Beijing +15 Minutes
3/11/09
+ We’re still open for more suggestions while everyone is here
- Especially ask regional caucuses to designate a few people (all the caucuses have done this) that we can call on to coordinate with us. Setting up our network has been very successful. Our blog is found at http://ngocswny.wordpress.com
You can add your comments to this blog so if you have a thought about something and tell us what you’re doing you can put it on the blog
+ Goals
1. To report on the current condition of women, vision of future and gap between words and deeds.
2. To generate renewed commitment and engagement on the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action at all levels, including international, regional, national and local levels
3. To promote the critical need for action and implementation
+ Objectives
1. To increase awareness of Beijing at the international, regional, national and local levels- some people don’t know about the platform at all
2. To highlight the increasing gap between words, actions and accountability at all levels.
3.To advocate for critical need to establish monitory and implementation mechanisms addressing gaps
4. To collaborate with GEAR proposal for the Composite International Women’s Agency model.
5. To engage new allies in all aspects of campaign (men, youth, more women)
- Young people, someone suggested we focus on people who will be 15 years old next year. Engage men who aren’t part of the process.
6. To organize and mobilize existing allies and building momentum at the international, regional, national and local levels.
+ Possible Strategies
1. Share tool kits with local NGOs to mobilize campaigns
- Talking points- clear, uniform message
2. Create guidelines for the development of country-level lists of 12 key accomplishments and 12 remaining challenges
3. Strengthen Beijing through linking to other international instruments (Resolutions 1325, 1820, CEDAW, MDGs)
4. Hold worldwide rallies to celebrate Beijing +15 and country objectives
5. Consolidate country level findings into list of recurring global themes and key priorities
6. Engage new partners including men and men’s organizations, youth and women not yet participating.
7. Develop interactive tools through web, radio and others
- Use as many interactive tools as possible.
8. Plan for sustaining momentum beyond celebratory event
- Plan for after the anniversary of Beijing- it’s been exciting to see everyone here, the momentum should carry to next CSW and beyond that.
+ Who should be involved?
1. NGO CSW Working Group
- We will have an NGO CSW working group- in collaboration with NGO CSW Geneva and Vienna
2. GEAR Networks
3. NGOs at international, national, regional and local levels
4. Relevant government ministries
5. Non Committee Partners (must be context specific)
6. Religious organizations
7. Private Sector
8. Media
9. Ambassadors, celebrities
10. Schools, universities, educational facilities
+ Next Steps and Outstanding Issues
1. Choosing dates and locations
- 2 days before CSW 54- might be Friday and Saturday.
- One of the topics of CSW might be Beijing +15
- NGO meetings at CSW 54 in NY and also worldwide events
2. Develop timetable with regular progress and coordination updates, lead up events and or milestones progress
- Trying to develop a timetable for next year- we will use the Internet for this- can create listservs. We thought of monthly updates (someone mentioned every 2 weeks a teleconference). At least once a month contact.
3. Develop communication programs and tool kits, including plans for translation and accessibility to grassroots organizations with limited access to technology.
4. Develop short-term and long-term budgets, fundraising goals and strategies
5. Use GEAR infrastructure to develop NGO regional focal points to coordinate national and local implementation.
6.Link and create awareness at all other events (e.g. 16 Days of Activism, Human Rights, ECOSOC Summit, etc)
7. How do we ensure momentum from event is sustained?
8. Miscellaneous
- Budgets will be developed (short term and long term)
- As other events take place (human rights day December 10th/ECOSOC summit in July- we can link our activities to these other events)
- Ensuring momentum is very important
+Action Items
1. Regional Task Force Representatives and NGOs to review presentation and offer feedback and thoughts.
2. Begin forming the Coordinating Committee to liaison with TF Representatives
3. Honorary Board
4. Fundraising
- Form our coordinating committee here
- An honorary board- something we need to assemble- please reach out to any one well known who could serve on the board.
+Additional Next Steps
1. Monthly activity focused on one or two of the BPfA concerns. For example:
- April- Women and the Financial Crisis
- May- Women and Health
- We don’t have enough time to cover the 12 areas but you can choose one or two of them (Ex: we’re doing women and health in May)
+Beijing Platform for Action 1995
1. The Girl Child
2. Women and Poverty
3. Education and Training of Women
4. Women and health
5. Violence Against Women
6. Women and Armed Conflict
7. Women and the Economy
8. Women in Power and Decision-making
9. Institutional echanism for the Advncement of Women
10. Human Rights of Women
11. Women and the Media
12. Women and the Environment
Beijing + 5 identified specific groups of women:
1. Older women/aging
2. adolescents/young women
3. refugees/asylum seekers
4. indigenous women
5. entrepreneurs/self employed
6. migrant women
7. rural women
8. disabled women
9. female household heads
+ Comments
- Include something about gender and democracy- and define democracy
- 2 suggestions- communication by Skype and Consultation Day- is there a way we can orient the day to Beijing +15 issues
- The topic for CSW is going to be Beijing +15 and nothing else so we may not need Consultation, which would be more financially feasible.
- Have you considered an official day on which this will start so we can start and get some media coverage in our home countries- maybe an announcement from the UN to officially launch everything? (suggestions- Dec 10th- Human rights day- this would be the launch) It’s a good to have a certain launch date.
- Question concerning regional activities- should they take place before March- European Caucus wants to know what is expected in terms of the dates and planning of marches and events. – Answer: take one or two of the Beijing areas and focus on those- have a conference, workshop – publicize it, invite youth and men
- In Asia Pacific we didn’t choose any representatives to be the communicator- can we send the name later to you? Yes- and during the two days before CSW 54 we are going to have some celebration and events but how can we organize the event in the region at the same time? Maybe we need to have the regional event before Dec 10th so we can bring the results to the CSW.
- See if you can find some local organizations in your area that could support a march or a rally during the time of CSW.
- Could we use Oct 15th to do the launch so we have enough time to do events in the region. Are we going to decide on how many members of the honorary board? It should be someone who has clout, fame, celebrity and who is willing to be a spokesperson. Need women leaders from other countries. It usually helps if you know the person or have some link with them. Once the person is in agreement you can forward the name to Vivian.
- Is the planning team formed yet? If not can we ensure representation from every team. – We are coordinating with all of the regions. Actually need youth on the committee not just organizations that work with youth
- Wanted to know how we will utilize people who are willing to offer time and volunteer- how individuals get involved- through your NGO locally or directly through us. It has to be local for this to be a really global movement.
- As much as there are bigger structures- the bottom line is at the local and national level. Help the locals at the country level with expertise.
- Suggestion to make a toolkit for NGOs at the local level- that would help drive local level activities.
- Very important to emphasize the fact that there will be a lot that will be happening in UN and that budget is mostly for activities that will take place in NY. People who are taking up responsibilities to mobilize resources at the local level for things to happen at the local, country and regional level. We need to negotiate this as a mainstream activity for the work you normally do. Teleconferencing every 2 weeks is too ambitious. Monthly might work but that mechanism needs to be maintained. Realities of language will come in.
- We want to put the blog on the website in French and Spanish. If we have people who volunteer to do the other languages.
- Have the toolkit be participatory; maybe we can get feedback before the final draft is created.
- We would like to coordinate w/ Women’s violence organizations to do something in NY- maybe form a little committee in this area of concern.
- Do we have a logo? Someone brought it up maybe use original Beijing logo. Also need a slogan. Maybe a song
- Concern- March is not such a good time for other parts of the world. It can be difficult to coordinate everything at the same time. What if different regions choose a time of the year to have a special event? – We said a monthly event so that would be fine.
- World walk for peace leaving from NZ- might coordinate events with this.
- Outside this room, Beijing isn’t well known. Beijing +15 might be a substitute than the key title of the event. Maybe we could have a contest among us to come up with an idea
- Fundraising idea- scarf with the logo- that would be something that could unite every region. Then everyone could have diff color of scarves with that great logo
- Carry along the idea of organizing the original Beijing regional members. We have some archival material in the CONGO office we can look through. People are starting to dig up these documents.
- Last time we were talking about including a timeline of women and progress for Mexico and Copenhagen etc.
- Want to include people of all generation
- Maybe have Beijing +15 in subtitle for fundraising purposes. Maybe a name/slogan
- “She has done it” “Women- How far?” “Yes she can” “Women, The journey so far”
- Must have a new slogan- Beijing is derogatory in Nigeria and won’t work for fundraising.
- Motivating younger women- notice that younger women are at a different point- to move forward we need to bring the generations together for collaboration- people are in really different places. Names should be appealing to younger women
- On that idea, an idea of a contest might be a good idea. We can vote on it.
- Possibility of introducing a new topic to Beijing – women and religion (under human rights)
- Since this a review of women and CEDAW “Women architects of positive change”
- In France, using the word conviction not the word religion b/c when you say religion you’re eliminating a lot of women. another suggestion: use the word conviction
- Incorporate the word “together” with whatever slogan we use. We want to bring our groups together, young and old, men and women etc_
- Incorporate women across the ages. Successes and challenges how the women’s movement has changed over time, a different face for each time period.
