Our October, 2009, Vigil and More

A gray and cold day but Sue, Hellen, Geraldine, Di, Joan, Marg and Sivan held our banners and read our mission statement on the streets of Melbourne once again. We use this time together to tell each other what other events or concerns are pulling at our hearts--Sue tells us of the work around protesting the Northern Territory Intervention into Aboriginal Communities, Hellen of her work with Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Geraldine finishing her book, "Women Working Together:Suffrage and Onwards," (http://www.womensweb.com.au/) and Sivan
is helping to organize the gathering for "Pathways to Reconciliation Summit: Human Security through Community Engagement," to be held in Amman, Jordan, 14-17 December 2009. A little background of this ground breaking undertaking: "Global Reconciliation is an Australian-initiated network of people and organisations around the world seeking to promote reconciliation--that is communication and dialogue across national, cultural and religious and racial differences.

Since it was formed in 2002 Global Reconciliation has conducted international conferences and initiated collaborative projects in many countries. We have eight major areas of interest: health care and medicine; the arts and culture; learning and education; livelihoods and money; spirituality and celebration; sport and recreation; place and environment and justice and ethics. The partners in our organization include government and non government organisations, academic institutions, professional associations and community based groups. Our patrons are the Reverend Desmond Tutu, the Hon Sir William Deane, Aung San Suu Kyi (not in current communication), President Jose Ramos-Huerta, Professor Bernard Lown, Professor Amartya Sen and Dr Lowitja O'Donaghue." For more information contact Dr Elizabeth Kath, RMIT Global Cities Research Institute, elizabeth.kath@rmit.edu.au to register on line:www.global-cities.info/ammanog

Every vigil has its own breath, its own encounters with people who stop to talk, to argue, to wonder at what are these women doing--and the street has its own life--shoppers, tourists, workers, students, musicians. It is a privilege to take to the streets, to engage with strangers over matters of human decency.