Dear friends, Below is some information about what's happening around the world for the launch tomorrow of the World March of Women in the Year 2000 (WMW2000). As an addendum, you may also like to know that Aung San Suu Kyi's support of the campaign will be announced at the international satellite launch in New York tomorrow. The national organising committee for WMW2000 in Australia very much appreciates your forwarding the information below through your networks. many thanks and all the best, Cathy Picone ================================================ THE WORLD MARCH OF WOMEN IN THE YEAR 2000 LAUNCHES IN OVER 50 COUNTRIES March 8, 2000, International Women's Day, will be a date to remember in the history of the women's movement worldwide: the launching of a planetary solidarity movement involving marches and actions reflecting women's determination to shake up the powers that be. On March 8, women everywhere will be launching the World March of Women in the Year 2000 and publicising the demands for concrete change to combat poverty and violence against women. This dream of women the world over is now becoming a reality. So far, 3,500 participating groups in 146 countries are currently involved in this unprecedented project. Already, 75 national coordinating bodies have been set up to develop and adopt women's national demands, plan actions and facilitate coordination of the many groups that continue to join forces. Here are some examples of the diverse activities from around the world scheduled for March 8: - Peruvian women are organizing a canto a la vida that will include workshops, debates and theatre; - In Brazil, the Carnaval de Rio will be the setting of the launch of the World March; - In India, women's groups are organizing rallies, composing songs, creating street theatre and testimonies on the theme of poverty and violence against women; - Moroccan women are preparing a cultural festival where many artists will participate in the start of the signature campaign; - In Bolivia, the March will be launched with a "Ch'alla," a spiritual ritual of the indigenous peoples of the Andes; - In Switzerland, a press conference is scheduled in Geneva, followed by a march leading up to the offices of the WTO; - Indigenous women plan to launch the World March in Panama during their third continental conference; - In Romania, the March launch will take place in Iasi; - French women want to hold a demonstration at the Place des Droits de l'Homme and rename it the Place des Droits de la Femme et de l'Homme (the Rights of Women and Men Square); - In Haiti, the media will broadcast songs composed to Merengue rhythms during the month of February and in the streets of the capital during the three carnival days with the goal of raising the awareness of the population regarding the March demands; - Nepalese women are organizing a march in Kathmandu that will include floats followed by a contingent of women marching hand in hand, dressed in rainbow colours of the silhouettes in the World March logo; - Mozambican women will be marching through the streets of Maputo from the Organization of Mozambican Women's Square to the Peace Square where they will hold a press conference; - In the Philippines, community assemblies, multisectoral forums, an evening torchlight parade and a cultural program will surely incite women to action; - From March 1-8, Pakistani women will be presenting dramas in different communities on women's issues; - In Thailand, the launch will feature a march, a seminar and an exhibit on women and social change; - Women from the Fiji Islands will launch their March activities by playing drums and conch shells (huge seashells) and dancing; - Zambian women are organizing marches and televised debates; - In Australia, numerous launches will be held at various IWD breakfasts, luncheons, rallies and other IWD events around the country. A signature is also a commitment Starting on March 8, millions of women and men around the world will sign their names in support of the demands of the World March of Women in the Year 2000. These signatures signify individual and collective commitments to end poverty and violence against women. In Australia, we will be distributing these cards as from the date of the many launches on or around International Women's Day. Further copies of the card can be downloaded at the Australian website. On October 17, 2000, a group of women will be delivering the millions of signatures and support cards in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York. For further information on the project, please feel free to surf through our websites or contact us directly at the address below. In Australia, to find out more about the World March of Women 2000, you can contact: World March of Women 2000 Australian Organising Committee c/o GPO Box 2094 Adelaide SA 5001 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] fax: 08 8377 0706 phone: 08 8296 4357 Australian website: http://www.uq.net.au/march2000/ International website: http://www.ffq.qc.ca/marche2000/ -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
