her name is Cecile Guidote-Alvarez and she is the Director of the Philippine Center of International Theater Institute/Earthsavers UNESCO DREAM Center. I met her in Rio+20 and since then we have exchanged reflections about how to achieve sustainable development, between many other issues. Ms. Guidote-Alvarez, thank you very much to attend us today, for our special edition of Global Education Magazine: International Women´s Day.

Cecile Guidote-Alvarez: Thank you for allowing us the golden opportunity to share the Bohol Declaration that launched interdisciplinary, interfaith, the RAINBOW CROSS Movement of healing trauma through the arts.

JCR: I would like to start the interview saying “thank you very much” for invite us to attend the Workshop-Forum entitled “the Inter-disciplinary Cultural Roadmap to Heal-ing Trauma and Building climate Solutions”, which took place two weeks ago in Bohol, the area affected by earthquake/ Super Typhoon Haiyan. Unfortunately, our aca-demical obligations did not allow us to visit the Philippine that time, but I hope to have new opportunities in the closed future. In the letter you sent me, you said “the forum and workshop will orient and engage teachers, artists, social workers, medical practi-tioners, policymakers, industry representatives, scientists, and other stakeholders in a

lively discussion and demonstration of the realistic options at hand for restoring and nurtur-ing the mental health of survivors with skills training for employment or entrepreneurship while engendering fortitude, faith and the strength of spirit to triumph over adversity”. Could you please let us know what the results of such dialogue and effort were? Did you achieve the goal to build the “Interdisciplinary Creative Arts Therapeutic Emergency Response”?

CGA: Yes, the demonstration workshop with disaster survivors was an effective theatre experience. Artists from different parts of our country worked together and collectively

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by Cecile Guidote-Alvar!

Nº 7 www.globaleducationmagazine.com

International Women´s Day

INTERVIEW WITH CECILE GUIDOTE-ALVAREZ

created scenarios that reflected the angst, the fears, and hopes through the coordination of the NCCA- National Committee of Dramatic Arts (NCDA) chaired by Luthgardo Labad. I think it is noteworthy to underscore the observation of Dr. Hubert Gijzen who witnessed the workshop and the vignettes created by different teams from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and teachers from Bohol that had theatre healing orientation through the support of “Save the Children” This was complemented by the Earthsavers ‘handicapa-ble’ artists synergized with indigenous and out-of-school youth working with deaf children and survivors for 3 hours which they joined the showcase performance.

The Earthsavers within the Philippine Center of the International Theatre Institute (ITI) were honored by UNESCO as Artists for Peace in 2003 and in 2011, the Earthsavers Academy with its inclusive and transformative teaching module for persons in difficult circumstances was designated the 6th in the world as a UNESCO DREAM Center. It was personally inaugurated in the Philippines by Director-General, Dr. Irina Bokova.

Speaking in Bohol, Dr. Gijzen, Diector of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Science Bureau stated: “With the Theatre on the Edge Festival, I also saw that building back better for you is not only related to the infrastructure, but also to the ‘soft-ware’, to the society at large. You, the per-formers and artists showcased today the power of culture, the power of arts and music, which can be applied in so many areas.

Whether it is to raise awareness on MDGs, on political or societal issues, on the MDGs, or on complex issues such as climate change, the performing arts and music play a very special role in convey-ing sometimes difficult and complex mes-sages.

Via this Theatre on the Edge Festival you focused on the specific theme of natural disasters, and I could recognize at least three key functions:

a) To raise awareness on the origins and causes of natural disasters.

b) To contribute to community preparedness, so that we know how to respond when disaster strikes.

c) To mobilize arts for healing of trauma inflicted by natural disasters

We all learned a lot from this. I personally learned also something else, namely that the performing arts and music is a very powerful way of conveying complex messages. Politicians and organizations like the United Nations, including myself, we all use words to convey our messages. The power of words indeed is strong, and if words are chosen right, the message goes straight to your head. But arts is much more powerful, be-cause the message goes straight to the heart.”

JCR: And what was the role of the UNESCO-Jakarta, Regional Science Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, in such practices at the events?

CGA: The dissemination of the Bohol experience will be facilitated by the UNESCO bureau in our region of the Asia-Pacific that is so vulnerable to extreme climate occurrence. The bu-reau’s wealth of research, experts and experience in the field enhances our goal of helping build green cities and safer schools. Moreover, UNESCO is a partner to strengthen south-south dialogue in defying disasters, our plans to link, coordinate and collabo-rate through facilitation of support from parallel UNESCO offices to expand the network with inter-cont inenta l connect iv i ty wi th countries in the Arab-African region as well as in the Caribbean-Latin America region. We involve public-private partnership to execute our programs.

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The United Nations office of Coordinating Affairs (OCHA) reports that the Asia-Pacific region suffered worst national disasters in 2013 besides the impact of the fierc-est typhoon recorded in history, the Philippines also suffered 16 natural disasters. The Asia-Pacific region was hit by 137 natural disasters compared with 93 separate events in 2012. Meanwhile, the number of people killed recorded was 18, 375 and 82 million affected. More than 3.9 million people in 4 countries hit Cambodia, Vietnam, Lao PDR and Thailand. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were hit by deadly typhoon ‘Mahasen’. India and China were also heavily affected by floods, not to count other earthquakes and tsu-namis in the last 3 years.

In the light of this reality, the Asia-Pacific Science Bureau of UNESCO headed by Dr. Hubert Gijzen is humongous. We are grateful for the commitment of support from UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova as expressed in her message: “It is symbolic and important that this workshop is held in Bohol, which suffered from the impact of the earthquake and from the devastation of typhoon ‘Haiyan’. Bohol embodies the spirit of resilience that all societies need today, and especially those of Small Island Developing States, on the frontline of climate change.

This Asia-Pacific Regional Forum is designed to address trauma through an interdisci-plinary approach to restore the confidence of communities and to rebuild anew. For this-the workshop will train and mobilize national teams to cope and over-come—through creativity and solidarity—the difficulties faced by survivors of disas-ters, victims of armed conflict or other forms of violence.

Art Education has a key role to play in releasing trauma, in promoting healing and in catalyzing positive change…. This is why UNESCO supports arts education as a vital tool for intercultural learning, for global citizenship and for the acquisition of life skills. This education highlights the importance of cultural diversity, and it reinforces behaviors and values for deeper social cohesion. This is essential for all societies today—global challenges mean that no State can stand alone, and humanity can only move forward together, guided by shared values and common aspirations for a better future.”

This vision is re-enforced by the message of our President, His Excellency Benigno Aquino III who applauded the organizers led by the UNESCO DREAM Center in stress-ing that “Adaptation, education, and synergized action are fundamental components of the global discourse on climate change. No longer are nations resigned to tackle environmental threats and issues within borders; all are moving towards more compre-hensive and inclusive approaches to development.

Citizens hold crucial roles in the task, ensuring that our dialogues remain focused on intergenerational progress and grounded in the current and future needs and aspirations of the people. This is especially important as the Philippines recovers from one of the most devastating calamities in recorded history, and as we refine our strategies in the context of our vulnerabilities to climate risk.

May your initiative serve the Filipino people as well, as it lends face to our country’s disaster preparation and risk reduction campaign. Let your exchange effectively chan-nel efforts into managing the risks we are exposed to as humanity harnesses natural resources, and enable your participants to become agents of healing and empowerment within and beyond our archipelago.”

JCR: Without doubts, these efforts will go a long way as community members become more aware of the phenomenon of climate change, especially for the natural disasters. In this sense, I totally agree with Dr. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, when she expressed you in the letter of 19th December 2013 that “the expedition of the Ensemble to Paris would not have been possible without your personal engagement and energy. Your presence here in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan was a more timely ges-ture to honour the victims of the devastating natural disaster”. I am sure the initia-tive Theatre Training for All of the ITI in the Asia-Pacific region will represent a big initiative to help all survivors. How could our readers support this initiative? How could they be involved?

CGA: Readers can liaise and identify the theatre or culture group within their schools or community. You can share this methodology of cultural caregiving to get involve with them as a volunteer and reach out to vulnerable and marginalized sectors in your place to extend to them, with value laden art education. Hospitals, prisons, refugee camps, organizations for persons with disabilities and senior citizens, rehabilitation cen-ters for drug abusers can all be given arts education for their recuperation and restoring their mental health.

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Those interested can join our growing network and can connect with the International Theatre Institute (ITI) whose Director-General Tobias Biancone can be accessed for events like: the World Theatre Day in March, Arts Education Week in May, World Dance Day in April or the Earthsavers for participation in Clean Up the World in Sep-tember, Earth Day in April. The ITI website is: www.iti-worldwide.org Our Philippine Center of the ITI will be offering this Creative Theatre Transformative course show-cased in Paris and Bohol through a consortium of universities like the University of Makati, Isabela State University with La Salette University in Northern Luzon, through the SVD system and other community groups through the Earthsavers-UNESCO DREAM Center. My Skype address is cecile.alvarez7 and Viber number is +63917-543-2889. We have a nationwide radio broadcast. We are now building a new Earthsav-ers website with the help of Filipino-American students from Stanford University in California, USA. Our email address is: dreamcenterphilippines@yahoo.com.ph

JCR: By the other hand, I wanted to quote a phrase of Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations: “There is one universal truth, applicable to all countries, cultures and communities: violence against women is never acceptable, never excus-able, never tolerable.” Under this premise, our intentionality would be to integrate the new humanism vision of UNESCO to all our readers, especially for the women. In this way, I was thinking about how create a new “vanishing point” and raise awareness about the situation of women worldwide. That´s why I feel you could help us to build that kind of vision with your artistic and creative approach. Why do you think it is so important the theatre to help people in general and specially for those who are now handicapped physically and psychologically?

CGA: Theatre is a mirror. It calls attention to problems and provides a multi-sectoral avenue for an intercultural dialogue to reflect on solutions and creatively bond groups of common interest to cooperatively address or prevent crisis. Creative empowerment with skills and confidence building coupled with endurance and perseverance is a pre-requisite armor for people who are in a mental state of discombobulation because of incalculable grief of loss, anger and despair due to physical incapacity or deprivation. It is an engine for creative industry and social entrepreneurship.

Theatre is also an anchor that can help participants and audience grow in the apprecia-tion of indigenous heritage and traditional values that must not be laid aside but recon-ciled with technological advances. It is an antidote to forgetfulness. In fact, a memory bank to draw lessons from history to guide present and future action because the worst

illness that can be inflicted on a person or a nation is amnesia and even Alzheimer’s dis-ease.

JCR: In this sense, doing a cultural-sensitive parallelism between the emotional shock after earthquake that shook Bohol, I wanted you to express that, under UN WOMEN s-tudies, 70% of women in the world report having experienced physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lifetime. Do you think it could be interesting to introduce “theatre therapy” into educational curricula at schools? Could that help the 60 million girls worldwide who are married before the age of 18?

CGA: Yes. It is necessary to introduce an early awareness for the curriculum in schools. I had talked with our Secretary of Education informing him of our healing arts education module and he was receptive to integrate it in our K-12 educational curriculum. We are concerned that media also serves as a creative classroom and that local governments must be appropriately involved.

There is a Commission on the Role of Women. Media must sustain interest on the violations or non-implementations of laws to protect the rights of women and children provide as well the good news. We linked up agencies of government, a number led by women and there is a greater number of women in both houses of the legislature.

Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Committee on Environment and Climate Change has stressed that “there is an urgent need of healing. Disasters have wreaked havoc on cities and psyches across the Philippines. We cannot allow these people to wallow in collective sense of loss, grief and depression the same way we don’t allow the wounded to be left untreated. We need to deliver psycho-social assistance to these victims. “Besides her commendation, our Bohol effort has received attention as well from other women legislators, Senator Pia Cayetano who heads the Education and Culture Committee, Senator Cynthia Villar who addresses agricultural security, Senator Grace Poe who supervises the Committee on Communications and Information and Senator Nancy Binay as Minority Leader in the Committee on Women, Family Relations and Gender Equality and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago for Foreign Relations.

In the House of Representatives, the President of the Lady Legislators,-Representative Gina de Venecia composed of ¼ of the Congress. She is a mother, who in losing her only daughter in a fire has created a support network to deal with the pain of loss of their children.

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JCR: Unfortunately, up to 50% of sexual assaults are committed against girls under the age of 16. This is a big challenge to confront it and this is the reason why I would like to request you some advices to empower people. What kind of suggestions and advices you would like to tell us to develop a new vision of human values? What is it the essence of theatre ther-apy approach and how useful it is for people?

Cecile Guidote-Alvarez: We realize that domestic violence and sexual harassment in the work site now even with internet outreach are rampant in our country equally so in the Asia-Pacific, Arab-African region where there is practice of girl brides and dowry system, the hidden crime against children, in-cest and the spread of pedophilia. Our government with civil society support has put up hotlines and women’s desk in police stations among its remedial measures.

It is most surprising that an EU report by the Vienna-based director Morten Kjaeran still shows extensive human rights abuse with physical, sexual and psychological violence against women. These aggressions result in long lasting deep seated effects reflected in panic attacks, depression, difficulty in subsequent relations and even suici-dal tendencies. All these must be addressed but is unfortunately systematically under-reported. There is the stigma, the shame and fear of further reprisals. Society itself must be more open in providing understanding for the victims. Media should avoid sensationalizing reports of sexual violence into long running scandalous melodra-matic news stories. There must be respect for their privacy. Obviously, their trauma must be given the same cultural caregiving service to be able, after reflecting about their atrocious experience to move on and be empowered through innovative culture-based therapy response. This should be is beefed-up by medical and psychiatric guid-ance. One can see where artists, duly oriented and concerned can be employed to enhance the concept of social rehabilitation.

Through a painting, poem, song, dance or even an installation, allowing release and imaginative approach to break the silence to calm tensions, to learn from and cast aside the pain of past experience towards better self-esteem and envisioning a stronger, grasp

of their human right and discovery of their inner strength and ability to move on.

The arts therapy encounter provides the bridging for similar expressions that generate the support system that engenders hope, the will to live and a mecha-nism for safety and security. We re-enforce with the Christian tenet that after the agony of Calvary and agony is the ecstasy of resurrection.

JCR: Doing a link with your previous reflections, Edgar Morin, as many other authors, talks in his life´s work about the importance to reform thought, education and politics to face the challenge of future humanity´s governability. In this sense, it is obvi-ously that word-society need a deep transformation to achieve a sustainable development. Ideally, theatre therapy could reflect a values-based in the new humanism approach mentioned. Therefore, it would

promote “stakeholder value,” where stakeholders include the whole human race and the planet itself. In shorts, all big thinkers of today are claiming a new and holistic vision about the world-society and their interconnections. What do you think it is the role of Global Citizenship Education proposed by UNESCO to achieve it? What kind of changes we should introduce to raise awareness about our responsibility with global problems?

CGA: Definitely, change of attitudes, habits, and mindsets is essential for reform towards good governance to put a premium in affirming life rather than engagement in destruction of life. Violence against mankind and Mother Earth is a human rights issue. Caring, and sharing, dedication and perseverance to pursue a vision must be instilled through early childhood education. The absence of greed or substituting this obsessive desire for materialism with compassion and sensitivity to unfortunate conditions of others is a key to fighting poverty. Empathy is the ability to feel with those suffering atrocities, catastrophes, injustice and deprivation as well as the capacity to celebrate achievements that better the condition of mankind in particular the triumph of the spirit over adversity. We are deeply grateful to the citizens of the world for its expression of sympathy and immediate humanitarian aid to the Philippines that was crystallized with

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the personal visit of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to Taclo-ban, Leyte.

UNESCO’s advocacy of global citizenship underscores the need to inculcate a sense of kinship with the family of nations and as well as a sense of duty and responsibility to advance the welfare of every citizen, regardless of race or creed to protect the planet earth, our common home.

JCR: By the other hand, I also wanted you to ask about your beliefs, in order to understand better the bridges that you do between culture and spirituality. Is theatre ther-apy a thinking way faced with religions or, on the contrary, it is a new form of “entan-glement” cultures?

CGA: Theatre therapy requires the appreciation and sensitivity in applying the inherent qualities of theatre (the meeting ground of all the arts) for healing. Those in difficult circumstances feel isolated and helpless. Theatre is a social art that engenders linkages, participation, and social interaction. It brings hope like a “Balm in Gilead”. After con-ducting theatre workshops since I was 15 years old beginning at the Orthopedic Hospital under a Jesuit drama and media teacher, Fr. James B. Reuter pursuing this mission when I founded the Philippine Educational Theatre Association (PETA in 1967); and carrying on in exile at La MaMa Theatre in a Brooklyn public school, work-ing the trainable and educable students, many institutions like the prison and church groups in ghettos, the deaf, the mentally challenged and even the delinquent at some point. I have been elated and gratified that the crippled, the blind are transformed like butterflies out of a cocoon.

Our theatre therapy experience is a vehicle to draw them out of despair and despon-dency to help them express their fears and anxieties, to recall their experience of trauma and portray through any artistic form synchronized with their dream of a better life and hope for its fulfillment. They become ‘handicapable’ able to smile and continue learning while earning, rebuilding their lives with fortitude and faith. They have to re-call their own good experiences and use it as a foundation to develop the spiritual strength to continue and find a sense of confidence and purpose of existence.

I believe in miracles and the power of prayers having undergone the persecution and repression of a dictatorial regime and being victorious after a long difficult struggle for freedom. Personally being afflicted with cancer, faith together with respect for my doc-tor’s medical formula for recovery has been the spine for my journey of survival. This is the wellspring of my conviction.

JCR: At this point, it is interesting note that famous quantum physics Basarab Ni-colescu said that word “war” does not exists anymore in the vocabulary of trans-disciplinary, because its goals are “understand the present world, which passes by understanding the meaning of our life and our sense of death in this world which is ours”. Then, seeing theatre therapy as interdisciplinary programs which were recognized as UNESCO Artists for Peace for the cultural bridges developed… How do you see the future of the humanity after all your long experience as exiled? Could we achieve the SDG goals proposed in the agenda post-2015?

CGA: Our work in exile to help achieve a peaceful restoration of our democracy provided me a stronger perspective that justice will prevail no matter how exceedingly slow it may seem to grind. Nothing is impossible with God’s grace coupled with one’s willingness to sacrifice with determination, patience and faith to pursue what is right and defend the truth.

I am confident that if the social conscience is forged and global political leaders are con-cienticized; the post 2015 agenda for sustainable development can be agreed upon and can be realized. I believe that we all care for the future of our children and grandchildren. Cooperation is absolutely essential to insure the survival and safety of mankind through the health of our habitat. We cannot afford to fail. Self-interest must be substituted by commitment for the common good.

JCR: I cannot imagine how such experience as exile changed your life and your way of thinking. Maybe it is interesting mentioned now that, globally, around 603 million women live in countries where domestic violence is not yet considered a crime. Have you ever considered writing a theatre piece to empower women in such situation?

CGA: Returning to the Philippines— When I was in exile, convinced that the UN Conference on Women in Mexico in 1980 was a historic milestone to put in the global agenda. I was determined to participate and call attention to the marginalization of women in all aspects of life. We are lucky in the Philippines there is a law that punishes violence against women and children. The UN has passed the convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. (CEDAW)

I have featured in our award-winning DZRH Radio Balintataw, the heroic lives of ordinary women on nationwide broadcast & global webcast to inspire those ‘in trou-ble’ and in doubt about stories of women in difficult circumstances that fought for their right to a dignified life and strengthen their faith in Divine providence with the value of a supportive family.

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One is a crippled who was able to serve as a senior official in the Solicitor-General’s office. Another is a cancer victim after being cured had set-up a help cooperative for can-cer patients called the I CAN SERVE FOUNDATION. An indigenous woman in Palawan struggled to achieve education and after graduation, did not look for greener pastures in the city life but remained to teach the tribal children.

A historical figure, the wife of Sultan Kudarat, jumped-off the cliff with her child rather than be caught and used as a hostage by the Spanish conquistadores to allow Kudarat to lead the Muslims in defying the unhampered occupation of Mindanao.

Beyond our local heroines, there is the path-breaking leadership of Dr. Irina Bokova, the first woman to lead UNESCO on her second term is a champion of ‘new humanism’ with her cross- disciplinary vigorous pursuit of education for all especially for girls.

JCR: I am agree that Dr. Irina Bokova is a big example for thousand of women, but you are too. I am sure there will be thousands of people very fortunate to be around of your transformative energy, because you work with passion and wisdom. Personally, I will con-tact you again in the closed future, when I visit the Southeast Asia. Thank you very much to share your reflections and your time in this special day. I am wondering if there is any-thing I have not asked about that you wish I had?

CGA: Partnerships and linkages are so important in spreading the apostolate of theatre that I have been engaged for 55 years reiterating like a Man-tra, that we can win the war against poverty and pollution, crime and corruption, disease and drugs, terrorism and tyranny. Not by force but by art, not by compulsion but by persuasion through a community spirit of caring and collaboration.

Dear Javier, You were incisive and comprehensive in your questions, I was delighted to respond.

We look forward to your visit where we can have a stronger exchange of best practices to realize our common vision that culture with arts is a catalyst to realizing the UNESCO ‘Education for All Policy’, now given the mechanics for implementation by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s push for a Global Education First Initiative.

The assurance of the replication, echoing and adoption of the

Bohol Declaration that launched RAINBOW CROSS is guaranteed through the messages from the Ocean Security Initiative led by its Chairman, Viktor Sebek, with Carlos Mauri-cio Iriarte Barrios, Gobernador del Departamento del Huila, Colombia in the Latin-American region, Professor Dr. Angela de Luca Rebello Wagener, Member of the OSI Scientific and Academic Board, Potificia Universidade Católica Do Rio de Janeiro, Vini-cio A. Cerezo, President 0f Guatemala from 1989 to 1991 as well as from leaders in key points of the globe: from South Africa, Francois Baird, Chairman of Daniel J Edelman Inc./ Policy Advisory Board Member: Ocean Security International; from Russia, Vtaly Lyststov, member of OSI Scientific and Academic Board National Research Cen-ter “Kucrhatov Institute” as well as the network of the Climate Institute in Washington D.C USA, one of the oldest NGOs concerned with global warming headed by its Presi-dent, Mr. John Topping, Jr. with Philippine Climate Change Commissioner Heherson Al-varez as Chairman of its advisory board.

We are planning a global playwriting contest as a collaborative effort of the ITI-CIDC and the International Playwrights Forum (IPP) that will be coordinated by our Secretary-General of our Philippine ITI Center, an award-winning playwright, Dr. Isagani Cruz.

JCR: Thanks a lot Cecile, I will try to visit you in the following months to continue with our dialogue. At the final point, what should it be your message to all the readers of Global Education Magazine in the International Women´s Day?

CGA: Women constitute the other half of the world population. A woman is a symbol for Mother Earth, for our motherland. It is a portrait of love, the heart of the home. It is sad that the lament of mothers so often heard in areas of armed conflict and places dev-astated by ecological disasters have not been fully responded. Justice, peace and sustainable development must prevail in all corners of the world. Women must be harnessed in the center of peace negotiations and good governance. We are grateful for the concern of Global Education Magazine in linking women through media to continue the struggle for gender equity, protec-tion of their rights and family solidarity. We must sustain energy and strength from our common vision of restoring the beauty and bounty of our environment as we seek a safer, peaceful, sustain-able world for our children up to the seventh generation.

JCR: Thanks a lot again Cecile for your inspiring words in the interview.

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Oficina de Santiago

Con el apoyo de la

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para la Educación,la Ciencia y la Cultura

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Ma maman fait parti de ses nombreuses femmes aux grands cœurs, aux sourires enjôleurs et dotés d’un

très grand courage!

www.globaleducationmagazine.com

Quand je la regarde, elle exprime une vie remplie d’aventure, pleine

d’émotion, parfois de chagrin, et de malheur, mais je garde en mémoire ses éclats de rire, et ses rencontres avec le bonheur.

Cependant, je sais aussi qu’avant d’arriver à la joie, elle a fait preuve de sagesse, qu’elle a dû vaincre ses peurs, ses doutes, qu’elle a aussi traversé des intempéries et combattu la souffrance.

Ma maman aurait pu être Simone de Beauvoir, cette femme française, née à Paris en 1908.

« Mes vingt premières années se sont écoulées entre Notre-Dame-des-Champs et Saint-Germain-des-Prés sans qu’il m’arrive rien d’exceptionnel … » Écrit Simone de Beauvoir, qui allait devenir la compagne de Sartre (un écrivain), l’auteure du Deuxième Sexe et, en 1974, la présidente de la Ligue des droits de la femme.

En effet, cette femme bouleversante pour la génération d’avant-guerre était une femme au grand pouvoir de liberté et écrivaine. Ces mots, ses lignes écrites sur de nombreuses pages, traversent encore les océans et les langues de notre monde.

Après de brillantes études, elle poursuit ses cours supérieures à la Sorbonne. C’est à l’agrégation de philosophie qu’elle se présente en 1929, en même temps qu’un jeune homme qui a pour nom Jean-Paul Sartre. Il est reçu premier, tandis que Simone de Beauvoir sort deuxième du concours.

En 1943, elle publie son premier livre, l’Invitée…

English Version here

Nº 7

by Sonia Colasse

Children Bilingual Manager and author the children bilingual book: "The Adventures of Enzo"

e-mail:  soloinfinity.ws@gmail.com  website: www.soloinfinty.com/enzo

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Après quelques années de liaison amoureuse, elle passe avec Sartre un « pacte de franchise » qui conjugue indépendance et vérité l’un vis-à-vis de l’autre. Elle va désormais en écrire les thèmes dans son œuvre. Ses premiers romans enseignent que l’engagement peut seul délivrer l’homme de la mauvaise conscience (le Sang des autres, 1945) et que la mort, loin d’être une malédiction, fonde la valeur de nos actes et de nos sentiments en leur donnant une portée irréparable (Tous les hommes sont mortels, 1946). Sa pièce les Bouches inutiles (1945) cher-chent à définir une morale politique, dont le fondement est la « joie d’exister » Pyrrhus et cinéas,1944 ; pour une morale de l’ambiguïté, 1947.

Les voyages aux États-Unis (l’Amérique au jour, le jour, 1948), puis dans la Chine de Mao (la Longue Marche, 1957) conduisent Simone de Beauvoir sur les routes de la dénonciation de la condition féminine. Cette position est clairement assumée dans son essai de 1949, le Deuxième Sexe, texte fondateur du mouvement féministe en France. À la même époque, elle tombe amoureuse d’un écrivain américain rencontré à Chicago, Nelson Algren ; elle lui envoie des Lettres passionnées, et leur relation dure jusqu’en 1964.

Simone de Beauvoir sera encore solidaire du « Manifeste des 343 », pétition signée par 343 femmes pour réclamer la légalisation de l’avortement et rendue publique en 1971. Avec l’avocate et femme politique Gisèle Halimi, elle sera ensuite la cofondatrice du mouvement Choisir, dont le rôle sera déterminant dans ce combat.

Cette femme qui aurait pu être ma mère ou la vôtre est décédée en 1986.

Une autre femme française et courageuse, une autre femme appelée Simone sera souvent comparée à l’écrivaine par sa force et sa ténacité.

Simone Veil est l’une des figures politiques françaises les plus populaires. Légalisant l’avortement en 1975, elle a été la première présidente du Parlement européen (1979) et la première femme ministre d’État (1993).

Si j’étais né au Pérou, en Amérique latine, j’aurais pu être le fils ou la fille de Jacqueline Domhoff. Pour-quoi ?

Parce que sa force de vivre, sa force de vaincre tous les démons est une force que j’aurais souhaité recevoir de ma mère.

« Le rire est la meilleure façon de répandre l’amour, la paix et c’est aussi un bon moyen de nous gué-rir » raconte Jacqueline.

“ Vous avez un cancer ”, c’est un ainsi que l’histoire émouvante de Jacqueline, commence. Cette phrase formulée par son médecin, continu de lui expliquer qu’elle est atteinte d’un cancer des ovaires.

Comment doit-on réagir face à cette terrible évidence ?

Jacqueline répond pour nous : « Avec des rires et sans larmes ! »

Titulaire d’un Master reçu en Espagne, elle revient dans son pays pour devenir responsable des relations publiques. Jacqueline avait tout professionnellement et se promettait un avenir fleurissant.

“Personne ne s’attend à avoir un cancer. J’ai réalisé à quel point la vie peut prendre une sale tournure en moins de deux seconds. La vie elle-même est une leçon, j’ai dû faire un choix et j’ai choisi de donner un sens à ma vie.”

Après bien des tempêtes, Jacqueline s’efforce de reprendre le cours de sa vie et être positif.

« Une amie m’a parlé de la thérapie liée au positivisme, la joie de vivre et le bien-être qui conduit à une amélioration du système immunitaire, juste ce don, j’avais besoin ! . »

Jacqueline prend des leçons de Yoga du rire et devient formatrice de la thérapie.

Le yoga du rire est un traitement sérieux pour les personnes atteintes d’un cancer. Cette méthode permet aux globules rouges d’augmenter en volume, et attaque ainsi les cellules cancéreuses. Plus nous rions et plus nos cellules cancéreuses s’éliminent par notre énergie positive.

Jacqueline n’est pas seulement une survivante du cancer, elle est aujourd’hui la fondatrice de l’hôpital de la joie et un fil moteur dans l’amélioration émotionnels et spirituels pour plus de 6 000 personnes dans différents quartiers de sa ville Lima.

Son équipe bénévole apporte le bonheur et la thérapie du rire dans différent centre hospitaliers, de maisons de retraite ou de clinique. Le rire de Jacqueline a guéri environ 1200 personnes sur la place Plaza Mayor de Li-ma « nous voulons répandre le rire et ainsi augmenter la positivité dans le monde. Lorsque vous changez votre comportement, vous changez votre optimiste et vous attirez le positivisme. C’est le meilleur moyen de répandre l’amour, la paix et aussi de nous guérir. »

« En avant toutes », est le titre du livre de Sheryl Sandberg, cette femme Américaine qui souhaite l’égalité entre les hommes et les femmes. Qui refuse d’être une simple femme au foyer si ce n’est pas le choix de sa destinée. Elle œuvre pour que les femmes accèdent au pouvoir, qu’elles bénéficient des mêmes opportunités que les hommes, qu’elles osent s’affirmer et assumer leur choix : autant de défis que propose Sheryl Sandberg, à partir de son expérience personnelle. Sheryl est un exemple dans son pays, une figure parmi les cent personnalités les plus influentes au monde selon le Times. Sheryl est sincère et drôle. Souhaitant par son humour aider les hommes à se révéler, à aider leur épouse, à soutenir leur famille et à améliorer et gagner en efficacité. À rendre la femme plus épanouie. Elle conseille aux femmes, qu’elles peuvent être une femme, une amante, une femme d’affaires, tout en étant une bonne-maman et de ne pas s’oublier, mais plutôt de gagner leur indépendance.

www.globaleducationmagazine.comNº 7 Ma maman fait parti de ses nombreuses femmes aux grands cœurs, aux sourires enjôleurs et dotés d’un très grand courage!

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Sheryl reverse les bénéfices de son livre à « Lean In », une fondation à but non-lucratif encourageant les femmes à réaliser leur ambition, ainsi qu’à d’autres organisations caritatives de soutien aux femmes.

Sheryl est une véritable femme révolutionnaire et un vrai modèle à suivre pour notre génération future. Et j’aurai été très fière d’être sa fille !

Naître en Suède et vivre près de Linda Forsell, photojournaliste, pourquoi ?J’aurai ainsi pu combattre à ses côtés contre la violence domestique et psychologique.

Linda nous confie : « La violence conjugale est répandue dans le monde. Elle ne fait aucune différence de races ou de socio-économiques, ni cultuelles ou encore religieuses. »Linda raconte que les statistiques de la Banque mondiale démontrent que la violence domestique, frappe et tue plus de femmes que les accidents de la circulation, le paludisme et la guerre réunissent.Linda souhaitait changer ces horreurs.Elle crée alors le projet « Cause du décès : femmes », une plate-forme oùelle dénonce et capture des photos témoignages de femmes confrontées aux violences dans 10 pays, les États-Unis, l’Afrique du Sud, l’Égypte, la Suède, le Pakistan, le Mexique, le Brésil, le Congo, l’Espagne et la Russie.Linda photographie des militantes, des survivantes, mais aussi de belles femmes qui racontent le drame et la perte d’une proche. Elle immortalise les souffrances, les horreurs que ces femmes vivent chaque jour.La violence conjugale comprend l’agression physique, sexuelle, verbale, émotionnelle et psychologique, et nous pouvons rajouter à la liste les menaces et l’intimidation. La plupart de ces actes ne sont pas signalés de peur d’empirer la situation, aucune preuve, car la plupart du temps les agresseurs ne laissent pas de trace de leur passage ou tout simplement pas honte.

Selon l’ONU plus de 600 millions de femmes vivent dans des pays ou la violence domestique n’est pas considérée comme un crime !Bien que la violence ait toujours été présente, le monde n’a pas à accepter l’épouvantable.

“Les femmes et la sécurité routière : projet de société” 7 & 8 mars 2014 Palais des Congrès, Skhirat – Marra-kech – Maroc. Tous les jours, au Maroc et dans le monde beaucoup de gens sont tués ou blessés sur les routes. Les hommes, les femmes et les enfants qui vont à l’école ou au travail à pied ou de jeunes conducteurs ne reviennent pas en vie, laissant derrière eux des familles effondrées par le drame. Selon l’Organisation mondiale de la santé, les accidents sont parmi les dix principales causes de décès chez les adolescents et les femmes adultes. Dans les pays au revenu élevé ou moyen, les accidents sont la principale cause de décès parmi la population féminine entre 10 et 44 ans.Considérant le rôle central et multiforme ont les femmes, le Comité National pour la prévention des Accidents de circulation (CNPAC) et la Nationale Union des femmes du Maroc (UNFM), co-organiser le 1er Congrès mondial sur la femme et la sécurité routière, sous le thème “femme et la sécurité routière : projet de société. » Ce Congrès mondial fournira également l’occasion de rappeler au monde les rôles que les femmes et la société civile peuvent jouer dans le domaine de la sécurité routière et les défis de l’avenir.Et je pleure celle qui aurait pu me donner la vie, cette écrivaine rebelle de l’Inde, déterminée, passionnée, courageuse pour la cause des femmes Afghanes.Sushmita Banerjee, indienne installée en Afghanistan, infirmière en gynécologie, devenue écrivaine par hasard et assassinée le quatre septembre 2013.Sushmita s’est rendue célèbre en Inde avec sa biographie devenu un best-seller adapté à Bollywood.Elle raconte son aventure, son mariage en secret en 1990 avec Janbaz Khan, un Afghan. Sa rupture avec sa famille causée par l’hostilité de son union. Elle quitte l’Inde pour rejoindre son époux dans son pays l’Afghanistan.

Une expérience tumultueuse, au cœur d’un pays ultra conservateur et sensible à la propagande de l’islamisme des Talibans.Sushmita n’en devient pas pour autant une femme soumise, elle était la seule femme dans l’ensemble de Paktika se refusant a porter une burqa.Sushmita ouvre une clinique et réclame la liberté d’expression aux femmes de son village.Revenue en Inde en 2003, après plusieurs menaces de mort et condamnation de mort par un tribunal Taliban local, elle écrit sa biographie révélatrice sur le Taliban. La même année, Bollywood sort le film retraçant la vie de Sushmita. Elle écrira quatre autres livres et dévoile les horreurs des Talibans.En 2013, Sushmita, décide de retourner en Afghanistan, rejoindre son mari et sa belle-famille. Elle avait un nouveau projet de livre, et même semble-t-il un documentaire écrit sur la vie des femmes là-bas. Ses assassins ne lui, on pas laissé le temps de continuer ses démarches.Elle est âgéeseulement de 49 ans, quand le destin décide de lui donner des ailes et de la laisser s’envoler vers d’autres horizons.Nous garderons en mémoire la bonté de cette douce et courageuse femme indienne.Nous devons soutenir les femmes qui pendant neuf mois donnent la vie à l’enfant de demain ! Et n’oublions pas la journée mondiale du bonheur du 20 mars, qui résume le visage de nos mères quand leur regard se pose délicatement sur leur enfant.

Sources : Mujeres Mundi, le rôle des femmes dans le développement de leurs communautés.

www.globaleducationmagazine.comNº 7 Ma maman fait parti de ses nombreuses femmes aux grands cœurs, aux sourires enjôleurs et dotés d’un très grand courage!

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Research PapersTransversal Studies

Mujeres: Narrar lo público-privado y la política del entre-lugar y el entre-tiempo

María Antonia Miranda González

Female Genital Mutilation - Truths and Lies

Athanasia Zagorianou

Vidas Sumisas: la Mujer Indígena

Lorena Yañez Ruano

A n á l i s e s d a c o n t r i b u i ç ã o harmônica da execução em piano do “Concerto Italiano-971 de Bach” Alexia Kapsampeli

Pedro Javier Gómez Jaime

Millennium Development Goals

Inspiring Change With the W o m e n ’ s D i r e c t o r s h i p Programme

Amy Lau and Nick Marsh

Empoderamento feminino sem fronteiras

Valdir Lamim-Guedes, Eli-ane Santana, Luciene Silva

Souza, Paulo Guilherme Martins da Rocha

Rape in Somalia: Women and ‘Double Victimisation’

Patrick Mugo Mugo

Turning Policy into Action: One Adolescent’s On-the-Ground Ac-tivism

Julia Carter

Global EducationMulheres Rurais: Cooperação Internacional para Estudos Multidisciplinares de Gênero, Educação, Cidadania e Responsabilidade Social da Universidade,

José Cláudio Rocha e Denise A. B. F. Rocha

The Story of the Green Lane Environmental Diary: Uniting Children and Cultures through Environmental Education, Katy Orell

The Divine Nature of Women Naturally – A Challenge of 21st Century. Rashmi Chandran

And the Walls Come Folding Down: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Building Awareness, Balance, and Connection in Ourselves, Our Schools, in Our Communities, and in Our World. Karen Melaas

Education and Suicide. Anna Barchetti Durisch

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Nº 7

Defining the issue

More companies across the globe are starting to recognize the competitive advantage of having a gender balanced board. A more diverse board serves to better represent the interests of shareholders and stakeholders and is proven to result in greater business success. But with less than 10% of women represented at board level positions internationally, pro-gress is sluggish.

Efforts are underway to increase female participation on boards and in senior management positions. For example, the UN is focused and committed to tackling inequality, there are voluntary and in some markets, enforced regulations to increase the representation of women on boards, and International Women’s Day serves as a fantastic platform to raise awareness of women’s struggle for equality in the workplace, and their positive impact on the world’s economy.

Nevertheless, change is painfully slow and women still face multiple barriers to their career progression. When we set out to create the Women’s Directorship Programme in 2013 there was a great deal of talk, but little action. Here we outline the state of play.

Gender imbalance is a global trend

Women currently represent around 10 percent of all board-level positions (i) world-wide, even though they make up over 40 percent (ii) of the global workforce. To bring this to life, the US currently has an average of almost 17 percent women on boards, in Europe 16 percent and in Asia the figure stands at around 7 percent, according to Catalyst (iii).

Men continue to dominate the top ranks of nearly every firm across the world, and they continue to hire in their own image. Companies have a tendency to fear change and the

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Inspiring Change With the Women’s Directorship Programme

Abstract: Women’s progression in the workplace is stalling. There are multiple barriers to be faced in increasing female participation in the workforce and ensuring they have equal opportunities to fulfil their potential. Executive search and leadership consulting firm Harvey Nash and The University of Hong Kong created a joint-venture in 2013, to launch a certificated, cross-industry, internationally focused board preparedness programme for women. The aims of the programme are to increase the pool of board-ready female talent, ready to take on the challenges of the boardroom and raise the importance of equal opportunities in the workplace, enabling women to reach their full potential. The programme aims to take tangible action to tackle the current global boardroom gender imbalance through an academically-led series of lectures and workshops, on subjects such as the role of board members, compliance, regulation and ethical decision making. The programme also consists of a series of personal talks from global business leaders in person. By engaging the business community – enabling business leaders to share their knowledge and experience as part of the programme – the Women’s Directorship Programme is front and centre of driving change, enhancing the visibility of this issue, and in turn highlighting the women themselves. Our methods for achieving our objectives involved creating a programme for an elite group of women and providing on-going support through the alumni network. The Women’s Directorship Programme alumni are an active group of international female leaders representing the cross-sector global business community. Results to date include: The involvement of the business community (including over 20 business leaders as guest speakers) and their commitment to change; 30 percent of the women from the inaugural Women’s Directorship Programme have now gone on to sit on boards. 30 percent achieved a promotion within six months of starting the programme; all participants claim it has served to raise their visibility within the business community and they now benefit from the Women’s Directorship Programme’s network; thirty women executives have now been on the programme and are part of the alumni; the programme has been cited as best practice by the business leaders involved and has received coverage from The FT, International New York Times and Bloomberg; it is recognized by the 30% Club London and Hong Kong as a transformative initiative. The Women’s Directorship Programme is a long-term approach to manage the pipeline of female talent and promote equal opportunities for women.

Keywords: Gender diversity, female leaders, women on boards, Women’s Directorship Programme, women in business.

Prof. Amy Lau

Director of Executive Education and Chair Professor of Accounting, Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Hong Kong: www.fbe.hku.hk

www.globaleducationmagazine.com

Nick Marsh

Managing Director of Harvey Nash Executive Search APAC, an executive s e a r c h a n d l e a d e r s h i p c o n s u l t i n g f i r m : www.harveynash.com/executivesearch/

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unknown, which means they more often than not hire men, using channels to access people they know of, or are already familiar with. But change is coming…

Gender imbalance is costly

The gender imbalance costs firms money, as those who fail to attract, retain and promote women to top leadership positions experience a significant drain on resources and talent. AMcKinseystudy (iv) found that companies with the highest female representation in top management positions achieved return on equity of 41 percent higher than companies with the lowest representation.

Recent moves in Europe, where the European Parliament passed a vote requiring large, listed companies ensure women hold 40 percent of non-executive board seats by 2020 (v), are a timely reminder of the need for companies to act. This directive may lead to female leaders in other regions being called upon to take up board positions in Europe, resulting in a costly drain on talent in some markets.

Giving women equal opportunities and enabling them to reach their full potential also offers macroeconomic benefits. In Japan for example, by 2030 the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimates the labour force will have contracted by over 15 percent (vi), threatening GDP growth and placing a high burden on those in work to provide benefits for a growing number of retirees. Women could be a key solution to this problem as they are currently underrepresented in the workforce and often overlooked for senior positions. Japan is now committed to changing the levels of female participation with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe recently reviving a government target set a decade ago, of raising the proportion of women in leadership positions to 30 percent by 2020. Listed companies are also required to appoint at least one woman to their board of directors. In a positive first move, Honda has just announced its first female board member, Hideko Kunii (vii).

The benefits of gender balanced boards are well documented, not only do women serve to better represent the needs and wants of shareholders, but they bring a fresh dynamic and a skillset that enriches the boardroom. It is proven that greater diversity ensures a better outcome, so why is progress stalling?

Issues at play

There are many factors at play that impact on the existing gender imbalance - societal expectations, family pressures, workplace culture and environmental barriers. In Asia in particular the double burden of balancing work and family pressures wears many women

down, especially in places such as India, Japan and Korea, coupled with a general lack of government support for childcare and other family-led initiatives.

Companies often highlight the lack of a skilled talent pool of women – though research consistently demonstrates this is not the case. Female leaders are simply more hidden and less inclined to put themselves forward as they do not feel empowered or ready to take on a board role. Many current female leaders highlight a lack of confidence as a key barrier to their progression. Statistics show women will only put themselves forward for a role if they feel they fulfil at least 80 percent of the stated criteria, while men will pursue a role if they only fulfil 50-60 percent of the requirements.

The recent report by Community Business on Board Diversity (viii), highlights 92 percent of those questioned identified barriers to making boards more diverse, with 33 percent stating the inability to identify diverse board candidates.

Through the development of the Women’s Directorship Programme and contact with our global network of senior businesswomen, we know the talent is out there and the old arguments are redundant. Fundamentally, creating more balanced teams leads to better, more robust decisions, improved performance and mitigates risk. When this is viewed as a business issue rather than a gender issue why would you neglect or fail to engage with almost half of the workforce, clients and other stakeholders?

The key issue for all firms is the retention of female talent – maintaining a strong pipeline is essential in order to make a change at board level in the future. Currently increasing numbers of women are choosing to opt out (ix) of the workforce at middle management and policies need to be implemented to ensure all our best and brightest female talent stay engaged.

The diversity agenda needs to be led from the top, change comes with buy-in from senior management. Engaging more male champions within every organisation is critical as they currently hold the influence to make this change.

Introducing the Women’s Directorship Programme

Gender diversity is a long debated and discussed issue, but we were seeing little action being taken to tackle the root cause of the issue.

In the context of all these global issues, and a clear business need to change the dynamics of boardrooms across the globe, Harvey Nash set out to discover steps that were

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being taken to enhance the readiness of female talent to take on board positions. What we identified was a huge gap between discussion and action – there were no internationally-led programmes available to support women to build their confidence and prepare them for the next step in their careers. Therefore in 2012 Harvey Nash partnered with The University of Hong Kong and the Women’s Directorship Programme was created to answer the worldwide business community’s call to tackle the existing gender diversity imbalance.

Harvey Nash and Executive Education of the Faculty of Business and Economics launched the certificated Women’s Directorship Programme in early 2013 with a view to enabling participants to be more effective at managing boards, and serving to increase the supply of board-ready women executives across geographies and business sectors.

The partnership between an academic institution and a commercial enterprise enabled two entities to combine their expertise and connections. This CSR-led programme has captured the attention of the worldwide business community serving to focus attention on the gender agenda and enabling senior leaders to take action.

The aims of the programme are two fold:

• Firstly to increase the pool of board-ready female talent, ready to take on the challenges of the boardroom

• And secondly to raise the importance of equal opportunities in the workplace, enabling women to reach their full potential

The Women’s Directorship Programme has two core components – world class teaching by international faculty members of The Hong Kong University and real life case studies and thought leadership delivered by senior business leaders.

We engaged an array of international guest speakers in the programme who are champions of diversity including Sir Roger Carr, Chairman of BAE Systems; Donald Brydon, Chairman of Sage Group and Royal Mail; Susan Gilchrist, CEO of Brunswick Group; Ruth Markland, Senior INED of Standard Chartered Bank and Arcadis, Anne Minto, INED of Shire and Tate & Lyle, John Rice, Vice Chairman of GE and Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman & CEO of Schneider Electric.

The programme aims to address contemporary issues in the workplace and enables the participants to share openly with their female peers. There is no one size fits all solution to address the lack of women directors. However this programme is aimed at helping

participants develop their own set of strategies tailored to their career ambitions, situation and personality, recognising that these will evolve over time as new challenges arise and elements in their lives change.

The programme includes five modules, taught over two three-day sessions and covers the following subjects:

• The Real-World Roles of Board and Committee Members

• Persuasive Communication and Conflict Resolutions

• Public Company and Securities Market Regulation

• Board Appointment and Strategic Leadership

• Ethics and Compliance

The course is designed to equip participants with the skills and knowledge needed to demonstrate they are ready for the responsibilities of the boardroom as a Director or Non-Executive Director. It also helps women already on boards who want to improve their skills and knowledge to a world-class level – many of those involved in the programme are already board members, highlighting the caliber of the female talent involved.

There are a number of requirements all participants need to meet in order to ensure that the programme is conducted to suit a certain skillset and level of understanding. These requirements ensure that all participants gain the maximum benefit from the six-day programme:

• All participants must have been working in a leadership role for five years or more

• All participants must have financial exposure / responsibility for P&L

The class sizes are restricted in order to ensure the best quality teaching for the participants and in order to manage the development of each participant effectively. All candidates are vetted to ensure they fit the profile of the programme participants.

Results:

“In this fast paced world we need to ensure the business community evolves to best reflect the interests of consumers – well balanced boardrooms are

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important in achieving success. This programme is most beneficial in terms of enhancing the development of women leaders to provide the next generation of board members.”

Donald Brydon, Chairman of Sage Group and Royal Mail and guest speaker

Board diversity is an essential ingredient for continued growth and business success. The Women’s Directorship Programme has proved to be a positive catalyst in empowering the next generation of women leaders to gain the confidence and skills needed to secure board positions.

Regarding our primary objective of increasing the pool of board-ready female talent ready to take on the challenges of the boardroom, thirty women have now gone through the programme within the first year.

Fifteen participants from a range of business sectors, including banking and finance, telecoms, insurance, communications and logistics, took part in the inaugural programme in early 2013. Fifteen more are currently going through the second installment of the programme. The women benefit from peer-to-peer learning with those from other industry sectors and markets, with many travelling from the other side of the world to join the programme.

Benefits realised to date for the participants include:

• Enhanced networks and visibility

• Increased confidence

• Defined career plans and objectives

• Higher profile within their companies and externally

• Exposure to additional board roles

The Women’s Directorship Programme has highlighted the keys to success in a woman’s career – sponsorship, mentoring, coaching and networking. The programme has enabled participants to develop board communication and management skills, develop tailored strategies to realise their career ambitions, gain access to senior business leaders and benefit from peer-to-peer learning from high achieving women from different business sectors and cultures.

After the completion of the inaugural programme, 30 percent of the participants went on to hold board positions and a further 30 percent achieved a promotion.

The Women’s Directorship Programme alumni network serves to provide on-going support and networking opportunities to ensure the past participants are well placed for the next step in their careers.

Ruth Rowan, Marketing Director AMEA of BT Group, a participant on the inaugural programme, described the course as an opportunity to broaden her experience and perspective, and highlighted the opportunity to network with senior business leaders. She added: “I’m certainly delighted that I took the initiative to join this course and would encourage anyone, male or female to think more broadly about how we invest in developing ourselves to the same extent that we consider how we develop our teams and our businesses. It’s only going to be a win-win for everyone.”

See more responses here (x).

Secondly we planned to raise the importance of equal opportunities in the workplace, enabling women to reach their full potential. Results to date include:

• The involvement of the business community (including over 20 business leaders as guest speakers) and their commitment to change

• The programme itself has been cited as best practice by the business leaders involved and has received widespread coverage in global outlets including The FT, International New York Times and Bloomberg

• It is recognized by the 30% Club (xi) London and Hong Kong as a transformative initiative and has gained high renown with Chairmen of FTSE 100 companies

In terms of the wider implications of this programme, it has served to highlight the numbers of women ready to take on board roles and has enhanced the visibility of the issue as a whole. This in turn serves to inspire other women to follow suit and over the coming years we will track the enhanced participation rate and better business outcomes as a result.

The programme is a long-term approach to manage the pipeline of female talent and promote equal opportunities for women.

Together with the business community we are committed to creating lasting change by unlocking the talent pipeline and enabling more senior women leaders to reach the boardroom.

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We are already starting to see the transformation through the enlarged group of board-ready participants and their impact as agents of change.

Growth of the programme

The first programme took place in April and June 2013. The second Women’s Directorship Programme is underway (Session One in February and Session Two in March 2014) and due to high demand we are planning to run two installments this year. The third programme will be offered in October and November 2014.

We have ambitious plans to expand the Women’s Directorship Programme into new markets in the coming years to help drive further change.

Next steps

Development programmes such as the Women’s Directorship Programme are only one piece of the puzzle for improving the representation of women on boardrooms and senior positions across the world. Changing representation at the top will only be truly possible with the commitment from companies – to change existing embedded practices, search firms – to focus on how they identify talent, and women themselves.

Women need to adopt the four keys to success as highlighted through the Women’s Directorship Programme. These elements, coupled with the support of their peers, organisations and on-going training, in addition to commitments from search firms, will result in a positive uplift of the number of women progressing through the ranks:

• Mentoring programmes – either becoming a mentor and passing on knowledge to others, or finding a mentor

• Coaching – enhancing confidence and up-skilling

• Sponsorship – earning the right to have a sponsor

• Networking – women are naturally excellent networkers in a social setting, but they need to refocus their efforts on professional networking.

Now is the time for change

With the global average of women holding board positions standing at just 10 percent, the big focus needs to be managing the pipeline – ensuring women leaders are ready to pro-

gress and work their way up the ladder to take on these senior roles in the future. Social dynamics are shifting, men are no longer the sole breadwinners and it is widely recognised that women make 80 percent of all purchasing decisions.

Programmes such as the Women’s Directorship Programme serve to raise the business benefits of balanced boards and the visibility of the plethora of female talent out there. In turn it also enables women to see the opportunities that exist.

It makes sense for women to achieve the same success as men across the globe – the business community just needs to readjust and realise the full value women bring to the boardroom table.

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Notes and References

i Wo r l d w i d e B o a r d r o o m s t a t i s t i c s f r o m G M I R a t i n g s 2013: http://info.gmiratings.com/Portals/30022/docs/gmiratings_wob_042013.pdf?submissionGuid=05f4980d-638e-428a-b45c-69517342345c

ii Global workforce statistics, World Bank – Women and the 2012 World Development Report: http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/0,,contentMDK:23002997~pagePK:64165401~piPK:64165026~theSitePK:469372,00.html

iii Catalyst website: http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/by-the-numbers

i v M c K i n s e y W o m e n M a t t e r 2007-2009: http://www.globewomen.org/Diversity/2011%20Diversity%20Colloq/Fiona%20Grieg%20PPT.pdf

v E U P a r l i a m e n t p r o p o s a l : http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:52012PC0614:EN:NOT

v i N a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e o f P o p u l a t i o n a n d S o c i a l S e c u r i t y Research: http://www.ipss.go.jp/index-e.asp

v i i H o n d a a p p o i n t s f i r s t f e m a l e t o t h e board: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/25/business/honda-appoints-first-woman-to-board.html?emc=edit_tnt_20140224&tntemail0=y&_r=1&utm_content=buffercbf89&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

viii Community Business, Board Diversity in Hong Kong: Directors' Perspectives 2013:http://www.communitybusiness.org/DOB/latest-research.htm

i x F o r b e s , “ W h y i s ‘ o p t i n g o u t ’ a b a d w o r d f o r w o m e n ? ” , 2012: http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2012/02/28/why-is-opting-out-a-bad-word-for-women/

x P a r t i c i p a n t s r e s p o n s e s f r o m t h e Wo m e n ’s D i r e c t o r s h i p P r o g r a m m e website: http://www.wdpglobal.com/alumni/

xi The 30% Club website: http://www.30percentclub.org.uk/

www.globaleducationmagazine.comNº 7 Millennium Development Goals Section

Resumo: A Igualdade de Gênero e o empoderamento das mulheres são Direitos Humanos e pré-requisitos para o sucesso do desenvolvimento socioeconômico, sendo ações para redução da pobreza, construção da governabilidade democrática, prevenção de crises, recuperação e promoção do desenvolvimento sustentável. Neste texto, a Educação é apresentada como uma importante iniciativa para promover o empoderamento feminino, tomando por base as atividades da Organização Não Governamental brasileira Educadores sem Fronteiras. Esta organização, ao fornecer ações educativas complementares gratuitas em regiões de alta vulnerabilidade sócio-cultural-educacional, permite que diversas meninas passem a ter suas histórias de vida transformadas por meio da Educação.

Palavras-chave: educação, direitos humanos, igualdade de gênero, Educadores sem Fronteiras.

Female Empowerment Without Borders

Abstract: Gender equality and women's empowerment are Human Rights and prerequisites for the successful development, and actions to reduce poverty, build democratic governance, crisis prevention and recovery, and promoting sustainable development. In this paper, Education is presented as an important initiative to promote female empowerment, based on the activities of Non Governmental Organization Brazilian Educadores sem Fronteiras. This organization, by providing free complementary educational activities in areas of socio-cultural-educational high vulnerability allows several girls start to take their life stories transformed through education.

Keywords: education, Human Rights, gender equality, Educators Without Borders.

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Empoderamento feminino sem fronteiras

Valdir Lamim-Guedes

Eliane Santana

Luciene Silva Souza

Paulo Guilherme Martins da Rocha

I n s t i t u t o E d u c a d o r e s S e m F r o n t e i r a s . contato@educadoressemfronteiras.org.br

web: www.educadoressemfronteiras.org.br

Millennium Development Goals Section

Nº 7

A educação é um direito que exige acesso igualitário à educação de boa qualidade para todos; um processo educacional no qual meninas e meninos, bem como mulheres e homens, tenham oportunidades equivalentes de desen-volver plenamente seus talentos e de alcançar resultados que confiram be-nefícios sociais e econômicos a todos os cidadãos, sem discriminação. (UNESCO, 2003).

Todas as pessoas nascem livres e iguais em dignidade e direitos e têm direito à instrução (ONU, 1948). Ambos são Direitos Humanos, adotados pela Assembleia Geral das Nações Unidas desde 10 de dezembro de 1948. No entanto, a desigualdade étnica e de gênero demonstram o desrespeito a eles.

Em 2000, 57% das 104 milhões de crianças que não frequentavam a escola eram meninas, e dois terços dos 860 milhões de adultos analfabetos eram mulheres. Em nenhuma sociedade, as mulheres desfrutam das mesmas oportunidades educacionais oferecidas aos homens. Sua jornada de trabalho é, além de mais longa, pouco reconhecida. Suas oportunidades e opções de vida são mais restritas que as dos homens.

Na figura abaixo, é clara a relação entre gênero e etnia com uma maior taxa de desemprego (Unifem e Unicef, 2004).

Segundo Koïchiro Matsura, Diretor Geral da UNESCO entre 1999 e 2009, movimen-tos como a Educação para Todos (EPT) tratam, basicamente, da igualdade: “Se as crianças forem excluídas do acesso à educação, elas serão privadas de seus direitos humanos e impedi-das, da forma mais básica, de desenvolver seus talentos e interesses” (Unesco, 2003, p. 1). O EPT e outros movimentos como a Educação Global, a Educação para a Paz e aqueles que promovem uma Educação Critica, reconhecem o papel político da educação, como fez o pedagogo brasileiro Paulo Freire (1921-1997) em sua obra, sobretudo ao apresentar uma concepção libertadora da educação (Freire, 2002).

Entre os Objetivos do Milênio, o 3 se refere à promoção da igualdade entre os sexos e à autonomia das mulheres, eliminando as disparidades em todos os níveis de ensino. Isto é, superar as divergências no acesso à escolarização formal e promover políticas que ofereçam oportunidades para mulheres ocuparem papéis cada vez mais ativos no mundo econômico e político, ações essenciais para a superação das desigualdades de gênero (OdmBrasil, 2014). O empoderamento (empowerment, em inglês,) das mulheres é importante não apenas para o cumprimento do objetivo 3, mas para vários outros, em especial os ligados à pobreza, fome, saúde e educação. No Brasil, as mulheres já estudam mais que os homens, mas ainda têm me-nos chances de emprego, recebem menos do que homens trabalhando nas mesmas funções e, quando não ocupam os piores postos (Pnud, 2012).

Entre os Sete Princípios de Empoderamento das Mulheres: igualdade significa negócios, propostos pelo Fundo de Desenvolvimento das Nações Unidas para a Mulher (UNIFEM), o 4º. se refere à promoção da educação, ao treinamento e desenvolvimento profissional das mesmas (Unifem, 2010). Ou seja, o reconhecimento do papel da educação na promoção da igualdade financeira para as mulheres. Bem como, o estimulo a esforços para que as mulheres tenham igualdade de acesso à educação elementar, mas incluindo-se a profissionalizante, ao passar a frequentar os bancos universitários. Isto passa a ser especialmente importante se considerarmos que as exigências são maiores em relação à for-mação feminina para ocupar melhores cargos.

A educação, em diferentes níveis, deve ser um esforço da sociedade, como de políticas públi-cas, visando a igualdade de gênero. O princípio 6º, trata de “promover a igualdade através de iniciati-vas comunitárias e de defesa”. Estes dois princípios de Empoderamento das Mulheres são complementares, pois devem ser desenvolvidos dentro das comunidades, com o apoio do Estado.

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A qualidade da educação básica pública no Brasil é baixa, sobretudo nas escolas das periferias, como no bairro Jardim Ângela, região sul da cidade de São Paulo. A Organização não Governamental Instituto Educadores Sem Fronteiras (ESF), nascida em 2008 a partir do sonho de Nádia (co-fundadora do Instituto) de entrar na Universidade de São Paulo (USP) (mais sobre este sonho em Blog da Redação, 2008), desenvolve um importante trabalho de permitir aos educandos complementar os estudos formais fora do período escolar. Isto tem sido essencial para os oitenta educandos atendidos no projeto, entre Ensino Fundamental (ci-clo II) e Ensino Médio.

Este trabalho está em consonância com a Missão do ESF que é de “apoiar crianças e adolescentes em risco social, pro-po rc ionando o desenvolvimento d a s p o t e n c i a l i-dades do cidadão, a t r a v é s d a educação comple-mentar e da de-mocratização do conhec imen to” (Educadores Sem Fronteiras, 2013). A a t i v i d a d e principal do ESF é a de proporcionar educação comple-mentar gratuita em regiões de alta vulnerabilidade sócio-cultural-educacional - Jardim Ângela e na região oeste de Sâo Paulo, próximo ao Conjunto Habitacional (Cohab) Raposo Tavares -, oferecendo aulas transdiscipli-nares, com vários elementos lúdicos e conectadas com a realidade dos alunos e também encon-tros e expedições culturais que possibilitem, além do acesso, a construção autônoma do conhecimento. Assim, se pode “instigar a curiosidade, resgatar o fascínio, democratizar e viabilizar sonhos...”.

Com o apoio extra, muitos educandos conseguem entrar em um curso técnico ou superior, o que para o Instituto é o resultado de uma grande superação pessoal, sobretudo, para as meninas. Ou seja, o ESF proporciona um empoderamento empírico e científico para

estas jovens, permitindo-lhes que reescrevam suas histórias. A seguir, destacamos algumas dessas histórias de vida que encontraram um colorido novo por meio da Educação.

Quando eu entrei no Educadores Sem Fronteiras, não imaginava a importância que esse lugar teria pra mim. Mesmo sem gostar de estudar, me esforcei porque sabia que precisava passar em uma boa faculdade; e com o método de ensino “Sem Fronteiras”, descobri que estudar pode ser muito legal! Apenas um semestre como educanda me fez refletir sobre muitas coisas e mudar meus conceitos sobre educação! Hoje, sou bolsista em uma das melhores faculdades do país e continuo em busca do saber, porque descobri que eu sou Sem Fronteiras!

Thawane, educanda do ESF em 2010, uma das pri-meiras colocadas do curso de Administração do Centro Universitário da Faculdade de Engenharia Industrial (FEI) em 2011. É estagiária do setor administrativo fi-nanceira do ESF. Na reporta-gem da Rede Globo (2012), a lém da descr ição das atividades do ESF, há um vídeo com um trecho do de-poimento da Thawane.

Os Educadores, na minha vida, fechou um ciclo que eu não conseguia concluir

sozinha. Tive que estudar por cerca de três anos solitariamente, até que entrei na faculdade e em seguida, conheci a ONG.

Comecei a estudar aos sábados com os educadores, enquanto cursava o primeiro ano de faculdade, pois sentia que ali algo importante iria acontecer. Percebi como é fácil aprender quando se tem professores interessados no seu crescimento, em turmas pequenas, disponíveis a tirar as suas dúvidas a qualquer momento, não somente durante as aulas. Lamentei não os ter conhecido antes, pois teria encurtado o caminho longo que percorri.

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O aprendizado que me proporcionaram foi muito além de matemática, física ou biologia, porque foi humano, real, profundo. Eles ensinam a sociedade, o universo em que vivemos e que dele podemos fazer nossas escolhas como bem quisermos, desde que para isso dedique-mos nosso tempo, nossa mente, seguindo o nosso caminho e respeitando o caminho daquele que está também na mesma estrada que nós. Eles não nos dizem isso, eles nos mostram essa realidade. O Educadores [sem Fronteiras] se importa não só com o nosso intelecto, mas com o que sentimos e isso é que faz a diferença. Depois que os conheci, toda a minha caminhada passou a ter sentido, porque percebi que estava certa em acreditar e ter trabalhado para alcançar um objetivo.

Érica, ex-educanda, estagiária e educadora de raciocínio lógico e letramento do Ensino Fundamental II no ESF. Bolsista do 2º. ano de Design na Faculdade Oswaldo Cruz.

Comecei a frequentar as aulas e os professores eram muito bons, atenciosos e me ajudavam muito, principalmente o Paulo, então eu fui todos os sábados, passava a tarde de sábado lá, aquela distância imensa da minha casa para os Educadores começou a não mais existir para mim, era como se fosse um piscar de olhos ir para lá.

Fernanda, ex-educanda e atual educadora voluntária de biologia e química do ESF. Aprovada entre os primeiros colocados do curso de Nutrição na Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) em 2009.

Estes relatos são representativos do poder da educação como meio para o empoderamento feminino, permitindo que os sonhos destas jovens possam ser realizados. A proposta do ESF é de, ao possibilitar o empoderamento das mulheres, também influencie políticas públicas. Com isto, espera-se que o aparato governamental, com suas políticas e serviços públicos prestados, substitua o ESF na promoção da igualdade de gênero e facilitação do acesso à educação.

Referências

BLOG DA REDAÇÃO. (2008). Educadores sem fronteiras. Planeta Sustentável. Disponível emhttp://planetasustentavel.abril.com.br/blog/blog-da-redacao/126843/

E D U C A D O R E S S E M F R O N T E I R A S ( 2 0 1 3 ) . D i s p o n í v e l emhttp://www.educadoressemfronteiras.org.br/home#!educadores

FREIRE, P. (2002). Pedagogia da autonomia. 23. ed. Rio de Janeiro: Paz e Terra.

O D M B R A S I L ( 2 0 1 4 ) . O B r a s i l e o s O D M . . D i s p o n í v e l emhttp://www.odmbrasil.gov.br/o-brasil-e-os-odm

ONU (1948). Declaração Universal dos Direi tos Humanos. Disponível emhttp://portal.mj.gov.br/sedh/ct/legis_intern/ddh_bib_inter_universal.htm

PNUD (2012). 3: Igualdade entre os sexos e a autonomia das mulheres. Disponível emhttp://www.pnud.org.br/ODM3.aspx

REDE GLOBO. (2012). Minuto Criança Esperança é gravado na ONG Educadores sem F r o n t e i r a s . D i s p o n í v e l e m http://redeglobo.globo.com/criancaesperanca/noticia/2012/10/minuto-crianca-esperanca-e-gravado-na-ong-educadores-sem-fronteiras.html

UNESCO (2003). Gênero e Educação para Todos: o salto rumo à igualdade (relatório con-ciso). Disponível em http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001324/132480por.pdf

UNIFEM (2010). Princípios de Empoderamento das Mulheres: Igualdade Significa Negócios. Disponível emhttp://www.unifem.org.br/sites/700/710/00001126.pdf

UNIFEM e UNICEF (2004). Desigualdades Raciais e de Gênero entre Crianças, Adolescentes e Mulheres no Brasil, no contexto dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento do Milênio. Disponível em http://www.unifem.org.br/sites/700/710/00000163.pdf

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Abstract: Rape is crime that ought to be punished and prevented, but in Somalia after more than two decades of protracted conflict, sexual violence is now being referred to as ‘normal’ by Human Rights Watch report (1). United Nations human rights argue that women and girls in Somalia suffer ‘double victimization’ due to the pervasive nature of sexual violence. The perpetrators of the violence include security agents, armed gangs and well known neighbours to the victims, all with ‘complete impunity’. The Federal Government of Somalia is yet to walk the talk when it comes to resolve to tackle sexual violence.

Keywords: Rape, Somalia, Mogadishu, Women, Girls, Human Rights Watch, Conflict, Federal Government of Somalia, camp, Internally Displaced Persons, AMISOM

Patrick Mugo Mugo

Institutional Filiation: Aljazeera Television Producer (F/L), Eastern and Horn of Africa, Nairobi Bureau and also Conflict and Policy Researcher at Horn and Eastern Africa

UN’s-mandated University Graduate with Masters of Arts in Media, Peace and Conflict Studies (2012)

C o n t a c t s ; p a t r i c k m a r a g i @ g m a i l . c o m , @ P M u g o M u g o , www.mugomugo.com

Introduction

Somalia has had no centralised and capable governing authority that can safeguard its most venerable population from sexual violence. The security forces now stand accused for orchestrating, rather than preventing and prosecuting sexual violence against women, girls and boys. The Human Right Watch report brings froth the pervasive nature of sexual violence in the country that has had no central government since 1994 with the most vulnerable segment of her population with nowhere to turn to. The state security machinery, which ought to protect the defenceless, happens to be associated with perpetrating, if not being a silent observer. According to the rights body in its 2014 report titled Here Rape is Normal: A Five-Point Plan to Curtail Sexual Violence in Somalia, women and girls are a target from “members of state security forces, operating with complete impunity, sexually assault, rape, beat, shoot, and stab women and girls (2)”. In Somalia women, girls, and boys are not even safe even in places where they have sought refuge like in the camps (3). Within the vicinity of the camp women and girls get attacked when going to the market, field to fetch firewood. As a result, Somalia women and girls face what the UN’s independent expert on human rights in Somalia refers to as “double victimization”. First is the rape or sexual assault itself, then failure of the authorities to provide protection neither effective justice or medical and social support.

Sexual Violence and the Compounding Factor

The two decades of protracted conflict has resulted in the collapse of medical services making it torturous for affected women and girls to secure medication. Culture of impunity and the patriarchal nature of the Somalia police force make it even complicated for the victims not turn to the police for protection or prosecution of perpetrators. One of the heart-breaking stories in the Human Rights Watch report is that of the 37-year-old single mother of six, Maryam, who was raped in 2012 at a camp in Wadajir district of the capital Mogadishu.

[…]The four men all raped me one by one while one of them stood guard outside. I was struggling with the last man and he stabbed me with the bayonet on his gun. I was screaming and no one came out to help. (On reporting to the police that one of the rapists was wearing a police uniform she then started to bleed profusely from my vagina). They told me to go home and wash off the blood. But before they let me go, they told me I had to wash the floor where I was bleeding. I sat down, they gave me a brush and I cleaned the floor (4)

This was not the first time Maryam was raped by then five months pregnant and after the police station humiliating experience, she never returned to the station to pursue her case. At the back of her mind, fear for retribution from her assailants, among them an attacker dressed in uniform. Maryam later miscarried, and three months later she was raped again at night in her tent by a different gang of assailants, notes the report. The Federal Government

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of Somalia has in time indicated its intention to tackle sexual violence against women and girls. In May 2013, the government signed a pact with the United Nations representative on sexual violence in conflict committing to addressing the problem. The government has yet to follow its words with action as no credible actions have been taken to protect the women, girls and boys who now continue to be assaulted.

State of Rape in Somalia

The United Nation’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) notes, in the first half of the year, 800 cases of sexual and gender-based violence were reported in Mogadishu, Somalia capital. Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson said (5) the rape perpetrators are said to be armed men and men wearing military uniforms. UNICEF(6) spokesperson Marixie Mercado also notes that around one-third of the victims of sexual violence were children, mostly boys with UNICEF and partners providing help to some 2,200 victims. According to UN (7) “between January and November 2012, United Nations partners and service providers registered over 1,700 rape cases”. With all of these figures, the actual number is likely much higher, as many victims of sexual violence never report their experiences to the authorities for various reasons, including fear of reprisals from authorities or perpetrators. Women and girls are also wary of the ostracism and social stigma associated with rape and they have little confidence that the authorities will undertake an adequate investigation into their cases.

Another story in the Rights report is that of 34-year-old Shamso (8) who in early 2013 was raped by three men in her home at night in a camp. The attackers stabbed her when she attempted to resist in front of her three children.

[...] One of the men came in and raped me while the second and third men stood outside [the hut] and guarded it. They took turns. The men didn’t hurry because mostly women live in the camp and are no threat to them. During the attack, one of them told me, “You can tell anyone that we did this, we’re not scared (9)

The UN’s report (10) on Sexual violence in conflict note that “sexual violence is almost universally underreported” and this is due to a number of reasons namely “the risks faced by survivors, witnesses, humanitarian workers and journalists who come forward, including the risk of reprisal.” On February 5, 2013 a woman was tried and sentenced after reporting that she raped by security forces. Not spared also was the journalist who interviewed her. This ordeal suffered by the victim and by the journalist exposes a strategy to target and silence the reporting and exposure of sexual violence. Another story is that of Razmo (11) that the Human Rights watch researchers, whose daughter was raped and die before reaching the hospital

[...] 17-year-old daughter, who had been raped at the Sarkuusta Camp, died as they were trying to take her to a hospital several kilometers away. With no mobile emergency medical services available and with no money to hire a vehicle or even

Medical services availability is hampered by the departure of international medical NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) back in 2013 (12) due to insecurity highlighting the complexity of the prevailing situation in Somalia. Such service could prevent rape victims from contracting HIV or other sexually transmitted disease as it happened to 28-years-old Asha (13).

[...] I was raped; I fled and took a minibus back home. … I went to a [local] hospital first and then after a week I got more ill and went to the hospital on the Burundi base (AMISOM), but didn’t get treatment… I went to NGO service provider at the end of Ramadan a month later so it was too late for [preventative medical treatment]. I had gone to the other hospitals and been treated for a chest infection. When I went to the two hospitals I didn’t mention that I was raped because I didn’t know anything about HIV and sexually transmitted infections.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugee (UNHCR) told Right Watch researchers that, “services for sexual violence are available” across the capital Mogadishu but victims says they are not aware of such services. The two decades of conflict do not help either as existing judicial system is weak where it does exits. Compounding the quest for justice by the victims is the cultural taboo that makes it even torturous to report rape to fear for reprisals considering that among the perpetrators, some happens to security officers. This would need training for security officers on issues of human rights to strategies of assisting victim to initiate prosecution where there favourable grounds. Not all is lost as reports from Somalia police reports indicate that “about 100 rape cases were opened in Mogadishu between January and November 2012 (14).” But beneath this, the Mogadishu courts rarely hands down rape prosecutions, but in July 2013, a court “convicted a neighbour for raping a 15-year-old girl with disabilities in a camp in Hodan and sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment (15).” This indicates that with help and time rape perpetrators can face justice but much will to be done for rape to stop being a ‘normal’ occurrence in Somali.

Sexual Violence and Protracted Conflict

Its twenty four years now since Somalia descended into anarchy and there has limited progress on the political front towards a stable Somalia. UN reports (16) on sexual violence talks of the correlation between “spike in the number” sexual violence recorded cases and “intensification of military operations against Al-Shabaab” in the suburbs of Mogadishu. The victims caught in this context have been subjected to “repeated and systematic sexual violence” from “members of organised armed groups and Somalia security forces.”

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Complicating the victims plight is the “inability to identify perpetrators” when it comes to which armed or security group they belong due to “fear for retaliation.” Reprieve for the victims would be a functioning and credible judicial system, but that is none-existence in Somalia.

The Penal Code, under which sexual violence ought to be prosecuted, does criminalize rape. However rape within the context of penal code is considered as “a crime against morals rather than against the person.” This is an additional layer on top of the dehumanization, stigmatization and notion that most women don’t even trust the judicial system, as it has done little if any to punish the perpetrators. UN observes that there situations when cases are “settled through traditional mechanisms” where the victims are compelled “to marry their perpetrator.” While the wheel of justice have been slow and sluggish, as of November 2013, the “military court had opened 13 cases of sexual violence against members of the Somali security forces.” Of the cases, one resulted in death sentence, nine still pending and the other three in acquittal.

Methodology

Desktop Research review from various reports on rape cases in Somalia

Human Rights Watch: Steps to Tackling Sexual Violence in Somali

The Human Rights Watch in their 2014 report proposes a five-point road map as a way of tackling sexual violence in Somalia. Key among them is “minimizing risk factor” that intensifies women’s vulnerability especially those living in camps like “joint patrols of competent and trained” security offices coupled with “community with safety coordinators” and thirdly campaigns against “existing attitudes of men and women about their roles and status.” These measures would work if approached from a short to medium and long term approach and through a collaborative approach.

Second is the need for accessibility to emergency health services to deal with “acute and long-term physical, psychological and social consequences (17)” of sexual violence. Due to broken down system due to conflict few of the victims of rape have been able to access post-rape care. This could be done by ensuring that “health service provide necessary medical support (18)” to women more so “medical supplies to treat post-rape care.” The Federal Government of Somalia will need to walk the talk beyond just pledging that it will tackle sexual violence. With the security officer being on the spot for sexual violence, then the government has a role to play beyond just boosting the capacity of the judicial services to prosecute. The police are very instrumental in containing rape but that cannot be possible if some of the officers are the perpetrators.

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Notes

1Human-Rights-Watch. (2014). “Here, Rape is Normal” A Five-Point Plan to Curtail Sexual Violence in Somalia.Washington: Human Rights Watch

2Human-Rights-Watch, 2014. P:1, “Here, Rape is Normal” A Five-Point Plan to Curtail Sexual Violence in Somalia.United States of America: Human Rights Watch

3 According to United Nations, there are 1.1 million people internally displaced persons in Somalia with 369,000 found within Mogadishu

4 Human-Rights-Watch, 2014. P:1. Summary: “Here, Rape is Normal” A Five-Point Plan to Curtail Sexual Violence in Somalia. Washington: Human Rights Watch

5 OCHA. (2013, August 16). UN humanitarian wing warns of pervasive sexual violence in Somalia. Retrieved February 19 , 2014, from United Nations News Centre: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp/html/story.asp?NewsID=45641&Cr=sexual+violence&Cr1=#.UwRbFe7frMw

6 Ibid

7 United-Nations, 2013, P. 14. Somalia; UN General Assembly Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General on Sexual violence in conflict. New York: United Nations

8 Human-Rights-Watch, 2014. P:18. Improve Presention Strategies: “Here, Rape is Nor-mal” A Five-Point Plan to Curtail Sexual Violence in Somalia. Washington: Human Rights Watch

9 Ibid

10United-Nations, 2013, P.4UN General Assembly Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General on Sexual violence in conflict. New York: United Nations

11, 12, 13, 14, 15 Ibid

16 United-Nations, 2013, PP. 14-15. Somalia; UN General Assembly Security Council, Report of the Secretary-General on Sexual violence in conflict. New York: United Nations

17 Ibid

18 Human-Rights-Watch, 2014. P:1. Summary: “Here, Rape is Normal” A Five-Point Plan to Curtail Sexual Violence in Somalia. Washington: Human Rights Watch

Nº 7

Abstract: The battle to help improve women’s lives is taking place on two levels: on the policy level (such as the UN’s Millennium Development Goals) and on the ground, though local projects and NGOs. The author explores the connection between these two, based on her three years as an adolescent activist in countries such as Guatemala, Brazil and inner-city America. Harnessing the potential of young girls is a stated goal of the MDGs, as helping empower women brightens the future of not only themselves but also their families, communities and countries. Around the world, girls are denied access to contraception, family planning and the ability to hope for a brighter future. In addressing these issues, there are existing organizations that are working towards gender quality by: 1) Educating communities on the potential of young girls; 2) Providing girls with a voice to break generational-cycles, and 3) Making contraception and family planning accessible. Through the works of numerous organizations throughout the world, girls are obtaining a voice and by doing so, the entire world is reaping the positive effects.

Keywords: MDG, millennium development goals, empowerment, women, adolescent, cause and affect, global citizen year, city year, girl effect, nike, guatemala, cleft palate, health care, teen pregnancy, family planning, julia carter, adam carter, brazil, favelas, rio de janeiro, community development, bahia, lencois, NGO, contraception, adolescent, contraception, gender equality, women’s rights.

Julia Carter represents a new generation of young global activists. She eschewed the traditional high school-to-college path, choosing to devote two and a half years towards international travel and community service before college. She completed a Semester of Service with our partner organization Cause & Affect Foundation, served as a Fellow for Global Citizen Year in Bahia, Brazil and is currently a City Year Corps member in an inner-city high school in Providence, Rhode Island. She will begin university in fall of 2014.

E m a i l : J u l i a . c a r t e r 3 3 3 @ g m a i l . c o m / web: www.causeandaffectfoundation.org

Ideas and movements lay the foundation for social change, but in the end, it is the people on the ground that make it happen. As we mark the arrival of International Women’s Day, it is important to ponder upon this year’s theme: Inspiring Change. We can analyze these goals on an abstract level, looking at world-wide statistics and can then look at more local cases to see the progress taking place on the ground.

While recent triumphs have allowed women to achieve a much greater degree of equality, a cursory glance at recent statistics show that monumental progress is still needed. Across the globe, 222 million women in developing countries that would like to either delay or stop childbearing do not have the right forms of contraception to do so. In addition, 16 million girls between the ages of 15 to 19 give birth every year – roughly 11% of all births worldwide. Faced with such startling figures, it is hard to know where and how to start tackling such matters. It is due to the severity of these issues that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) hold such a high importance towards the development of societies around the world. The MDGs, created by the United Nations in 2002, aim to tackle eight pressings issues plaguing the lives of the world’s poorest.

The MDG we are focusing on today is to promote gender equality and empower women around the world. This goal aims to give girls their voice back; a single voice has the potential to change communities and in turn, the world. Ban Ki Moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, spoke recently at Davos, the socio-economic world summit. During his speech, he spoke on this theme. In his powerful and moving speech, he stressed, “You understand that when we give a girl better health, education and well-being, we see results far beyond that individual. A girl is as valuable to our world as a tree is to a forest. When a tree grows up straight and strong, the whole environment benefits. When a girl grows up straight and strong, her family, her community and even her country can feel the positive effects.” In order to inspire change throughout the world, the key players in that change must be aware of their potential to better the lives of their family, community members and country. The plight of girls is addressed throughout this MDG and it is imperative that we help “Inspire the Change” that is needed throughout the world. The question then is how do we best accomplish this on a local level?

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Turning Policy into Action: One Adolescent’s On-the-Ground Activism

Nº 7

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With these issues at hand and the mindset to tackle these issues, it is important to zoom in and see what is actually happening on the ground. My recent exper iences in the f ie ld throughout the Americas has opened my eyes to these pressing women’s issues. For the past three years, I have dedicated my time to assisting and educating young women about the importance of

family planning and hoping for a bright future. I graduated high school a semester early in order to travel throughout Guatemala, Panama and Brazil with my brother’s non-profit organization, the Cause & Affect Foundation. During my time in Guatemala, I volunteered at a public welfare hospital where I worked with malnourished babies. In working with these non-profits, I learned that only 5% of Guatemala’s rural poor women use contraception. Through conversations with women, I could see that they have very little hope for a life outside of childbearing or a rosy future. Working on a personal level with the malnourished babies there, a thought sparked in my mind that has followed me throughout my work since: is there anyway to avoid the suffering so many of these babies are sure to face? Most of the babies I worked with were unwanted and abandoned, doomed to a life of suffering and struggle. I could not help but think about the environment that young teenage girls grow up in, trapped in a cycle of unwanted pregnancy at such a young age, doomed to a life of struggle just like the babies I worked with.

With the inspiration to do something to help prevent girls from falling into that cycle and to learn more about the developing world, I took a gap year between high school and college by working with Global Citizen Year, a yearlong program that places recent high school graduates into developing countries in order to create the next generation of global leaders. Through this program, I had the opportunity to live in the northeastern part of Brazil in a state called Bahia. I lived in the interior of the state in a small town called Lençóis. For seven months, I volunteered at a local children’s community center that allows the kids of Lençóis to channel their emotional expression through different forms of art. The project keeps the kids off the street and provides a nurturing environment for them to learn about their culture.

While in Brazil, I was chosen by Global Citizen Year to be a representative for a Nike-sponsored initiative called The Girl Effect, which aims to harness the potential of young girls around the world and educate them on the potential they have to change their communities and pull their families out of poverty. Due to my continued desire to help impoverished women work towards a brighter future, I became interested and motivated by the mission of The Girl Effect to improve girls’ lives. One of the wonderful components of The Girl Effect is their hands-on approach to making the lives of girls better. The work that they are doing towards family planning aligns itself perfectly with the work that I did while in Brazil. Out of the 120 million women that Girl Effect aims to provide Family Planning to, 26 million of them are adolescents without access to contraception. This huge number of females represents a challenge that The Girl Effect sees an opportunity. That opportunity is called “the ripple,” a situation where family planning can have a huge effect, “rippling” through the inter-generational cycles of poverty. By simply reducing unwanted teen pregnancy, the theory goes, the entrenched system of poverty can also be broken, building stronger and more sustainable economies. A good example of their work in the field comes from Ethiopia, where 20% girls are married before the age of eighteen. In light of this issue, six years ago, a program was introduced called Berhane Hewan (Light for Eve). Sponsored by the Ethiopian Government, the United Nations Populations Fund and the Population Council, this program sought to encourage people to talk about the importance of keeping

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girls in school. The impact of this program has delayed the marriage of 10,000 girls in Ethiopia, allowing those 10,000 girls to make an impact on their community and have the opportunity to believe in a bright future!

I was not able to reach 10,000 girls, but I did have the opportunity to reach out to a high school class of forty Brazilian girls and boys. After becoming immersed within the culture of Brazil and having the chance to see all the beauty and flaws that are intertwined within their culture, I was able to detect an issue at hand. While in a lot of countries, the issue for women is that they do not have access to family planning and contraception, that was not the case in my town.

In Lençóis, contraception and family planning is provided for free at every health clinic. The issue is that even though this contraception is available, teenagers are not aware that it is accessible. Throughout my time, I visited four health clinics and spoke to various nurses about the issue of teenage pregnancy. I asked them: if there is so much accessible contraception, why are so many girls getting pregnant? They answered that many did know the contraception was available, but many others just chose not to use it. A problem that plagued the town was how young girls were being manipulated by their boyfriends who told them that in order to prove they loved them, they had to have their babies. The mentality that a girl has to do something so drastic and life-changing to please a boy is a troubling mindset impregnated into their culture. Along with that, I noticed a trend that many of the girls in my town look at themselves with little self-respect, walking around in tight, revealing clothes and treating their bodies and lives with little dignity.

In order to address these aspects of Brazilian society and incorporate the values of Girl Effect, I delivered a presentation to a group of high school students about the importance of maintaining respect for yourself and others. I partnered up with a local nurse who gave a presentation on the contraception available to them. I encouraged them to use these tools and spoke about how important it is to dream for a brighter future and expect more out of yourself than having babies. Together, we spoke about how in order for them to receive respect, they must respect themselves first. The presentation, delivered entirely in Portuguese, inspired meaningful conversations between the high school students and sparked the realization amongst their teachers in attendance that many of their students are not fully grasping their

own potential. Though the speech was far the most nerve-racking experience of my life, it was also one of the most rewarding. Not only was I able to learn about the Brazilian culture throughout my experience, but I also had the opportunity to learn that the things that are happening to Brazilian adolescents do not stray too far from what is happening to American kids of the same age.

Eager to learn more about the comparisons and contrasts between the two societies, I decided to take another gap year in order to volunteer in an inner city public school. I am currently serving as a City Year Corp Member in Providence Rhode Island in a 7th grade math classroom. In the after school space, I help run a program called Girl Talk, which is aimed to be a safe space for young girls (sixth through eighth grade) to discuss the obstacles they face in school and in society. We aim to inspire the girls to aim for a bright and hopeful future through discussion-based sessions.

One thing that I have learned throughout all my travels and volunteering is that the small things can make the biggest impact. Even though Girl Talk only reaches the minds of thirty girls, those thirty girls have the potential to change generations of lost potential. A movement can start with just one girl who decides to change her fate and believes in inspiring a broader change.

The MDGs on one level, are abstract and quite visionary, but each of those goals point out a struggle that is happening on the ground and effecting the lives of millions. The success of the MDGs is dependent upon organizations like The Girl Effect and Girl Talk where girls’ around the world are being educated on the potential that their lives hold. Women around the world are gaining their rights and proving that they can break generations of oppression and poverty. While a long road stands between us and the success of the MDGs, it is imperative that we maintain the mindset of inspiring change and continue to push forward. The Millennium Development Goals may sound like abstract ideas, but there is an army of activists, teachers, therapists and policy-makers committed to improving the lives of girls and women. Now that I have spent a few years on the front lines, I look forward to participating in the struggle towards equality.

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45

Oficina de Santiago

Con el apoyo de la

Organizaciónde las Naciones Unidas

para la Educación,la Ciencia y la Cultura

International Day of #Peace21st September

Resumo: O presente artigo relata a experiência e parceria do Observatório da Educação em Direitos Humanos, Cidadania e Violência com a cooperação internacional com o Centro de Estudios de La Mujer de Salamanca e o Observatório de derechos Humanos da Universidad de Valladolid para o desenvolvimento de estudos multidisciplinares de gênero e direitos humanos.

Palavras chaves: gênero, cooperação internacional, direitos humanos, pesquisa e pós-graduaçao.

1. Introdução

Em pleno século XXI mulheres rurais ainda lutam para afirmar seus direitos humanos em uma sociedade machista e excludente que insiste em sonegar direitos fundamentais seja no Brasil, seja na Espanha. Essa é a conclusão a que chegam pesquisadores (as) do Obser-vatório da Educação Direitos Humanos, Cidadania e Violência (OBEDHCV) – projeto em rede da Universidade do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA) e Universidade Católica do Salvador (UCSAL), financiado pela CAPES e o INEP – e do Centro de Estudios de la Mujer (CEMUSA) da Universidade da Salamanca (USAL), Espanha, quando decidem firmar um acordo de cooperação institucional e internacional en-volvendo as respectivas Universidades e Centros de Pesquisa para tratar de um tema tão importante como Mulheres Rurais, principalmente, em relação a sua educação e ao processo de emancipação social.

O presente artigo relata a experiência que vem sendo travada pelas instituições no projeto de cooperação internacional que envolve o desenvolvimento de projetos de pesquisa em comum, a mobilidade de professores e estudantes, a realização de estudos compartilha-dos, seminários, workshops, conferências, oficinas nos dois países e a publicação de artigos científicos e livros pelas instituições envolvidas. É importante desde logo destacar que a cooperação internacional é um dos grandes desafios para a pesquisa e a pós-graduação brasi-leira, bem como é um das principais metas do atual Plano Nacional de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação (PNPG 2011 a 2020). Nos termos do estudo em direitos humanos, essa cooperação é prevista também no Plano Nacional de Educação em Direitos Humanos (PNEDH).

2. Universidades e Centro de Pesquisa

A cooperação internacional pressupõe o diálogo recíproco entre instituições nacionais e estrangeiras com foco no desenvolvimento dos dois países. Apesar de desejável a cooperação esbarra em problemas que vão desde o idioma até a falta de uma legislação que favoreça a estes acordos. Contudo, com criatividade grupos de pesquisa no Brasil e no exte-rior buscam a formação de acordos e convênios de cooperação tendo em vista a pesquisa em

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Mulheres Rurais: Cooperação Internacional para Estudos Multidisciplinares de Gênero, Educação, Cidadania e Responsabilidade Social da Universidade

José Cláudio Rocha

Professor Titular UNEB e Pesquisador em Direitos Humanos. Professor permanente do Doutorado Multi-Institucional e Multidiscipli-nar em Difusão do Conhecimento. Coordenador do OBEDHCV

E-mail: jrocha@uneb.br

Global Education Section

Nº 7

Denise A. B.F. Rocha

Professora Pesquisadora UNEB/UAB. Pesquisadora do OBEDHCV

E-mail: dfrocha@uneb.br

áreas de interesse mútuo. Nesse sentido, os estudos em direitos humanos, em especial, na perspectiva de gênero têm caráter multi, inter e transdisciplinar o que favorece a cooperação internacional nesse campo. Como afirma a socióloga Nair Bicalho a cidadania planetária é um projeto plural, solidário e participativo que une povos e nações no mundo inteiro (BCALHO, 2004).

2.1. O Observatório da Educação – Direitos Humanos, Cidadania e Violência

No lado brasileiro, a rede do OBEDHCV tem como objetivo geral fomentar a pro-dução acadêmica, a difusão do conhecimento e a formação de recursos humanos em nível de graduação (iniciação científica) e pós-graduação (mestrado e doutorado), bem como incenti-var a articulação entre pós-graduação, licenciaturas e escolas da rede pública de educação básica, em especial, na formação continuada dos profissionais da educação em temas como gênero, educação e diversidade na escola; Educação em Direitos Humanos (EDH); educação para a cidadania e mediação de conflitos e violência na escola; educação para as relações étni-cas e raciais; e educação ambiental.

Como objetivo específico o Observatório desenvolve pesquisas básicas e aplicadas de cunho científico e tecnológico voltadas para a aplicação de medidas de gestão para o desenvolvimento de planos, programas e projetos de formação dos profissionais que atuam na educação básica e na educação superior. Tem por objeto também a intervenção nos processos educacionais, a exemplo de políticas públicas, boas práticas, desenvolvimento de materiais didáticos e instrucionais. Nesse aspecto, além das pesquisas individuais executadas pelos bolsistas do Observatório, o projeto desenvolve uma pesquisa interinstitucional e interdisciplinar sobre a representação social dos direitos humanos, da cidadania e da violên-cia, no ambiente de comunidades de escolas públicas de ensino médio da Região Metropoli-tana de Salvador (RMS).

A realização de atividades de formação para profissionais da rede de educação básica como cursos de aperfeiçoamento, oficinas, workshops, seminários, conferências, palestras, que pretendem articular o saber cientifico com o saber popular das comunidades envolvidas com foco no empoderamento (empowerment) e prestação de contas dos gestores públicos (accountability) também aparece como um dos objetivos específicos do Observatório.

Faz parte dos objetivos também atuar como ator social em espaços políticos, acadêmi-cos e científicos voltados para a formação da política nacional e local de educação em direitos humanos como conferências, fóruns, comitê de educação em direitos humanos, re-uniões técnicas do MEC/SECADI e MEC/SESU, CAPES/INEP, Secretaria de Direitos Humanos da Presidência da República (SDH/PR), Secretaria de Educação do Estado da Ba-hia e Secretaria da Justiça, Cidadania e Direitos Humanos (SJCDH), órgãos responsáveis pela articulação das políticas de educação para a cidadania e direitos humanos nacional e local.

Por fim monitora a implementação e execução de planos e programas nacionais como o Plano Nacional de Educação Direitos Humanos (PNEDH), o Programa Nacional de Direitos Humanos (PNDH) 3, o Plano Nacional de Educação (PNE) e às Diretrizes Nacionais para a Educação em Direitos Humanos e dos planos estaduais como o Plano de Direitos Humanos da Bahia e Plano de Educação em Direitos Humanos da Bahia.

2.2 O Centro de Estudios de la Mujer (CEMUSA) Universidad de Salamanca

No lado espanhol, o CEMUSA da Universidade de Salamanca (USAL), de caráter docente e investigador, tem o início de suas atividades como Centro de Pesquisa da USAL em janeiro de 2002, todavia sua origem data de 1997 quando um conjunto de investigadoras (es), de áreas de conhecimento diferentes, mas interessadas nos estudos de gênero, criaram o Seminário de Estudios da Mujer. De 1997 até o tempo presente, o CEMUSA já produziu mais de 100 (cem) estudos sobre gênero, além da manutenção de uma página na internet de grande penetração na Espanha e América latina, propiciando a USAL bem como a comunidade internacional um vasto acervo com informações sobre a realidade de mulheres na Espanha e em outros locais do mundo (endereço na internet mujeres.usal.es).

Desde 2006 0 CEMUSA é coordenado pela professora doutora Esther Quinteiro, pro-fessora titular de história contemporânea da USAL. O Centro tem uma característica pluridisciplinar e interdepartamental e seus estudos e investigações tratam daquilo que se chama de perspectiva de gênero. A perspectiva de gênero assumida pelo CEMUSA guia o trabalho de investigação sobre as mulheres desde um paradigma teórico, histórico e crítico, não só para conhecer a realidade das relações desiguais de gênero em sua profundidade, mas para transformá-las em direção a uma sociedade mais justa e igualitária (Disponível em mujeres.usal.es).

2.3Outros partícipes: Observatório de Derechos Humanos de Valladolid

Na Espanha, além do CEMUSA/USAL, participará da rede o Observatório de Derechos Humanos Universidad de Valladolid, centro de excelência da Universidad de Valla-dolid (Uva) que reúne mais de 80 (oitenta) especialista em direitos humanos de diferentes áreas de conhecimento. O Observatório de direitos Humanos da Universidade de Valladolid tem como objetivo:

La finalidad del Observatorio de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad de Valladolid es el estudio e investigación, divulgación, enseñanza y promoción de los derechos humanos, conforme se encuentran plasmados en la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos y en los instrumentos internacionales emanados de ella. A través de una metodología de trabajo interdisciplinar y abierta, buscará mecanismos que colaboren al efectivo cumplimiento de los derechos humanos de todas las personas en cualquier

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lugar del mundo.Para cumplir estos objetivos, el Observatorio estará abierto a todas las opiniones y corrientes de pensamiento comprometidas con la defensa de los derechos humanos, e igualmente colaborará con entidades y organizaciones públicas y privadas que puedan facilitar la consecución de esos fines.El impulso para la constitución del Observatorio procede de las conclusiones del Congreso Internacional sobre Derechos Humanos cele-brado en Valladolid en octubre de 2006. Su creación fue aprobada por el Consejo de Gobierno de la UVa en sesión celebrada el 21 de julio de 2009 (Disponível em http://www5.uva.es/observatorioderechoshumanos).

O Observatório de Direitos Humanos da Universidade de Valladolid integra a rede por sugestão dos parceiros da Universidade de Salamanca e tem servido com inspiração ao projeto do Observatório no lado brasileiro.

3. O objeto do acordo internacional: Mulheres Rurais – Educação e Emanci-pação

O objeto do acordo internacional que está sendo gestado entre as instituições e centros de pesquisa é a colaboração no estudo da situação de Mulheres Rurais no mundo, principal-mente, em relação a sua educação e emancipação social. É de grande interesse a experiência tanto do lado brasileiro como do lado espanhol com o que chamamos de educação não-formal, ou seja, aquela modalidade de educação que não acontece no sistema oficial de ensino, mas em atividades educativas propostas por movimentos sociais, sindicatos, organizações não governamentais (ONGS), grupos religiosos entre outro. Em outras palavras, são atividades educativas e formativas realizadas pela sociedade civil organizada.

Essa modalidade de educação é tratada pelo Plano Nacional de Educação em Direitos Humanos (PNEDH) como essencial a educação em direitos humanos (EDH), já que o PNEDH reconhece que foi a sociedade civil organizada a primeira força social a realizar atividades de formação que podem ser compreendidas como educação em direitos humanos. Segundo o PNEDH:

A educação não-formal em direitos humanos orienta-se pelos princípios da emancipação e da autonomia. Sua implementação configura um permanente processo de sensibilização e formação da consciência crítica direcionada para o encaminhamento de reivindicações e a formulação de propostas para as políticas públicas, podendo ser compreendida como: a)qualificação para o tra-balho; b) adoção e exercício de práticas voltadas para a comunidade; c) aprendizagem política de direitos por meio da participação em grupos sociais; d) educação realizada nos meios de comunicação social; e) aprendizagem de conteúdos da escolarização formal em modalidades diversificadas; e f) educação para a vida no sentido de garantir o respeito à dignidade do ser

humano. Os espaços das atividades de educação não-formal distribuem-se em inúmeras dimensões, incluindo desde as ações das comunidades, dos movimen-tos e organizações sociais, políticas e nãogovernamentais até as do setor da educação e cultura (PNEDH in ROCHA, 2009, p.35).

A cooperação internacional entre o OBEDHCV e o CEMUSA se dará através de proje-tos de pesquisa em comum que importem na investigação de temáticas de forma multidiscipli-nar e compartilhada, tentando aprofundar a realidade de mulheres rurais em cada um dos países; mobilidade de professores e estudantes; missões de pesquisa; realização de cursos, em especial, sobre metodologias de investigação; bem como a publicação conjunta de artigos científicos e livros.

4. A Educação Não-Formal e a Educação Jurídica Popular de Mulheres Rurais

O método de educação popular difundido por Paulo Freire provocou grandes transfor-mações no Brasil e no mundo e até hoje é a principal referência sobre como educar o povo para a cidadania e para a democracia. Pensando nesse tipo de educação, as ideias de Paulo Freire aparecem com uma das expressões da emergência política das classes populares e, ao mesmo tempo, conduzem a uma reflexão e a uma prática dirigida para o movimento popular.

Segundo Leonardo Boff, entre nós brasileiros a ideia de educação popular está forte-mente associada às ideias de Paulo Freire, não porque ele tenha inventado a educação popular, mas porque, sem dúvida, ele foi quem melhor interpretou e com mais felicidade formulou uma verdadeira “pedagogia do oprimido”, uma autêntica educação libertadora que se busca praticar em diferente área do trabalho popular, seja em nível sindical e partidário, seja nas mais diversas associações e movimentos populares (BOFF, 2012).

Segundo Freire, quando o sujeito social inicia a formação de sua consciência crítica, o faz numa prática histórica social e materialmente situada, ou seja, o ser humano começa a ser sujeito social, em contato com outros seres humanos e num contexto de realidade que os deter-mina do ponto de vista do território, de sua cultura e de sua história. Deste modo, a consciência crítica é uma situação concreta de transformação do sujeito social e de suas relações sociais com o outro e com o mundo (FREIRE, 2000).

Para Freire, a educação pode ser utilizada para que as pessoas se acomodem com o mundo em que vivem ou se envolvam na transformação dele. Deste modo a educação pode ser transformadora ou conservadora da realidade social, numa visão dialética a educação para a liberdade se constitui como ato de saber, um ato de conhecer e um ato de transformar a realidade que se procura conhecer (FREIRE, 2000).

A educação popular como formulada por Paulo Freire é a base metodológica pra o que chamamos hoje em dia de educação jurídica popular. Essa metodologia de educação nasce da

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necessidade de (in)formar os indivíduos sobre quais são os seus direitos e em que medida eles podem ser exigidos, já que o primeiro passo para a garantia de direitos humanos ou direitos decorrentes das relações de gênero é a (in) formação tempestiva das pessoas (ROCHA, 2011).

A falta de educação de grande parte da população não acontece por acaso, ela é uma forte estratégia das elites dominantes para que a dominação aconteça no seio da sociedade, como afirma Pedro Demo, a pobreza política é muito pior do que a pobreza material já que ela priva o trabalhador do conhecimento sobre quais são os seus direitos (DEMO, 2004, p.35).

O direito humano a educação é um direito sem o qual outros direitos não podem ser exercidos, já que sem a educação se torna mais difícil o acesso a igualdade nas relações humanas e sociais, ao emprego e renda e a serviços sociais básicos.

A Educação Jurídica Popular nasce, portanto da compreensão de um grupo de organizações não governamentais de que não basta prestar assessoria quando um direito humano é violado, é preciso investir na formação do cidadão (ã) para que ele passe a exigir dos gestores públicos a reparação de seus direitos. É no processo de educação que surge a autonomia, a emancipação dos seres humanos (ROCHA,2008).

Essa modalidade de educação nada mais é do que uma tentativa de fazer chegar ao povo noções básicas sobre o direito vigente e a legislação, desencastelando o saber jurídico ou socializando o conhecimento jurídico. Reconhecendo que o direito ainda é uma linguagem utili-zada para a dominação, os grupos que realizam esse tipo de formação tentam essa populari-zação do direito pátrio através de programas como o juristas leigos organizado pela Associação de Advogados de Trabalhadores Rurais (AATR), promotores legais populares (Grupo de Apoio e Prevenção à AIDS) e Juristas Populares da Fundação Margarida Maria Alves, Paraíba, entre outros. Esse tipo de formação segue pelo menos quatro princípios básicos segundo a AATR:

I) A socialização do saber jurídico: mais do que oferecer informações sobre normas e leis como se tratassem de verdades incontestáveis, procuramos discutir o Direito de maneira crítica, refletindo a sua própria origem e seus fundamentos sociais, econômi-cos, políticos e culturais.

II) O desencastelamento do monopólio jurídico: “desencastelar” o saber jurídico significa retirá-lo do âmbito exclusivo das universidades e dos bacharéis em Direito, legitimando seu uso pelo cidadão comum. Significa também desmistificar a linguagem jurídica, tradicionalmente usada como mecanismo de distanciamento, poder e domi-nação. Assim, buscamos investir no Direito uma linguagem mais comum, simples, cotidiana, que possa ser apropriada pelos grupos populares e assim compreendida, re-fletida, questionada.

III) A formação política: a reflexão política sobre o Direito busca desmascarar a pre-tensa imparcialidade e “verdade” do Direito, destacando-o como espaço de disputa de interesses diversos, determinado por fatores históricos, sociais e culturais, que pode servir tanto quanto instrumento de manutenção das relações de dominação quanto instrumento das lutas emancipatórias;

IV) A emancipação popular: a informação e a reflexão sobre o Direito torna-se uma possibilidade para que os movimentos e as comunidades possam, se assim quiserem, desenvolver as ações políticas e jurídicas necessárias à satisfação dos anseios, ao reconhecimento de novos pleitos (novos direitos) e à não aplicação de normas opresso-ras (direito de resistência). (Disponível em http://www.aatr.org.br acesso em 04.03.2014.

5. Direitos das Mulheres Rurais

Quando olhamos para a realidade brasileira e espanhola, não existem grandes diferenças em relação à situação das mulheres rurais. Nesse cenário ainda existem problemas em relação à titulação da terra no nome das mulheres (normalmente a terra é titulada em nome dos homens); direito humano à documentação básica; a reivindicação de sua identidade no meio rural e participação política; educação e igualdade de oportunidades; acesso ao território, trabalho e renda; conciliação do trabalho rural com a vida familiar e invisibilidade do trabalho da mulher; violência de gênero; atenção a mulher vítima de violência; transmissão dos es-tereótipos de gênero através das artes e da cultura entre outros (FRADES, 2008).

O estudo dessas questões de forma compartilhada pelos dois países permite o reconhecimento de boas práticas, a formulação de políticas públicas e estratégias para com-bater essas violações aos direitos humanos e promover novos direitos. Nesse sentido, um estudo concreto sore o Plano Nacional de Educação em Direitos Humanos (PNEDH) será executado, já que a Espanha ainda não tem um plano dessa natureza e o Brasil precisa aper-feiçoar o seu sistema de garantias de direitos.

6. Responsabilidade Social Universitária (RSU)

A ideia de Responsabilidade Social Universitária (RSU) vem no bojo de um novo e ne-cessário contrato social entre universidade e sociedade, hoje em dia é comum o debate sobre reforma universitária, especialmente tendo em conta sua responsabilidade social, a ética do conhecimento e a necessidade de novos paradigmas para enfrentar a crescente complexidade das problemáticas global e local. Essa urgência está associada ao compromisso de uma educação superior comprometida e crítica de suas instituições, relação saber x poder e de sua missão cidadão na produção e difusão do conhecimento.

7. Conclusão

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O presente artigo traz um relato da proposta de cooperação entre o Brasil e a Espanha em estudos de gênero sobre mulheres rurais, particularmente, do acordo de cooperação entre a rede do Observatório da Educação em Direitos Humanos, Cidadania e violência com oCentro de Estudios de la Mujer da Universidad e Salamanca e o Observatório de Derechos humanos Universidad de Valladolid. A cooperação internacional é dos desafios para o crescimento da pós-graduação brasileira e uma das principais metas do atual Plano Nacional de Pós-Graduação (PNPG) 2011 a 2020.

A temática dos direitos humanos com ênfase nas dimensões de gênero, etnia e classe social são transdisciplinares e permitem o diálogo do Brasil com países do mundo inteiro, já que a construção de um sistema internacional de proteção e promoção dos direitos humanos é objetivo de todas as sociedade democráticas. A cidadania planetária é um projeto plural, so-lidário e participativo que une nações no mundo inteiro.

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Referências

Associação de Advogados de trabalhadore Rurais. Programa Juristas Leigos. Disponível em http://www.aatr.org.br acesso em 04.03.2014.

BICALHO, Nair. Cidadania planetária: um projeto plural, solidário e participativo. In: Educando para os direitos humanos – pautas pedagógicas para a cidadania na universidade. José Geraldo de Sousa Junior [et. Al.] (organizadores). Síntese: Porto Alegre, 2004.

BOFF, Leonardo. Saber cuidar. Vozes: Petrópolis. 18 Edição, 2012.

BRASIL, Plano Nacional de Educação em Direitos Humanos (PNEDH). In ROCHA, José Cláudio. Guia da Educação em Direitos Humanos. UNEB:Camaçari, 2009.

BRASIL, Ministério da Educação. Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES). Plano Nacional de Pós-Graduação – PNPG 2011 a 2020. CAPES:Brasília, DF, 2010.

CEMUSA, Centro de Estudios de la Mujer. Disponível em cemusa, usal.es utilizado em 04.03.2014.

DEMO, Pedro. Pobreza política, direitos humanos e educação. In: Educando para os direitos humanos – pautas pedagógicas para a cidadania na universidade. José Geraldo de Sousa Junior [et. Al.] (organiza-dores). Síntese: Porto Alegre, 2004.

FRADES, Valentina Maya. Mujeres rurales: estúdios multidisciplinares de género. Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca: Salamanca, Espanha, 2008.

FREIRE, Paulo. Que fazer: teoria e prática em educação popular. Vozes: Petrópolis, 2000.

ROCHA, José Cláudio. A participação popular na gestão pública no Brasil. Jus Navigandi,

Teresina, ano 16, n. 2886, 27 maio 2011. Disponível em: <http://jus.com.br/artigos/19205>. Acesso em: 3 mar. 2014.

Observatório de Derechos Humanos da Universidad de Valadolid. Disponível em Disponível em http://www5.uva.es/observatorioderechoshumanos)

_____. Guia da educação em direitos humanos. UNEB:Camaçari, 2009.

_____, A Reinvenção Solidária e Participativa da Universidade: um estudo sobre redes de extensão no Brasil. EDUNEB: Salvador, 2008.

www.globaleducationmagazine.comGlobal Education Section Nº 7

MAIS SOBRE OS AUTORES:

José Cláudio Rocha é advogado e economista, especialista em administração pública, pós graduado em ética, capital social e desenvolvimento, mestre e doutor em educação. É certi-ficado como gestor, conselheiro, mobilizador social, mediador de conflitos e articulador em direitos humanos. É professor titular da Universidade do Estado da Bahia (UNEB) e professor permanente do Programa Multi-Institucional e Multidisciplinar em Difusão do Conhecimento (DMMDC) e do Mestrado Profissional em Gestão e Tecnologia aplicada à Educação (GESTEC). Líder do Grupo de Pesquisa Gestão, Educação e Direitos Humanos (GEDH/CNPq). Coordena o Observatório da educação – direitos humanos, cidadania e violência com apoio da CAPES e INEP.

Denise A.B.F. Rocha é pedagoga, especialista em metodologia do ensino, pesquisa e ex-tensão em educação. Mestre e doutora em educação. É analista universitária na Universidade do Estado da Bahia (UNEB) e pesquisadora e vice-líder do Grupo de Pes-quisa em Gestão, Educação e Direitos Humanos (GEDH). É coordenadora do Observatório da Educação Direitos Humanos, Cidadania e Violência.

Abstract: The Green Lane Environmental Diary program, founded in 1999 by Green Cross, is a school-based educational initiative promoting sustainable development and inspiring students to become agents of transformative change in their own communities. The initiative underscores a central aim of the Earth Charter Declaration to “provide all, especially children and youth, with educational opportunities that empower them to contribute actively to sustainable development.” The Green Lane Environmental Diary initiative was launched by the Japanese chapter of Green Cross International, the non-governmental organization founded in 1993 by President Mikhail Gorbachev to respond to the inter-related challenges of environmental degradation, security and poverty. Since 1999, the Green Lane Diary program has engaged approximately 1.2 million students in more than 8,000 schools in the Asia-Pacific region. For three months, students are encouraged to write down all their activities and thoughts pertaining to environmental conservation and sustainability. Students engage in activities like recycling, planting a tree or alternative transportation methods. The idea is that simple, everyday changes can make an impact on every person’s carbon footprint, even the littlest ones. Entrants are later recognized for their submissions at award ceremonies and their ideas are promoted via social media. The success of the Green Lane Diary program in Japan has helped it spread to three other countries: Sri Lanka, Australia and South Korea. Each edition is operated by the Green Cross office in the respective countries, who have translated the materials into local languages and applied them to local contexts. The objective with each national edition, however, is the same: to engage and influence children to act as agents of change. Green Cross Japan and Green Cross International are working to expand the project into other countries, broadening the perspective of the program to other cultures.

Keywords: Green Cross International, Green Cross Japan, environmental education, Green Lane Diary, environmental diary, sustainability, conservation, Value Change, Green Cross programs

“We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history, a time when humanity must choose its future.”

Preamble to the Earth Charter.

Inspired by the Earth Charter’s call to involve children in changing earth’s destiny, Green Cross Japan, led by its Chief Executive Officer, Tsunehiko “Tom” Kawamoto, established a global program to teach school children “not only by lecture, but by action” on ways to protect, conserve and sustain the environment.

These ideas laid the foundation for the Green Lane Environmental Diary, which from humble beginnings in Japan in 1999, has gone onto inspire more than one million students across Asia and the Pacific to become agents of change for a sustainable future.

“The Green Lane Diary program aims to cultivate environmental consciousness among elementary school children, spreading the message of responsibility for protecting earth and humanity through influence,” according to Mr. Kawamoto, who has seen the initiative spread from Japan to Sri Lanka, Australia and South Korea.

According to the Education for Sustainable Development Toolkit, “simply increasing basic literacy, as it is currently taught in most countries, will not advance sustainable societies” (Rosalyn McKeown et al., 2002). Education programs should introduce critical thinking concepts, data and interpretation skills as well as encourage students to formulate questions and dissect sustainability issues confronting their communities.

“The achievements are inspirational,” Mr. Kawamoto reflects. “Starting from small things such as saving water or electricity to picking up trash, children quickly realize the global perspective of the issue. Many students retain the ecological lifestyle after they reach adulthood. As a matter of fact, some of the students now research solar battery technology at universities because of their experience 12 years ago with Green Lane Diary. The potential of this initiative is great.”

Green Lane Diary, Mr. Kawamoto said, was built from an earlier Green Cross Japan environmental education program that promoted the importance of recycling wood and paper products. After a few years, realizing the program didn’t promote active student participation in ecological matters, Mr. Kawamoto and his Green Cross colleagues went back to the environmental education drawing board, where they discovered the idea for an environmental diary.

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The Story of the Green Lane Environmental Diary: Uniting Children and Cultures through Environmental Education

Katy Orell

Green Cross International

e-mail: communication@gci.ch

web: www.gcint.org

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Nº 7

“We realized the diary program would target a niche market and we tried to organize it so participants would be moved toward taking ecological action during the diary writing period,” said Mr. Kawamoto.

The Green Lane Diary falls in line with ideas laid out in the United Nation’s Agenda 21 plan of action for sustainable development. In Agenda 21, Article 5.e. states that “schools should involve school children in local and regional studies on environmental health” and that along with various UN branches, non-governmental organizations should help implement and support this education (“Chapter 36”, 1992).

The Green Cross Japan team focused on two concepts they felt were critical to Green Lane Diary’s success: the length of time children were engaged and how the project could create an army of environmental champions and equip them with messages and means to influence green change at home and in their communities.

Green Lane Diary is a 12-week long program. Mr. Kawa-moto found that 12 weeks offered e n o u g h t i m e t o i m p r e s s environmental education on students and have it stick. However, there were still initial worries whether three months of writing would be too demanding for 10- and 12-year-old students.

“But we underestimated the energy and enthusiasm children had for the project and found many of them were able overcome the difficulty and make it fun,” Mr. Kawamoto said.

As for turning students into positive agents of environmental change, Mr. Kawamoto explained: “There are many examples of this program being inherited from brothers and sisters, or from teachers. As we gain larger distribution networks, the message travels about Green Lane Diary, acquiring more interest from not only schools, but surrounding businesses which recognize the value of the program as well.”

Green Lane Diaries are composed of two main parts: a guidebook and the diary itself. The guidebook gives children background information about the environmental concept

they will work on. Topics include i s sues rang ing f rom g loba l warming, renewable energy and recycling, to name a few. The guidebook also displays the latest env i ronmenta l ac t iv i t i e s o f governments, businesses and non-governmenta l organizat ions . Finally, the diary section is a space where children write their everyday activities and thoughts related to the environment for the duration of the program.

As Green Lane Diary began taking form, Green Cross Japan had to think of ways to introduce the program into Japanese schools. The project’s success depends heavily on cooperation between educators, governments and dedicated Green Cross members.

As Mr. Kawamoto explained: “In Japan, there are 47 prefectures and each prefecture has its own education board. We contacted all of them, asking that they inform the superintendent of each school district about Green Lane Diary.”

In an effort to encourage more schools to participate in the program, several years after its start, Green Cross Japan received donations from major companies of various industries, permitting the diary and course materials to be printed and distributed in larger

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numbers. Green Lane Diary also followed core environmental education already embedded in schools’ curricula.

In the 15 years that Green Lane Diary has been operating in Japan, it has reached over 1 million children in 8,000 schools. In 1999, initial circulation of the Diary was 25,000. From 2006 on, the average number of distributed diaries was 100,000 per year and 60% of Japanese schools repeated their participation in Green Lane Diary.

In 2004, after Green Lane Diary had already been in successful operation for five years, the third largest earthquake in recorded history released a tsunami, devastating communities in many nations in the Indian Ocean, including Sri Lanka. Mr. Kawamoto visited the country, believing instituting a Green Cross office in Sri Lanka would help it rebuild a greener future.

“We used funds from Green Cross Japan to build a small library for a Sri Lankan school and created the basis for an operational Green Lane Diary program for 5th grade school children,” said Mr. Kawamoto. “The diaries were initially handmade textbooks. We also had to translate the diaries from Japanese into Sinhala, the most widely spoken language in Sri Lanka.”

For four years, Green Cross Japan supported their Sri Lankan sister organization’s edition of the Green Lane Diary program, which is now funded by Mitsubishi Corporation. The program has reached over 7,000 Sri Lankan students in 50 schools since it began in 2005.

Green Cross Sri Lanka’s version of the Green Lane Diary focuses on climate change and water conservation, as well as how to protect the environment from tsunami damage.

As Hasitha Walpola of Green Cross Sri Lanka explained: “There is little knowledge of the environment and how to protect it in Sri Lanka. This environmental program helps children understand the importance of conservation, sustainability and protection.”

In 2009, Green Cross Sri Lanka organized a short drama competition among schools already participating in the Green Lane Diary program. Students became actors and portrayed issues facing the environment through dramatic interpretation. In addition to the

theatrical competition, a poster competition was created, in which students designed artwork based upon a theme celebrating World Water Day.

Green Cross Sri Lanka hopes to translate Green Lane Diary into predominantly-Tamil areas after witnessing its success in Sinhala speaking regions.

The link between Green Lane Diary programs in Japan and Sri Lanka is best observed during the “Children’s Award Ceremony and Environment Symposium,” held every year in Tokyo, Japan. This event was created to highlight achievements of the most engaged environmental students. Award winners are chosen based on how well their journal reflects environmental consciousness, knowledge, action, practice, sustainability and passion.

In 2013 four Sri Lankan students and a teacher were flown to Japan for the ceremony to commend their extraordinary participation in the program. The Children’s Award Ceremony “adds value to the diary and offers children an opportunity to not only exchange information, but also present their own environmental activities,” explained Mr. Kawamoto.

As Ms. Walpola said, “We are extremely thankful that Green Cross Japan introduced the Green Lane Program to Green Cross Sri Lanka. It has made such an impact in our communities already and we hope to continue for many years to come.”

In 2010, Green Cross Australia introduced the first English-language version of Green Lane Diary, guided by the framework of the Japanese model. The project was so well funded

that for two years, the diaries were printed and distributed for free. In 2013, Green Cross rolled out the first e-version of Green Lane Diary.

“This is Australia’s largest environmental education program. We have won so many awards for Green Lane Diaries. It is really awesome how it’s making young Australians think about sustainability for the future”, said Green Cross Australia Chief Executive Officer, Mara Bun. The Australian diary program has reached a total of 116,000 students in over 600 schools.

Green Cross Australia is planning on launching a Green Lane Diary fundraising campaign using kickstarter.com this February. The initiative Down Under has evolved to include partnerships with other “green” organizations to engage

students in activities like cleaning up beaches or learning about sustainable agriculture, the 53

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theme for the 2014 Green Lane Diary. They have even created a system to rate how clean and green schools are.

“The diary supports learning and showcases the actions of children leading the charge to inspire their peers,” Rebecca Edmonds, Green Lane Diary Project Leader for Green Cross Australia. “These diaries that change the world encourage children to ‘be the change’ and lead projects in their homes, schools or communities to inspire and educate others.”

The most recent addition to Green Lane Diary’s international curriculum comes from Green Cross Korea. When deciding to implement an environmental education program, the organization based in Seoul wanted to ensure maximum outreach, and it found Green Lane Diary’s success in three separate countries, three distinct languages and three different school systems a good fit.

In his initial research into environmental education initiatives, Kui-ho Moon, Chief Operating Officer for Green Cross Korea, discovered that students were interested in engaging in environmental activities, but found there was a lack of established programs to guide them. “Green Lane Diary was the most effective environmental education program we found,” he said.

Mr. Moon engaged ink and paper companies to donate time and materials to print the Green Lane Diaries while convincing other businesses to help with distribution. The South Korean Ministry of Special Affairs also granted funds for the Green Lane Diary project in 2012. Since 2013, the Ministry of Security and Public Administration has granted and continues to support Green Cross and the Green Lane Diary in Korea.

In 2011, its first year, 100,000 copies of the Green Lane Diary were printed and distributed to 230 schools in South Korea, with 7,700 students enrolled in the Green Lane Diary contest, the awards of which were handed out by the Chairman of the National Assembly.

Students love the program, because it provides incentives to continue with their green missions. South Korean student, Jun-ho Kwak, who won the grand prize for his Green Lane Diary, said: “People say that it is hard to break old habits, but I was lucky to have the good ones and that is why I was given a big present. Make good habits like I did, then you will get a big present, too!”

Green Lane Diary is continually expanding in South Korea with support from the government and private businesses, which see the diaries as valuable and effective means to educate future generations on the importance of making environmental change now.

Xavier Guijarro, Director for Green Cross International’s Value Change program, which promotes youth environmental education, said the success of Green Lane Diary is due, in large part, to the “children who are not just the recipients of this education, but are also the influencers.”

Mr. Guijarro said expansion of Green Lane Diary into the Middle East as well as Europe and the Americas would be a great next step, but coming up with the funding necessary to support printing, translation and distribution can be tricky.

As he explained, “Innovative education models like Green Lane Diary have proven to be successful in the countries where they are functioning. But to expand into new countries and settings, resources are vital to help reaching out to schools, translating the materials and covering distribution costs.”

After spending the past 15 years growing Green Lane Diary’s global reach to over one million students in four countries, Mr. Kawamoto retains his belief in the positive influence that these diaries can have on children.

Green Lane Diary’s continued relevancy is grounded in its approach, which promotes an independency to learn more about ecology and nature, to be considerate toward the environment and to use this knowledge and power to execute these convictions. Perhaps most important is the belief that the fate of earth and humanity rests with children and it is with them that change should begin.

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Works Cited:

"Chapter 36." Agenda 21. Proc. of United Nations Conference on Environment & Development, B r a z i l , R i o D e J a n e i r o . N . p . : n . p . , n . d . 3 2 2 + . We b . <http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/Agenda21.pdf>.

McKeown, Rosalyn, Charles A. Hopkins, Regina Rizzi, and Marianne Chrystalbridge. Education for Sustainable Development Toolkit. Rep. Waste Management Research and Education Institution, July 2002. Web.

www.globaleducationmagazine.comGlobal Education Section Nº 7

Abstract: Woman is the embodiment of God’s creative power, Shakti. Woman embodies the feminine aspect of God, through which he created the creation. God placed within women divine qualities of strength, virtue, love, and the willingness to sacrifice to raise future generations of his spirit children. Women by divine nature have the greater gift and responsibility for home and children and nurturing there and in other settings. Women have a divine role, but some may need help remembering their true identity. They deserve to be treated with the utmost care, respect, and dignity. Treating women as such, will empower not only the individual but society as a whole. Perhaps, as a result, men, women, and children will be able to recognize what is divine within them and act accordingly. It is important to note that celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women on International Women’s Day (8th March), a global day every year with all respect, appreciation, achievements and love towards women should be exercised every single day to safeguard and value the pomp and glory that comes around in day today life in all its natural way.

Keywords: Women, Men, Gender equality, Divine, Natural, Relationship, Health, Society, Culture.

“Woman is a miracle of divine contradictions” –

Jules Michelet

(French Historian: 1798-1874).

The Reflection of Divine Nature in Women

Once, women were honored as strong, beautiful, creative, sensual beings. In those ancient times, we humans were keenly attuned to the heartbeat of the planet. Life was lived on the edge. Women have done a remarkable service to literature and culture. Vedic scriptures asserted that women and men both are two sides of the same coin. No one is superior to the other in the materialistic world. Rigved & upnishads mention several names of women sages and seers notably Gargi & Maitrey. Woman is the manifested divine form of the same absolute energy, say, masculine energy as is stated by Samkhyas. Seeing divinity even in a small insect is the core teaching of Hindu scriptures. This idea is reflected in Bhagavadgita at 16.28. “Looking upon all things as uniformly pervaded by the lord, he does not try to injure self by self and this attains to the highest goal” (3).

Our survival as a species depended on our ability to live in harmony with the world. The feminine aspect of life was necessary for our very survival, and the sacred feminine was honored by ancient around the world as bringer of life, growth, decline, death and rebirth. Woman was life itself. The power of women in those ancient times was undeniable — without women, we humans would not be here now. The world changed. We grew apart from the primal rhythms native to us and we abandoned our old ways to explore human life through a masculine-centric lens of action and movement. Gifts inherent to women were lost or set aside. Gifts of the masculine — focus, action, physical strength — were revered and made central. The balance shifted.

The divine nature and value of a woman

What does it mean when you see a man get down on his knee, get out his ring, and propose to a woman? It means that in that act the man recognizes your supreme value. For a man to get down on his knee, with honor and respect, indicates that you are so valuable. He wants you to come to him; he wants you to give yourself to him, so he will act in a way to make you give yourself. But a man should never “have you” just to have you! He’s got to be worthy of you, or he’s not worth having you! And there is hardly a man out here today that’s worthy of you giving away yourself to him. Culture is the back bone of any civilized country. Customs, behaviour etc., ordain the very culture. Indian culture is one of the most ancient that has been accepted by all historians and scholars of all streams. Even centuries ago, mother India had witnessed all material and philosophical prosperity in a continuous flux.

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The Divine Nature of Women Naturally – A Challenge of 21st Century

Rashmi Chandran

Founder & Chairperson, Natural Health and Environmental Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

E-mail: rashmichandran@gmail.com / https://www.facebook.com/NHEROrg

Global Education Section

Nº 7

The status of womanhood reached its pinnacle in vedic times for which extant sanskrit literature is the evidence (11).

Swami Vivekananda said, “In India the mother is the centre of the family and our highest ideal. She is to us the representative of God, as God is the mother of the Universe. It was a female sage who first found the unity of God, and laid down this doctrine in one of the first hymns of the vedas. Our God is both personal and absolute; the absolute is male, the personal, female. And thus it comes that we now say: The first manifestation of God is the hand that rocks the cradle”. In Sanskrit treatises, two prominent aspects of respect to women as mother and wife are glorified. This entire world is the union of prakrti and purusha according to Samkhya school that stood on the edifice of vedic scriptures (11) (12). Prakrti is the feminine energy and the Purusha is the masculine form of a single absolute entity. ‘The salvation and progress of any country depends on its women‘.

The Role of Women in Family

yatra nāryastu pūjyante ramante tatra devatāḥ|

yatraitāstu na pūjyante sarvāstatrāphalāḥ kriyāḥ ||

“The divine are extremely happy where women are respected ;

where they are not, all actions (projects) are fruitless”

Manusmṛiti is one of the most influential social text that has moulded much of practical social behavior, practices of Hindu society in India (7). In the last century, it has been grossly criticized for political, sectarian and divisive reasons by people who don’t understand sanskrit, metaphors and have no compassion. This great text has to say on woman, wife in its practical, spiritual and open-hearted way! This is only a very small extract from this large book. This should at the same time pay respect to women everywhere and also give back some good name to this awesome work of social importance.

The wise father (of the girl) shall not take anything by way of ‘fee’ from her groom. By taking a dowry out of greed (bride price), he becomes the seller of his offspring [3.51].

The relatives who, out of folly, live off of the woman’s property like vehicle, clothes; those sinners go to worst hells [3.52] (forget about dowry given by the bride’s father, it was more prevalent for the groom to give bride price, as is in many other cultures as well).

Many Ṛiṣhi-s have prescribed a token fee of a pair of cow and bull in ‘ārṣha’ (आष#) marriage,

but even that is akin to selling your daughter [3.53].

Where such fee is not taken (but may be given out of affection by the groom’s side), that is not selling, but worshiping/respecting and showing affection to the woman [3.54].

If desiring more prosperity in life, father, brother, husband, husband’s younger brother (older is considered as father only) they all should respect the bride and adorn her (with ornaments) [3.55].

The divine are extremely happy where women are respected (worshiped, figuratively), where they are not, all actions (projects) are fruitless [3.56].

The family in which the daughters or newlywed brides mourn, that family suffers a quick destruction; and where they don’t it surely prospers [3.57].

Those homes that these disrespected women (daughters, daughters-in-laws) cast curse upon, they are eradicated as if destroyed by (the tantric deity of black magic) Kṛityā (क%&या) [3.58].

Hence, men who seek prosperity should always respect women, (and) on solemn occasions and festivals, adorn with ornaments, clothes and food [3.59].

The family in which the husband is content with the wife and the wife is content with the husband, is certain to have divine blessings. [this doesn't mean only sexual contentment but how the two perform their duties to the home, family, their conduct, etc. like how a wife man-ages the whole house, relations, children, finances etc. or how the husband protects, earns, has social reputation, standing and circle etc.] [3.60].

If the wife is not attractive (and/or doesn’t attempt to attract with makeup etc.) and/or the husband is not attracted; the husband’s progeny is not possible on that account of lack of attraction [3.61].

When the women look beautiful (adorn jewelry, do makeup, dress up) the whole family looks good, and when they don’t everything looks insipid. [3.62]“

As against the propaganda over Manu’s statement on the liberation of women, it is crystal clear that women were given a highest position not only in Manusmriti but also in sanskrit literature (11). Moreover, ‘It is unfair to judge the status of women in the east by the standard of the west’. In this article, an effort is done to show that women were attributed highest position in Hindu scriptures and their role as a mother and wife is very crucial in nurturing the inherited values passed on to us since time immemorial. And to women all over – mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, friends, in whatever form they meet us, they bring the divine energy with them. Now this doesn’t at all mean to throw the relation off-balance by thinking it is only the woman who is divine. But it is to emphasize that they too are divine,

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and not property, slave or object. This also doesn’t mean that all women are always right and good, just like not all men are right or good (6) (8).

A marriage is always of respect, and is not just for lust, it is family building, providing a happy, safe trusting environment, where both husband and wife have to be happy to complete the picture. If the husband is called pati-parameshavara i.e. “husband is ultimate god”, then the wife is also called gṛiha-lakṣhmī i.e. “prosperity of the home”. Only a balanced, respectful relationship will give any meaning to it. All individuals inherently possesses male and female attributes, otherwise there is no balance in the society. A married woman is as revered as one’s own mother, since mother is the incarnated form of the supreme self. There might be a belief that ‘male dominated society did not encourage the woman writers in Indian context.’ In the medieval period, Buddhism duly encouraged women to write the Vinaya Pithakasand Sutta Pithakas in Pali language. But this itself is not the cause of emergence of women writers in India. Sri Sankaracharya (8th AD) when visited the city of Mahishmati to debate with a great scholar Mandana Mishra, he enquires about his house address with some women carrying water. They guide him by replying in a poetic way in Sanskrit. Also, Ubhaya Bharati, the wife of Mandana Mishra is a great scholar in Sanskrit and philosophy, who could not be defeated in debate by Sankaracharya (11).

Henry Steele Commager, an American historian wrote of the late nineteenth century American woman. “In all matters of church and school, women took the lead. Women not only controlled education and religion but largely dictated the standards of literature and art and clothed culture so ostentatiously in feminine garb that the term itself came to have connotations”. The present status of women is no different than that of the vedic ideals transferred over times. There are warriors, politicians, writers, scientists, astronauts, administrators, teachers who perfectly render their job while outdoing a male compatriot. At the same time masculinity devoid of union with feminity is incomplete in society. It is not out of context to consider Ms. Suzanne Brogger’s opinion. It is in her words – “If a woman can only succeeded by emulating men, I think it is a great loss and not a success. The aim is not only for a woman to succeed, but to keep her womanhood and let her womanhood influence society”.

The Role of Women in Society

Our women are not incredible because they have managed to avoid the difficulties of life—quite the opposite. They are incredible because of the way they face the trials of life. Despite the challenges and tests life has to offer—from marriage or lack of marriage, children’s choices, poor health, lack of opportunities, and many other problems—they remain remarkably strong and immovable and true to the faith. Since the creation of the world, women have played a very important role in shaping the civilization and culture of people. The role of women in society may change from time to time, but the influence of women has always been significant. It’s a chance for so many people to move beyond “celebrating” and

take action to create meaningful and sustainable change for women and girls. International Women’s Day has been observed since in the early 1900′s, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women’s visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women’s education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men. The United States even designates the whole month of March as ‘Women’s History Month’.

The Role of Men in Women Empowerment

There are many good reasons to engage men in building gender equality, especially given that some men’s practices, identities, and relations can sustain inequalities. Across the globe, there is growing interest in the question of men’s roles in fostering gender equality (1). The impetus for male inclusion in gender-related work is associated with an important shift in how gender issues are conceived and addressed. Men have always been part of the policies and practices of development work, for example, but they have traditionally been treated as generic and ungendered representatives of all humanity. Men are unavoidably involved in gender issues. Most immediately, men (or more accurately, specific groups of men) control the resources required to implement women’s claims for justice. But, more broadly, gender inequalities are based in gender relations, in the complex webs of relationships that exist at every level of human experience. Men are as implicated in gender is sues as women, and addressing men’s attitudes and roles is a crucial element in reconstructing gender relations and equality. Men often play a crucial role as “gatekeepers” of the current gender order through their responsibilities as decision-makers and leaders within their families and communities. They may participate in sexist practices and maintain unjust gender relations by perpetrating violence against women, controlling women’s reproductive and familial decision making, limiting women’s access to community resources and political power, or espousing patriarchal beliefs and norms that allow other men to engage in such actions. Gender work with men has also been fueled by the more hopeful insight that men have a positive role to play in fostering gender equality (1). There is growing recognition that gender inequality is an issue of concern to women and men alike and that men have a stake in fostering gender equality. Some men are already living in gender-just ways: they respect and care for the women and girls in their lives, and they reject traditional, sexist norms of manhood. And some men are already playing a role in fostering gender equality. Experiences in conflict and post-conflict societies also provide powerful examples of how gender disparities harm men and progress toward gender equality benefits them. Finally, excluding men from work on gender relations can provoke male hostility and retaliation. It can intensify gender inequalities and thus leave women with yet

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more work to do among unsympathetic men and patriarchal power relations. Given that women already interact with men on a daily basis in their households and public lives, involving men in the re negotiation of gender relations can make interventions more relevant and workable and create lasting change. Male inclusion increases men’s responsibility for change and their belief that they too will gain from gender equality, and can address many men’s sense of anxiety and fear as traditional masculinities are undermined (10). Many men receive formal and informal benefits from gender inequalities, including material rewards and interpersonal power. At the same time, men also pay significant costs, particularly to their emo-tional and physical health. More widely, men can be and are motivated by interests other than those associated with maintaining gender privilege. Men live in social relationships with women and girls—their wives and girl friends, sisters, daughters, mothers, aunts, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and so on—and “the quality of every man’s life depends to a large extent on the quality of those relationships.” Many men hold high hopes for their daughters’ futures, care for their sisters, value their mothers, and disapprove—at least privately—of male peers’ abusive treatment of their wives and girlfriends. Men may support gender equality because of their ethical, political, or spiritual commitments. Male human rights activists have advocated for gender equality because of their commitment to ideals of liberation and social justice, while male religious leaders have promoted faith-based beliefs in ideals of compassion and justice for women (9) (10). Thus, some men have embraced a moral imperative that men share their rights and responsibilities with women.

What principles then should inform efforts to engage men in gender-related policies and practices?

Three interrelated principles guide the positive involvement of men in gender issues: men’s involvement must have a pro-feminist purpose, interventions must be sensitive to diversi-ties among men, and we must acknowledge and support men’s positive contributions. In addition, to be effective, the interventions chosen must be culturally appropriate and theoreti-cally informe While it is important to understand these three principles for male involvement in gender-related work, it is equally important to be able to translate them into effective interventions. It is clear, for example, that effective interventions must be culturally appropri-ate—they must be grounded in the realities of men’s lives and relations and local gender cultures (5). There is no doubt that involving men in efforts toward gender equality has the potential to greatly enhance the impact and reach of this work, but whether it does so or not will depend on the play of political and cultural forces. Still, building a gender-just world will bring benefits to both women and men, and the reconstruction of gender relations will require their shared commitment and involvement.

The Role of Women in Women Empowerment

A woman’s level of empowerment will vary, sometimes enormously, according to other criteria such as her class or caste, ethnicity, relative wealth, age, family position etc. and any

analysis of women’s power or lack of it must appreciate these other contributory dimensions. We have to relate empowerment at three levels: empowerment on the individual, group, and societal/community level and the interaction between these. The individual level deals with individual women’s abilities to take control over their lives, their perceptions about their own value and abilities, their abilities to identify a goal and work towards this goal. The group level deals with the collective action and sense of agency that woman experience together, in a group. The societal level deals with the permissiveness of the political and social climate, the societal norms and the public discourse on what is possible and impossible for women to do, how women should behave etc (8) (9). The different levels are seen as interconnected and mutually reinforcing, e.g. when empowerment on individual level occurs, this will have effect on the group and societal level. Women who are empowered on an individual level will most likely go on and affect the other levels. Empowerment on a group level e.g. women organizing around a particular need is likely to have effect on the individual empowerment of the women in the form of increased self esteem and sense of agency (2).

Globalization has presented new challenges for the realization of the goal of women’s equality, the gender impact of which has not been systematically evaluated fully. However, from the micro-level studies that were commissioned by the Department of Women & Child Development, it is evident that there is a need for re-framing policies for access to employment and quality of employment. Benefits of the growing global economy have been unevenly distributed leading to wider economic disparities, the feminization of poverty, increased gender inequality through often deteriorating working conditions and unsafe working environment especially in the informal economy and rural areas. Education is a powerful tool of social transformation. Hence, education for women has to be paid special attention. Greater access for women to education must be ensured in the educational system. Gender sensitivity must be developed (4) (8). Governmental Organizations are formal agencies working for the empowerment of women. But this work requires multidimensional approach and hence a large number of voluntary organizations / NGO’s have gained increased attention in the field from grass – root level to national & international level. Their role is so impressive because they work with missionary zeal and commitment. Promotion of equality between women & men and the empowerment of women is central to the work of United Nations. The UN actively promotes women’s human rights and works to eradicate, discourage of violence against women, including in armed conflict and through trafficking (13). The popular UNESCO slo-gan should come in handy: “Educate a man and you educate an individual; educate a woman and you educate a family”.

Feel and Experience the Challenge to Survive the Practical Real Life

No woman is ordinary. We are each a unique expression of the feminine. Each one of us, male and female, carries within our psyche both Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine archetype energies. From these archetypal energies come all our conscious thoughts, plans, de-sires, goals and agendas. These energies intertwine and cooperate to produce a uniquely

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personal expression and experience of life. The new divine feminine is modern woman’s way of connecting to ancient ways of being a woman. Personally as a woman I feel, both women and men needs to get empowered in their own way as they are equally to be respected and to be valued as a human. The status of women would improve only if they educate themselves and grab every opportunity to become stronger and more powerful than before. It’s the totality speaks not either women alone or men alone as critical half. In this context, the significant de-tails to be practiced which is a real challenge in this fast paced life of 21st century by the human with all his/her divinity should be as follows:

1. Update your consciousness, clarity, freedom, courage and discipline.

2. Free yourself from false beliefs and assumptions.

3. Uproot dysfunctional patterns of thinking, feeling & behaving.

4. Relinquish guilt, shame, blame, victim consciousness & co-dependence.

5. Communicate & navigate through your experience in a meaningful way.

6. Learn from your life and step forward.

7. Increase your state of awareness.

8. Become more fulfilled & on-purpose in your daily life.

Much of humanity has lost connection with our feminine qualities. There is a deep dis-connection with the Earth, with our bodies, and with the very essence of life. And as a result, for many people, life has lost its deeper sense of soul purpose or meaning. When we are starved of this connection, we quite literally wither and dry up inside. We can feel isolated and alone. As a result, there is a deep healing needed for our collective planetary soul. And we are called to now offer a place where we can come together in sacred space and undertake a soul retrieval of the feminine, both for ourselves and our larger community. In doing so, we have an opportunity to reconnect with the ancient feminine wisdom that lives both inside our bodies and in the layers of the collective unconscious.

In developing increased awareness, you get more in touch with your relationships, your finances, and your creative expression. As you become more aware, more at peace, you develop more confidence, which automatically brings out your skills. The time is changing, not to create a world of inequality, but to express balance, hope, wisdom, and the unique gifts that both men and women share with one another and with the world. Women today tap into ancient feminine energy — making it their own. To safeguard your own freedom, divinity and strength, you need to have a strong sense of yourself, one has to be confident, have a clear vision, take efforts, do workouts, because if you don’t; you will get distracted by other people’s percep-tions.

As a woman I feel proud and grateful to be the part of this world with humble lessons and experiences learned from my personal life as well as from knowledgeable personalities directly and indirectly which reflects to practice and preach for a constructive healthier natural life style within the family as well as for the society, to be followed by the human of all genders to maintain and balance the integrity, peace and purpose of the divine life and natural way of living with all its simplicity, values and strength.

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References:

1.Connell, R.W. “The Role of Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality.” Consultant’s paper for an United Nations Expert Group Meeting on the theme of “The Role of Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality,” organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (UN-DAW) in collaboration with the International Labor Organization, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, and tions Development Program held in Brasilia, Brazil, October 21-24, 2003.

2. Dr. J.S.R.A. Prasad, THE PLACE OF WOMEN IN SANSKRIT LITERATURE. A paper presented at the national conference on Women Empowerment in Sanskrit, Telugu and Hindi Literatures, VSM College, Ramachandrapuram 27-28 October, 2010.

3. Hindu Dharma, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai 1995.

4.Johnson, S. D. (1992). A framework for technology education curricula which emphasizes intellectual processes. Journal of Technology Education, 3(2), 29-40.

5. Kaufman, Michael. “The AIM Framework: Addressing and InvolvingMen and Boys to Promote Gender Equality and End Gender Discriminationand Violence.” Paper prepared for UNICEF, 2003.

6. Liddle, J., & Joshi, R. (1986). Daughters of Independence. Gender, Caste and Class in India. New Delhi: Kali for Women & London: Zed Books.

7. Manusmriti, Motilal Banarasi Das, New Delhi 1998.

8. Michael Flood (2007). Involving men in gender policies and practice. Engaging men in “women’s issues”: inclusive approaches to gender and development. Critical Half, Bi-annual Journal of women for women international. 5(1), pp. 9-14.

9. Phillips, S.D. & Imhoff, A.R. (1997) Women and Career Development: a Decade of Research, in Spence, J.T., Darley, J.M. & Foss, D.J. (Eds) Annual Review of Psychology, 48, pp 31-59.

10. Ruxton, Sandy, ed. Gender Equality and Men: Learning from Practice. Oxford:Oxfam GB, 2004.

11. Samskrita Vijnana Vaibhavam, R.S. Vidyapeetha, Tirupati 2004.

12. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata 1988.

13. UNDAW. The Role of Men and Boys in Achieving Gender Equality.Reportfrom Expert Group Meeting organized by UNDAW in collaborationwith the International Labor Organization, the Joint United NationsProgram on HIV/AIDS, and the United Nations Development Programheld in Brasilia, Brazil, October 21-24, 2003.

Suggested Readings

Rashmi Chandran (2011). Natural Life – The Path towards Happiness and Prosperity. In: Vakdevatha (A Bilingual magazine publishing from Nigdi, Pune, India). Pp. 69-70.

Dr. Rashmi Chandran 2013. A HAND BOOK ON NATURAL HEALTH IN TODAY’S LIFESTYLE SCENARIO. International E – Publication, International Science Congress Association. (ISBN: 978-93-83520-20-6). Doi: http://www.isca.co.in/FAM_COM/fam-com-book.php

Rashmi Chandran 2013. The Art of Compassion in Natural Life. GLOBAL EDUCATION MAGAZINE (inscribed in bibliographic database of the Ministry of Culture of Spain with ISSN 2255-033X). Global Education section, Pg. 62 – 64. This article was published on 10th December: Human Right’s Day. http://www.globaleducationmagazine.com/art-compassion-natural-life/

www.globaleducationmagazine.comGlobal Education Section Nº 7

Abstract: The twenty-first century offers educators an extraordinary opportunity to employ constructivist teaching and learning. The current era allows us, perhaps more than ever before, to honor the core individuality of every learner. There is one idea within constructivism that some have come to call transdisciplinary study. This is a study where there are no real or tangible separations between disciplines. The walls that often separate classrooms, are no longer employed or even evident. Using transdisciplinary study, students are encouraged to seek creative ways to solve com-plex problems, to explore healthy and empathic leadership, to address language as a core of human existence, and to internationalize their understanding of many of the issues that face humanity. Aided by technology for the twenty-first century, transdisciplinary study has the capacity to promote an authentic seamlessness between learning and living, between who we are and so much that we are able to accomplish in working together.

Key words: transdisciplinary, awareness, balance, connection, sustainable development, central idea.

Karen Melaas

Curriculum/Teacher Leadership Development in Oxford, Michigan, USA

E-mail: KWMelaas@comcast.net

http://kwmelaas.wix.com/plant-karma

How does an idea become knowledge and understanding? Which are the factors that propel us to move our ideas to certainties? During the very busy life of a teacher, we are often asked to help students share their ideas; and it is our task to assist them with hypothesizing, experimenting, and ultimately concluding. But what of our humanity can be certain? What of an individual’s interaction with self and with the world do we want to promote in our classrooms?

In an article titled: A Morally Defensible Mission for Schools in the 21st Century, Stanford University Lee Jacks Professor Emeritus, Nel Noddings asks: “What is it that we want for our children? In work patterns, in residential stability, in style of housing, in sexual habits, in dress, in manners, in language, in music, in entertainment, and perhaps most important of all, in family arrangements schools as an entity have not led us effectively.”

Maybe to a plethora of high stakes tests and other assessments that already exist across our planet we can consider including questions that ask students: ‘How might you plan to spend the next 24 to 36 hours of your life? How do you address the dimensions of your own wellness? How can you assist others around you in realizing their own best selves? Maybe preceding such questions, we can add a dozen years of school curricula, delivered in places where the walls that so often exist between and among the disciplines have been folded. Perhaps we develop schools where teachers and administrators give students permission, understanding, and encouragement toward collaboratively and thoughtfully discussing twenty-first century issues from differing intellectual and social perspectives. We are ready to sow now, in this century of extraordinary connective tissue created by the world-wide access of the internet the seeds of schools in which students learn to examine and practice a sort of personal sustainable development. This sustainable development is one that might later help to inspire yet another Nelson Mandela, another Martin Luther King, another Mulalla Yousafzai, the likes of which we know are already growing within children who reside in our communities.

As a teacher whose reach is global connection and collaboration, maybe you have entertained a few similar thoughts from your line of global latitude, while thousands of miles away, that resemble thoughts being pondered by another teacher, and somewhere else, yet another still. Every teacher in every place we teach across the globe must be certain of their ability to bring a voice to the most pivotal thoughts that we share about teaching and learning, and to help each of our students realize their greatest potentials. I am grateful to have the opportunity to here share some of my own thoughts and experiences.

The National Wellness Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA is one among a number of institutions around the globe that places a viable option on the table for a refreshing option for education in the twenty-first century, that of teaching children a systematic and scaffolded approach toward fully addressing their own personal well-being. If as educators, we can first begin to understand our own dimensions of well-being, then we

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And the Walls Come Folding Down: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Building Awareness, Balance, and Connection in Ourselves, Our Schools, in Our Communities, and in Our World

Nº 7 Global Education Section

can learn to approach underpinning the curricular objectives of our schools, anywhere and everywhere that we might wish to. Our study, our understanding, our own practice, and our sharing with students of the Six Dimensions of Wellness (National Wellness Institute: intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual, physical, and occupational) offer us a clear formula for imparting the life-long practice and the great triumverate of mind-body-spirit well-being. A curriculum that is underpinned by teaching personal well-being is a prescription that will help to support all of humanity, that will support each and every one of us, both in and out of our schools. The Six Dimensions of Wellness (NWI) show no particular bias for language, race, creed, or faith. Rather, they offer us a platform that is pluralistic, one that has the potential to unite us toward developing, actualizing, and yes, even ultimately healing our world.

As each of us realize our capacity for developing and managing our well-being, a wonderful new excitement stirs, and it deserves to be shared. Using the Six Dimensions of Wellness (NWI), educators, parents. . . in fact all adults may work together to forge our collective ability not to divide, but rather to work toward folding down the walls that continue to separate us in varying environments.

The Six Dimensions of Wellness, as created by the NWI offer a format for effortlessly crossing boundaries in subject matters or disciplines, in order to creatively approach complex problems, explore healthy and empathic leadership, and to address language as a core of human existence. The Six Dimensions of Wellness, offer us an approach toward the internationalizing of education in a way that is quite profound. Practice of the Six Dimensions of Wellness allow each of us, young and old, to bring our healthiest, and most unique and independent learner talents and skills to our living, to our education, and to our work.

The following are three examples of how examining the Central Idea (International Baccalaureate Organization) of well-being can be useful in a school setting in a sequential fashion. Example #1 describes how aspects of well-being can be examined and encouraged in the elementary grades, Example #2 shares an experience during middle school years, and Example #3 shares an example that is occurring right now in a Washington DC high school. These are not ‘what if’ examples. Each of the experiences I will describe have actually taken place in schools in North America. The first two were in suburban Detroit, Michigan.

Example #1:

At a K-8 International Baccalaureate-Primary Years Programme school in Oak Park, Michigan, USA, 63 second graders recently explored Key Concepts (IBO) of community, production, consumption, awareness, balance, and connection. Classroom teacher Stephanie Sulaka invited me in to participate in the investigations for two days. During our time together, students were asked what they believe a ‘balanced’ community might look, sound,

feel, smell, and taste like. Numbers of students initially shared stories of meals enjoyed among families and with neighbors. They reflected on feelings of love and support they felt from parents and siblings. Students went on to agree that an odor of trash, a sight of overgrown weeds in a yard, an absence of any children in a neighborhood park might be signs of imbalance, thereby effecting the well-being of the community. Students further discussed how an awareness of imbalance might encourage them to contribute to the well-being of their own community.

Each of the students paid five dollars to decorate a four-inch clay pot. In the pots they planted flower bulbs. While the pots would later be used for annotating scientific observations, they would ultimately become gifts for family and friends. The three groups of second graders spent time researching agencies in their community that might be beneficiaries of profits generated by their funds, after covering material costs. Pots, paints, bulbs, and soil had been purchased for less that two dollars per student. With a profit margin of more than three dollars for each potted plant, students chose to donate close to $200 to the children’s ward at an area hospital, so that other youngsters whose emotional or physical well-being had kept them from the playground might sooner have a chance at re-inhabiting local swing-sets and monkey bars.

In this example, students were just beginning to explore Key Concepts (IBO) such of awareness, balance, and connection and how those concepts could be applied within their communities. The lesson was part of a larger unit within the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme, where core planning includes research and inquiry. Opportunities for students for formative and summative assessments are built into lessons.

Example #2

In 2010, while 33 South Americans were trapped deep in a mine in the southern hemisphere, five middle school teachers and I created with students an opportunity to explore the challenges and potential solutions for the miners, as the men lingered deep below the earth’s surface in San Jose, Chile. As most middle school students had been studying Spanish for some time, it was possible to add a strong bilingual element to this investigation.

During the study, the school’s math teacher helped students to use ratios to try to re-create the size of the space in which the miners were trapped. Discussions ensued about how to limit the height of the ceiling in the classroom to most realistically emulate the size of the area. The science and social studies teacher explored the topography and geologic formations of the area of Chile where the accident had occurred, in order to start a conversation about how it might even be possible for an underground rescue effort to ensue. In language arts class, students journaled and practiced public speaking skills as they shared their concerns about the unfolding crisis.

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Each of the Six Dimensions of Wellness (National Wellness Institute): Social, Intellectual, Vocational, Spiritual, Physical, and Occupational were used to attempt an in-depth examination of how individual aspects of wellness are defined, and approached with the greatest of care. Each of us shared our thoughts, and applied personal perspectives to this extraordinary collaboration. Students offered examples of what they believed an individual might need in order for optimal well-being in the mine.

The ability to use the internet to stay in continuous contact with the situation as it unfolded in Chile was an extraordinary gift for this unit of study. The spontaneity of investigations, the dynamism that each and every one of us experience in day to day living made this a very authentic learning experience for students. Excited middle schoolers arrived at school each morning during the tenure of our project with sound- bites, newspaper clippings, and stories of radio broadcasts. Each student realized that they were being given the opportunity to make a contribution to both the interpretation and to the solving of what had come to be seen, heard, and felt as a global dilemma. This transdisciplinary study was not simply an chance to share how work and life intermingle; rather it was for both students and faculty an outstanding learning opportunity, where the Six Dimensions of Wellness and technology were partner vehicles in a convoy. In a most constructivist manner, students and teachers were in essence ‘living’ curriculum through connection, collaboration, knowledge, and synthesis.

The second lesson, like the first, took place in an International Baccalaureate Organization authorized school; but it was further supported by removing walls that divided core disciplines of math, science, social studies, and language arts. Simultaneously we approached the teaching using what was for students a second language. Time spent among students and teachers was an example of serving learners’ needs well with a meaningful context , rather than incremental skills to be acquired (IBO). In this unit, an exploration of well-being was more intimately approached. We might say that a transition occurred from exploring well-being of communities on a macro level, to looking at well-being on a micro level. The Central Idea (IBO)of well-being that was earlier explored in reference to communities, became a transdisciplinary idea, now explored in reference to individuals.

#3 The highly acclaimed non-governmental organization, World Visions International is currently involved with faculty and youth in a Washington DC high school. Those students and faculty whom are involved are attempting to demonstrate successful engagement in an economic development relationship with youth in Kenya and Tanzania, Africa. The ultimate goal of the project is to help Maasai women to create a website for marketing their craft of beaded jewelry, and thereby provide the women with the capacity to sell their jewelry world-wide.

On behalf of World Visions International, the creator of the project, Louis August cites, “By creating these global relationships and leveraging the resources of schools and partners,

programs like these could rapidly spread across the globe, including in USA schools. It would also help address America's most pressing problems: Education that is relevant, and real twenty-first century economic opportunities for our youth -- all the while providing international business experience for all.“

At the ground level, students and faculty in the DC school are exploring and discussing the aspects of achieving well-being that are most challenging for Maasai women, including their emotional, intellectual, and physical wellness. This is in part a result of strains placed on Maasai communities by the absence of the fathers of their children.

In Example #1 well-being is as examined as it relates to communities. In Example #2, students example well-being as it relates to human kind. In Example #3, students are using their personal strengths, such as computer repair and website creation to help effect change in the life of another human being. They are indeed attempting to help others to achieve well-being in a remote part of the developing world. Through awareness, balance, and connection, a Central Idea (IBO) of ‘well-being’ becomes a transdisciplinary idea across communities, across disciplines and across continents.

As teachers, it is among our many callings to help our students to develop awareness, seek balance, and look for ways to connect. That we undertake the endeavor alongside our students is one of the many gifts of a constructivist and transdisciplinary education. In Spanish, it is said, “Aun Aprendemos”-- We are still learning. The National Institute of Wellness’ Six Dimensions of Wellness offer us a place to begin to explore, to learn about, and to practice our capacity to care for ourselves, to grow ourselves, and to heal ourselves, all of which are paramount for the greater collective productivity that we want our world to experience. There is an approach to teaching and learning, an approach that begins with personal sustainable development that is fully available to each of us, simply because we human. Using the Six Dimensions of Wellness is just one road we can travel with students that helps all of us to realize our true purpose and what we are fully capable of accomplishing, as we first learn to care for ourselves and then ultimately help others to do the same.

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www.globaleducationmagazine.comNº 7 Global Education Section

Abstract: Whether we fail in school or life exams, suicide is not an answer. What is the meaning of education? How to heal the pain within us, which one day might result in divisions and conflicts at large?

Keywords: Education, suicide, youth, meaning of life, challenges.

Anna Barchetti Durisch

Mentor, public speaker and education specialist

e-mail: anna@helioslife.org

web: www.helioslife.org

My humble personal experience in counseling in many countries, my exposure to and dealing with some complex cases of suicidal attempts in individuals I’ve been working on, the requests for holding seminars for youth on meaning of life as well as studying some reports I’ve received on students’ suicides, all these have led me to ponder on the problem of education and its purposes.

Life brings different experiences, challenges and lessons.

Sometimes we find ourselves at the edge of darkness, uncertain and lost. And sometimes, some of us, take an irreversible step plunging into shadows.

Youth suicide has been a serious problem in many countries over the past four decades; with school counselors, school personnel, psychologists and social workers attempting to prevent, detect and secure assistance for the students.

Statistics show that every year circa 200 000 teenagers worldwide commit suicide while about 4 million adolescents attempts it. We have been noticing a rising suicidal trend since some years.

According to WHO statistics (2011) in some countries – such as Lithuania – figures are relatively high, with the example of Russia having the highest underage suicide rate in Europe.

In other countries, such as Australia, statistics show lower figures.

In USA, ranking among the highest in suicide rate worldwide, about 10% of adolescents attempts to suicide

An interesting fact is that about 56% of all female suicides worldwide takes place in China. The meaning of suicide in China differs from other cultures; namely it is perceived as a legitimate means of conveying a message.

Some surveys in South Korea show about 20% of middle and high school students feel tempted to suicide.

In India about 20 students kill themselves every day due to the stress related to exams, wanting to secure seats in prestigious schools, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. South India is considered the world’s suicide capital; especially Kerala, the first fully literate Indian state, has the highest number of suicides committed daily – about 32. According to the Bangalore psychologists from the Indian Southern Medical Centre, “(children) …are under pressure to deliver at school, (…) to appear for competitive examinations, no one gives them any advice about the meaning of life”.

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Education and Suicide

Global Education Section Nº 7

It is widely disputed whether the statistics can be trusted and whether they reflect indeed the real situation due to the fact that suicidal behaviours are illegal in some countries; they are also opposed by the major religions and philosophies, thus there is to be expected a certain degree of under-reporting.

Suicide causes are to be attributed to several psychological, biological and environmental factors. Strong correlation between low educational achievement, examination and school performance stress and between suicide has been investigated and confirmed.

A survey done in UK on 6020 students (2002) has shown that 70% of self-harming teenagers with suicidal thoughts have admitted that the cause was their concerns about the school performance and exams.

There have been several reports in Hong Kong, China, Japan and other Asian countries related to the exam-induced psychological problems, suicidal feelings and fear of exams – according to publications by Suen & Yu (2006), Hesketh, Ding & Jenkins (2002), Zeng & Le Tendre (1998).

French sociologist, Durkheim, was one of the first to notice that there is a higher rate of suicide in case of the individuals who are socially not integrated and cannot count on social support (1897).

In order to address and tackle the problem different suicide prevention efforts have been implemented by different stakeholders: governments, academic institutions, NGOs; realizing the importance of the community support.

In the last 30 years several school based programmes have been conducted worldwide at schools for the purpose of the improvement of the mental and emotional health as well as the improvement of the knowledge on suicide; being part of a prevention and post-vention strategy.

Yet, the effectiveness of such programmes has been questioned and sparks a lot of controversy as apparently no drop in suicide rate has been noticed among the participants and even it has been stated that it might prompt in young people what it is supposed to prevent.

There have been even accusations saying that such programmes defeat their very purpose and “normalize suicidal behaviour” by stating the latter occurs as a result of examination and school stress and pressures.

News around the world reporting every day new cases of suicide are concerning and there is a noticeably rising tendency to point out the correlation between the academic stress and the suicidal ideation.

Let us ponder on a couple of questions.

What is the meaning of life? Sometimes, despite all the beauty and wonder in the world, our life seems so hopeless.

What is the meaning of education? Sometimes, despite we gain every day more knowledge and experience, we feel so helpless.

Why studies are important to us?

We study to obtain a good job, to enjoy more distinction and respect in the society, to become somebody important, to earn money and satisfy our needs and desires, to manage better in practical everyday situations, to find security.

Yet, there is much more to life than that. There are difficulties, obstacles and fears, there is sorrow and suffering, there is death. There is happiness and love, there is beauty and awareness.

What if school started giving us the skills necessary to cope with life challenges through which all of us are going?

Death happens. It is the nature of life and it is the most certain thing in our entire existence. It is, if we want, a graduation, a completion of the school of life.

Difficulties happen and we must go through them. They are tests at the school of life. Suicide is a sudden interruption of the learning process.

The books necessary to study and the skills required to go on, to confront ourselves with life exams are, de facto, not there.

Education systems worldwide have evolved throughout the centuries from dispensers of knowledge to facilitators of learning. The next paradigm shift should be about providing opportunities to seek wisdom and broader understanding.

Academic performance and pressures have been found to be strongly related to teenage suicide problem and are one of the main causes leading to it.

It is easy to blame schools and education systems. Yet, the true reason is the lack of skills to cope with life challenges.

If someone commits suicide in the name of his Country, it is not the Country which should be blamed.

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Conclusions

I’ve been working with abandoned children and teenagers in Thailand, noting that their main problem is an overwhelming and persisting feeling of hopelessness, lack of meaning in life.

I’ve been working with orphaned and HIV-positive children and teenagers in South Africa, realizing their difficulties in coping with death and grief as well as their suicidal inclinations.

In my opinion, education shall be not only about gaining more knowledge and information, but rather about understanding better the meaning of life.

It shall produce not only excellent professionals and workers, but also individuals free of fears and hate, hence able to give and receive love.

What’s the use of education if it becomes a weapon to destroy others through armed conflicts, technology and desire to control and dominate; as well as a weapon to destroy ourselves – and I mean not just through suicidal attempts.

Education is the most powerful weapon which can change the world, as Nelson Mandela used to say. It shall serve humanity addressing its problems and concerns at each and every level of human life.

Personal and immediate society

On the level of a common man, education for life shall help us overcoming fears and misery, showing us how tremendously beautiful and worth living our life is, with all its lights and shadows.

During our lifetime we encounter victories and defeats, love and separation. Are we ready to face all these without becoming inhumane, cruel, fearful and apathetic? Neither school nor parents usually show us this, thus we are also unable to show it to our children.

Economics and working environment

Nowadays money is strongly affecting all aspects of our lives, our education, our wellbeing and our opportunities. The entire system characterized by the illusion of an unlimited growth and consumption is not sustainable in a finite world and the economic and social crises we are seeing in the last years are, undoubtedly, worrying signs of crumbling perspectives.

Life education on the level of business and economics shall help us being guided by more aware and higher pursuits than greed and selfishness; teaching us balance and principles of working for people and not just for money. It shall teach us becoming humble and overcoming our ego.

Society and Politics

On the level of Countries, Government and politics, such an education shall help understanding each other better, building dialogs and bridges, and gradually evolving towards the concept of unity in diversity, unity without borders, where differences in language, religion, culture, skin-tone or sex would not cast any shadow on our profound and wholly human identity.

Peace cannot be achieved through any ideology or treaty, it takes an aware mind and a united heart. The first thing to be overcome is separateness.

My humble proposal would be to call to life a special Task Force, comprised of individuals with different backgrounds and competencies, among them experts in education area, in charge of developing curricula and policies for fostering education for life programmes for children and adults, efficiently addressing our aspiration to become truly human beings, and to create a civilized civilization.

The teenager suicides are, according to me, like the tip of an iceberg, bearing the profound discontent and hopelessness a large portion of our society is living inside. Until we admit that, and we act upon it, our life will be nothing else than a continuos fight for something, fight with others and fight within ourselves.

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References:

Diekstra eds., Suicide Prevention: A Holistic Approach. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998.

Durkheim, E. (1966) Suicide. Macmillan: New York.

Garfinkel, Barry D., Art Froese, and Jane Hood. Suicide Attempts in Children and Adolescents. American Journal of Psychiatry 139 (1982):1257–1261.

Hesketh, T., Ding, Q.J. & Jenkins, R. (2002). Suicide ideation in Chinese adolescents.

Mishara, Brian L. Childhood Conceptions of Death and Suicide: Empirical Investigations and Implica-tions for Suicide Prevention. In Diego De Leo, Armi N. Schmidtke, and Rene F. W.

Patton, GC., Coffey, C., Sawyer, SM, et al. (2009). Global patterns of mortality in young people: a systematic analysis of population health data.

René F. W. Diekstra, C. W. M. Kienhorst, and E. J. de Wilde (1995). Suicide and Suicidal Behaviour among Adolescents. Psychosocial Disorders in Young People: Time Trends and Their Causes.

Shaffer, David, and Madeline Gould. Suicide Prevention in Schools. In Keith Hawton and Kees an Heerin-gen eds., The International Handbook of Suicide and Attempted Suicide. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2000.

World Health Organization (2012). Suicide Country Reports. Accessed December 2012 http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/country_rep orts/en/

Zeng, K. & G. Le Tendre (1998). Adolescent suicide and academic competition in East Asia.

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Oficina de Santiago

Con el apoyo de la

Organizaciónde las Naciones Unidas

para la Educación,la Ciencia y la Cultura

International Human Solidarity Day

20th December

Submission Deadline November 20

Resumen: El siguiente artículo se propone presentar diferentes perspectivas teóricas sobre la relación público/privado, así como colocarla bajo un prisma post estructuralista para discutir la idea de política, evaluar la situación de las mujeres, y enfatizar que lo personal es un campo abierto, permeable y transitorio”.

Palabras clave: mujeres, público-privado, personal, literatura, política.

“El ámbito público siempre se constituyó por el conflicto”. (Nancy Fraser).

“Un kilómetro de luz, un gramo de pensamiento... (De noche el reloj que late

es el corazón del tiempo...)”

(Dulce María Loynaz).

“Então meu mito cyborg se refere a fronteiras violadas, fusões potentes e possibilidades peri-gosas que as pessoas progressistas poderiam explorar como uma parte do trabalho político

necessário”. (Donna Haraway).

1. “Si las paredes hablaran: paredes privadas y públicas; hacia el discurso de concreto”.

Pensemos en las paredes que delimitan los espacios donde reproducimos la vida en sociedad. Pensemos en las paredes, en los límites, en los muros simbólicos que levantamos, o derrumbamos en situaciones de conflicto. ¿No son paredes las que resguardan el cerco sagrado de lo “personal”, las que delimitan “un adentro” y “un afuera”, las que dan forma a una realidad familiar y a otra extra: comunitaria, social? ¿No es una geografía de muros, la ciudad? ¿Y cuántas paredes cargan las personas por dentro? Y qué decir de los límites que carecen de estructuras materiales. Las fronteras invisibles que separan realidades como “opuestos” sin la aparente garantía de reconciliación, y que, como nos podemos percatar, se reproducen y socializan de manera discursiva. ¿Cómo pasar entonces al discurso de concreto? ¿Qué se estará queriendo decir con la frase: si las paredes hablaran?

Lo anterior sirve para abrazar una interpretación metafórica de una de las dicotomías fundadoras del pensamiento político patriarcal, se trata de la relación público-privado. Esta relación ha sido analizada desde diferentes puntos de vistas: el espacial que los considera como esferas y/o ámbitos separados o también, que borra los límites entre ellos (Mouffe, Chantal 1993); el económico que mantiene una distinción entre producción y reproducción y/o abarca el consumo (Eisenstein Zillah, 1997); el discursivo que entiende uno de estos espacios, el público, como terreno de interacción discursiva y aún, dentro de este mismo enfo-que, encontramos el paso de lo espacial hacia la categoría “públicos” como agentes, en tanto actores sociales (Fraser Nancy, 1993). Mi objetivo es el de mostrar la importancia de estas representaciones e intentar colaborar con una perspectiva cultural y cotidiana, que trabaje encima de lo discursivo, contando con las herramientas que ofrece la corriente pós-estructuralista, la observación de campo, e introduciendo términos como los del entre-lugar y el entre-tiempo, que permiten sostener la hipótesis de que lo personal es un campo abierto, permeable y transitorio, de importancia vital para las mujeres, para todas aquellas que así continúen queriendo ser llamadas.

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Mujeres: Narrar lo público-privado y la política del entre-lugar y el entre-tiempo

María Antonia Miranda González

Graduación (2004) y Mestrado en (2009) Sociología por la Universidad de la Habana. Formada en el Centro de Formación Literaria Onelio Jorge Car-doso. (Cuba 2004). Fue profesora del Departamento de Sociologia de la Universidade de la Habana 2004-2007. Investigadora del Instituto Cubano de Investigaciones Culturales- ICIC. Colaboradora del Centro Félix Varela y de la Revista Digital Cubaliteraria (2008-2011). Co-autora del libro: Con-vergencias en Género, apuntes desde la Sociología, lanzado en 2011. Actualmente realiza estudos de doctorado en el Programa de Estudios Inter-disciplinares sobre Mujeres, Género y Feminismo- PPGNEIM de la UFBA.

E-mail: sociologymara@gmail.com

Transversal Studies SectionNº 7

Lo público y lo privado aparecen asociados a la lógica de lo de afuera y lo de dentro, lo externo y lo interno, es la lógica del límite espacial que considera ambos como espacios objetivos, o incluso, se puede llegar a decir que son objetivos y subjetivos al mismo tiempo. En mi caso quiero resaltar un componente: el de la construcción cultural, el del papel de la tradición en la imposición de la lógica basada en un “imaginario social” y por tanto asentado en forma de mito:

Ustedes sienten qué alcance tiene este mito de lo de fuera y lo de dentro: es el de la alienación que se funda sobre esos dos términos. Lo que se traduce en su oposición formal se convierte más allá en alienación de hostilidad entre am-bos. Y así, la simple oposición geométrica se tiñe de agresividad. La oposición formal no puede permanecer tranquila, el mito la trabaja. (BACHELARD, 1992, p.251).

Unos de mis últimos trabajos de campo, fueron desarrollados en el tema de violencia y en la creación artística de jóvenes como resistencia identitária ante formas de homogeniza-ción cultural. Las mujeres que me acompañaron en ese proceso no dejaron de asombrarme. Los espacios que trabajamos fueron la calle, y los talleres de transformación del barrio. Los valores androcéntricos de esos espacios, continuaban fuertes, y mantenían la oposición tradi-cionalista con “el mundo privado” al cual se “lanzaban” miradas de respeto.

Es el reconocimiento del mito, de su posible función desestabilizadora lo que me con-duce a formular las siguientes preguntas directrices: ¿Qué es lo personal? ¿Continuará teniendo el mismo efecto la frase: “lo personal es político” del feminismo radical en una época de descentramientos, vaciamientos, post-estructuralismo, post-modernismo, globaliza-ción neoliberal? ¿Tendrá sentido ensayar como una repuesta posible que lo personal es lo pri-vado? ¿Cómo afectarán estas preguntas las nociones de política y de poder?

Las mujeres que habían pasado por situaciones de violencia referenciaban no tener un tiempo propio, un espacio, sentían que su tiempo era controlado, lo narraban, como parte de una vigilancia interna, conocemos las frases comunes: “él quería saber lo que yo hacía siempre”, “si llegaba a la casa y no estaba hecha la comida se enojaba”, “quería mandar en mi persona”. Una de las más llamativas en mi opinión relata: “Un día llegué a sentir que yo no era yo, que nunca había tenido la oportunidad de serlo, porque no tuve tiempo para mí”. ¿Qué límites no reconocidos funcionan para identificar la falta ese “personal”, para quienes son obligadas a desdoblarse para los “otros”?

James Williams en su libro “Pós-estructuralismo” repara en el sentido que tiene, para dicha corriente, la categoría de límite. Un límite que no se compara con los sentidos estructuralistas de diferencia entre objetos identificables sino entre variaciones abiertas, lla-madas muchas veces de procesos de diferenciación, cuyos efectos son transformaciones, cambios y revaluaciones. (WILLIAMS, 2012).

¿Qué tipo de revaluación sería pertinente para el postulado de: “Lo personal es político” que hasta hoy mantiene una vigencia activa, y que además se traduce, regresando a nuestra metáfora inicial, en que no existe pared, ni muro que corte o detenga el impacto del poder, de las desiguales relaciones de poder, sus cuotas diferenciadas y contradictorias.

Una definición tradicional del ámbito privado, abarca en palabras de Agnes Heller, “las emociones domésticas”, que se transcriben como sinónimos de relaciones familiares, matrimonio, trabajo doméstico y cuidado de los niños. Haciendo de lo privado el pequeño mundo de la mujer, una esfera femenina sobre la cual los representantes hombres del Patriarcado ejercen el sentido de propiedad, protegiéndola de las interferencias públicas.

Otra perspectiva que debemos tomar en cuenta sobre lo público/privado es la que está inmersa en el concepto de derechos. Al tiempo que refuerza los principios liberales subyacen-tes de la libertad individual y la igualdad formal, establece correspondencias entre los derechos individuales y la noción de un ámbito de libertad privado, separado y distinto del público en el cual el estado no puede interferir legítimamente. Enfatizando la protección de aspectos privados e individuales.

Estas definiciones fueron alternando permanencias y mudanzas que provocaron serias consecuencias para la vida de las mujeres, ya que se pasa a defender desde el poder “oficial”, espacios de impunidad para la violencia doméstica, que continua socializándose, en la prác-tica, como un asunto privado.

1.1- Si las paredes hablaran: ¿qué dirían de “Las Mujeres”?

Una de las situaciones históricas que provocó un cúmulo de impactos negativos para las mujeres fue la forma en que se reprodujo la categoría moderna de individuo. Ya que la misma postula la existencia de un público universalista y homogéneo, relegando todas las particularidades y diferencias para el ámbito privado.

Y cuando repasamos la historia reciente de las definiciones de los intereses de las mujeres, encontramos que sus demandas han sido planteadas, en su mayoría, para ganar el control de sus vidas, de sus destinos dentro del propio espacio privado y no para la creación de nuevas instituciones.

Aparentemente la ruptura de un modelo más tradicional, que persiste en algunos contextos, de la familia hombre mantenedor-ama de casa, ha aumentado la independencia de las mujeres en relación a sus maridos y las ha colocado en una situación de mayor dependen-cia con respecto al Estado, en tanto empleadas, clientes y consumidoras de los servicios públi-cos.

Hecho que quizás permita corroborar la tesis que mantienen algunas autoras sobre la mayor dependencia de las mujeres de la política de los Estados en comparación con los hom-bres. Entre las razones por ellas descritas se apunta al proceso de reproducción que continúa integrando a las mujeres tanto en la familia como fuera de esta, de forma que se encuentren extendiendo constantemente las actividades domésticas y del cuidado en los “espacios públi-cos” como una extensión de sus tareas de la “esfera privada”.

El trabajo asalariado, numerosas veces, lleva las marcas del trabajo doméstico, con horarios “sumamente elásticos en función de los pedidos- debido a la existencia de fenóme-nos como la subcontratación, falta de cualificación, la subordinación a capataces masculinos,

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confusión entre servicios laborales con sexuales o los llamados “específicamente femeninos” y se encuentran en su inmensa mayoría al margen de los derechos laborales por ser los de-nominados trabajadores genéricos.

Eso explica las miles de mujeres que realizan trabajos en sectores invisibles, mal remu-neradas, y explotadas, casi siempre inmigrantes, entre las que se destacan las que trabajan de costureras, en condiciones de explotación y sometidas a una violencia que les impide ver la luz del día, para no llamar la atención de las autoridades en los países de América Latina.

Ejemplos como estos generan un proceso continuo de distinción que nos permite expli-car como reconoce Nancy Fraser, la exacerbación del sexismo característico del ámbito público liberal y podemos añadir neoliberalista:

Este proceso de distinción ayuda a explicar la exacerbación del sexismo carac-terístico del ámbito público liberal, las nuevas normas de género que prescribían la domesticidad femenina y una marcada separación entre los ámbitos público y privado funcionaban como signos clave de la diferencia entre la burguesía y las clases tanto altas como bajas”. (FRASER, 1993, p.29).

Lo cual nos conduce a incorporar una perspectiva interseccional del asunto desde la cual podamos entender como la exclusión y difícil absorción de lo femenino en el ámbito público, resulta de una ideología con prejuicios de raza y clase. Este análisis interseccional ayuda a repensar lo público y lo privado de forma que podamos percibir las posiciones de hombres y mujeres en estos ámbitos no solo de manera espacial.

La forma física como los cuerpos ocupan el espacio no condiciona el empoderamiento que desarrollan en dichas posiciones. Lo público parece retroceder o alejarse como un hori-zonte, una línea imaginaria que no se alcanza cuando los cuerpos femeninos entran en sus instituciones. Hay un marco institucional, que parece tener el arte de recrear lo privado/doméstico para acogerlas, mantenerlas, en la extensión y repetición de los roles del cuidado o tareas estereotipadas como “cosas de mujeres”, de manera que no puedan experimentar lo público en carne propia. Esto demuestra una complejidad que implica estar imbuido de ambas dimensiones: privadas y públicas al mismo tiempo, creando la sensación de estar en un inter-medio, un entre-lugar y entre-tiempo que se dinamiza de acuerdo a las lecturas de género, raza y clase.

Uno de los procesos claves en la disolución de barreras para estos dos ámbitos fue el de comprender lo político desde una óptica alternativa a los centros de poder tradicionales. Al interior de la misma ganaron legitimidad tanto lo micro-social como las construcciones discur-sivas.

Por ser mi temática de estudio la preocupación por mujeres escritoras y ser consciente de las condiciones en que consiguen realizar su oficio: en la mesa de la cocina, en el espacio que ocupan el resto de las personas de la casa para otros fines, me pareció plausible incluir un enlace dirigido hacia la mujer escritora, una interpretación del asunto desde la perspectiva de la mujer que escribe.

1.2- Política: “lo personal es político”. Los ejemplos narrativos.

Ser mujer es una decisión, no depende de menstruaciones, vestuarios, tareas, u orienta-ción sexual, es una identificación, un sentirse, un querer ser, un no saber definirse, a veces, y sobre todo: una relación social. Dicha relación fue inscrita y clasificada por diversas autoras, dentro de parámetros de comprensión de “esferas” públicas y privadas, retratadas en disímiles ejemplos literarios, reforzadas por mitos y preocupadas con reinterpretar lo que entendemos por política.

La “mitología del espacio” se hace evidente en las narrativas tanto orales como escri-tas. Lo literario se transforma en un contexto político de poder, accesible a los análisis de los/las feministas. Como se puede entrever en el título del artículo, lo público/privado también es una relación que se narra, la ficción sirve aquí para distinguir posibles disoluciones de la dico-tomía:

Antígona é uma pessoa política (ou seja, nem uma “mulher privada” nem um “homem público”). Transcende a divisão entre o público e o privado porque encarna o pessoal fato político. Através de seu discurso e de suas ações transforma uma questão de interesse privado em um assunto público. (DIETZ, 2001a, p.62).

Uno de los ejemplos literarios utilizados por una de las teóricas de la dicotomía público/privado es el de Antígona, la heroína de Sófocles. Donde el rey de Antígona representa el es-tado. Antígona desafía las obligaciones abstractas del Estado y rechaza la vida pública repre-sentada por Creonte, el rey, según la interpretación de Elshtain. Sin embargo, para Mary Dietz, Creonte no es simplemente un hombre, un rey del ámbito público que mancha la honra de una familia y trivializa las lealtades privadas. Él es la manifestación de un tipo particular de política, el gobierno autoritario, al cual Antígona, como ciudadana, se opone. (DIETZ, 2001a, p.61). Lo mismo ocurre con el personaje de Scherezada, la narradora que consigue gracias al arte de tejer historias conservar la vida, y parar, de este modo, la secuencia de muertes de las esposas del Califa (símbolo de Estado), en Vozes do Deserto, un romance de la escritora brasileña Nélida Piñón.

“Scherezade não teme a morte. Não acredita que o poder do mundo, representado pelo Califa, a quem o pai serve, decrete por meio de sua morte o extermínio da sua imaginação”. (PIÑÓN, 2004, p. 7).

La autora se detiene en exponer los detalles de la dificultad de narrar, del oficio de la mujer que narra, y del empoderamiento que ofrece el arte de manipular la palabra. Juega con la inversión del signo que fue la prohibición de la escrita femenina, en el arte de contar, de la oralidad que se desdobla ante nosotros, los lectores, en un doble juego: la mujer que escribe sobre la mujer que narra, como queriendo extender exponencialmente los enraizamientos mi-crofísicos del poder.

“À mercê de Scherezade, o soberano testa um poder que naquelas circunstân-cias de nada lhe serve”. (...) “Intui que seu poder frente ao império narrativo

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de Scherezade, vale pouco, o que lhe dá motivo de ameaçá-la de novo com a morte aos primeiros sinais da aurora”. (PIÑÓN, 2004, p. 126 y p.197).

Nélida Piñón consigue encarnar en el cuerpo de Scherezade atrapado en los aposentos, el espíritu del mercado de Bagdad, una conciencia pública que amenaza con derrumbar las estructuras de control impuestas por el personaje del Califa, que es a su vez la imagen del patriarcado.

Su presencia en un intercambio personal, como es la relación sexual obligatoria entre el amo y su esclava, deja de ser estrictamente privada para convertirse en asunto público, la defensa de las mujeres a través del habla, en un campo de interacción subjetiva, donde es ella quien domina la palabra, quien al construir cada noche distintas historias construye la Historia, la suya. Hecho que le otorgará como personaje principal la posibilidad de participación política.

¿Qué es libertad política?, ¿Qué significa ser ciudadano? ¿Qué requiere una conciencia política expresamente femenina? O, para plantearlo más abierta-mente, ¿hay algo más en la política feminista que la lucha revolucionaria con-tra el estado?”. (DIETZ, 2001, p. 15).

Mary Dietz coloca el concepto de ciudadanía en el centro mismo de una actividad colectiva donde los individuos determinan y modifican constantemente los límites entre lo público y lo privado. Para otra autora como Chantal Mouffe, la ciudadanía es un principio ar-ticulador que condiciona las distintas posiciones de los sujetos, permitiendo a la vez, una plu-ralidad de afiliaciones, de manera que no es una identidad entre otras, ni tampoco una identi-dad dominante. Se nutre de la distinción público/privado pero no la entiende como esferas separadas porque cada situación es un encuentro entre lo privado y lo público. Expresa que todos los emprendimientos son privados, pero nunca exentos de condiciones públicas prescri-tas, y agrego, inscritas en los principios de la ciudadanía.

Una parte que me resulta atractiva es cuando Mouffe señala que los deseos, las decisiones, así como las elecciones son privadas, porque son parte de la responsabilidad individual; sin embargo los desempeños son públicos porque tienen que sujetarse a los condi-cionamientos especificados por los principios ético-políticos del régimen que faculta la gramática de la conducta del ciudadano.

El tránsito de los fragmentos literarios hacia la cosmovisión de ciudadanía responde a un hilo conductor que se preocupa por la participación política de las mujeres, y de cómo se evidencia dentro de ello el peso “del mito”, así en abstracto, al punto de que las autoras del artículo: Los intereses de las mujeres y el estado post-estructuralista, comiencen su texto con la confesión de un sueño que ficcionaliza una preocupación latente, y es la dificultad de despo-jarse del símbolo del monarca, rey, patriarca aún vestido con ropajes femeninos:

“Matamos a la Reina. Nos abrimos paso por una serie de habitaciones privadas y la acuchillamos (…) Luego nos encontramos en el tribunal entre un nume-roso grupo de mujeres vestidas con túnicas de penitente que realizaban una

manifestación con carteles. Todas cantaban “Yo maté a la Reina”, lo que pro-ducía una gran confusión”. (PRINGLE, WATSON, 2002, p.67).

Para una definición de política vale recordar que en el sentido de un modelo cívico re-publicano esta alude a un conjunto de personas que razonan juntas para promover el bien común y que no se trata de la simple suma de preferencias individuales. No obstante, preferí tomar otros dos conceptos los cuales agrupé en una pequeña síntesis por considerarlos perti-nentes a ambos, se trata de la visión de Mary G. Dietz, que alude al acto de involucrarse en el debate público y de compartir la responsabilidad del autogobierno”. (DIETZ, 2001, p. 23), junto a la concepción de Millet de una política que no se refiere al limitado mundo de las reuniones, los presidentes y los partidos, sino por el contrario, al conjunto de relaciones y com-promisos estructurados de acuerdo con el poder, en virtud de los cuales un grupo de personas queda bajo el control de otro grupo”. (MILLET, 1995, p.68).

Donde ese “involucrarse” transmite, en mi opinión, una necesidad de llevar a la escena de “lo público” un compromiso íntimo, ¿personal?, entrar de lleno en sus asuntos y por tanto conseguir una participación dentro del debate que se realiza a través de la enunciación de deter-minados “discursos”. Donde, a su vez, esos “compromisos estructurados de acuerdo con el poder” y en oposición al limitado mundo de la política (en términos tradicionales y positivis-tas, entiéndase las instituciones que incluyen y rodean a los estados y los gobiernos); conlle-van al postulado de que lo personal es político.

Uma vez que aceitemos o conceito fundamental do feminismo de que o pessoal é político, (...) não mais podemos afirmar que existem duas esferas da realidade social: a esfera privada ou doméstica, da família, sexualidade e afetividade, e a esfera pública do trabalho e da produtividade. (...) Em vez disso, poderíamos imaginar vários conjuntos inter-relacionados de relações sociais- relações de trabalho, classe, raça e sexo-gênero. (LAURETIS, 1994, p.215).

Sin embargo, este postulado ha enfrentado algunas revisiones en el pensamiento de autoras que comenzaron a llevar en consideración el contexto de la globalización neoliberal, bajo la mirada de perspectivas económicas preocupadas por la sostenibilidad de dicho postu-lado como principio de acción para la transformación feminista.

Lo cual merece especial atención si concordamos con la existencia de una democracia de tipo neoliberal, ya que la misma debe ser aprehendida dentro de la lógica mercantil y sobre todo, del consumo. En la que los seres humanos llamados/as de ciudadanos/as son reducidos a meros consumidores, que realizan su libertad en la elección de objetos a consumir. La democracia es conceptualizada, de esta forma, como un sistema político supeditado a la economía.

En ese caso encontramos a Zillah Eisenstein, quien declara que no hay política en lo personal, porque lo personal es hecho privado. (Incluso en los textos de otras autoras se habla de una privatización de la política por género). En esta mirada económica se expone que, al parecer, estamos transcendiendo la división de lo público y de lo privado, pero de una forma que Eisenstein describe como inconsistente y contradictoria; incluso en forma de pérdida. Ella

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intenta transmitirnos como la pérdida de un espacio implica la pérdida del otro, hasta ahora considerado su contrario. Ocurriendo las pérdidas de espacios privados y públicos simultánea-mente.

Ahora, una vez más, el capital global redefine la división entre lo público/privado para los nuevos países del tercer mundo, privilegiando el mercado sobre la intensiva domesticidad del trabajo del hogar y un estado ausente. Mientras tanto la desindustrialización en los países del primer mundo produce una nueva división de la creciente privatización. Lo que una vez fue la esfera pública del estado ahora es privatizado por los neoconservadores, de tal forma que cada individuo debe cuidar de sí mismo. (EISENSTEIN, 1997, p.232).

Su insistencia en lo económico viene dada por su idea de que la privatización del mundo público ha creado una crisis para ambos mundos, y que cuanto más se haga en lo pri-vado- la importancia de la privacidad individual y libertad de elección y de mercados- lo público se va haciendo pedazos. Ella pregunta: ¿qué puede significar la privacidad cuando lo público ya no existe? Si desaparece la noción de público ¿cómo es que uno puede vivir fuera de sí? Es valioso recuperar la visión de que lo privado siempre existe en relación a lo público, y que ellos se intercambian y se conflictúan uno con otro simultáneamente.

Aunque concuerdo con su postulado de que el capital transnacional necesita de la priva-tización de muchas cosas públicas, y agrego de numerosos bienes públicos en general, despro-tegidos por la carencia o debilidad de políticas de bienestar social casi inexistentes. Me pregunto si Zillah Eisenstein se estará refiriendo a la privatización de un espacio y/o ámbito; si su visión alude a prácticas comercializadoras y de publicitación de aspectos familiares. Ya que el imaginario científico social considera a la familia como menos privada que en otros contextos anteriores en términos de control público, de ayuda y de intervención.

Ella prosigue diciendo que las “políticas sexuales” y lo definido por el poder encu-bierto como los momentos privados, son comercializados masivamente. Refiriéndose, de este modo, no únicamente a un espacio, sino también a un tiempo, que pasa por las cuestiones de identidad y de lenguaje.

“La comercialización masiva absorbe, publicita, normaliza y disciplina, todo a la vez. La comercialización redefine los límites entre lo privado y lo público, adentro y afuera, política convencional y cultura de masas, lenguaje feminista e identidades de las mujeres. Las políticas feministas radicales quedan fuera de las renegociadas fronteras, mientras que el estatus de víctima de las mujeres se convierte en el nuevo voyeurismo”. (EISENSTEIN, 1997, p.217).

Retomamos la cuestión del discurso, unida a las identidades de las mujeres, que se presentan cada vez más como identidades fragmentarias, transitorias. La aparente disolución de ambos ámbitos, comporta según mi punto de vista, una situación en la que sean tomados en cuenta, la transitoriedad, los entretiempos y entre-lugares, la permeabilidad que afectan notoriamente la “realidad” postmoderna, desde un punto de vista post-estructuralista y que juega con las revi-siones críticas de la categoría “identidad”.

Podemos caracterizar la situación de vida que experimentamos actualmente como dirigida por principios de desdiferenciación de la organización del espacio y el tiempo en un contexto de eventos no solo complejos sino también acelerados.

Termos como entrelugar, entremeio e entretempo (…) circunscrevem fenôme-nos e vidas oscilantes situados em espaços fronteiriços, numa esfera do além, formulada por Bhaba como “momento de trânsito em que espaço e tempo se cruzem para produzir figuras complexas de diferença e identidade”. (OLINTO, 2010, p.28).

1.3- Un par de ideas finales.

Así como lo personal fue comprendido como un campo abierto, permeable y transito-rio, la política presenta connotaciones difusas, porque las relaciones de poder no son inmuta-bles, y se resignifican, más en un contexto de vaciamientos, donde las identidades se fragmen-tan y pluralizan. Decir que lo personal es político merece un voto a favor y en contra al mismo tiempo, dentro de una dialéctica oscilatoria que permite entender la desestabilización de lo personal por lo público, la privatización de lo privado, la impronta de lo discursivo y la apari-ción de entre-lugares y entre-tiempos.

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NOTAS

1 Existe un reconocimiento acerca de la ausencia de lo femenino en cuanto sujeto de derechos y ciudadanía dentro del pensamiento político tradicional. Además como parte de la obsesión por los orígenes se ha colocado como posible punto de partida para esta cuestión, la distinción entre dos esferas: la pública y la privada, consid-eradas también como ámbitos y/o espacios, dentro de los cuales se identifican de forma dicotomizada, por ende, opuesta, a lo masculino con la primera y lo femenino con la segunda. Y este proceso de identificación se tornó una especie de base para el pensamiento político patriarcal.

2 Este punto de vista será desarrollado en próximos trabajos.

3 Que se interesa por el discurso y me resulta útil para aprehender aspectos del lenguaje, narración, y la litera-tura.

4Colaboración con el proyecto de investigación de la Dr. Clotilde Proveyer Cervantes del Dpto de Sociología (Universidad de la Habana): “Violencia de género en Cuba: “Los TTIB en La Habana y la atención a la violencia contra las mujeres: Una propuesta de acompañamiento a actores locales para su atención”. (2011).

5Proyecto en andamiento: Nuevas formas de consumo cultural: jóvenes creadores y contrahegemonía.6 “Para el liberalismo, en el pasado, este ámbito privado abarcó casi siempre, en palabras de Agnes Heller, “las emocio-nes domésticas”, es decir, matrimonio, familia, trabajo doméstico, y cuidado de los niños. En suma, la noción liberal de “lo privado” ha abarcado lo que se ha denominado “esfera de la mujer” como “propiedad del varón” y no solo ha tratado de defenderlo de la interferencia del ámbito público, sino que también ha mantenido aparte de la vida de lo público a quienes “pertenecen” a esa esfera: las mujeres”. (DIETZ, 2001, p.8).

7 “El concepto de derechos no sólo refuerza los principios liberales subyacentes de la libertad individual y la igualdad formal, sino que establece también la distinción entre “privado” y “público” que inspira gran parte de la perspectiva liberal sobre la familia y las instituciones sociales. Los derechos individuales corresponden a la noción de un ámbito de libertad privado, separado y distinto del público. Pese a que los teóricos liberales no coinciden con respecto al carácter y grado de intervención estatal en el ámbito público- y ni siquiera acerca de lo que cuenta como “público”- aceptan no obstante la idea de que determinados derechos son inviolables y existen en un ámbito privado en el que el estado no puede interferir legítimamente”. (DIETZ, 2001, p.8).

8 Volveremos a esto con algunas formulaciones de Nancy Fraser sobre Habermas.

9 “a moderna categoria de indivíduo foi construída de uma forma que postula um “público” universalista e homogêneo, relegando toda a particularidade e toda a diferença para o “privado”, o que tem conseqüências extremamente negativas para as mulheres”. (MOUFFE, 1993, p.111).

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Bibliografía.

AMORÓS, Célia. Globalización y orden de género. In.AMORÓS, C. e MIGUEL, A. Teoria Feminista: de La Ilustración a La globalización. Madrid: Minerva, Ed. 2007, pp. 301-332.

BACHELARD Gaston. La poética del espacio. Fondo de Cultura Económica. México, 1992.

BORCHORST, Anette. Las mujeres y el Estado del bienestar avanzado. Una nueva forma de poder patriar-cal? In. SASSOON, Anne (org) Las mujeres y el Estado.Madrid: Vindicación Feminista. 1987. pp 151-162.

COBO, Rosa. Globalización y nuevas servindumbre de las mujeres. In. AMORÓS, C. e MIGUEL, A. Teoria Feminista: de La Ilustración a La globalización. Madrid: Minerva, Ed. 2007, pp. 265-300.

DIETZ, Mary G. El contexto es lo que cuenta. Feminismo y teorias de la ciudadania. Debate Feminista (nº especial). México. 2001 pp. 3-32.

DIETZ, Mary G. Cidadania com cara feminista. Debate Feminista (nº especial). México. 2001 pp. 55-78.

EISENSTEIN, Zillah. Lo público de las mujeres y la búsqueda de nuevas democracias. Debate Feminista (Ano 8, Vol.15) México. 1997. Pp.198-243.

FRASER, Nancy. Repensar el ámbito público: una contribución a la crítica de la democracia realmente existente. Debate Feminista (Ano 4, vol.7) México: 1993. Pp.23-58.

HARAWAY, Donna. Um manifesto para os cyborgs: ciência, tecnologia e feminismo socialista na década de 80. In HOLLANDA, Heloísa Buarque de (Org.). Tendências e impasses: o feminismo como crítica da cultura. Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, 1994. p. 243-288.

HERNES. Helga María. El poder de las mujeres y el Estado de bienestar. (Introdución e Cap. I – La transi-ción de la dependencia privada a la pública). Madrid. Ed. Vindication Feminista. pp. 21-57.

LAURETIS, Teresa de. A tecnologia do gênero. In: HOLLANDA, Heloisa Buarque de. Tendências e im-passes: o feminismo como crítica da cultura. Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, 1994. p. 206-242.

MILLETT, Kate. “Política sexual”. Ediciones Cátedra. Universitat de Valencia. Instituto de la Mujer. Madrid. 1995.

MOUFFE, Chantal. O regressso do político. Lisboa: Gradiva. 1993 (Cap. 5 – Feminismo, cidadania e política democrática radical). Pp.: 101- 120.

OLINTO, HeidrumKrieger. Construçãoidentitária na ótica da transdiferença. In MOITA LOPES, Luiz Paulo da. BASTOS, Liliana Cabral. (Org.). Para além da identidade; fluxos, movimentos e trânsitos. Belo Horizonte: Editora UFMG, 2010. p.25-48.

PHILLIPS, Anne. Las pretenciones universales del pensamiento político. In. BARRET, M e PHILLIPS, A. (Comp.) Desestabilizar la teoría. Debates feministas contemporáneos. México: PUEG/UNAM. 2002. pp. 203-222.

PIÑÓN Nélida. Vozes do Deserto. Editora Record. Rio de Janeiro. São Paulo. 2004.

PRINGLE, Rosemary e Watson, Sophe. Los intereses de las mujeres y el estado posposestructuralista . In. In. . In. BARRET, M e PHILLIPS, A. (Comp.) Desestabilizar la teoria. Debates feministas contemporáneos. México: PUEG/UNAM. 2002.. Pp. 203-222.

SAMBADE, Iván. Medios de comunicación, democracia y subjetividad masculina. In. PULEO, Alicia (org). El reto de la igualdad de género. Nuevas perspectivas en Ética y Filosofía Política. Madrid. Ed. Biblio-teca Nueva. 2008. PP.344-360.

WALBY, Sylvia. Pos-posmodernismo? Teorización de la complejidad social. In. BARRET, M e PHILLIPS, A. (Comp.) Desestabilizar la teoría. Debates feministas contemporáneos. México: PUEG/UNAM. 2002. pp. 45-66.

WILLIAMS James. Pós-estructuralismo. Editora Vozes. Petrópolis. 2012.

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10 “Si uno repasa la historia reciente de las definiciones de los intereses de las mujeres, sus demandas han sido planteadas mucho más para ganar control sobre su propio destino dentro del espacio privado que para la creación de nuevas instituciones”. (HERNES, sa, p.29).

11 “El colapso de la familia hombre mantenedor-ama de casa ha aumentado la independencia de las mujeres en relación a su marido y a la vez ha hecho a las mujeres más dependientes del Estado como empleadas, clientes y consumidoras de los servicios públicos”. (BORCHORST, 1987, p.161).

12 “En el caso de las mujeres (…), su trabajo asalariado aún desempeñado fuera del hogar, lleva todas las marcas de su trabajo doméstico, con horarios sumamente elásticos en función de “los pedidos – ya que prevalece por doquier la fórmula de la subcontratación- , con un aprovechamiento de sus versátiles habilidades a la vez que no se les reconoce cualificación alguna, con una subordinación a capataces masculi-nos que confunden sus servicios laborales con los que eventualmente podrían ser servicios sexuales o es-pecíficamente femeninos, etc. Como son percibidas como sirvientas más que como sujetos de derechos laborales, sirven tanto para un roto como para un descocido: “son los trabajadores genéricos” por antonoma-sia. Son tan invisibles, tan sustituibles, tan indiscernibles, tan genéricas, en suma, que, a veces, aunque desa-parezcan en buen número, como ha ocurrido recientemente en ciudad Juárez, lo hacen, al parecer, ante la indiferencia de las instituciones”. (AMORÓS, 2007, p.327).

13 “Uma conceituação do problema que busca capturar as conseqüências estruturais e dinâmicas da in-teração entre dois ou mais eixos da subordinação. Ela trata especificamente da forma pela qual o racismo, o patriarcalismo, a opressão de classe e outros sistemas discriminatórios criam desigualdades básicas que estru-turam as posições relativas das mulheres, raças, etnias, classes e outras”. (CRENSHAW, Kimberlé, 2002, pp.171-188).

14 Hombres, mujeres y otros que no se reconocen dentro de estas categorías.

15 En este sentido fue relevante la obra de Foucault.

16 “A cidadania não é apenas uma identidade entre outras, como sucede no liberalismo, nem tão-pouco a identidade dominante que elimina todas as outras, como acontece no republicanismo cívico. Pelo contrário, é um principio articulador que afeta as diferentes posições de sujeito do agente social, ao mesmo tempo que permite uma pluralidade de filiações específicas e o respeito da liberdade individual. Nesta concepção, a distinção público/privado não é abandonada, mas sim concebida de forma diferente. A distinção não corre-sponde a esferas discretas, separadas; cada situação é um encontro entre o “privado” e o “público”, porque todos os empreendimentos são privados, embora nunca isentos das condições públicas prescritas pelos princípios da cidadania. Os desejos, escolhas e decisões são privados, porque são da responsabilidade de cada indivíduo, mas os desempenhos são públicos, porque têm de sujeitar-se ás condições especificadas por um determinado entendimento dos princípios ético-políticos do regime, que faculta a “gramática” da con-duta do cidadão”. (MOUFFE, 1993, p.114).

17 “En pocas palabras, el modelo cívico republicano destaca una visión de la política como un grupo de personas que razonan juntas para promover un bien común que trasciende la simple suma de preferencias individuales”. (FRASER, 1993, p.49).

18 “Al mismo tiempo el concepto de democracia es conceptualizado como un sistema político supeditado a la economía en el que los sujetos desarrollan y amplían sus derechos como consumidores. La democracia neoliberal tiene una dimensión fuertemente mercantil en la que los ciudadanos son definidos como meros consumidores, pues en la elección del objeto a consumir se concreta la libertad”. (COBO, 2007, p.280).

19 “Finalmente, las defensoras de los derechos de las mujeres combatían públicamente tanto la exclusión de la mujer del ámbito público oficial como la privatización de la política por género”. (FRASER, 1993, p.31).

20 “Parece que estamos transcendiendo la división de lo público y lo privado, pero en una forma inconsis-tente y contradictoria. La pérdida del espacio público se da, muchas veces, paralelamente con la pérdida del espacio privado”. (EISENSTEIN, 1997, p.201).

21 “Porque lo privado siempre existe en relación a lo público, y porque ellos se intercambian y se con-flictúan uno con otro simultáneamente, la privatización del mundo público ha creado una crisis para ambos mundos. Cuanto más se haga en lo privado- la importancia de la privacidad individual y libertad de elección y de mercados- lo público se va haciendo pedazos. ¿Qué puede significar la privacidad cuando lo público ya no existe? ¿Si ya no existe la noción de lo público cómo es que uno puede vivir fuera de sí? El capital tran-snacional necesita de la privatización de muchas cosas públicas”. (EISENSTEIN, 1997, p.202).

Abstract: This article examines and analyzes the controversial issue of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). With goal to find the truths and the lies around the issue, this article provides a description and an analysis of important factual information regarding the practices of FGM and its (FGM’s) relation to the cultural and religious norms of a society. In addition, it offers an interesting theoretical discussion on the issue within the frame of two core theories, Universalism and Cultural relativism. Aim of this paper is not only to condemn the FGM practices around the world but also inform the readers properly on its harmful consequences on women’s/girls’ health and rights. Based on the factual data and the discussion on FGM’s origins, it becomes obvious that FGM does not have any actual religious basis. Although it is referred to as a society’s cultural or religious custom through the study of the relevant academic literature, I reached the conclusion that FGM derives mostly from outdated beliefs of individuals. These beliefs have been passed and preserved over the years in many civilizations and as a result have become an integral part of people's lives and cultural traditions. In many cases, the refusal of a woman to be subjected to FGM is the reason why she can be refused the chance to be educated, get married and finds a job as FGM practices have been associated with a woman's purity, cleanliness, maturity and absolute obedience to her husband. Even though international human rights laws as well as some domestic treaties have promoted and prohibited these practices against women, it is a fact that FGM is still apparent in many countries of the contemporary world.

Keywords: FGM, Culture, Religion, Women’s Rights, Human Rights, Universalism, Cultural Relativism, International Human Rights Law

Γυναικείος Γεννητικός Ακρωτηριασµός -Αλήθειες και Ψέµµατα

Απόσπασµα: Αυτό το άρθρο εξετάζει και αναλύει το επίµαχο ζήτηµα του Γυναικείου Γεννητικου Ακρωτηριασµού (ΓΓΑ). Με στόχο να βρούµε τις αλήθειες και τα ψέµατα γύρω από το θέµα, αυτό το άρθρο παρέχει την περιγραφή και ανάλυση σηµαντικών δεδοµένων σ΄ ότι αφορά τις πρακτικές του ΓΓΑ και τη σχέση του µε τις κουλτουραλιστικές και θρησκευτικές νόρµες µίας κοινωνίας. Επιπρόσθετα, προσφέρει µία ενδιαφέρουσα θεωρητική συζήτηση του θέµατος µέσα στο πλάισιο δύο βασικών θεωριών, του Οικουµενισµού και του Πολιτιστικού Σχετικισµού. Σκοπός της παρούσας µελέτης δεν είναι µόνο να καταδικάσει τις πρακτικές του ΓΓΑ σε όλο τον κόσµο, αλλά και να ενηµερώσει σωστά τους αναγνώστες σχετικά µε τις επιβλαβείς επιπτώσεις αυτών των πρακτικών στην υγεία και τα δικαιώµατα των γυναικών/κοριτσιών. Με βάση τα δεδοµένα και τη συζήτηση γύρω από την προέλευση του ΓΓΑ , γίνεται φανερό ότι ο ΓΓΑ δεν έχει καµία βάση θρησκευτικού περιεχοµένου. Παρά το γεγονός ότι αναφέρεται ως πολιτιστικό ή θρησκευτικό έθιµο µιας κοινωνίας, µέσα από τη µελέτη της σχετικής ακαδηµαικής βιβλιογραφίας , έφτασα στο συµπέρασµα ότι o ΓΓA έχει κυρίως τις ρίζες του σε ξεπερασµένες πεποιθήσεις ατόµων. Αυτές οι πεποιθήσεις έχουν περαστεί και διατηρηθεί µε το πέρασµα του χρόνου σε πολλούς πολιτισµούς και ως αποτέλεσµα έχουν γίνει αναπόσπαστο κοµµάτι της ζωής και των πολιτιστικών παραδόσεων των ανθρώπων. Σε πολλές περιπτώσεις , η άρνηση µίας γυναίκας να υποβληθεί σε ΓΓΑ είναι ο λόγος για τον οποίο µπορεί να της αρνηθεί το δικαίωµα στο να µορφωθεί, να παντρευτεί και να αποκατασταθεί επαγγελµατικά καθώς οι πρακτικές του ΓΓΑ έχουν σχετιστεί µε την γυναικεία αγνότητα, καθαρότητα , ωριµότητα και απόλυτη υπακοή στον συζυγό της. Παρόλο που το διεθνές δίκαιο ανθρωπίνων δικαιωµάτων , καθώς και ορισµένες εγχώριες συνθήκες έχουν προωθήσει και απαγορεύσει αυτές τις πρακτικές σε βάρος των γυναικών , είναι γεγονός ότι ο ΓΓΑ είναι ακόµη εµφανής σε πολλές χώρες του σύγχρονου κόσµου.

Λέξεις-κλειδιά: ΓΓΑ, Πολιτισµός, Θρησκεία, Γυναικεία Δικαιώµατα , Ανθρώπινα Δικαιώµατα , Οικουµενισµός, Πολιτιστικός σχετικισµός, Διεθνές Δίκαιο Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωµάτων

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Female Genital Mutilation - Truths and Lies

Athanasia Zagorianou

Strathclyde University, Glasgow.

Master in Human Rights Law.

e-mail: nassia_izago@yahoo.gr

www.globaleducationmagazine.comTransversal Studies SectionNº 7

Introduction

Women’s rights have been globally established as human rights through the signatory and ratification of numerous important International and domestic human rights treaties, agreements, conventions and declarations. International and regional legal documents have covered and concentrated on the various aspects of women’s rights such as domestic abuse, gender inequality, discrimination etc.

Culture, an important factor for every state's operation around the world, can easily affect and inspire the masses. A fact that sometimes might have serious consequences on individuals' physical and mental health, as many cultures have their own philosophies and strong views on issues such as health, illness, healing etc.

In some cultures, the role of women in the society is very limited and the compliance with social standards can be extremely oppressive and detrimental to the mental and physical health of women. It is not unusual for cultural norms and traditions to be linked with sexuality, alcohol or nutrition. The status of women, which has been an everlasting issue, has given rise to a variety of controversial situations as the broadly known issue of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C).

FGM is an issue that has been intensively criticized by the international community since the reason that it is practiced is not medical and the girls and women that are subjected to it do not receive proper medical care (WHO, Fact sheet N°241).

Female Genital Mutilation

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Female Genital Mutilation (FGM/C) is defined as “every procedure that involves a part or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.”(WHO, Fact sheet N°241).

Based on the study of the publication of Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Middle East, South East Africa as well as twenty-eight countries of Africa are some of the most common areas where FGM takes place (RCN, 2006, p.5). Moreover, women and girls are also subjected to FGM due to immigration of individuals in Europe, Canada, Australia and the United States (RCN, 2006, p.5)

According to WHO, FGM has been classified into four types, the first type is Clitoridectomy (utter or partial amputation of the clitoris), the second is excision (utter or partial amputation of external female genital organs i.e. clitoris and labia majora), the third is called infibulation (the removal of all outer female genitalia organs i.e. clitoris labia majora and labia minora) and sewing or tightening the vaginal hole and the fourth and last type has been characterized as any-other non-medical, hurtful method on the female genitalia (e.g. piercing, stretching, cauterization of some genital parts etc.) that can endanger the physical health of a girl or a woman(WHO, Fact sheet N°241).

The 2005 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Innocenti underlines that the number of girls and women that have been subjected to FGM reaches “[the] 130 million worldwide [while] three million women annually [are] exposed to these practices”. (Unicef Digest Innocenti, 2005, p. vii)

The biggest issue with FGM is the dramatic and disastrous consequences of these practices on women’s health and rights. During the conduction of FGM many young women and female children have died from profuse blood loss, insufferable pain or shock (WHO, 2008 p.11). FGM is mainly conducted by traditional circumcisors that in most cases do not have any surgical or even medical skills (Castledine, 2006). Most importantly it has been noted that the surgical instruments used during the FGM procedure are not sterilized, a fact that can cause serious and sometimes even fatal infections and diseases such as septicemia and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) (Alston, et al, 2007 p.547).

Women usually confront the dangerous consequences of this procedure during pregnancy and childbirth. However, the practices of FGM do not only irreversibly hurt the psychical health of women and girls but also their mental health as the traumas suffered in childhood (due to the FGM procedure) are in a lot of cases one of the most important reasons for psychological issues that appear later in their lives (Unicef Digest Innocenti, 2005, p.17). It has been noticed that many of these women face problems manifested in the form of depression, lower self-esteem, issues with their sexual life, a constantly compulsive need to urine etc. (Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 1997, p. 38).

Although the age of the girls that are subjected to FGM hinges on the customs of every country, the most common age is between five and puberty. Countries as Eritrea, Nigeria, and Mauritania are some of the countries that practice FGM on girls that are less than five years old, while in countries such as Central African Republic, Somalia and Egypt FGM is practiced on girls most commonly between five and fourteen years old.(UNICEF, 2013, p.50) Based on the above information regarding the age that FGM takes place, it is obvious that the issue does not only revolve around the rights of women but also around the rights of female children.

The practices of FGM violate some of the most important human rights treaties regarding children’s and women’s protection against violation and maltreatment. Gender equality, which is covered in Article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the right of children to the highest attainable standard of health (Article 24(1), CRC), the prohibition of all forms of mental and physical violence and maltreatment (Article 19(1), CRC) and the prohibition of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment (Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)) are only a small sample of fundamental rights that have been deprived from female children and women through the years due to FGM.

Some of the major reasons that these harmful practices are still taking place during the 21st century are high poverty, lack of education, lack of medical care and proper information on the issue. Although the consequences of FGM as I have already noted above are irreversibly harmful for women, a lot of them choose and support FGM as it is known

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that their disobedience can deprive them from their right to primary education and can stigmatize them in their local society.

Culture - Religion and FGM

It has been claimed that FGM has its origins in a number of different religious, cultural and social perspectives that have been endorsed, maintained and practiced by families and societies for non-medical reasons through the years. However, based on the study of different academic sources and researches it has been proven that FGM does not have any specific origin.

The little data that helps with tracing the origins of FGM claim that the third type of FGM, infibulation which is also considered one of the most extreme types in relation to the others, derives from the Egyptian Pharoah, while it has been recorded that clitoridectomy (the first type of FGM) was taken into practice in the Western world during the 50s' as a therapy for women that have been diagnosed with hysteria, nymphomania etc. (Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 1997, p.16 & Castledine, 2006).

In many societies, the practice of FGM is required for the acceptance of women in the society and prepares them for adulthood, parenthood and marriage while it also gives them more chances to have access to a better marriage and educational perspectives (Alston et al, pp.550-551). In other societies, FGM has been related to the sexuality of a woman. In particular, FGM has been used as a limitation to a woman’s sexuality in order to supposedly keep her away from her intense sexual tenses. In these occasions FGM symbolizes a woman’s purity or her absolute obedience to her future husband (Bourdanne, 2005).

Although the practices of FGM have been preserved and promoted as part of a society’s predominant culture and religion, it is a fact that there are not religious documents or holy books referring to any kind of obligation of a woman to be subjected to FGM (Preston D. Mitchum, 1993, p.593). According to the article Female Genital Mutilation by Nahid Toubia, FGM is not related to the religion of Islam or any other religion but “[it] was spread by dominant tribes and civilizations, often as a result of tribal, ethnic and cultural allegiances” (Julie Peters, Andrea Wolper, 1995 p.230).

Following from this point, one can see that the practices of FGM have their origins in a complicated and wide system of beliefs and ideas that have been embraced by societies throughout the years. From my point of view, the relation of the issue to culture or religion could not justify FGM’s heinous effects that are irreversibly dangerous for a woman’s physical and mental health. It would be at least negatively challenging and scandalous to try to defend these harmful practices relying on a society’s anachronistic religious and cultural beliefs and theories. Even if the practices of FGM were grounded on actual and commonly accepted religious or cultural basis, this could certainly not be used as a form of excuse or justification for this custom’s (FGM’s) acceptance and integration in a society.

The obligation of the states to protect women and female children from these hurtful practices has been legally covered by numerous human rights treaties such as The African

Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (Article 21), the CRC (Article 37(1)), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and many others. According to these articles, member-states of these treaties are required to adjust or remove traditions that endanger an individual’s life.

In order to adequately comprehend the issue it would be interesting at this point to have a careful look at the relevant article of CEDAW. Particularly, Article 5(a) of CEDAW requires the states-member of the Convention

(1) to modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women, with a view to achieving the elimination of prejudices and customary and all other practices which are based on the idea of the inferiority or superiority of either of the sexes or on stereotyped roles for men and women.”(Article 5(a), CEDAW).

At least half of the African countries have adopted legislation against female genital mutilation. Serious concerns have been expressed that these criminal practices have been transferred to European countries through immigration. Among other states, Britain and Sweden are the two states that have passed legislation for the prohibition of these cruel cultural practices. Particularly, in the UK FGM became a criminal offence under the protection of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 and Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005, Acts that have been replaced the previous Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985 (Kathy French, 2009, p. 198).

FGM - Universalism and Cultural Relativism

The issue of FGM and its cultural or religious dimensions has also been discussed within the frame of the known debate between cultural relativists and universalists.

Without any intention to misinform or mislead the readers regarding the idea of these theories and their values and with only aim to examine the issue of FGM within this long-term debate, I have to mention at this point that the general theory of cultural relativism is not essentially consistent with customs or ideas that constitute a violation of human rights.

The idea of cultural relativism is mostly based on the respect of cultural diversity among the states (Sandra Danial, 2013 pp. 4-5). For this reason, I have to point out that even though cultural relativists support and promote cultural determination and diversity of individuals, they have held a neutral position on the issue of FGM (Sandra Danial, 2013 pp. 4-5). However, I consider it really interesting to try to shoot down some of the arguments that could be used support FGM within the idea of cultural relativism.

In order to discuss the issue of FGM in the frame of these two theories (Universalism and Cultural Relativism) it would be necessary to write a few words for the principles that they represent. Based on the theory of universalism, “all human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated”. Principally, human rights are applicable to all people, irrespective of location, gender, ethnicity, race, culture, political system or any

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other type of diversity (Alston et al, 2007, p 517-518). For this reason, every international human rights treaty uses in its transcripts the universal terms as “everyone” or “no one” refer to individuals instead of the word “citizens” (Alston et al, 2007, p 517-518).

On the other hand, the theory of cultural relativism is based on the idea that there are no objective criteria by which people with different social and religious norms and perspectives can be distinguished. The basic principle of cultural relativism is the respect of diverse culture and traditions (Sandra Danial, 2013 pp.2-3). Every society has its own internal system of values which often are in conflict with the universal values of human rights. For these reasons, it (cultural relativism) supports the local autonomy and opposes against the global imposition of the western model.

Objections regarding the idea of universalism have not been raised only from relativist philosophers but also from social scientists and governmental representatives in international conferences such as the Vienna’s Conference in 1993 where the issues of culture and women rights within the frame of the two theories (cultural relativism and universalism) were discussed (Sciolino, 1993). Although the idea of universalism has been intensively criticized by the advocates of cultural relativism as a western idea that represents only the western perspectives and not the universal ones, it is a fact that the theory of universalism has worthily promoted and protected humanity through the years.

While it is important to recognize the cultural determination of many women around the world regarding different human rights issues that have been subjects of debate between universalism and cultural relativism such as the issue of Islamic veil (e.g. jihad) in the Western world, I consider it necessary to note that FGM practices are nothing alike. Even though FGM has been parallelized to male circumcision or other cosmetic surgeries that women have undergone in the Western World, it is a fact that in contrast to cosmetic surgeries, FGM is not a woman’s choice but a decision that is taken by her family, community in accordance with the cultural and social standards of her society. Additionally, women subjected to FGM are usually less than fourteen years old which means that they are still children or teenagers that in most cases are not properly aware for the procedure and its consequences on their health, an important factor that significantly contributes to their vulnerability.

It is my firm belief that human rights representatives should respect and take into account the diversity of cultures and religions on every human right issue that comes up. But what happens when culture becomes the reason for women’s health violations? FGM has to come to an end and this should not be negotiable even within the frame of cultural relativism and universalism. FGM practices should be an issue that concerns not only the women subjected to it but also all of us as it constitutes an important violation of human rights and a serious threat against public health and human dignity.

Conclusion

During the writing of this article my belief that religion has nothing to do with harmful practices against female children and women was enhanced significantly. I believe that FGM

is mostly related to deep anachronistic perceptions of individuals among states. Although the law has made some progress in the effort to eradicate the spread and existence of this custom, it is obvious that the impunity of these traditional practices is still intensively apparent. It seems that in this case prejudices and cultural norms are stronger than laws.

At this point, as far as I am concerned, proper information and counseling to families and children regarding the dangers of FGM would be more useful than the observation of laws.I would propose the operation of free institutions, coordination of campaigns and obligatory seminars at schools that would be sponsored by the government of every state in the world. Their purpose would be to appropriately inform and advise families and girls on the practices of FGM and its harmful dimensions.

To conclude, some ideas for future analysis could be the financial factors behind FGM, discussion of cultural-religious norms of non-Western countries within the debate of cultural relativism and universalism, the practices of FGM and their spread in the Western World through immigration and others. Most importantly I consider that this article gives rise for further analysis not only on the issue of FGM and its dimensions but also on other violations against women's and children rights.

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References

Alston, Goodman, Steiner, (2007), International Human Rights in Context’, Law, Politics, Morals (3rd, Oxford University Press)

Castledine J, (2006). Female Genital Mutilation: An Issue Cultural Relativism or Human Rights? Mount Holyoke College, International Relations Program

Dr Bourdanne H, (2005). ‘Excision’ Tearfund International Learning Zone(TILZ) Retrieved from: http://tilz.tearfund.org/Publications/Footsteps+21-30/Footsteps+24/Excision.htm

French K, (2009). ‘Sexual Health’ Essential Clinical Skills Nurses series, 1st ed. Wiley-Blackwel

Mitchum D, P, (2013). Slapping the Hand of Cultural Relativism: Female Genital Mutilation, Male, Domi-nance, and Health as a Human Rights Framework, 19 Wm. & Mary J. Women & L. 585

Peters J, Wolper A, (1995). Women's Rights, Human Rights: International Feminist Perspectives, Psychology Press

Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, (1997), Female Genital Mutilation

Sandra Danial S, (Spring, 2013).Cultural Relativism vs. Universalism: Female Genital Mutilation, Pragmatic Remedies, Prandium - The Journal of Historical Studies, Vol. 2, No. 1,The Department of Historical Studies, University of Toronto Mississauga

Sciolino E, (1993).U.S. Rejects Notion That Human Rights Vary With Culture, The New York Times, Re-t r i e v e d from:http://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/15/world/us-rejects-notion-that-human-rights-vary-with-culture.html?src=pm

UNICEF, (2005). Changing a Harmful Social Convention: Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, Digest Inno-centi, Retrieved from: http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/fgm_eng.pdf

UNICEF, (2013). Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A statistical overview and exploration of the dynamics of change, Retrieved from: http://www.unicef.org/media/files/FGCM_Lo_res.pdf

WHO, (2008). Eliminating female genital mutilation, An inter-agency statement OHCHR, UNDAIS, UNDP, UNECA, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIFEM, WHO

WHO, (2012).Female genital mutilation, Fact sheet N°241 Official Website Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/gender/genderandhealth/en/index.html

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Resumen: Nuestro estudio va a consistir en una mirada a las mujeres indígenas en América Latina. Éstas se encuentran en una situación de pobreza y subordinación, viven en un contexto de doble rechazo por el hecho de ser indígena y mujeres. Con ello no queremos generalizar y dar a entender que se tratan de sociedades exclusiva-mente machistas pero sí que ciertos sectores deben asumir una actitud más respetuosa con las mujeres indígenas. Otro factor a tener en cuenta es el hecho de que nos situemos en un área geográfica tan vasta y heterogénea como lo es América Latina y que, por tanto, no todo lo que se comente tiene que ser visto de un modo generalista.

Palabras clave: Mujer, Comunidad Indígena, América Latina, pobreza, Movimientos Indígenas Femeninos.

Submissive Lives: the Indigenous Women

Abstract: Our study consists of a reflective look at native women in South America. They find themselves in a situation of great poverty and subordination; they live in a double rejected context because they are indigenous and women. However, we do not want to imply that this exclusively concerns chauvinist societies, bur certain sectors must demonstrate a more respectful attitude with native women. Furthermore, another factor must be kept in mind; we are situated in a geographical area as vast and as diverse as Latin America. Thus, not everything can be commented from a general point of view.

Keywords: Woman, Indigenous Community, Latin America, poverty, Feminine Indigenous Movement.

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Vidas Sumisas: la Mujer Indígena

Lorena Yañez Ruano

Mestrando en Estudios Latinoamericanos: Cultura y Gestión, por la Universidad de Granada

E-mail: loyarua@gmail.com

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“Mi nombre es Esther, pero eso no importa ahora. Soy zapatista, pero eso tampoco importa en este momento. Soy indígena y soy mujer, y eso es lo único que importa ahora…Quiero explicarles la situación de la mujer indígena que vivimos en nuestras comunidades,… La situación es muy dura”(1).

INTRODUCCIÓN

Para poder entender el contexto en el que nos movemos deberíamos hacer una pequeña incursión en su ambiente habitual. En este sentido reconocemos dos tipos de mujeres indígenas las que continúan viviendo dentro de sus comunidades de origen, en el ámbito rural y las que, por diferentes razones, han debido trasladarse a las áreas urbanas. ¿Qué entendemos por indígena? Aquellas personas que continúan preservando sus tradiciones espíritu-culturales así como sus lenguas, diferentes a las del resto de la población. Por lo tanto, cuando nos referimos a una comunidad indígena estamos entendiendo como «el espacio en donde no solo se manifiesta plenamente la identidad indígena, sino también el vín-culo esencial con la tierra y la territorialidad (como espacio material, pero también simbólico o sagrado), las expresiones más definidas de las culturas indígenas, las lenguas o las fies-tas […](2)».

EL ROL DE LA MUJER EN LA COMUNIDAD INDÍGENA: madres, esposas, trabaja-doras e invisibles.

En el mundo prehispánico el rol de la mujer en su comunidad se limitaba a su condi-ción de madre relegada a las tareas domésticas pero… ¿Cuánto ha cambiado su situación? En el momento en el que la mujer indígena nace va a tener ciertas pautas que cumplir:

Desde pequeña es entrenada en labores pesadas, recoger leña, cargar agua y, por supuesto, cocinar lavar, cardar la lana y tejer. A los catorce años, el Mamo, sacerdote de la tribu, indica cuál es el hombre que le conviene y al que debe seguir para obedecer, cuidar y ayudar durante toda. Desde esa temprana edad, comienzan las obligaciones de mujer casada, que van desde buscar el basti-mento y la leña para las comidas, acarrear el agua, procrear y cuidar hijos en una tarea sin término. Siempre ocupa el segundo lugar […](3).

Si tenemos en cuenta el “prototipo” de familia indígena éste se va a configurar por la pareja y un promedio entre 7 y 10 hijos en las zonas rurales. La familia es vista como núcleo económico, social y cultural en la que las mujeres juegan un papel fundamental en tanto que son las encargadas de la educación de sus hijos. Son las transmisoras de los valores y tradiciones y se esfuerzan por conseguir la perpetuación de sus culturas por lo que la mujer es una pieza fundamental en este proceso de transmisión de las tradiciones culturales dentro de los parámetros de su comunidad.(4)

Sin embargo, nos encontramos ante una sociedad históricamente patriarcal, bajo la mirada masculina, en la que la violencia de género continúa presente en sus vidas a través del maltrato doméstico, la maternidad temprana, el derecho de pernada o la esterilización sin con-sentimiento. Asistimos ante la importancia de la familia como núcleo económico, social y cultural donde las mujeres son vistas como un útero generador de vida y continuidad, de-jando de lado la sexualidad o el placer. Los comportamientos se suelen basar en relaciones machistas entre hombres y mujeres, sometimiento de éstas, en definitiva, una sociedad regida por el hombre en el que la mujer debe de soportar humillaciones y discriminaciones. Básica-

mente se trata de sociedades en las cuales la mujer queda relegada a un segundo plano. De acuerdo con un testimonio de primera mano:

La mayor parte, si no es que todas las mujeres indígenas que han logrado participar en el espacio público, las que han desplegado su capacidad organi-zativa en procesos sociales, las que los encabezan, sea la instalación de un molino de nixtamal o la procuración de justicia en la comunidad, han cono-cido en carne propia o de cerca y de manera directa, muy diversas formas de violencia contra las mujeres: violencia física, golpes y torturas; sexual, violaciones; psicológica, desprestigio, descalificación y amenaza; de Estado, intimidación o muerte; sus verdugos han sido generalmente varones, sean sus compañeros de vida; sus compañeros de lucha dentro de organizaciones mix-tas; sus enemigos políticos y de clase. La violencia se halla entre los recuer-dos y experiencias primarias y se vive también en el presente, no es algo ale-daño o periférico de sus vidas […](5).

En este sentido, se debería intentar buscar una alternativa que fomente el equilibrio y la igualdad. Sin embargo, la problemática que nos surge es: ¿cómo intentar hacer compatible el comportamiento sociológico de las comunidades indígenas en referencia al tratamiento de la mujer con el estado de derecho de los países que integran a estas comunidades? ¿Real-mente si intentamos mejorar la situación de la mujer indígena dentro de su comunidad estamos alterando gravemente sus estructuras organizativas? Al respecto y desde una perspectiva de desacralización de las culturas indígenas en cuanto al tratamiento de la mujer se refiere, consideramos que una mejora de la situación de la mujer indígena dentro de su comunidad no implica daños a las estructuras y comportamientos sociológicos de la comunidad. Al contrario, la construcción hacia un camino igualitario que deje de lado la hu-millación y discriminación femeninas aportaría un enriquecimiento cultural. Debe destacarse que las indígenas están luchando en el interior de sus organizaciones y comunidades (y no sólo en el ámbito de las políticas públicas) por cambiar o eliminar aquellos elementos de la tradición que las discriminan y las oprimen (6). Comprenden que tienen una serie de derechos por el mero hecho de ser indígenas y mujeres, manifestando su oposición a aquellos hábitos tradicionales que atenten contra su dignidad y derechos, en especial la violencia doméstica. No obstante, son conscientes que deben reforzarse y recrearse para mantener vi-vas las tradiciones, pues, al fin y al cabo, son ellas las transmisoras de los valores en la comunidad (7).

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EL VIAJE DEL CAMPO A LA CIUDAD

En no pocas ocasiones, las circunstancias de extrema pobreza en las que viven parte de los indígenas en las zonas rurales les obligan a emigrar a las ciudades en busca de una mejor vida. Sin embargo, para el caso de las mujeres, al introducirse en el mundo “no indígena” las relaciones de dependencia masculina van a sufrir ciertas modificaciones. La disyuntiva que se plantea cuando las mujeres indígenas llegan a los ambientes urbanos es un aumento en la pérdida de autonomía. Además de esta discriminación de género la mujer indígena se enfrenta a la discriminación racial y cultural. Sufren un doble rechazo por el hecho de ser mujer e indígena. Al menos, en su comunidad quizás estuvieran infravaloradas por el hecho de ser mujeres pero no por el de ser indígena por lo que se sienten con bastantes más derechos en la comunidad mientras que en la ciudad experimentan un mayor sentimiento de marginación.

En concordancia con lo anterior, la gran mayoría de las mujeres que llegan a las ciu-dades se dedican al trabajo doméstico deficientemente remunerado o bien se agrupan en los mercados, las ventas o la mendicidad. «Por ser mujeres, se les paga menos que a los hombres indígenas cuando hacen el mismo trabajo; y, por ser indígenas, reciben menos pago que las mujeres ladinas»(8).

Asimismo, las mujeres indígenas han sido valoradas por algunos gobiernos y agencias de desarrollo como elementos retardatorios de la modernización, consideran que las reali-dades de extrema pobreza que presentan la gran mayoría de los países con altas tasas de indi-genismo se debe, en parte, a las elevadas tasas de natalidad indígena por lo que contribuyen a incrementar la pobreza nacional (9).

No pretendemos romper con las estructuras indígenas incluyéndolas en lo que podríamos denominar una especie de “integración nacional” en la que las mujeres padecerían una situación de inferioridad más exacerbada sino lo que se pretende es un intento por crear conciencia a gran escala en la mentalidad de la mujer indígena sobre sus derechos con el objetivo de mejorar sus condiciones de vida para lo que debería-mos tener en cuenta sus preocupaciones cotidianas y plantear alternativas reales.

PROBLEMÁTICA EDUCATIVA

En el ámbito de la educación podemos observar de nuevo esa marginación. Entre la población indígena se obser-van bajos niveles de logro escolar y altos niveles de mono-lingüismo, deserción escolar y bajo rendimiento académico que para el caso de las mujeres se agudiza puesto que cerca de la mitad de las mujeres indígenas no cuenta con educación primaria, sea por inasistencia o abandono. Históricamente han

sido marginadas lo que se traduce en una menor oportunidad de acceder a la educación. De hecho, con relación a los hombres, existe un mayor número de mujeres son analfabetas y monolingües. Asimismo, sus niveles de escolarización son inferi-ores, tienen altos niveles de fecundidad y reportan un alto riesgo de muerte por complicacio-nes derivadas del embarazo y parto (10).

Testimonio de primera mano:

La mayoría de veces piensan que las mujeres indígenas no podemos seguir con los estudios, que siendo mujeres no somos capaces. Esto dicen incluso los mismos indígenas. En la comunidad prefieren a los hombres. Seguramente, por la costumbre misma que los hombres son fuertes, que (ellos) son los que pueden; y por un poco de machismo también. Pero, viéndolo de otra manera, pienso que no es así, que también las mujeres indígenas somos capaces de estudiar, de inter-relacionarnos con otras personas que no son indígenas, compartir las costumbres, intercambiar ideas, qué nos parece, cuál es la visión del hombre indígena y cosas así (11).

Debería surgir un esfuerzo colectivo por mejorar la situación de la educación indígena, ya no sólo me refiero a la femenina sino también a la masculina. Sería conveniente esforzarse por logar una educación intercultural bilingüe para que los indígenas no se sientas desplazados ante el monolingüismo educativo actual que ayude a contribuir a la valorización de su cultura e identidad así como a la preservación de sus tradiciones.

(12)

MOVIMIENTOS INDÍGENAS FEMENINOS

Las mujeres indígenas han estado presentes en el nacimiento y evolución del movimiento indígena en América Latina. Sin embargo, los movimientos feministas han sido absorbidos por los movimientos indígenas que son absolutamente patriarcales. Además, muchos hombres consideran que las mujeres deben formar parte de los movimientos indíge-nas pero no ven la necesidad que las mujeres tienen de reivindicar sus derechos aparte de los hombres. Por otro lado, las movilizaciones de este tipo concluyen que el factor para el desarrollo reside en su identidad étnica, dejando de lado los problemas específicos de la mujer.

La violencia sexual y de Estado es una de las formas llevadas a cabo para intentar ame-drentar a mujeres que participan en los movimientos “feministas indígenas”:

Había mucha violencia contra Rancho Nuevo de la Democracia. En 1998, entró el ejército a Barrio Nuevo de San José y fueron violadas dos mujeres y asesinados dos compañeros indígenas. Entonces ahí comenzó mi

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lucha: defender el derecho de los pueblos indios y de las mujeres indígenas. En 1999 denunciamos estas violaciones y fui perseguida por el ejército y por el gobierno de Guerrero. Entonces me dio miedo y me quise salir del movimiento, pero ya no pude porque había mucha amenaza: si salía era pe-ligro y si me quedaba también. Me quedé por las mujeres, es cierto que había mucha violencia del Gobierno hacia la gente, pero también mucha violencia de pareja. En marzo de 99 me pusieron una parada en el camino; yo iba en una camioneta y echaron bala, me tiraron pero no me tocó. Me fui al monte. Siempre hay riesgos por estar dentro de una organización, encabezar a un de-terminado grupo (13).

En cuanto a la actuación de las mujeres podríamos clasificarlas en dos dimensiones: interna y externa. Desde un punto de vista interno las mujeres indígenas han debatido y luchado en el interior de sus comunidades criticando su situación de subordinación respecto al hombre y trabajando por lograr un ambiente libre de violencia. En lo que se refiere a la dimensión ex-terna podríamos decir que las mujeres intentan combatir y transformar la sociedad machista, racista y pobre en la que se mueven (14).

En este sentido, en los últimos años se viene observando una mayor presencia de la mujer indígena en los espacios públicos y sociales así como su paulatina participación en organizaciones y eventos de carácter mundial. Por tanto, “la experiencia y participación de las mujeres indígenas ha sido el marco para la construcción de sus derechos y se presenta bajo distintas modalidades, desde comités comunitarios de educación y salud, los cargos de auxiliares en los gobiernos locales […] Estas organizaciones han ido tejiendo una red internacional para la formulación, legitimación y reconocimiento de los derechos de las mujeres”(15).

CONCLUSIONES

Lo que hemos pretendido en este artículo es ayudar a configurarnos una idea de la realidad de las mujeres indígenas, de los abusos e injusticias que padecen diariamente. En este sentido, son vistas como madres, bocas que alimentar, cargas incómodas que no aportan bene-ficio al núcleo familiar aunque trabajen tanto, o más, que los propios hombres. Sin embargo, como hemos comentado, ellas mismas se han movilizado en organizaciones que contribuyen a la defensa de sus derechos y que, de forma paulatina pero efectiva, van adquiriendo mayor importancia tanto en el interior de la sociedad latinoamericana como a nivel mundial. Aún así, basta decir que no se trata de un camino fácil por lo que se debería fomentar y apoyar con mayor fuerza las iniciativas llevadas a cabo por las mujeres indígenas así como la elaboración de proyectos que sitúen a la mujer como elemento principal de desarrollo, de cooperación con las mismas mediante talleres o debates en las que participen mujeres tanto indígenas como no indígenas de diferentes edades para que puedan compartir e intercambiar conocimientos, visio-nes que les permitan enriquecerse mutuamente y contribuir a este mundo pluricultural en el que nos encontramos. Para finalizar véase el siguiente vídeo que ejemplifica en primera per-sona todo lo comentado anteriormente:

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NOTAS:

1Discurso de la Comandante Esther del EZLN ante el Congreso de la Unión, México, 27 de febrero de 2001.

2 Zolla, Carlos y Emiliano Zolla (2008): Los pueblos indígenas de México: 100 preguntas, México D.F: Universidad Autónoma de México, p.24.

3 MUJER/FEMPRESS, La mujer indígena (edición especial), Chile apud Hernández, Teresita y Murguialday Clara, Mujeres indíge-nas, ayer y hoy: aportes para la discusión desde una perspectiva de género, Talasa Ediciones, 1992, Madrid, p.89.

4 Hernández, Teresita y Murguialday Clara (1992): Mujeres indígenas, ayer y hoy: aportes para la discusión desde una perspectiva de género, Madrid: Talasa Ediciones, p.91.

5 Testimonio de Martha Sánchez Néstor, amuzga de Xochistlahuaca y una de las principales líderes de la CGMI y del movimiento de mujeres indígenas en México apud ESPINOSA, Gisela (2009): “Liderazgo y violencia de género en el guerrero indígena”, Re-vista Venezolana de Estudios de la Mujer, nº32.

6 PARDO, Rodrigo (2008): Profesión de fe de María Sabina: Lectura y recreación del mito de la mujer indígena, México: Fomento Editorial, p.21.

7 Ibidem.

8 Hernández, Teresita y Murguialday Clara (1992): Mujeres indígenas, ayer y hoy: aportes para la discusión desde una perspectiva de género, Madrid: Talasa Ediciones, p.100.

9 Hernández, Teresita y Murguialday Clara (1992): Mujeres indígenas, ayer y hoy: aportes para la discusión desde una perspectiva de género, Madrid: Talasa Ediciones, p.100-102.

1 0 P l a n N a c i o n a l d e D e s a r r o l l o p a r a P u e b l o s Indígenas apud http://pnd.calderon.presidencia.gob.mx/igualdad-de-oportunidades/pueblos-indigenas.html [consulta: 02-2014].

11 Testimonio de Ketty Sánchez apud http://interculturalidad.org/numero01/b/arti/b_dfo_040404.htm [consulta: 02-2014].

12 Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia de España (2006): Educación de mujeres y niñas en Iberoamércia: I Jornadas de Cooperación Educativa sobre Género y Educación, Antigua, p.26.

13 Testimonio de Hermelinda Tiburcio, mixteca de la Costa Chica-Montaña, cuenta el hecho y destaca el vínculo entre éste y la lucha de las mujeres apud ESPINOSA, Gisela (2009): “Liderazgo y violencia de género en el guerrero indígena”, Revista Vene-zolana de Estudios de la Mujer, nº32.

14https://www.justassociates.org/sites/justassociates.org/files/los_derechos_de_las_mujeres_en_el_movimiento_indigena_latinoamericano.pdf [02-2014].

15 Bonfil, Paloma (2012): “Mujeres indígenas y derechos en el marco de las sociedades multiétnicas y pluriculturales de América Latina”, Revista Ra Ximhai, nº1, p.164.

16Tierra de Mujeres. Dir. Adriana Estrada, prod. Programa de Investigación Desarrollo Humano en Chiapas UAM, Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológicas UNAM, Programa de Participación Ciudadana Universidad de Sussex Inglaterra, 2003.

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Resumo: O timbre é dos atributos do som, o que maior complexidade apresenta e são os harmônicos componentes de um som os que caracterizam o seu timbre. No presente trabalho apresentamos a análise timbrística de um fragmento do Concerto Italiano-971 de Bach executado em piano. Tal fragmento foi tido em consideração porque representa um dos pontos cume da música. Para fazer a análise do timbre foi aplicada a Transformada Rápida de Fourier com o objetivo de transformar o sinal sonoro que estava inicialmente no domínio temporal num sinal no domínio da freqüência. As curvas de contribuição marcam destaque, fundamentalmente, das faixas 5, 4 e 1 associados aos intervalos de freqüências (500-1k250 Hz), (250-500 Hz) e (32-64 Hz) respectivamente. Nesse sentido, conseguimos verificar nas curvas de contribuição harmônica que o destaque do quinto harmônico, corrobora a tabela da faixa de freqüências harmônicas para os instrumentos musicais.

Palavras chaves: freqüência, harmônicos, timbre, contribuição harmônica.

Analyses of the harmonic contribution in the implementation of the piano “Italian Concerto-971 of Bach”

Summary: The timbre is the more complex sound’s attributes and it’s characterized by the harmonics components of a sound. In the present paper we investigate the harmonic contribution of a fragment of the Italian Concert-971 of Bach. This fragment was taken in consideration because it represents the peak point of the music. To study the harmonic contributions was applied Fast Fourier Transform. The curves marked contribution highlight fundamentally bands 5, 4 and 1 frequency. In this sense, we can verify the harmonic contribution curves are coherent with featured the fifth harmonic of piano with regard to the range of harmonic frequencies for musical instruments.

Keywords: frequency, harmonics, timbre, harmonic contribution.

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Análises da contribuição harmônica da execução em piano do “Concerto Italiano-971 de Bach”

Pedro Javier Gómez Jaime

Doutorado Multidisciplinar e Multi-institucional em Difusão do Conhecimento (DMMDC), Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA),

e-mail: chototrova@yahoo.com

Transversal Studies SectionNº 7

1. Introdução.

Este artigo se propõe fazer uma análise dos harmônicos de um fragmento do “Concerto Italiano-971 de Bach” executado em piano. Assim, um dos critérios pelos quais se escolheu esta foi pela magistral execução que faz o interprete no instrumento. Também, pelo fato de ser Bach um autor de elevado reconhecimento em nível mundial e termos execuções deste mesmo tema musical por outros instrumentos e interpretes. Sendo assim, o nosso interesse pela pesquisa ao redor da relação entre Física e Música encontrava sustento, pois tendo ao menos como referência três instrumentos poderia fazer uma análise harmônica de cada um deles e ter mais referência do comportamento timbrístico, embora aqui como dito acima, nos referiremos só ao estudo harmônico do piano.

O fragmento alvo deste estudo tem uma duração de 34 segundos e constitui um inter-valo que subjetivamente consideramos como o ponto de destaque. Em tal momento existe a repetição de frases sempre com uma dinâmica diferente destacando-se a intencionalidade do autor no andamento da peça e na medida em que são explorados recursos sonoros no diálogo que se estabelece entre as vozes participantes. Este tema é uma música instrumental e, portanto, possibilita realizar uma análise harmônica em que não se considera a voz humana, na qual também estaria envolvida a intencionalidade do intérprete. De forma que embora a nossa análise se limite ao estudo harmônico desta música a metodologia que utilizaremos é a mesma que seria utilizada para uma análise timbrística ou tímbrica, pois são os harmônicos os responsáveis por esta qualidade do som (timbre). Falar deste atributo no que diz respeito a questões científicas e acústicas implica levar em consideração o comportamento harmônico que forma parte do evento sonoro, porém de um único instrumento ou voz, no que se refere à música. É por isso, que se faz necessário falar de timbre, pois ele está ligado à estrutura dos harmônicos que possui um som específico e dedicarmos à análise da contribuição harmônica nesta música nos levará à identificação daqueles harmônicos que tem maior destaque dentro do fragmento musical objeto de estudo.

Vale argumentar que é o timbre, dos atributos do som, Loureiro e Bastos (2006), o que maior complexidade apresenta, pois não está associado unicamente a uma dimensão física, portanto, não pode ser especificado quantitativamente no sistema de notação musical. Neste sentido, estes autores defendem a idéia do timbre ser percebido devido à interação de propriedades dinâmicas e estáticas que influenciam aspectos psicológicos e musicais a partir de um complexo conjunto de entes auditivos.

E a vivência da audição timbrística sempre teve e tem ainda hoje nas obras de Bartók, a função de fazer com que a “alma” vibre internamente com ela (...) O timbre como tal caracteriza não apenas uma reação do ouvinte, e sim é também em si mesmo um importante elemento estilístico e formal da música ocidental. (Hamel, p. 169, 1976)

Um corpo sonoro Calvo-Manzano(1991), ou seja, um corpo que emita som pode pro-duzir vários sons em dependência das condições em que este vibre. Por exemplo, uma corda de violão produz um som perto da ponte e outros distintos se esta fosse pulsada na boca da caixa sonora ou acima do braço do instrumento. O mais grave destes sons é chamado de

fundamental e os outros são denominados de parciais os quais podem ser harmônicos e se estes forem semelhantes à série harmônica derivada da mesma freqüência fundamental, também são chamados de alíquotas ou concordantes.

O número de harmônicos que formam o timbre de cada som é recorrente direto do corpo que o produz e da forma como o instrumento é executado. A mesma nota pode ser pro-duzida em instrumentos diferentes e ainda assim sempre poderemos distinguir um do outro. Por exemplo, uma mesma música produzida por instrumentos diferentes, digamos, cravo, violino e piano apresentam uma característica distintiva que é o timbre. E esta distinção está dada pelos harmônicos que podem ser escutados em cada um destes instrumentos ou qualquer outro que não tenhamos mencionado até aqui, pois os sons que ouvimos se diferen-ciam enquanto a intensidade e a distribuição de energia. As figuras 1a, 1b e 1c os sons neste caso não têm os mesmos harmônicos em freqüências, e também a sua distribuição das intensi-dades é diferente. Ver figura 1

Por outro lado, existem duas limitações Calvo-Manzano (1991) que impossibilitam ao ser humano, em teoria, a percepção de infinitos harmônicos produzidos por um som complexo segundo o teorema de Fourier. Aqueles harmônicos cuja freqüência está no limite superior da audição humana, ou seja, acima dos 20 k não são perceptíveis para o nosso ou-vido e tampouco o serão aqueles cujo nível de intensidade esteja abaixo do umbral audível 20 Hz. Estas limitações fazem com que o número de harmônicos que o ouvido humano percebe seja relativamente reduzido e são denominados harmônicos presentes.

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1.1 Espectro Acústico.

Como dito acima, a qualidade do timbre de um som não é mensurável como acontece com a altura e intensidade deste; devido à dependência do timbre com a complexidade do movimento vibratório que o originou é impossível estabelecer uma unidade de medida ou esca-las que possibilitem a comparação de sons no que diz respeito ao seu caráter tímbrico. Neste sentido, no que se refere à análise tímbrica de um som o que se pode obter é um espectro acús-tico. Neste artigo, a utilização do espectro acústico tem sido fundamental para conseguir a análise timbrística do fragmento escolhido do “Concerto Italiano-971 de Bach”, pois este (o espectro) oferece a obtenção de gráficos com a distribuição dos harmônicos com os seus valores relativos de freqüências e intensi-dades. Tal espectro constitui um diagrama da freqüência dos tons parciais que formam parte do som, em função da amplitude de cada um deles. Ver figuras 1 e 2.

Os picos no gráfico definem cada um dos harmônicos que compõem o som e a sua freqüência relativa é representada no eixo X e a intensidade do mesmo é medida no eixo Y (ver figura 2).

No estudo que fazemos tendo em vista o piano nesta peça de Bach, faz com que se obtenha um espectro característico. Da mesma forma, cada instrumento tem um espectro típico que o identifica pelos harmônicos que o compõem em dependência da complexidade do pulso sonoro em questão. Tal situação difere em concreto da forma da onda que adotaria um instrumento que emita um som puro. Neste caso último, o som emitido terá uma freqüência única, chamada também de fundamental. Isto não acontece com o piano na música que analisamos. O mais grave dos harmônicos é relativo à freqüência fundamental e os demais valores de freqüência correspondem aos outros harmôni-cos que por sua vez também diferem em suas amplitudes relativas. Os instrumentos musicais e até a voz humana devem o seu timbre característico à presença de harmônicos com as suas respectivas freqüências e amplitudes.

1.2 Fatores que influenciam o timbre do piano.

Conseguir produzir um harmônico, leva ter em consideração um aumento da freqüência do movimento oscilatório da fonte, para isso é preciso diminuir o comprimento, de uma corda ou aumentar a vibração em outras. No caso que seja um instrumento de corda colo-cando o dedo de uma forma específica segundo o número de ordem do harmônico que se de-seja. Se for o segundo na metade da corda; se for o terceiro o dedo deve ser colocado num terço da corda e assim por diante. De forma que o timbre destes harmônicos é diferente ao dos sons fundamentais e tendo menor intensidade.

Antes de começar a descrição do comportamento timbrístico do piano, acho pertinente uma abordagem na qual se toquem alguns aspectos relativos à história deste instrumento e dizer que é este conjuntamente com o clavicordio e o cravo, também conhecido como clavicémbalo, instrumentos musicais recentemente inventados pelo homem. E logicamente aperfeiçoados no transcurso do tempo. No que diz respeito ao piano, instrumento objeto deste estudo, pode-se dizer que este demorou quase um século em se impor ao cravo.

Os pianos conhecidos na atualidade são identificados como pianos de cola ou piano vertical. A figura 3 a seguir mostra o dito anteriormente e representa o mecanismo interno de um piano horizontal e nela o mar-telo não está fixado na tecla, o mesmo acon-tece no piano vertical.

Aqui o martelo recebe o impulso da tecla através da alavanca de escape, após este instante o martelo se separa desta e segue o seu curso até atingir a corda. Daqui se conclui que o marte não fica em contato com a tecla no momento em que este golpeia a corda. Assim uma vez percutida a corda ele retorna a uma posição intermédia regulada pelo suporte posterior permitindo que a corda oscile livre-mente. Justamente o fato de que o martelo esteja desligado do resto do mecanismo no momento do contato com a corda, faz com que o som produzido unicamente seja afetado pela velocidade com que o martelo chega à corda. Ou seja, com a maior ou menor força com que a tecla é tocada o que não modifica só a potência sonora do instrumento, mas também o seu conteúdo timbrístico. Este aspecto também se vê afetado pelos sons “parasitos” ou “parasitas” os quais são devidos ao ruído do próprio mecanismo ao se movimentar e ao se deter; aqui também participa o ruído que produz o dedo do intérprete ao golpear as teclas. Este último é denominado como ruído de tecla superior e o que produz a tecla ao impactar no fundo do te-clado é chamado de ruído de tecla inferior. Este tem uma contribuição significativa no efeito sonoro final e devem ser considerados durante uma execução musical, de forma que dimi-nuam as suas influências nas características timbrísticas do piano.

Durante o contato do martelo com a corda também se produz um efeito que influencia o som emitido. Nos primeiros pianos os martelos estavam cobertos por couro, mas este perdia muito rápido a sua elasticidade, isto foi a razão pela qual ao redor do ano 1830 este fosse sub-stituído por feltro, material que ligado a sua dureza, a sua grossura, a textura assim como a massa e o tamanho dos martelos são parâmetros vitais no conjunto sonoro. O contato da corda com o martelo dura aproximadamente, Burred (1999), 2 milissegundos, neste tempo a força aplicada sobre a corda pelo martelo não é constante e bem determinada pelos processos de deformação que acontecem internamente e pela reação da corda. Sendo assim o tempo de contato pode ser dividido em dos momentos, o primeiro devido ao impulso onde predomina a força do martelo sobre a corda, o segundo será o retrocesso no qual a corda que atua como uma mola que reage sobre o martelo. Assim, acontece uma transferência de energia cinética,

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inicialmente do martelo à corda e logo em sentido oposto, neste processo o feltro de com-primirá e se expandirá respectivamente. Se a velocidade do martelo é elevada maior será a ex-citação dos parciais superiores e conseqüentemente as notas que sofram indicações de fortíssimo terão uma melhor qualidade sonora, Burred (1999) na parte alta do espectro do que as notas pianíssimo. Tais compressões e expansões ocorrem de forma diferente em dependên-cia da altura da nota que ative, ou seja, para notas mais graves a deformação do martelo é maior. A figura 4 apresenta o efeito da não-linearidade ao qual fazíamos referência acima para as notas LA0, LA3 e LA6.

A figura 5, a seguir mostra que para o LA0 não se tem contato entre a corda e o mar-telo permitindo que o feltro se expanda o que indica a linha em pontos da figura em questão. Esta perda do contato, Burred (1999) aparece devida às primeiras reflexões da onda que se

gera pela ação do martelo sobre a corda.

No piano o fato da corda ser percutida faz com que o tempo de contato seja pequeno, mas suficiente para que se formem ondas estacionárias harmônicas numa fração curta da corda. Imaginemos que tal contato entre o martelo e a corda acontece num sétimo da corda, as ondas esta-cionárias que se originariam, Burred (1999) constituirão a série harmônica de uma nota de freqüência sete vezes superior à da corda em todo o seu compri-mento que seriam os harmônicos 7, 14, 21, 28, etc os quais se supõem eliminados.

No momento em que o martelo deixa de fazer contato com a corda todos estes harmônicos apareceram na corda e assim todos os modos de vibração estarão presentes na corda. É aqui onde o timbre se vê afetado pelo tempo de contato. Na medida em que este seja maior quanto menor será a amplitude dos harmônicos múltiplos de 7 devido à perda de energia das ondas estacionárias nessa parte afetada da corda antes destes se propagarem.

Assim também, outro fator que influencia o timbre é a longitude da superfície do mar-telo que faz contato com a corda. Uma forma de que os parciais de maior freqüência (agudos) sejam afetados é que a longitude da superfície do martelo que golpeia a corda seja maior do que a longitude de onda de um modo específico o qual será atenuado devido a esta questão. Dessa maneira, os martelos pequenos do registro agudo provocaram um melhor som no que se refere a parciais superiores. Diferentemente do que acontece com os martelos do registro de menor freqüência (os graves).

1.4 Aspectos gerais do timbre.

A especificação do timbre no sistema musical aparece quando é considerada a sua com-plexidade e a contribuição dos outros atributos sonoros, entre os que se encontra a altura (freqüência), ritmo (tempo) e do volume (Intensidade). Neste sentido, o timbre tem sido muito utilizado para o reconhecimento de diferentes instrumentos assim como no reconhecimento de técnicas de escalonamento multidimensional as quais são determinadas por pequenas variações ao longo de três dimensões as quais são denominadas de: attack time, spec-tral centroid e spectral flux. Um exemplo do dito até aqui se pode evidenciar nas mudanças (indicações) de intensidade na partitura e combinações de alturas que induzem no ouvinte manifestações psicológicas relativas às variações timbrísticas. Para autores como Le Groux e Verschure (2010) os sons podem ser descritos principalmente por cinco componentes percep-tuais, quatro deles foram mencionados acima e adicionam a estes a espacialização. Esta devida à relação destes elementos no espaço timbrístico, se manifestando assim, também, a sua multi-dimensionalidade. Outros estudos, segundo estes mesmos autores, têm relatado as dimensões perceptuais do som através de descrições acústicas. Tais descrições podem levar em consideração o elemento espectral, temporal e o elemento espectral-temporal e assim gerar um espaço timbrístico. O espaço timbrístico é determinado utilizando a análise multidimensional derivada da experimentação, na qual ouvintes estimam a disparidade entre pares de sons com diferentes características timbrísticas.

Para autores como Grey (1977); Risset (1991) e Loureiro e Bastos (2006) está claro que na percepção do timbre participam elementos como a evolução da intensidade global. De-nominada por estes dois últimos pesquisadores como envelope de amplitude; outros fatores como as flutuações de volume e altura; a distribuição espectral (amplitudes das freqüências dos componentes espectrais) e a própria evolução temporal intervêm na percepção timbrística não só dos instrumentos musicais, mas também da voz humana. De forma que, a análise que se faz desta música estará permeada da utilização de uma metodologia quantitativa que possi-bilite analisar e interpretar o comportamento harmônico da mesma.

1.5 Efeitos de freqüências.

A seguir apresentamos uma descrição dos efeitos psicológicos provocados por valores de freqüência durante a execução de instrumentos musicais e a voz. Nesse sentido, temos que de 31 a 63 Hz encontram-se as freqüências fundamentais de bumbo, tuba, baixos de 6 cordas e pedal do órgão. Essas freqüências dão ao som a sensação de "potência". Se enfatizadas, fazem o som ficar "emplastado". Na voz, dão sensação de poder de alcance de cantores excepcionais (baixo). De 80 a 125 Hz, o reforço destas freqüências causa o efeito de "boom" pronunciado.

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O corte de 120 Hz ajuda na rejeição do ruído de rede elétrica (1º harmônico) isto porque a rede elétrica tem uma freqüência de 60 Hz e seus harmônicos estão nos 120, 180, 240 Hz, etc. De 160 a 250 Hz estão situadas as freqüências fundamentais de tambores e baixos (fundamentais da voz, também). Se reforçadas, podem causar o "boom". O corte em 180 Hz ajuda a eliminar ruídos de rede elétrica (2º harmônico). De 315 a 500 Hz as freqüências fundamentais de cordas e percussão em geral e constituem um intervalo de freqüência importante para a qualidade de vocal. De 630 a 1000 Hz estão as freqüências fundamentais e harmônicas de cordas, teclados e percussão. Embora tenhamos declarado anteriormente que o nosso estudo não aborda a voz humana, vale a pena assinalar que este intervalo é importante para a "naturalidade" da voz, ou seja, o momento que em não existem variações tonais ou de outro tipo sejam quais forem as causas da mudança. O reforço excessivo causa aos instrumen-tos o som de "corneta de lata" e na voz aquele som de "telefone". De 1,25 a 4 K Hz são encon-tradas as freqüências fundamentais da bateria, guitarra, acentuação de vocais, cordas e contra-baixo. O excesso de reforço nestas freqüências também causa a "fadiga sonora", que cansam o ouvinte após cerca de 30 min.

Vocais podem ter mais brilho reforçando freqüências em torno de 3 kHz, mas é ne-cessário ao mesmo tempo atenuar um pouco a mesma faixa para os instrumentos. De 5 a 8 kHz temos freqüências que acentuam a percussão, como por exemplo, pratos e caixa de bate-ria, acentuação de voz feminina e falsetes. Reduções a partir de 5 kHz tornam o som mais "dis-tante e transparente", pois o mesmo se dispersa no local. Atenuações nessa faixa auxiliam a redução de chiados. A faixa de 1,25 kHz até 8 kHz governa a claridade e definição do som, tanto para voz como para instrumentos. De 10 a 16 kHz estão as freqüências de pratos e agu-dos em geral. Tendo como base as informações expostas acima, foi possível determinar a con-tribuição harmônica, a qual é apresentada na seguinte seção.

2. Metodologia.

Uma vez definida a música alvo do nosso estudo foi feito um reconhecimento daquele fragmento em que se ressalta a intencionalidade do autor. O trecho que identifica este estado cume é utilizado em várias ocasiões marcando uma dinâmica diferente em cada uma das repe-tições; insistindo desse modo na chegada da música ao seu clímax. O fragmento de destaque ao qual dirigimos o nosso estudo, foi identificado como Teste2 (ConI)-piano e compreende o intervalo de 34 s da música original. Este foi segmentado em outros três momentos os quais chamamos de Testes, com o objetivo de facilitar o estudo quanto ao elevado número de dados associados a cada ponto em análise da música em questão. O primeiro dos testes é chamado de Frag 1_1, Frag1_2 e Frag 1_3. Por sua vez, estes foram sub-metidos a uma segunda segmentação agora considerando os trechos periódicos, embora estes possam variar de um teste para outro, mas esta segmentação permitiu que um mesmo trecho periódico não fosse analisado duas vezes por estes es-tarem presentes mais de uma vez nos diferentes segmentos.

Figura 6. Exemplo de fragmento período na segunda segmentação

Este processo de fragmentação da música possibilitou a aplicação da análise harmônica a partir da Transformada de

Fourier Rápida (FFT – Fast Fourier Transform) com o intuito de identificar os harmônicos associados a pontos específicos (discretos) de cada teste em estudo e a correspondência de cada um deles (os pontos) com valores de freqüência e amplitude.

A Transformada de Fourier Rápida permite colocar um sinal que está no domínio do tempo no domínio da freqüência; a utilização desta no nosso estudo encontra subsídio, pois a nossa sensibilidade auditiva tem uma relação explícita com a freqüência e implícita com o tempo. A transformada foi aplicada aos diferentes fragmentos, isto levando em consideração o espectro de freqüência e equalização para instrumentos musicais e de áudio. De forma tal que os intervalos de freqüência a seguir são apresentados relativos aos instrumentos característicos e os prováveis efeitos que podem induzir no ouvinte; tendo em vista a descrição feita no item 1.5. Foi a partir desta caracterização que fixamos valores de freqüência (faixas de freqüência) sobre as quais foram determinadas as contribuições harmônicas de cada segmento (fragmento) musical: 32, 64, 125, 250, 500, 1k250, 2k500, 5k, 7k500, 10k, 16kHz.

3. Resultados obtidos.

No presente item mostramos os resultados a partir da análise realizada aos diferentes fragmentos. Em geral obtivemos 106 fragmentos relativos à segunda segmentação do piano, ou seja, à divisão dos Frag 1_1, Frag 1_2 e Frag 1_3 em seus componentes correspondentes.

Tais fragmentos (trechos) foram denominados de componentes par-ciais em decorrência de tal segmentação. A soma destes componen-tes para cada um dos fragmentos iniciais foi que chamamos de SCP (soma dos componentes parciais) a qual se apresenta na tabela 1 para cada segmento nos intervalos de freqüência previamente estabelecidos sob os quais foi medida a contribuição harmônica. Para tal tivemos em consideração os efeitos de freqüência tratados com anterioridade. Foi a partir dos valores da tabela 1, em con-cordância com as respectivas faixas de freqüência, que determina-mos as contribuições de cada fragmento um a um; dando como

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resultado o que chamamos de “Piano”. Devido a este processo obtivemos a curva de con-tribuições para o instrumento analisado a qual é apresentada na figura 3.

3.1 Análises dos resultados.

Na análise dos resultados foi considerado o destaque das bandas de freqüência nas quais se tem a maior contribuição harmônica dentre os fragmentos estudados. Nesse sentido, foi possível de identificar as bandas 5, 4 e 1 correspondentes aos intervalos de freqüência (500-1k250 Hz), (250-500 Hz) e (32-64 Hz) respectivamente. A tabela 2, a qual mostramos a seguir, apresenta os intervalos de freqüências associados à fundamental e aos harmônicos de um conjunto de instrumentos musicais. Analisando esta, pode-se ver que a freqüência fundamental do piano se encontra entre 28- 4k196 Hz o que corrobora o nosso resultado.

Como vimos anteriormente referindo-nos aos primeiros harmônicos a intensidade destes vai diminuindo com a freqüência o que é possível comprovar também na figura 3 “curva de contribuições harmônicas”. Neste caso existe uma diminuição considerável para a oitava faixa de freqüências (5k-7k500 Hz). Intervalo de freqüências onde segundo a tabela 2 está situada a faixa de freqüências harmônicas para o piano.

Vale chamar a atenção na faixa de freqüência fundamental (quinta banda) que o piano pode atingir e conferindo na tabela 2 vemos que dentro desse intervalo encontramos também as fundamentais de: fagote, trompete, trombone, tuba, baixo acústico e elétrico, sax soprano, violino, violão e guitarra elétrica, viola e cello. No que diz respeito à faixa de freqüências harmônicas ainda que a fundamental do piano contemple a destes instrumentos, são estas freqüências as que conseguem marcar a diferença perceptiva que nos permite distinguir o piano do resto dos instrumentos. Por exemplo, para o limite superior de freqüências harmônicas do piano (8 kHz), segundo a tabela 2 encontramos harmônicos, superiores no violino, na viola, no violão e no sax soprano. Harmônicos infe-riores ao limite inferior do piano (5 kHz) no próprio violão, no cello, na viola, no violino e na tuba. São estas freqüências componen-tes (harmônicos) as que nos permitem identi-ficar a fonte sonora. A forma como estas são produzidas pelo interprete no instrumento, seja através do dedilhado, da percussão ou pela fricção, no caso de um instrumento de cordas friccionadas por arco, provocará variação no número de harmônicos que acom-panhe a fundamental e conseqüentemente no seu timbre.

4.Considerações finais.

As figuras 1a, 1b e 1c as quais correspondem a fragmentos analisados para cravo, piano e violino respectivamente amostram a complexidade do som emitido por estes instru-mentos, os quais em confronto entre eles mesmos e com a figura 2 permitem visualizar a diferença existente entre cada um levando em consideração as freqüências fundamentais e os seus respectivos valores de amplitude (Intensidade). No caso do piano, instrumento ao qual enfocamos o nosso estudo, se vê que entorno dos 600 Hz há um pico súbito que caracteriza a freqüência fundamental enquanto que na medida em que esta aumenta há uma diminuição das amplitudes, ver figura 1b e analogamente comprovaremos a diminuição da amplitude dos harmônicos superiores.

No caso das contribuições harmônicas dos Frag1_1 piano (SCP), Frag1_2piano (SCP) e Frag1_3 piano (SCP) os quais representam o total das contribuições por faixa (tre-cho) se tem, respectivamente, os valores: 3293,17; 2270, 95 e 7386,23 os quais representam o cociente da soma dos valores de freqüência por cada faixa de medida e a amplitude entre cada uma das faixas antes mencionadas as quais tributaram ao pico quinta faixa.

As contribuições das faixas 4 e 1, ainda que com menor amplitude, também aportam à estrutura sonora (timbre) do piano executado nesta peça. Chama-nos a atenção que segundo a metodologia utilizada obtivemos resultados conflitantes com o intervalo de freqüências harmônicas para o piano apresentado na tabela 2, entre (5-8 kHz). Neste sentido, supomos que tal disposição harmônica se deva à ampla banda de freqüências que abrange este instrumento.

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GREY, John. Multidimensional perceptual scaling of musical timbres. J. Acoust. Soc., 1977

________ Na exploration of musical timbre. Rep. STAN-M-2, Stanford University, 1975

________An exploration of musical timbre using computer based techniques for analysis, synthesis and perceptual scaling. Department of psychology, Stanford University, 1975

HAMEL, Peter. O autoconhecimento através da música: uma nova maneira de sentir e viver a música. CUL-TRIX. São Paulo, p. 169, 1995

Le GROUX, Sylvain; Verschure, Manzolli. Situated interative music system: connecting mind and body through musical interation. Mc Gill University, Montral, 2009

________Perceptsynth: mapping perceptual musical features to sound synthesis parameters, Las Vegas, April 2008

________Emotional responses to the perceptual dimensions of timbre: a pilot study using physically in-formed sound synthesis. SPECS, Barcelona, 2010

LOUREIRO, Maurício; PAULA, Hugo. Timbre de um instrumento musical. Per Musi, Belo Horizonte, n.14, p.57-81, 2006

RISSET, Jean-Claude. Computer music: why? Laboratoire de Mécanique et d’ Acoustique. CNRS, Mar-seille, 1991

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In celebrating Women’s day, there is a need to place more emphasis on the female gender. The female sex is one of the two sexes made from the time of creation. The exemption of the female gender in most countries of the world can only be attributed to man-made factors; factors which have associated women with complexities which vary from country to country. The identity given to women does not totally portray their potential in most cases. To list but a few, they are seen as the weaker sex, women are often seen as those who have no values in some cultures of the world. They are easy to take advantage of in times of war and family disputes, they are seen as not having significant roles in most communities, women are often given out in marriage; this indicates they reduce the growth rate of their birth families and increases that of another family. In addition women are seen as useless because they are not strong enough to contribute to the agricultural profession of their communities, which requires heavy farming to support all.

As insolent as the above listed attributes of a woman are, there is the need to showcase the many attributes of women, attributes which ought to be saluted and admired. The female gender may be vulnerable, but they are the most resilient group of people one can ever see. What would you call a girl or a woman who gets pregnant, and carries another human being inside of them for nine months and on the day of delivery, in excruciating pain bring another human being to life? This is one aspect of women, the world needs to respect and applaud. Moreover, women in the last decade have accomplished more than they have been expected to accomplish. In some countries we have seen and heard of women who have done very well for themselves and their countries by changing how the game is played positively to accommodate all. This must first be understood from the context that female child who becomes the woman of tomorrow needs to be given opportunities and tools she needs to build a better future for herself and her community.

The word ‘opportunity’ comes to play when we talk about women and celebrating them as the female gender. Today's young girl who is faced with child marriage or child trafficking fails to achieve a better and brighter future for herself and her generations to come if she is not adequately supported and provided with tools for a better future. There are negative impacts in relegating women to the background. Such impacts will be evident in the quality of children raised by these women who have nothing to bring to the table. Empowered women would be in a better place to support her children and those in her community. This goes to show that a woman who has the appropriate tools to support herself and her children would not necessarily see a reason to sell her daughter into sex trafficking or slavery, this is because she is empowered enough to fight traditional and cultural beliefs. Women who find themselves in these situations, still can’t be condemned for their action, because this is all they know and it is time we re-educate these women and give them the tools they need to make informed decisions concerning themselves and their children. The saying that when you educate a woman, you educate a nation ought to be rightly so, but what is seen in many communities around the world is that, women are not educated enough and they lack tools to impact their world positively.

It is quite repulsive to see how some men in position of power and authority make laws which affect women negatively. These men sometimes forget they are a product of a woman, who happens to be their mother and some of these men have at some point enjoyed

the love and support from others such as aunties and sisters. Taking this further some of these men have daughters who they profess to love and care about. If this is indeed the case, why won’t such men celebrate the female gender irrespective of their age, race, colour, size, religion and abilities? In celebrating women, the male gender must rethink how women are characterized and supported in global communities. It is no longer okay for women to be relegated to the background or to be seen as inactive and unimportant. Women are becoming more assertive; they are fighting and using every opportunity given to show that the world can be a better place when women are entrusted with power and authority. There is a passion that oozes out of women who want to make a difference in their communities and their world, this must be admired and supported.

The old norms which held women bound must be discontinued, if not totally eradicated. Education and training for women should be promoted as we move forward, women may be classified as the weaker sex, but they should be given opportunities to contribute to their falling world which needs them. What they bring to the table is distinct from what their male counterpart brings because they are made differently.

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Celebrating Woman!

Rita Eluwade

Author of the book “Trafficked Women- a Problem of Vulnerability without Rehabilitation”

E-mail: rita.wealthygeneration@gmail.com

Nº 7

Earth belongs to all of us. Therefore, every human being has the universal right to a meaningful human existence. This also means that all of us have the right to enjoy this life in Peace everywhere on this planet. And even if we cannot now, we can envision this in our minds. It is true: WORLD PEACE IS POSSIBLE.

Our world has more than enough food for all of us; but we waste it, overeat ourselves and because of this, we deprive those in underdeveloped countries of these resources. We leave our brothers, sisters and children in those areas in war, extreme poverty and starvation.

Hundreds of nuclear power plants are still being built. We have wildlife vanishing and our bio-balance is coming adrift. This destroys much of our health and peace of mind, while others devour our food supply. We have unbalanced and power-hypnotized people – who are drawn like moths to a flame. We can see a n d c a n m e a s u r e t h e c h i l l i n g consequences of an untamed lust for wealth.

Most people merely watch events rather than educate themselves to bring about change and a better quality of life. There are many dire crises both local to global which staring us in the face Fukushima and its effects on the Pacific Ocean is an example. There is real

possibility death of all life could be happening as radiation kills and, or contaminates all food, water and air. An even worst-case scenario is the potential of World War III!

For a very long time many people have lived in sadness and despair. However, a glimmer of hope is rising on our horizon. The Age of Aquarius has begun. This particular Earth age in human time is also called the Age of Love and Brotherhood. According to spiritual predictions, in this new Age, terms such as Oneness, Unity, Brotherhood of Man, and Lasting World Peace are within our reach. A next step in human evolution is that we will be communicating from the universal language of our hearts; which is love. It is love that will heal and repair all that needs to heal on our planet. We humans all truly yearn in our deepest being for world peace and all that goes together with this; an end to hunger, trauma, and poverty.

There is hope here in this message for all of us. “We are now at the dawn of a glorious future. One in which we will know, firsthand, from the depth of our beings, the glory of the decision and choice we made in that now dim and distant past. That decision was to go on a new adventure into form. It was the promise of this New Age wherein we will remember who and what we are, as well as our place of origin.” (1)

We a r e e x i t i n g t h e P i s c e a n experience, which was marked by division, separateness and war. – On the other hand however, we saw great accomplishments in education, the development of the mind, and a deep desire for peace, made poignant by two world wars and many cultural religious and racial conflicts.

“We are embarking on a new adventure in which science will penetrate the depth of matter to reveal to humanity the presence of Spirit that it holds. Likewise the spiritual world will unveil its secret mystery which in turn will help mankind remember its origin and purpose here. All this will be facilitated by the power and rulership of Uranus the planet of occultism and absolute unity of all humanity and all life. The mystery of fire, air water, sound, color and light will be uncovered and this knowledge will help humanity to understand our true nature and our divine essence” (1)

The female power on this planet, so necessary for humanity to achieve harmony peace and balance, has not gained the same empowerments as has the male force. The empowerment of females to an equal balance with males is the true key to evolve as one humanity; to the stage of everlasting world peace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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About Our Evolution To Everlasting World Peace

Nº 7

Our world and its citizens must now transform, to defeat an army of problems which are escalating wildly beyond our efforts to rein them in -- a side-effect of the mental discord we have accepted as 'normal', by seeking undue profit on return [ie. beyond the basic requirements we need for continuance] -- at a time of rapidly increasing global survival crisis.

Instead, let us ‘maximize philanthropy' – i.e. provide maximum social assistance where needed, by sharing excess. Such dramatic shift in the economy due to a greater personal and global social responsibility will maximize our personal to global t ransformat ion. By such inner realignment we will achieve greater personal responsibility and discover the joy of being able to outreach to help save Earth from a vast array of planetary future nightmares - beyond all control.

Through personal giving ~ largesse ~ we provide sufficient momentum for all to enjoy normal, hea l thy, ma tu re and e th ica l ly responsible lives. In short, we must adopt a magnanimous and ethical planetary culture - to accept our vital personal role in helping to balance all imbalances, and reach out to help the mass of individuals already caught in

the tidal backlash of poverty, stemming from maximizing returns, which have destroyed the basic needs of those who live lives of simplicity and survival.

How can low-lying Pacific and o t h e r i s l a n d s e v e r r e c o v e r economically -- to provide recently overwhelmed families and their children for a life of purpose and potential, unless we reject the imbalanced lifestyle we've accepted so blindly, by maximizing returns? To continue under this mindset is to miss the chance of discovering the true adventure of life -- to be WELL -- i.e. WISE - EMPOWERING OTHERS - LOVING - LIGHT-FILLED [that is, to become ennobled].

I t i s t i m e t o p i o n e e r a remarkable future for all! ~ Let us thus ponder ways to convene a social and political Summit -- to change the life-style of senior members of society, so the trickle-down effect ensures that those who work hand-to-mouth are able to survive -- with all having the time and energy to volunteer -- to help heal the planet!

Let us now develop a lifestyle which embraces goals that embrace planetary survival -- in the getting of Love and Wisdom. These go hand in hand, to increase our inner 'firestone-

burning', i.e. heart-centered living -- the ideal lifestyle for our futures, as it gives back to Earth our individual respect and joy for the gift of being born as a member of this remarkable planet.

S e n d i n g L o v e , P e a c e , S e l f -Transformation! Goodwill Wishes To Y ( o u r ) W o r l d ,

Melcir Erskine-Richmond

CEO: “First the Earth ~

� HEAVEN-on-EARTH �

Planner Holistic Circular model

Eco-University Cities & Tallship

Ocean-Earthcare Network

Thank you to the following sources; permission received:

(1) Etta D. Jackson, Understanding Your Choice, 2009

(2) Mr. Ivan Torrent, The Creator of the Music of the Trailer, 2013

Catharina van Staveren

Chair at Worldpeace Is Possible

www.worldpeaceispossible.com

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www.globaleducationmagazine.comNº 7

Normally the voice of the Poor and Hard core poor in particular indigenous people is not being heard by government departments, because after 66 years of independence India, still these excluded groups are struggling for their livelihood. The grass root democracy and empowerment process of Gram Sabha and Palli sabha is not well recognized and the planning process has not been operationalised thoroughly. The benefit packages of Government under different Acts are not reaching to the excluded and there is rampant exploitation of the programmes and schemes. To mitigate the challenges and address the problems, Orissa nari samaj (ONS) the federation of 54 tribal women’s organisations in Orissa, India rigorously did series of capacity building

initiatives by which grass root level leaders generated and shows their strength/power to exercise over the illicit implementation system of government.

The tribal women formed labour union in each cluster of villages and created their own

institutions to demand their entitlements.

Several times they met with Sub collector, District collector and Addl. District Magistrate, PA, ITDA and raised the i r i s sues and problems of non implementation in effective way of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and Forest Right Act. But the departmental heads were not taking it seriously and avoided the situation. In this situation, the mob led by Orissa Nari Samaj along with representatives of district level and Block level labour federation assembled at District headquarter on 2nd December 2013.

Over 1000 and above male and female assembled at the district headquarter and contributed their labour and they borne their own travel expenditure. The rally started from District stadium and proceeded within the town area. Different slogans on different entitlement schemes and its failure to deliver was expressed and shouted by the mob, which provided a better environment for the participants to fight for their rights.

After the rally they rushed to the District collector, Addl. District Magistrate in front of District collector’s office. The leaders raised their voice against all types of non cooperation of Revenue officials, OTFD issues, bribing system, harassment of government people, Non cooperation of Banking institutions, no effectiveness of G o v e r n m e n t programmes for PTGs, etc. One memorandum also was submitted to C o l l e c t o r w h i c h contains 50 Issues and problems on National R u r a l E m p l o y m e n t Guaran tee Ac t and Forest Right Act along w i t h c o n s t r u c t i v e suggestions. The mob started at 12 Noon and ended by 2.30 PM. The District collector gave

assurance to take the memorandum seriously and all sorts of problems will be solved within 15 days. The strong voice of women leaders and PTGs are being influenced by the district administration. The Mass led by Ms. Jayanit Patro, Nari Rashmi Samaj, Kaincha Matia, Women Legal aid cell counselor, Basnati Murumu, Nari Unnati Samaj, Hemal Soren, Nari Jayasri Samaj, rushed to the collector’s office without and protection by police and government officials, presented the overall issues and problems of entitlement schemes a n d i t s f a i l u r e b e f o r e t h e d i s t r i c t administration which was tremendous process of community empowerment by which the socially excluded groups/communities asserted their rights and entitlements. The provoked mob seeing the spirit among them was thunderstruck by the district officials.

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Indigenous Women of Ecovillages in Orissa Asserts their Rights

Nº 7

Women are still suffering from marginalization, different types of violence, exclusion and social injustice especially, in the rural areas and from the sense of superiority they are being treated with, in the conservative societies. The vast majority remain suffering under poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and harmful customs. Women always suffer from the consequences of the armed conflict and tribal fighting by being displaced and losing their husbands. Women are always vulnerable to different types of violence. The above facts give women an expected role in advancing gender equality. To this, international standards and principles should be adopted to ensure an active, responsible and positive participation to support the gains achieved and to achieve more.

Despite the fact that the Sudanese Women’s Movement had started as early as the 1950s, women in Sudan still face the problem of a staggering and inconsistent policy atmosphere that neither explicitly calls for gender equality, nor breaks the silence about women’s real abilities to share in power and wealth. There is still no clear and systematic progress in reducing the gender

gap in favour of women. There is lack of data on different types of violence practiced against women. However in conflict areas, women and children were subject to shelling, abduction, rape and violence. Domestic violence is a legal ground for divorce, but many women are reluctant to file formal complaints against such abuse. About 90% of females in Sudan have been subjected to Female Genital Mutilation. Despite the efforts of the ministry of health and many NGOs. Child labour and early marriage for girls as young as 11-14 years is practiced.

Basis on this SWGU developed a pro-ject: Increasing women and community knowledge about gender issues and their capabilities to end VAW in Sudan it will be implemented in 3 states (White Nile and Blue Nile and Khartoum states), it is funded by French Embassy in Khartoum through the Social Development fund which supports pro-ject implemented by local NGOs in the country".. It started on Jan-2014 and implementation is going on:

The aim of the project is to empower women and community people in the above mentioned locations(Khartoum, Blue Nile and

White Nile states), to be able to support ending violence against women and gender justice interventions (FGM, GBV, early marriage, and other forms of VAW). Women usually are the first to be affected by the conflict situation and they face increased vulnerabilities and exploitation from various forms of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV). The aim of this project is to empower the people and women from communities of 3 states (Khartoum, Blue Nile and White Nile states) to be able to articulate their socio-political and economic issues and be able to determine their destiny. The target groups will include 240 individuals who are the local leaders, Women and the general community of target states.

The main activities envisaged by Sudanese Woman’s General Union, which include seminars and workshops targeting the local leaders, women to create awareness on the need. Workshops on gender issues, ending violence campaigns and establishment of a theatre and drama groups to strengthen delivery of information.

The project objectives are:

1- To build the capacity and self-esteem of the vulnerable women through enhance their life skills in order to promote their socio-economic through building capacities and abilities to exercise their rights to life, protection, and social security.

2- To assist in harnessing the capacity of community and women to engage women empowerment activities

3- Strengthened capacity of the target communities in Advancing Equality, ending violence against women and mitigation and the enhancement of the capacity of institutions that enforce law and order.

Estimated impacts of the projects:

Increase target women knowledge about gender issues and human rights with improvement in their skills to advocate their rights and to participate in decision making, it will also has impact the children through the work with teachers and within schools- as well as the whole community through public event community mobilization and so on.

Strengthening the involvement of civil society organization to establish gender forums, rebuild confidence, and give voice to the people

Reduction in incidence of violence against women with prevention of FGM and early marriage.

Prevention of all sort of violence against women.

Long term impacts:

• Eradication of harmful traditions that deprive women of their rights, through awareness raising of women and community about the risks of tradition, supporting the laws that will eradicate these traditions.

• Application of laws that protect women’s rights

• Alteration of negative stereotypes of women through media, through media messages

• Integration of human rights in educational curriculum

• Prevention of all sorts of violence against women.

• Bodies dealing with gender and VAW resolution to be more empowered.

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Increasing Women and Community Knowledge About Gender Issues and their Capabilities to

End VAW in Sudan

Huwayda Mohamed Ibrahim

Projects designer and developer at Consultancy office at Sudan

E-mail: huwayda1@hotmail.com

Nº 7

José Manuel Ramos-Horta, the United Nations' Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), is former President of East Timor. A co-recipient of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, he is a founder member of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN). He served as the exiled spokesman of the East Timorese during its Indonesian occupation.

After East Timor achieved independence in 2002, Ramos-Horta was appointed as the country's first foreign minister, then Prime Minister and President. In February 2008, he had escaped an assassination attempt. He found time to talk to JOSE KALATHIL about what freedom means to him and his vision for the country during his recent one-day stay in the national capital.

You were at the forefront of Timor Leste's freedom struggle. What was the situation in the country then that prompted you to join and lead this struggle?

I believe that any of us, as a citizen of a country, has an innate, instinctive response to situations of domination and subjugation; we all desire freedom; so for me there was no hesitation in joining others in searching for ways to attain freedom for the country, no matter how minuscule we might look on the map. But on the ground, there are people with a distinct history, identity and values, who want to live in freedom.

What was your experience during this movement for your country's freedom. How was its independence finally achieved?

Timorese are moulded by the majestic mountains, by hundreds of years of living in that island, fending off invaders, or when necessary co-existing with them to survive, learning from them, pretending to accept subjugation and rising up when they feel the moment is ripe. Timorese are warriors, very astute and cunning. That's their strength, the unforgiving mountains that shelter them and mould them to be tough. But we also learn to navigate the complexities of international diplomacy, building a vast network of contacts and friends around the world. We never resorted to extremist tactics like kidnapping and killing innocent civilians; we had a very strict code of conduct that never allowed us to descend to the barbarity of the other side. We resisted the temptation of violence for the sake of violence. Not a single Indonesian civilian was harmed during the 24 years of our struggle. Captured soldiers were set free after a few months. We never abandoned our humanity. This way we also won much sympathy from Indonesians themselves. Today Timor-Leste and Indones ia en joy the bes t poss ib le relationship between any two countries in Asia. Both sides decided from day one that we would cross that bridge, meet half-way, embrace the present and the future, without forgetting the violence and the victims of the past, but without allowing either the past to dominate our present.

What is the situation in Timor Leste at present? Has it improved?

Timor-Leste is among the 10 fastest growing economies in the world, posting double digit growth since 2007; on the UN Human Development Report, it has outdone all sub-Sahara African countries, except for South Africa and Cape Verde; in Asia we have overtaken Bangladesh, Laos and Myanmar. In terms of liquidity, and as percentage of GDP, we have the highest surplus in the world. Our Sovereign Wealth Fund is rated the best managed in Asia.

What is your prescription for solving the problems that your country faces now?

The coalition government led by Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao has launched a 20-year Strategic Development Plan that began in 2011 aiming at transforming Timor-Leste in the course of the next two decades, from low middle income country to upper middle income with an annual per capita income of at least $10,000. Our GNP is now at $5,000. Life expectancy has gone up to 64 years; school enrolment is over 90%. The government is investing heavily in education, professional development, new infrastructures like modern electrification with fibre optics connecting the whole country.

Where and how did you get the inspiration to launch the freedom movement? What was your inspiration and who were your role models?

We were young people with different inspirations and influences, deriving lessons from African, Cuban and Asian liberation experiences.

Was Mahatma Gandhi's non-violence relevant to your struggle?

In many ways yes. Mahatma Gandhi's non-violence philosophy influenced our urban youth. As for me, Gandhiji remains my greatest hero.

What are your thoughts about India, its democracy and its current situation?

When one looks at India, this vast country with 1 billion people, one cannot but admire its founding fathers and subsequent leaders who have kept the country together; we have difficulties managing our country of 1 million; compare this with India's 1 billion! India's democracy has survived decades of test and has proven to be resilient, vibrant and chaotic. But it is better to have a chaotic, vibrant democracy than have a one party rule! There is still a long way to go to eliminate extreme poverty, to bring more sustainable development, more equitable, closing the deep gap between rich and poor. India can invest much, much more in salvaging its environment, its forests, lakes, rivers, seas. The 1 billion people of India extract much from Mother Earth; you have to help replenish our common Planet.

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The StatesmanGandhiji My Greatest Hero

Nº 7

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