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.

Women in Black, Long Island, USA and Our New Year Statement

Women in Black standing in Bellport, Long Island, New York, 2009. Their Mission Statement:
Women in Black stand in silent vigil to protest war an d human rights abuses all over the world. Mere words cannot express the tragedy that wars and hatred bring. We invite women to stand with us. Reflect about themselves and women who have been raped, tortured or killed in concentration camps, women who have disappeared, whose loved ones have disappeared or have been killed, whose homes have been demolished. We wear black as a symbol of sorrow for all victims of war, for the destruction of people, nature and the fabric of life.


Women in Black is an international peace network. WIB is not an organization, but a means of mobilization and a formula for action. WIB vigils were started in Israel in 1988 by women protesting against Israel's Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. WIB vigils developed in Italy, Spain, Germany, England, Azerbaijan, Columbia and in FR Yugoslavia. Women in Belgrade have stood weekly vigils since 1991 to protest war and the Serbian regime's policies of nationalist aggression. WIB groups have formed in many cities in the United States since September 11th. Women in Black New York has been holding vigils in solidarity throughout the world since 1993. Women in Black Bellport has been holding their vigils every Saturday from 11:00 AM since March 2003. Please wear black, if possible. Children and Men Welcome.


Women in Black, Melbourne, Australia will have its monthly vigil this Saturday from 12-1 in front of the old GPO. One of our members, Hellen, has asked us to add the following commitments to our mission statement:

Women in Black make these promises for the New Year.
We promise to expose the lies that demonize those who discuss nonviolent ways to end the Israeli occupation.
We promise to uphold the human rights reports of the attack on Gaza--the "UN's Goldstone Report" and "Breaking the Silence."
We promise to stand in solidarity with Israeli and Palestinian activists who face jail for their anti-occupation work--with the Shministim, with Mohammed Othman, wiht Kobi Snitz, with Ezra Nawi.


As we receive messages from Women in Black groups around the world, our belief in the power of grassroots progressive movements strengthens. And we have no choice but to speak, question,protest, vigil--to put into the human air women's voices demanding respect for the fullness of life.

Our September Vigil

On the streets in Melbourne for our monthly vigil, one of our largest. With wonderful musical accompaniment by "Bonjah." A human rights activist from New Zealand joined us and an old friend, Penny, was there as well. We do not mean to over simplify the sadnesses or complexities of the struggle with these images--but we do mean to show that words must be put into the streets and our bodies with them.

From the Archives--A Woman in Black Confession

"I confess

to my long time anti-war activity;



that I did not agree with the severe beatings of people of other enthnicities
and nationalities, faiths, races, sexual orientation;



that I was not present at the ceremonial act of throwing flowers on the tanks headed for Vukovar, 1991, and Prishtina, 1998;


that I fed women and children in the refugee camps, schools, churches and mosques;


that I sent packages for women and men in the basements of occupied Sarajevo in 1993, 1994, and 1995;


that for the entire year, I crossed the walls of Balkan ethno-states, because solidarity is the politics which interests me;


that I understand democracy as a support to anti-war activists/friends/sisters--Albanian women, Croat women, Roma women, stateless women;


that I first challenged the murderers from the state where I live and then those from other states because I consider this to be responsible political behaviour of a citizen;


that throughout all the seasons of the year, I insisted that there be an end to the slaughter, destruction, ethnic cleansing, forced evacuation of people and rape



that I took care of others while patriots took care of themselves.


from a Women in Black in Belgrade statement, October 9, 1998

Bibliography on Women in Black--An On-Going Project

To enable a deeper understanding of the history and actions of Women in Black as an international grassroots movement, we will post here a continuing bibliography of articles about this movement. Please send us any titles you want to add to the list. If you would like a copy of any of these that are missing further bibliographical information, please write to Joan Nestle on this website. Also these are papers that have made their way into my hands; many more materials can be found through traditional periodical searches.


Helman, Sara and Rapoport, Tamar. "Women in Black: Challenging Israel's Gender and
and Socio-Political Orders," The British Journal of Sociology, 48, no. 4: Dec, 1997,
pp. 681-700. with bibliography.


Nissen, Alex. "Israel/Palestine: Crimes Against Humanity," New Matilda, 19 July 2006.


Sachs, D., Saar, A., and Aharoni., S. "The Influence of the Armed Israeli-Palestinian Conflict on
Women in Israel," 19 pages with bibliography.


Sachs, D. and Safran, Hannah. "Equal Representation in a Divided Society: Feminist Experience
in Israel," 2005, Haifa, 18 pages.


Safran, Hannah. "Fighting Against Multiple Opressions: Lesbian-Feminist Peace Activism in
Israel," Vienna, 2007. 4 pages.
___________. "Captive in the National Discourse: Immigrant Women and the Struggle for
Women's suffrage for Jewish Women in Palestine in the 1920s." Paper presented at the
conference of the Association for Israel Studies, Ra'anna, 2007, 12 pages, a draft.


Ulasowski, Nina. "'It's a Hard Row to Hoe, Girl'"*: Feminist Solidarity in Women's Antiwar
Activism: Women in Black and the Dilemma of Difference," 51 pages with bibliography.
*Maria, Women in Black, USA

The Tragedy of Israel, of All Our National Violences

To the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer Community of Tel Aviv and Israel.

We are standing with you in solidarity in this time of great sadness and mourning. We join thousands of queer, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transpeople around the world who refuse to let hatred destroy the beauty of human love.

From Joan Nestle and Alex Nissen of Women in Black, Melbourne, Monday, August 3, 2009

I want to say that I carry with me always in my heart the young gay people I met in Israel in 2008. I saw your beauty of body and heart, and to think that such courage and hope should be so endangered deeply saddens me but I know our collective strength.

Joan

Women in Black understands that societies that use violence against civilians they deem unworthy as an every day expression of national policies, as the Israeli government does, open their own streets to brutal enactments of punishment of the unwanted. We stand, as queer and straight women, against homophobia, racism and the daily deaths of Palestinian lives and dreams.

Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

(23-29, July 2009)

7 Palestinian civilians, including one child and one woman, wounded by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in the West Bank

IOF conducted 21 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and one into the Gaza Strip

IOF arrested 14 Palestinian civilians, including two children, in the West Bank

IOF arrested 200 Palestinian workers from Barta's Village, which is isolated by the Annexation Wall

IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world

IOF troops arrested at military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested one Palestinian civilian.

IOF troops have continued measures aimed at evicting Palestinian families from their traditional homes in East Jerusalem

Israeli settlers seized a Palestinian house in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood

From the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Gaza (PCHR, http://www.pchrgaza.org)-

-and this is only one week's report. We stand because we cannot endure the ongoing nationally ordained suffering of a people day after day. I stand as a 70 year old American Jew, now an Australian one, as a queer woman to say to the sky above us, I see, I see and I will say no. Join Us.

Joan

The Women of Women in Black, Melbourne: Karen, Geraldine, Hellen,Alex, Marge, Joan, Sivan

These photographs of our last vigil were taken by a passing photographer, gxdoyle, whose work can be seen on Flicka. More and more, it is becoming imperative that we express our dissent in the societies in which we can. I think of the women journalists who have met their death for refusing silence. How can we, who stand in safety, do less?