speaking out for oneself or democracy in action
I've been meaning to write about this for a week now.
Last week, I joined a group of 50-60 people who took the streets (sidewalks actually) with proper police escort and all. The protest was organized by a grassroots women’s' group called Women's Resource Center. We held a vigil and a silent march from the Cascade to Republic Square. There they read out loud their open letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This initiative was part of the women's coalition for peace in the Caucasus. What this means is that other women groups held similar demonstrations in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ajaria...
What we were hoping to achieve from this regional civic action was the inclusion of women during the peace talks. As a majority of the victims of war and conflicts, women directly and indirectly are pushed aside when the time comes for developing peace resolutions (for Karabagh for example).
As part of the learning process, Lara (co-director of this local NGO) feels that the girls (students mostly) involved in organizing and implementing this event have not only learned the essentials of the organizational part, but also that their democratic rights can be practiced, if they put their minds to it.
Last week, I joined a group of 50-60 people who took the streets (sidewalks actually) with proper police escort and all. The protest was organized by a grassroots women’s' group called Women's Resource Center. We held a vigil and a silent march from the Cascade to Republic Square. There they read out loud their open letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This initiative was part of the women's coalition for peace in the Caucasus. What this means is that other women groups held similar demonstrations in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ajaria...
What we were hoping to achieve from this regional civic action was the inclusion of women during the peace talks. As a majority of the victims of war and conflicts, women directly and indirectly are pushed aside when the time comes for developing peace resolutions (for Karabagh for example).
As part of the learning process, Lara (co-director of this local NGO) feels that the girls (students mostly) involved in organizing and implementing this event have not only learned the essentials of the organizational part, but also that their democratic rights can be practiced, if they put their minds to it.
posted by Raffi N at 4:50 PM
6 Comments:
Ay, how time flies. Was that last week? I've been meaning to blog too, especially with some photos. Will do so the moment I have a second to even look at the photos I took.
But, let me ask a more fundamental question: who exactly is involved in the peace talks--i mean what specific "group" of people is involved in the talks, for one to argue that one or another group should be involved. I appreciate the spirit of this campaign, but don't you think the efforts of a women's resource center could for instance be used to promote the participation of women in elections, in public and political life etc, since really, unless you're in the ruling elite, you don't have a spot at the negotiating table. And may i also just remind everyone that Karabakh's foreign minister for a long time was Naira Melkoumian. Good job on the demo, but let's focus energy on the things that will make a real and sustainable difference, and not things that are window dressing dictated by all-too-suspect sources, like, oh, i don't know, conferences in Turkey and Georgia etc...you know what i mean?
Good point, Vehanush!
Does anybody really think that "men" as sex are involved in peace talks and "women" as sex are excluded? There are 5-6 people in Armenia who actually know the content of those talks (and that was the case for all these 12 years of negotiations)!!
Artashes, are you saying that during twelve years there weren't any qualified women who could've been part of the talks?
Vehanoush, the women's resource center does more than just demonstrations of this kind - they actually empower the women involved to speak out, be informed, network and create the environment that they seem to think is best for them and the society they live in. For instance, besides the only femenist scolarly journal published by them (Ganayk Hayots Journal), they do training on human rights in Yerevan and the regions, and more...
Hi Raffi, that's great great to hear that the Center does this work. And of course, I know that the demonstration is not the only thing that they do. I was simply pointing out that having worked in international development and as a feminist myself, currently residing in Armenia, I find the empowerment of women to take the public space is much more appropriate, as opposed to simply demanding to be around the negotiating table. I mean let's look at the Armenian government, and we can safely say that women do not in any meaningful way occupy a place of authority or leadership in the governance, and hence they also don't have a spot at the neogitating table, either. that's all...i'm glad to hear that there are things that the resource center does, and i have met lara and others at the resource center who've shown me the things that they do. thanks.
Raffi,
What I am saying is that literally a couple of people on top were involved in peace talks; the whole Karabakh process was extremely undemocratic and not transparent. And I do NOT mean divulging the sensitive details of confidential talks. I mean the national dialog, the educational process, the thorough discussion of possible solutions AND compromises led by the political leaders. Nothing! The whole issue is monopolized by the elites, and then the opposition, when it thinks it can get some political points, is yelling about the "betrayal". The discourse is on the level of fighting of the children in the elementary school. It is sad.
And all women AND men in Armenia are just given whatever the elites decide on the issue (as is, actually, the case on most other issues as well).
That is why singling out the exclusion of specifically women from peace talks does not make any sense.
Regards,
Artashes
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