Catégorie : Civil Society

Linked with our presentation of Prema Gopalan – India.

SSP, Swayam Shikshan Prayog, a Self Learning Network of Women, brings women to the centre of development process, enabling grassroots women’s collectives to access and manage resources so that they can gain entry in governance, says Ms. Prema Gopalan, its Founder and Director … Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP) seeks to bring women and communities of the poor from the margin to the mainstream of the development processes. SSP is located in Mumbai, with resource teams in eight districts that partner with grassroots women’s groups and local self governments across the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Today SSP is building capacities for peer exchanges, ICT, networking, advocacy and partnerships on savings and credit, livelihood options, local governance at grassroots, participatory monitoring of basic services, community led water and sanitation and disasters linked to development …

… Prior to 1998, SSP was initiated as an informal network on women’s economic empowerment, which included small and medium grassroots groups and organisations in rural Maharashtra. The idea was to develop collectively a menu of practical learning tools that facilitated women to understand the transition in rural economies. The network assisted cross border learning from thrift and credit groups by Samakhya in A.P through a series of study tours and workshops in 1989-90. As a result, twenty-five organizations began to form savings and credit groups in Maharashtra.

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Linked with our presentation of Ana Teresa Bernal – Colombia.

The National Network of Citizen Initiatives for Peace and Against War REDEPAZ:

Ana Teresa Bernal’s organization REDEPAZ is strengthening the peace movement in Colombia by bringing together peace organizations of youths, women, and indigenous groups to form a strong and cohesive voice. United, these organizations are setting a common agenda and creating their own solutions to Colombia’s problems instead of waiting for actors of the armed conflict to do so. For nearly four decades, Colombia has been in the throes of armed conflict, with guerilla groups, the army, paramilitary groups, and drug cartels waging war with each other. For young people, survival often means enlisting with armed groups, thereby swelling their ranks and ensuring the continuity of conflict. As frustration grows with the unceasing turmoil, growing numbers are favoring violent options, making it increasingly urgent for concentrated efforts to keep the focus on nonviolent resolutions. But citizen peace initiatives have been solitary, scattered, low-impact efforts, and civil society has been excluded from negotiations and general discussions on the conflict. REDEPAZ provides the critical missing piece in the search for peaceful solutions to Colombia’s problems: a vehicle to engage the citizen sector. It has facilitated crucial linkages allowing a mass movement demanding peace and resisting violence, and forcing politicians and armed groups to pay attention. It has held public referenda where children and adults have had a chance to officially vote for peace, compelling political parties to include the peace mandate in their agendas, stimulating negotiations between warring factions, and moving the corporate sector to take a stand against violence. REDEPAZ has enabled the citizen sector to establish its presence at the negotiation table.

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Linked with our presentation of Kamala Sarup – Nepal.

Peace Journalism is an independent monthly e-magazine, registered in New Jersey. Chief Editor: Kamala Sarup. They write: Peace Media believes in a free press and is an independent e-magazine. Peace Media will be happy to accept any criticism, suggestions, help or contributions from freelancers. Peace Media advocates for Peace, Human security, and true Democracy. No one can impose on us or force us to publish any article or interview that is essentially propaganda against human security or national security.

Peace Media e-magazine is founded on the belief that educating people on conflict resolution is an important step in reducing world turmoil. We believe that the role of the media is to raise a voice against injustice and fight violence. We support peace, democracy and development in societies undergoing crisis and change. We also believe that the media play a strong role during the peace negotiation and social reconstruction processes. Peace Media strengthens journalism in all areas of conflict. Its activities include training and dialogue with members and readers and providing information to media professionals.

To implement these objectives, we perform research on peace and conflict resolution, conduct a regular media watch to analyze mainstream and alternative media, and network with allied organizations around the world. We develop and disseminate information on the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts through meetings, written articles and research. Peace Media publication requires your help.

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Linkedwith our presentation of Khun Htun Oo – Burma.

The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy is a political party in Myanmar (Burma), representing the interests of the Shan minority. At the last parliamentary elections (held 27 May 1990), the party won a clear representation, became the second party in parliament, but parliament was not allowed to convene. The SNLD is closley allied to Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD). This article about an Asian political party is (on wikipedia) a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. (See wikipedia).

May 17, 2006 (DVB) – The U.N. undersecretary-general for political affairs, Ibrahim Gambari who is arriving Burma on Thursday to press the country’s ruling military junta to restore democracy and respect human rights, is meeting with the National League for Democracy (NLD) leaders on Friday. The meeting is only to be between Mr. Gambari and the NLD central executive committee (CEC) members who are currently not under detention, and it is not clear whether Gambari would be allowed to see Aung San Suu Kyi, a NLD leader told DVB. The meeting will be held at the hotel where Mr. Gambari is planning to stay, on Friday evening and they will be discussing the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and U.N. resolutions on Burma. The NLD leader added that as it is a meeting with the first U.N. envoy to visit Burma in more than two years, he was unable to tell more of the details on the meeting and their hope in advance. (Read the rest of this article on Democratic Voice of Burma).

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Linked with our presentation of Khun Htun Oo – Burma.

Excerpts: … The AAPP has been assisting political prisoners and their families since we set up our association in March 2000. The AAPP has also been campaigning with international Burma groups for the release of all political prisoners. The AAPP is also systematically documenting the military regime’s oppression of democracy activists. According to our record, it is clear that the current military regime has been prejudicially cracking down on political organizations and activists in Burma … 80 ethnic political prisoners, more or less, who have been in prison since around 1983, during the time of the Burma Socialist Program Party led by General Ne Win, still remain in prison. Additionally, several political prisoners, who were arrested in 1988 or 1989, are still in prison … Such kinds of imprisonment are intended to set an example and indirectly threaten others in ceasefire groups not to speak out against the SPDC and the current NC. Now, when the MI warns activists not to criticize the current NC, they say to look at Khun Htun Oo and others as an example … (Read the rest of this 8 page pdf text).