Human Rights in a Box - an anti-bullying education project for United Nations Human Rights Day - December 10

The move for the 5th World Conference for Women. The only continent which has not had a WCW is Australia - what about it, United Nations?!

For those of you who don't know, some women across the world have - for the last couple of years - been lobbying for a 5th World Conference for Women. These Conferences are for Governments who are members of the United Nations.  Running alongside them are Women's Forums.  Anyone can go to these.   I have been to two of these Forums which, with the conferences, are organised by The Commission on the Status of Women, with the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) serving as the Conference secretariat.

 The first Forum I went to was in 1985 in Nairobi, Kenya.  I was one of twenty women funded by the Australian Government.  I was put forward by Quentin Bryce now - for a little while longer - Australia's Governor-General.  I owe a lot to Quentin. In 1995, I decided to go again.  There was no government funding for women as there had been ten years before.

By 1995, I was living in Tennant Creek in the NT.  Because I decided to go, my friend Sharon Kinraid decided she would come too.  By the end of January 1995, we had held a meeting of local women in the office of Maggie Hickey, the then Member for Barkly and started an organisation under the title of The Women of the Barkly. The adventure had started.  We embarked on fundraising.  The Australian Government was funding one Aboriginal woman and we encouraged our friend Joyce Napurrula Schroeder to apply.  Her application was successful, so Joyce was on her way too. As was, our good friend Pene Curtis.

Fundraising continued for some months.  The WoB, in the end, subsidised (but not fully paid for) the fares of three women. Because WoB was so active, a number of other women came from the local CWA and ATSIC.  If attendance was measured as per capita representation of a community, Tennant Creek probably sent more women per head of population than anywhere else in Australia!

 And we went in style.  We did a workshop in Beijing.  We booked what turned out to be a schoolroom of the old fashioned kind.  With hindsight, we really needed two or three times that space!  We had to shut the doors to the schoolroom because we were already plastering people to the walls!

We had received a grant of $20,000 from the Australia Council.  With this money, our friend Gerardine Sullivan produced a wonderful video of professional quality on the life and art of the Women of the Barkly - with Maggie doing the narration.  We employed two TC women to produce a photographic exhibition on a similar theme.  With the $200 left over from all this, we had sufficient to pay for brochures describing it all.  And on the day of our workshop, it was the day for our Minister for Women's Affairs to come to the Forum --- and Carmen Lawrence came to our workshop.  How wonderful that was!  When you are far away from home in a strange land ... and your Women's Minister walks into the room to your workshop!

All along the way we had included the Tennant Creek community in our doings.  While in Beijing, there were news items which gave concern to people and of which we knew nothing.  When we got home we were pulled up in the supermarket by concerned people.  Are you all right ~~  we heard that...  There is nothing quite like the feeling when you are supported by your community and find a place in their concerns.  But that's Tennant Creek for you.

I hope, if you have read this far, that you too would love to go to such an event.  If so, I hope you will go over here and join this this group >>> https://www.facebook.com/groups/5thWCW/.

 I am a fan of Jean Shinoda Bolen and heard of this movement through her work. To me, the response to this great idea seems sluggish. If you go to http://www.unwomen.org/en/how-we-work/intergovernmental-support/world-conferences-on-women you will find out more about the previous four conferences.

I want Australian women to stand up and be counted on the move for the 5th World Conference.  You see, there are five continents (if you count North and South America as one).  Women's Conferences have been held only on four.  The missing continent is Australia - and I think we ought to get together to push for a fifth UN world conference for women - but it must be held in Oceania.  It should be in Australia, but if not then it should be held somewhere in the South Pacfic.

Pope Francis, Catholicism, The Vatican, The United Nations, Empire and Women & Children

I have been asked by a few people what are my thoughts on Pope Francis. I warm to what I see but I do reserve judgment. I don't believe that one man can turn around the culture of the insular Vatican or the wide Catholic diaspora. 

I believe there are inhibiting and evil cultures at work within the Vatican and within Catholicism at large. One of them is the culture of almost two thousand years of Roman style administration - the administration of Empire. The Catholic Church has been ruling a physical empire - not just a spiritual one. This flies in the face of Jesus who said his kingdom was not of this world. Central to the continuity through changing times and controversies has been the exercise of power across the world through an administration both Roman and Catholic.

This power has as one of its foundations exclusion. This exclusion is seen most clearly in the church's attitude to women and children. Children are powerless still. Women do have power and agency in this day and age ... but, with only rare exceptions, this is a product of the 20th century.

I don't applaud Pope Frank for having some of the better dressed poor to breakfast. That is not a world first. I will know things are on their way when the Vatican is handed back to the Italian Government and the Lateran Treaty is null and void; when the Catholic Church becomes a stateless entity with no representation at the United Nations.

One other thing is needed from top to bottom and that is a policy of inclusion as opposed to the current policy of preferment. Excluded women and children have to be welcomed into the centrality of the Church. A clear sign that this is happening will be the abolition of required celibacy within the Church. I know there is a long queue of women, particularly in religious orders, awaiting ordination to the priesthood. However, a reformed church will take into itself people from the pews IRRESPECTIVE of age, gender, ethnicity, educational qualifications.

The Catholic Church has long called itself The Universal Church. This is a lie. It is not The Universal Church as long as there are people excluded from its ranks simply on the basis of who they are rather than what they have to contribute.

So dear Pope Frank, I do give you ten out of ten for style. But more than style is required. Substance is of the essence and that must be, as far as contemporary humans are able, enduring. You will have to upset whole tribes of Vatican huggers and preferred prelates ... but I do believe that if you do it well - and you are capable of doing it well - there will be loud applause from the pews and beyond. You might even find many who have moved from the Church finding their ways back to inclusion.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/12/20/does-pope-francis-have-a-woman-problem.html

Cultural Survival - Six years of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Six Years of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples     Today marks six years since the United Nations General Assembly adopted theUN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).  In a historic vote on September 13, 2007, 144 countries voted for the Declaration. It is the outcome of 25 years of hard negotiations. The rights spelled out in the document "constitute the minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the Indigenous Peoples of the world."  The Declaration protects collective rights and individual rights of Indigenous Peoples in relation to self-government, land, education, employment, health and other areas. Several countries have made steps towards aligning their policies with the standards enshrined in the Declaration, however, an implementation gap remains. There has been an increased international focus on Indigenous Peoples' right to participate in decision-making processes, especially on the states' duty to consult Indigenous Peoples to seek their Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in regards to issues that will affect their lands, lives, and livelihoods.  As one UN Permanent Forum delegate stated, "The most important element of Indigenous Peoples' ability to claim the right of Free, Prior and Informed Consent is to have informed and organized communities." Access to information about the Declaration and FPIC is crucial. Cultural Survival's FPIC Initiative is strengthening Indigenous Peoples' capacity to implement FPIC by increasing awareness and understanding of this right through community media and community exchanges.   GET INVOLVED!    1. Listen to FPIC radio programs here (en espanol aqui). Help translate into Indigenous languages and distribute to Indigenous radio stations, contact us:consent@cs.org.      2. Read Cultural Survival Quarterly featuring articles on FPIC.    3. Listen and watch a webinar on FPIC organized with First Peoples Worldwide and International Indian Treaty Council.  4. Be social! Share all this content on facebook and twitter.   5. Invest in Indigenous rights today. Please support our work! Thank you.    As always, we welcome your comments. Please send your feedback and suggestions toagnes@cs.org.   Cultural Survival is a global leader in the fight to protect Indigenous lands, languages, and cultures around the world. In partnership with Indigenous Peoples, we advocate for Indigenous communities whose rights, cultures, and dignity are under threat. For more information go to www.cs.org

Integrating Environmental Sustainability in the Post-2015 Agenda

From Ross in Chile on 40th anniversary of the Allende murder & the quilt in Nairobi commemorating the events

My friend Ross is currently living in Chile and writes below with reference to the 40th anniversary of the murder of Allende and the rise to power of the American-backed Junta and, eventually, Pinochet.  In 1985, I was one of twenty women funded by the Australian government to attend the United Nations Women's Forum in Nairobi, Kenya which ran in conjunction with the Women's Conference.  The pictures below are of a quilt displayed at the Forum by women of Chile.  

I am not a great photographer but have learned a lot with digital technology.  I don't know what sort of camera I had when I was in Nairobi - probably some sort of instamatic!!!

The circular building with people in it represents the coliseum to which people were taken immediately after they were rounded up.  Many of these people were never seen nor were they heard from ever again.  Because of this, you can see the women with their placards depicted as they searched for their loved ones. 

Ross Parry

Hi Friends, Septiembre en Chile is one of those interesting months where a lot of emotion flies about.

It kicks off with Sept 11. It seems the CIA likes this date for staging coups and other covert wars. It's the 40th anniversary since the military coup overthrew the democratically elected socialist leaning government of Allende who died in the coup. 40,000 people were rounded up disappeared and died.

Even though elections have returned emotions still run high although most of the population are now too young to have serious trauma from this. Still it is a day and night when gangs of youth go out to burn things and to disrupt power substations and loot shops. This has little to do with the coup and more to do with the general frustrations of youth for whom the privatised education system to expensive and the chance to find a decent paying job to be out of their reach. Educated teachers are very low paid and on contracts with no job security from year to year.
All this serves the corporate status quo very well.
September 11 is a day of mourning for those hopeful of a more equitable and compassionate society.

By contrast September 18, Independence marks a week of wild festivities and traditional music and costumes. Everyone dresses up and forgets about the harshness of life for a whole week. It marks a more positive expression of life without any threat to the power structure.
In many ways both the anger and the celebration reveal that Latinos are passionate about life in all its fullness. By contrast Anglo/British culture seems dull and boring to them, a life only half lived. Maybe we have traded passion for stability and conformity. We are afraid of passion lest it get out of control and cause harm in some way.
This month I try to understand the culture in a deeper way. The economic system here is much the same, but its too easy to assume that Latinos think the same way about things as I do. There are many cultural subtleties. Latinos don't always say what they think head on. There's a lot of hinting which is confusing for the Australian mind, which is so direct and in our view honest. But our honesty is often seen as rude and critical here. It requires wisdom and skill to adapt a virtue like honesty and not let that cause offence.
So I continue studying the culture and Spanish, and teaching the kids and of course they are teaching me all the time.

Ross

The Letter of 2nd September - please pass it on. Australia may not be able to get rid of its own hypocrisy.

2^nd September 2013

Letter to the Editor

An Open Letter to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

In our collective living memories it is a rare occurrence that both people vying for Office are regular Church going Christians. 

It is extraordinary to us as practising Christians and a matter of shame therefore, that both of you are determined to win office by continuing cruel, oppressive and wasteful policies towards the Aboriginal and Islander First Peoples, towards desperate Refugees and Asylum Seekers, and also by deliberate disregard for the perilous state of the Earth under global warming.

It’s incredible to us that whoever wins Government, from the lofty heights of membership of the UN Security Council, Australia will be pointing out human rights abuses in other countries.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’(Matthew 7/12 )

‘Welcome the stranger.’ (Matthew 25/36)  ‘

‘Take care of the Earth ’(Genesis 2/16)

We don’t think so.

signed

Dr Alitya Rigney, Kaurna Elder

(Sisters) Roberta Aitken, Joan Evans, Alice Foley, Margaret Kenny, Marion Gambin, Rebecca Scanlan, Susan Pollard, Kenise Neill, Marie Faulkner and Maureen McGuire

for the Josephite SA Reconciliation circle

Picture above is from here.

Cooling the heat on the Asylum Seekers issue : beyond political convention of bigotry & racism, look who is signs the UN Convention on refugees

Rudd, Abbott & Co are not impelled by deaths at sea. They want refugees off their backs. Displacement will be here awhile.

• By end 2012, the population under UNHCR’s responsibility was 35.8 million persons, taking account of new displacements, durable solutions, legal and demographic changes, improved availability of data, and revised estimates.
• Over the past 10 years, more than 836,000 refugees have arrived in industrialized countries through resettlement programmes. They are not included in UNHCR’s refugee statistics owing to the fact that they have found a durable solution. They remain however of concern to UNHCR.
• While UNHCR works to ensure that the rights and well-being of refugees are protected, the organization is also mandated to seek durable solutions that allow refugees to rebuild their lives in dignity and safety. There are three solutions for refugees: voluntary repatriation, local integration, or resettlement to a third country.
• The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre estimated the global number of persons displaced by armed conflict, generalized violence and human rights violations at the end of 2012 at some 28.8 million, the highest number in more than two decades.

The document below

can be read by scrolling down

or printed out by using the facility

on the bottom bar of the frame

Do one thing for Diversity and Inclusiveness - ‘World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development’

I got to know about Cultural Infusion 

during the Parliament of the World's Religions in Melbourne in 2009.

 Very creative people!

~~~~~

Cultural Infusion - building cultural harmony and wellbeing!

‘Do One Thing For Diversity and Inclusiveness’  Cultural Infusion develops winning slogan for UNAOC campaign

Special Announcement: 21 May, 2013 for ‘World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development’ Cultural Infusion  is the proud producer of the winning slogan for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAC) 2013  “Do One Thing for Diversity and Inclusion” campaign. “Divided We Fall,  United We Stand, Diversified We Grow”  "The slogan builds on the well-known motto ‘United We Stand, Divided We Fall’, which has appeared throughout modern culture in songs and political campaigns across the world”, explains Peter Mousaferiadis, Cultural Infusion’s Creative Director and Founder. “The concept behind it is to recognise that whilst we stand strong as a united people we have more to gain through a focus on inclusivity; drawing upon ourstrengths as a people made up of many culturally diverse backgrounds.” Cultural Infusion is an Australian not-for-profit organisation that works in education, youth, communities and the arts to promote cultural harmony and wellbeing for a more cohesive and richer society. Its education program “Discovering Diversity” is delivered to an annual audience exceeding 200,000 students and they have produced cross-cultural experiences at major events including the Parliament of World’s Religions, the United Nations 63rd annual DPI/NGO Conference and the 25th International Baccalaureate Asia Pacific Annual Conference. “One of our organisations core beliefs,” Peter explains, “is that as a diverse society living in a globalised world, the ability to move between and respect cultures other than our native one is an invaluable asset for personal and community development.” This has been a thrilling six months for Cultural Infusion who have not only received a ‘Highly Commended Award’ for the ANZIA Internet Awards (2012) but were alsoone of the winners of the United Nations’ coveted international ‘Intercultural Innovation Award’ (2013) for their ongoing work with ‘Sound Infusion’ - a project which aims to expose schools to global cultures through a web and app based music program. Peter has been invited to present his winning slogan in front of thousands of international guests including 50 ministers from around the globe at the ‘World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue’ in Baku (Azerbaijan) on May 29th. Today is ‘World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development’! In December 2002, the UN General Assembly declared May 21 to be the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. The day provides us with an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to learn to live together better. Their grassroots campaign ‘Do One Thing For Diversity and Inclusion’ encourages you to do one thing today to combat polarization and stereotypes to improve understanding and cooperation among people from different cultures.

EMAIL NOW

Some of Cultural Infusion's programs have been awarded the Intercultural Innovation Award by the UNAOC & BMW Group, for outstanding programs that promote cultural harmony and wellbeing. Copyright © 2013 Cultural Infusion, All rights reserved.

Consumer rights and protection: government inattention; ineffective legislation; inadequate enforcement

Consumers InternationaI Director General Helen McCallum on CI’s unique global survey of consumer protection writes as follows:


Friday, 15 March, was World Consumer Rights Day. To mark it, we are releasing the findings of a remarkable survey, arguably one of a kind.

We asked 70 consumer groups in 58 nations to tell us about the state of consumer protection in their country.

The results, highlighted in the infographic attached, have been fascinating.

While the findings reveal a concerning lack of government attention around some of today’s most pressing consumer rights issues; in many countries we also found existing legislation to be ineffective and under-enforced.

Barely half (52%) of the countries surveyed have a national policy to protect consumers. Even where specific legislation does exist, it by no means guarantees consumer justice. For instance, while 91% of governments fine companies that violate consumer laws, only 55% order financial compensation to consumers.

The survey also indicates a lack of government action on contemporary consumer concerns, such as e-commerce, environmental impact and corporate behaviour.

For instance, less than a third of governments (29%) have mechanisms in place to resolve e-commerce disputes out of court; meaning victims of online shopping malpractice may be forced to seek redress through expensive court settlements.

Barely half (52%) require companies to disclose energy consumption of home appliances; leaving consumers unaware of the environmental impact of the goods they buy.

Less than half (47%) use incentive measures – such as tax breaks, exemptions, and labelling schemes – to encourage consumer goods companies to be ethical and socially responsible.

The study also indicated a lack of commitment to consumer education, with only two in five governments indicating its inclusion within national school curricula and just 38% monitoring awareness of consumer rights within their borders. This comes despite consumer education and awareness being cited by many governments as a major tenet of effective consumer protection.

This survey paints the picture of a job half done. While progress has been made in many areas, there is still an unacceptable lack of consumer protection in others – both in the developed and developing world.

It shows that modern consumer concerns - such as digital rights, environmental impact, and corporate responsibility - are not being adequately addressed by governments. And where even the most basic consumer protection laws do exist, they are not being effectively enforced.

This is why, together with our member organisations and supporters, we are demanding better laws, effective policy and tougher enforcement, alongside an update to the UN Guidelines of Consumer Protection so that they truly reflect the legitimate needs of consumers across the world.

Such moves should be the least consumers can expect.

Join the debate - share your opinion at www.consumersinternational.blogspot.com

The State of Consumer Protection around the World

Please note: 

Five Australian organisations are listed in the Members Directory of CI.  They are:

CHOICE - Australian Consumers' Association (Council)

CHOICE is a not-for-profit organisation which has been researching and campaigning on behalf of consumers since 1959. With over 200,000 subscribers to their information products, CHOICE is the largest consumer organisation in Australia. Their aim is to ta...

www.consumersinternational.org/our-members/member-directory/CHOICE - Australian Consumers' Association (Executive)

Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA)

The Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA) is the national peak body for consumer groups in Australia. With over 100 members including legal centres, health rights groups, local consumer organisations and public interest bodies CFA’s role is to put the ...

www.consumersinternational.org/our-members/member-directory/Consumers Federation of Australia (CFA)

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) is an independent Commonwealth statutory authority. It was formed in 1995 to administer the Trade Practices Act 1974 and other acts. The ACCC promotes competition and fair trade in the market pla...

www.consumersinternational.org/our-members/member-directory/Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

Consumer Affairs Victoria

Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) protects and promotes the interests of consumers. To do this they review and advise Government on consumer legislation and industry codes; advise and educate consumers, tenants, traders and landlords on their rights, respon...

www.consumersinternational.org/our-members/member-directory/Consumer Affairs Victoria

Australian Communications Consumer Action Network

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) is the peak body for communications consumers in Australia. Our aims include but are not limited to: to promote available, affordable and accessible communications for all Australians; to provi...

www.consumersinternational.org/our-members/member-directory/Australian Communications Consumer Action Network

UN World Water Day - 22 March 2013 - water waste and water conservation

March 22, 2013 is the 20th anniversary of World Water Day. In honor of this important anniversary, this week we are highlighting 7 Strategies for Reducing Water Waste. Please visit the Food Tank website each day over the next week for posts focused on innovations around water.  Although the earth has 1.4 billion cubic kilometers of water, only 0.001 percent of that is accessible for human consumption and use. And 70 percent of water is used for agricultural purposes. In 2012, the United States experienced the most severe drought in at least 25 years which, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), affected 80 percent of agricultural land in the country. Couple that with recent droughts in other parts of the world, most notably in the African Sahel, and the urgency for action to safeguard water resources is clear. As water supplies face mounting pressures from growing populations, climate change, and an already troubled food system, analyses of “water wealth” and “water security” are laying the groundwork for future cooperation and stability. In order to meet all municipal, agricultural, and ecological needs for water, it is crucial to develop innovative water saving systems for the future of food production. Here are seven strategies for reducing water waste in the food system: 1. Eating Less Meat According to Sandra Postel of the Global Water Policy Project, it takes roughly 3,000 liters of water to meet one person’s daily dietary needs, or approximately 1 liter per calorie. The amount of water needed to produce one kilogram of red meat can range from 13,000 to 43,000 liters of water; poultry requires about 3,500 liters of water; and pork needs about 6,000 liters. Eating more meatless meals, even one or two days a week, can help conserve water resources.  2. Using intercropping, agroforestry, and cover crops Soil health is critical to water conservation. Diversifying farms by including cover crops, planting trees on farms, and intercropping can help keep nutrients and water in the soil, protecting plants from drought and making sure that every drop of water delivered by rainfall or irrigation can be utilized. 3. Implementing micro-irrigation Approximately 60 percent of water used for irrigation is wasted. Drip irrigation methods can be more expensive to install, but can also be 33 percent to 40 percent more efficient, carrying water or fertilizers directly to plants’ roots.  4. Improving Rainwater Harvesting Since the 1980s, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute, farmers in Burkina Faso have been modifying traditional planting pits known as zai, making them deeper and wider and adding organic materials. As a result, the pits retain rainwater longer, helping farmers to increase yields even in years of low rainfall. 5. Using mobile technology to save water Santosh Ostwal is an innovator and entrepreneur in India who has developed a system that allows farmers to use mobile phones to turn their irrigation systems on and off remotely. This helps reduce the amount of water and electricity wasted on watering fields that are already saturated. 6. Planting perennial crops Perennial crops protect the soil for a greater length of time than annual crops, which reduces water loss from runoff. According to a report from the Land Institute, "annual grain crops can lose five times as much water and 35 times as much nitrate as perennial crops." 7. Practicing Soil Conservation Soil conservation techniques, including no-till farming, can help farmers to better utilize the water they have available. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), studies have shown that no-till techniques improve water-retention capacity and improve water use efficiency in crops. Be sure to visit the official World Water Day website for more details about the day’s events, including activities in your community and tips for reducing your water footprint. You can also learn more about water issues from the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition, the Global Water Policy Project, Food and Water Watch, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). What do YOU think? What are the best ideas, studies, and on-the-ground innovations helping to conserve water?  Check out some of our newsletter articles below, reply to this email or call me, and please join the conversation on our website, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Pinterest, on Google+, and on YouTube     All the Best, Danielle Nierenberg Co-Founder, Food Tank: The Food Think Tank www.FoodTank.org Please connect with us on Facebook,  Twitter, and Pinterest

United Nations World Harmony Week Celebrations - Ballarat - Thursday 7 February 2013

Stan Deutscher of the Ballarat Interfaith Network

with

Councillor Belinda Coates of the City of Ballarat

prepare to hoist the Ballarat Interfaith Network flag

on Thursday February 2013

For more photographs of 

United Nations World Harmony Week celebrations in Ballarat

please go here

Welcoming speech by Margaret Lenan Ellis of  the Ballarat Interfaith Network

New book from Jean Shinoda Bolen and more news on 5WCW

February 4, 2013 New Book to be Launched at UN             Events During the UN Commission on the Status of Women Dear Friends: The author copies of Moving Toward the Millionth Circle were delivered on January 21, 2013, Inauguration and Martin Luther King Day!  Such an auspicious beginning and such a delight to hold the little book in my hands. In this author-mother’s eyes: she is gorgeous! My publisher provided 2000 copies to give away at the UN during the CSW meetings. They will be given to NGO delegates by other delegates who volunteered to help gift the books in one-to-one conversations. A random method that invites synchronicity. After March 1, the book will be released for sale through amazon.com.  I wrote this sister book/sequel to The Millionth Circle: How to Change Ourselves and The World  for heart-centered activists who are motivated to act by compassionate action, a sense of sisterhood, or fierce mother bear protectiveness which is a combination of love and outrage. I wrote it when efforts for a 5th World Conference on Women (5WCW) encountered obstacles and resistance even after the UN Secretary General and President of the General Assembly issued a joint statement in strong support on International Women's Day, 2012, and I turned to writing as an expression of my activism. The last UN women's conference was in Beijing in 1995 --before widespread use of the internet, way before the millennial generation entered adulthood.I wrote it to inspire you to act out of consciousness and choice to step up and take on what is meaningful, fun--even when difficult, and motivated by love, which only you can know to be true. Activism is then an individuation step and soul work. I wrote it so more circles with a sacred center would form and groups in existence might transform into circles. I wrote it with the hope and intention that it would be in print when the UN Commission on the Status of Women met the first two weeks of March 2013 and that I could gift copies of the book away to NGO delegates and UN people. This became possible because of exceptional support from my publisher (Conari). Synchronicity, serendipity and grace helped all along the way. I wish now that I had included how an idea spreads geometrically with the example of the 3 to the 19th power (it is in the Preface to the paperback of Urgent Message From Mother: Gather the Women, Save the World.)  If three women speak of something each believes is true to 3 others, and they in turn speak to 3 others, in 19 steps the message will reach 1,162,261,487. When a critical number of people change beliefs in what is possible, then perceptions and actions follow.  This Inauguration Day was a reminder.  Remember history? Slavery and denying women the right to vote was once what was. These expressions of patriarchy were transformed. Compassion and courage grow in a circle of equals with a spiritual center--as members of AA know. In the consciousness-raising groups that became the Women’s Movement in the 1970s, equality was a sacred mission.I believe that the feminine principle is rising into consciousness through women and exceptional men and that the fate of planet and humanity depends upon each of us believing in the possibility of transformative change in our families, communities, institutions, countries, and the world. To believe leads to action which changes us as well what we want to change--when done with love, hope, perseverance, courage and optimism. Activism is a personal choice. It is a passion for a cause expressed through actions, funding, communication, as well as prayer, rituals, and art.

Advocacy continues for a global conference on women. The belief that there will be one is growing into an assumption Proposed regional meetings will help the idea to spread The form it will take is not known. Timing most likely between 2016 – 2020.