[***Moderators' note: The application form (Word document) for this conference can be requested from the moderators by sending an e-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> and write in the subject line: "AMANITARE conference" ***]
Dear colleagues, friends and supporters, AMANITARE is pleased to release the second announcement and call for applications for the "AFRICAN WOMEN'S SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS CONFERENCE: PROSPERITY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT", February 4th-7th, 2003. Please see below for the second announcement, including conference agenda, logistics and application procedure appears below. Note: A formatted version of the Conference call is available in the attached Word document. This version is also available from the Conference Secretariat ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), and on our website from July 22nd. Sincerely, Jessica Horn AMANITARE Conference Assistant [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.amanitare.org --- AFRICAN WOMEN'S SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS CONFERENCE "PROSPERITY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT" 4 - 7 February 2003 Johannesburg, South Africa 2nd Announcement Background AMANITARE*, the African Partnership for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Women and Girls, is a Pan-African ten-year initiative of RAINBO (Research, Action, and Information Network for the Bodily Integrity of Women). The Partnership's mandate is derived from the outcomes of the World Conference on Human Rights (Vienna, 1993), The International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994) and The Fifth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995). Its main aim is to build an influential social movement to institutionalise the recognition of African women and girl's Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights as fundamental to their civil and human rights. The Partnership currently boasts the active participation of 42 Partners from 16 different countries spanning all sub-regions of the African continent. (For further information about AMANITARE, our mandate and activities, please visit the AMANITARE website at http://www.amanitare.org). Conference Objectives In an effort to realize the Partnership's overall goal, AMANITARE is organizing a Pan-African conference entitled, "African Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Conference: Prosperity Through Empowerment", that will be held from 4th to 7th February 2003 in Johannesburg, South Africa. With its forward-looking agenda, this conference will provide a rare opportunity to bring together African Women's Health and Rights movement activists with policy makers, researchers, health care providers, youth representatives, and the media from all sub-regions of the African continent - creating a unique forum for debate and creative strategising around Gender and Health in Africa. Prominent figures from the field, both regional and international, have been invited as guest speakers. Details to follow. The conference has the following five key objectives: 1. To raise awareness around Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights issues and to mobilize pan-African public opinion to support them; 2. To bring together women's organisations, policy makers, researchers and health care providers to promote a holistic and user-responsive approach to Sexual and Reproductive health; 3. To facilitate networking, exchange of information, and skills development; 4. To institutionalise the African Women's Health Day to be celebrated annually on 4th February; and 5. To celebrate African women's and girl's rights to healthy bodies, minds and souls. Conference Agenda The conference takes place over four days, beginning with a celebration of African Women's Health Day on February 4th. Day 1: Celebration of African Women's Health Day, 4th February Events throughout the day will provide forums for artistic reflection and creative, cross-cutting dialogue on key issues in African women's sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The celebrations are intended to commemorate the successes and highlight enduring challenges to implementing the SRHR agenda for Africa. Celebration Day Program: 10:00 - 11:00 : Opening Ceremony Featuring music, visuals and speeches commemorating African Women's Health Day and affirming the mandate of the AMANITARE Partnership. 11:00 - 11:30 : BREAK 11:30 - 13:00 : Opening plenary A ground-breaking dialogue between representatives of the African women's health movement, regional legal institutions, national governments and the youth rights movement on the objectives and implementation of the SRHR agenda in Africa. 13:00 - 14:00 : LUNCH 14:00 - 15:30 : Breakaway sessions - Resourcing for sexual and reproductive health and rights - The role of Islam in enabling sexual and reproductive health and rights - Protection of sexual and reproductive health in armed conflict 15:30 - 18:00 : BREAK 18:00 - 19:30 : AMANITARE Awards Ceremony 19:30 - 21:30 : Gala Dinner and Performance Express your support If you will be present at the opening celebrations, or if you are unable to attend the conference, consider sending a message of celebration or solidarity to the conference Secretariat. Messages will be read at the opening ceremony for African Women's Health Day, and at points throughout the conference. Please send messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Days 2 - 4 The following three days of the conference are sub-thematic. The provisional programme is as follows: Early morning activities The Glenburn Lodge is located in a beautiful and tranquil environment. We would like to encourage delegates to use the time and space allocated in the agenda to organise activities and maximise on the full benefits of these surroundings. Some ideas are jogging, meditation, Tai Chi, yoga, singing and drumming. DAY 2 Theme: Women's Realities: Vulnerabilities, Violations and Violence Plenary: SRHR: the key to peace, democracy and economic development Land rights, inheritance and SRHR Family law and culture Breakaway Sessions: * Constitutional law, customary law and individual women's rights Gender budgeting, health financing and women's health Men promoting SRHR of women and girls DAY 3 Theme: Services: Rights, Responsibilities and Choice Plenary: Barriers to accessing SR Health services Comparing the African regional instruments to international law Gender issues within the health sector Breakaway Sessions: * Religion and women's rights: Beliefs, interpretations and perceptions Pregnancy: choice and safety Adolescent sexual rights: reality or fantasy? DAY 4 Theme: New Generations: Changing the parameters, the ethos for the future Plenary: Building partnerships within civil society Integrating women's rights into public health services Investing in the empowerment of women and girls Breakaway Sessions: * Masculinities and gender based violence Dealing with violence in health service provision Realities of financing women's rights post-Cairo and Beijing * Abstracts should address issues raised by the breakaway sessions. However, alternative themes supported by a strong abstract may be considered for inclusion. Workshops There will be two workshop sessions, made up of three or more tracks each lasting 1� hours. Participants may propose to conduct a one or two-session workshop on the same day, or a workshop series over two or more days. Several rooms of various sizes will be available for workshop activities. The workshops will provide forums for skills exchange, practical demonstrations, training, and strategising and will be designed and run by conference participants. Suggested workshop topics include: - Female prevention options for HIV: Microbicides and the female condom - Lessons from human rights advocacy in Africa; - Enabling reproductive choice through Information Technologies; and - Confronting stigma in health services: women with disabilities. After-dinner activities Participants are welcome to propose after-dinner activities, where the conference themes and action agendas are further explored through film screenings, poetry readings, group discussions and networking activities. Displays There will be an opportunity to display publications and other materials throughout the conference. Spaces are limited. Please apply early to avoid disappointment. Language The official conference language will be English. Simultaneous interpretation into French will be provided for all morning panels, and select breakaway sessions and workshops. Venue The Conference will be held at the Glenburn Lodge, Kromdraai Road, Swartkops, P.O. Box 492, Muldersdrift 1747, Gauteng, South Africa. Tel: 011-957 2691. Fax: 011-957 2697. Website: www.glenburn.co.za Glenburn Lodge is situated approximately 30 minutes from both Johannesburg and Pretoria. Accommodation Competitively priced conference packages have been negotiated for this conference, including accommodation and all meals. This package does not include additional charges such as telephone calls, laundry, or other refreshments. Conference delegates will primarily be accommodated at the Glenburn Lodge, with reservations being made on a first-come-first-served basis. There are several other hotels nearby that will be used to accommodate any additional participants, particularly those who register much later in the year. Hotel bookings can only be made by the conference Secretariat. Travel All relevant documents must be obtained before travelling to the conference, including a valid passport, return ticket, visa, and yellow fever vaccinations (where applicable). Letters to support visa applications will be provided by the conference Secretariat for all successful applicants. As part of the conference package, free return airport transfers will be provided from Johannesburg International Airport to the Glenburn Lodge (and any other hotel where the conference Secretariat makes reservations for delegates). We have selected South African Airways as our preferred carrier, offering special fares for conference delegates. We advise booking early as these offers are subject to availability. Delegates can book flights through Bishop Travel Services, including those who wish to take advantage of this offer. Participation and Costs This conference will be an exciting and unprecedented opportunity for professionals and activists from various fields to witness first hand what others are doing, dispel myths, create common grounds, plan joint projects, and realise the complementary nature of our work. We intend for this conference to be the first step in creating an on-going forum and opportunity for progressive forces in Africa to come together and support each other in their joint efforts to raise the health, social, and civil rights status of women and girls. A non-refundable registration fee of $150 is to be paid in advance by all successful applicants. Delegates will need to secure their own funding in order to attend the conference. This fee covers the costs of all conference materials and the Gala Dinner. Approximate costs for attendance per delegate are as follows: Airfare - $1,000.00 (Average only, depends on country of origin.) Ground transportation - $40.00 (Return transport home to domestic airport.) Incidental fees - $200.00 (Including visas, inoculations, etc.) Hotel * - $450.00 (24hr conference package X 6 days incl. all meals) Pre/post conference per diem - $80.00 ($40 X 2 days) Registration fee - $150.00 TOTAL - $1,920.00 * Figures based on accommodation at Glenburn Lodge. Amount may vary for late applicants who are accommodated elsewhere. Bursaries A very limited number of bursaries are available, in part or whole payment of registration fee, transportation, accommodation (on a shared room basis) and all meals. The bursaries are provided in order to encourage participation in the conference by women's rights activists and grassroots organisations that would not otherwise have the means to attend. Preference will be given to applicants who have submitted abstracts to hold workshops or other skills sharing activities during the conference, particularly those from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America. Although bursaries will be made available to applicants from other regions, participants are encouraged to seek funding from other sources to attend the conference. A fundraising pack has been prepared for all successful applicants to assist with this. Applicants should complete the relevant forms and attach a letter applying for support, detailing their professional status and motivation for the award of a bursary. These applications should be returned to the conference Secretariat before 20th September 2002. Successful applicants will be notified in writing by 5th October 2002. Applications Applications to attend the conference are welcome from activists, health service providers and researchers working in grassroots organisations, non-governmental organisations, professional associations, Government Ministries and agencies, donor and/or international organisations. Attached is an application form, which should be completed and returned to the conference Secretariat no later than 20th September 2002. Abstracts We also invite you to submit abstracts for 15-minute presentations to be made in the breakaway sessions and for the skills exchange/development workshops (1 � hours). We particularly welcome submissions that offer new and progressive perspectives on issues related to women's and girls' Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, as outlined in the agenda above. Those wishing to submit an abstract should complete both an application and the relevant abstract form and return them to the conference Secretariat by the deadline of 20th September 2002. All forms must be returned to: AMANITARE Conference Secretariat RAINBO Queens Studios 121 Salusbury Road London NW6 6RG United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 20 7625 3400 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7625 2999 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: http://www.amanitare.org For further travel information please contact: AMANITARE Conference Bishop Travel Services Shop 11, Constantia Office Park Cnr 14th Ave. & Hendrik Potgieter P.O. Box 7316 Weltevreden Park, 1715 Tel: +27 (0) 11 675 2017/18/20 Mobile: +27 (0) 82 44 33 939 Fax: +27 (0) 11 675 2014 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***End-violence is sponsored by UNIFEM*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe end-violence OR type: unsubscribe end-violence Archives of previous End-violence messages can be found at: http://www.edc.org/GLG/end-violence/hypermail/
