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English
Issue 17 (Fall 2007)
In this Issue
- WLP International News: WLP Transnational Partners Meeting in Antalya, Turkey
- Program Focus: Young Women's Learning Partnership (YWLP) and International Women's Democracy Network (IWDN)
- Partner Spotlight: Marfua Tokhtakhodzhaeva’s New Book: The Re-Islamization of Society and the Position of Women in Post-Soviet Uzbekistan
- Women's Activism: Malaysia: Fiesta Feminista and Jordan: SIGI/J's Political Participation Organizing
- Alumnae Spotlight: Past Leading to Choices Participants Reach High Positions
- Publication Highlight: French Multimedia Leadership Curriculum Published
WLP Partners from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East Convene in Antalya, Turkey
In June, Women's Learning Partnership (WLP) partners gathered at the beautiful Mediterranean seaside resort of Antalya, Turkey for our annual transnational partners meeting. The thirty-five grassroots women's rights activists from fifteen countries met to discuss how to strengthen the international women's movement by building the capacity of women's NGOs, how to increase opportunities for women's political leadership, and how to counter the "clash of civilizations" paradigm by building cultures of dialogue and tolerance.
( categories:
WLP Partnership | Issue 17 (Fall 2007) )
WLP Program Focus: Young Women's Learning Partnership (YWLP) and International Women's Democracy Network (IWDN)
Young Women's Learning Partnership (YWLP)
WLP's new Young Women's Learning Partnership program aims to empower young people to create a shared vision, to build consensus, strengthen their communication skills, and create action plans to address the issues that impact their lives. Currently Leading to Choices: A Leadership Training Handbook for Women, WLP's leadership training manual which has been culturally adapted and translated into 17 languages is being adapted for young women and girls in Jordan and Bahrain.
WLP Partner Spotlight: Marfua Tokhtakhodzhaeva's New Book
The Re-Islamization of Society and the Position of Women in Post-Soviet Uzbekistan
Marfua Tokhtakhodzhaeva is the co-Founder of the Women's Resource Centre (WRC) of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, a WLP partner organization, before authorities closed it down in 2005 as a result of a government crackdown on civil society organizations. Ms. Tokhtakhodzhaeva remains actively involved in coordinating women's empowerment and leadership trainings with various organizations in the region. She has written a new book entitled The Re-Islamization of Society and the Position of Women in Post-Soviet Uzbekistan, examining the socio-political and religious shifts the country has undergone in the last twenty years. Ms. Tokhtakhodzhaeva focuses on the position of women in the Soviet era prior to the country's independence in 1991 compared to post-independence when the country began to re-introduce the customs and norms of Islam. Ms. Tokhtakhodzhaeva emphasizes that life in Uzbekistan has always seen a balance of good and bad in each era. Ms. Tokhtakhodzhaeva met with Program Associate, Christina Halstead, at the Women's Learning Partnership to talk about her book.
( categories:
Uzbekistan | Issue 17 (Fall 2007) )
Women's Activism: Malaysia and Jordan
Malaysia's Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) kicked-off Fiesta Feminista in mid-June with a three-day "fiesta" meant to celebrate, as the name suggests, the achievements of feminism, to synergize the efforts of women's and social justice groups, and to address the challenges and inequalities that remain. Over 500 women and men from all walks of life took part in workshops, lectures, presentations, exhibitions, performances, and films focusing on a variety of feminist issues with a thematic emphasis on diversity. JAG, which includes Sisters in Islam (SIS) and the All Women's Action Society (AWAM), plans to host a Fiesta Feminista event every two to three years.
WLP Partner Alumnae Spotlight: Past Leading to Choices Participants Reach High Positions
In July 2007, in Jordan, three WLP alumnae won seats in their municipal councils. Additionally, two alumnae of a regional training in Africa have gone on to take leadership roles in NGOs and in civil service. Christiana Thorpe and Daphne Williams were appointed as National Electoral Commissioners of Sierra Leone in 2005 and 2006 respectively, with Ms. Thorpe gaining the distinction of being the first woman to hold that position in the country. Elections were held in Sierra Leone in August 2007, with run-off election results still pending, and Ms. Thorpe and Ms. Williams were key players in overseeing the process.
WLP Publication Highlight: French Multimedia Leadership Curriculum Published
WLP, in cooperation with WLP partner in Morocco, Association Démocratique des Femmes du Maroc, published the French edition of Leading to Choices: A Multimedia Curriculum for Leadership Learning. It is the second culture-specific adaptation of WLP's innovative multimedia training package. The English and Persian editions are available online at: http://www.learningpartnership.org/publications/multimedia. The French edition is tailored for human rights and democracy activists, educators, women leaders, and facilitators working with francophone communities in Africa. The curriculum is based on a concept of participatory leadership that enables women and men to develop skills to prevent conflict, share power, and build coalitions to promote human rights, social justice, and peace. The package provides three guides and three videos on Developing Effective Advocacy Campaigns, Communicating for Change, and Learning to Facilitate Interactively. The curriculum is used in training of trainers programs and focuses on developing persuasive and compelling media messages and coalition building strategies for advocacy campaigns on women's rights. The French edition will be available online in October 2007.
