December 23, 2000: Candle lighting activity

We receive much support for the candle lighting activity on;

Date:	23rd. December 1999
Time:	Mid-day (as international activity time in own country)
Duration :	2 hours

We pledge with you in the following statement as resolved by the United Nations General Assembly to mobilize international awareness, action and individual commitment to peace in our time. While your candle is burning or after the completion of your candle light dedication/prayer for peace, kindly append your signature on the Manifesto 2000 http://www2.unesco.org/manifesto2000/uk/uk_f_manif2000.htm in agreement with humanity on the Culture of Peace.

For a new beginning
The year 2000 must be a new beginning for us all. Together we can transform the culture of war and violence into a culture of peace and non-violence.
This demands the participation of everyone. It gives young people and future generations values that can inspire them to shape a world of dignity and harmony, a world of justice, solidarity, liberty and prosperity. The culture of peace makes possible sustainable development, protection of the environment and the personal fulfillment of each human being.
The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the year 2000 as the International Year for the Culture of Peace. UNESCO is responsible to coordinate the activities of the International Year for a Culture of Peace.

A group of Nobel Prize Peace Laureates met in Paris for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and drafted the Manifesto 2000 for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence. Nana Konadu AGYEMAN-RAWLINGS - Clémence Aissa BARE - Ibrahim BARE - Norman BORLAUG - D. Agustín CONDE BAJEN - Dalaï Lama - Adolfo Perez ESQUIVEL - Don Carlos Roberto FLORES FACUSSE - Don Manuel FRAGA IRIBARNE - Mikhail Sergeyevich GORBACHEV Alpha Omar KONARE - Don Arnoldo Alemán LACAYO - Mairead MAGUIRE - Nelson MANDELA Rigoberta MENCHU TUM - Don Andrés PASTRANA - Shimon PERES - Jose RAMOS HORTA - Joseph ROBLAT - Coretta SCOTT KING - Desmond Mpilo TUTU - David TRIMBLE - Elie WIESEL Carlos Felipo XIMENES BELO were among the first signatories of the Manifesto 2000.

The Manifesto 2000 for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence was written by the Nobel Prize Peace Laureates, in order to create a sense of responsibility starting on a personal level; it is not an appeal or petition addressed to a higher authority.

It is the responsibility of each and every individual to put into practice the values, attitudes and forms of behavior which inspire the culture of peace. Everyone can contribute to this aim within their family, their area, their town, their region and their country by promoting non-violence, tolerance, dialogue, reconciliation, justice and solidarity on a daily basis.

The Manifesto 2000 has been made public in Paris on March 4th 1999, and is open to signatures for the wider public all throughout the world The goal is to present 100 million signatures to the United Nations General Assembly meeting at the turn of the millennium in September 2000.

Original text of the Manifesto 2000
Pledge: Manifesto 2000 For a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence Recognizing my share of responsibility for the future of humanity, especially for today's children and those of future generations, I pledge - in my daily life, in my family, my work, my community, my country and my region - to:
Respect the life and dignity of every person without discrimination or prejudice; Practice active non-violence, rejecting violence in all its forms:
physical, sexual, psychological, economical and social, in particular towards the most deprived and vulnerable such as children and adolescents;
Share my time and material resources in a spirit of generosity to put an end to exclusion, injustice and political and economic oppression;
Defend freedom of expression and cultural diversity giving preference always to dialogue and listening rather than fanaticism, defamation and the rejection of others; Promote consumer behavior that is responsible and development practices that respect all forms of life and preserve the balance of nature on the planet; Contribute to the development of my community, with the full participation of women and respect for democratic principles, in order to create together new forms of solidarity.

Kindly append your signature
http://www2.unesco.org/manifesto2000/uk/uk_f_manif2000.htm in agreement.

Linda Madlala
Chair & C.E.O.

December 14, 1999: Women's Environment & Development Organization (WEDO) & The Huairou Commission Present Reports From The SEATTLE Meeting Of The WTO

WEDO and the Huairou Commission invite you to join women's, environmental and human rights NGOs as well as government officials for a briefing on the internal and external events of last week's WTO meeting. Presentations will cover the activities of the Women's Caucus, the Women, Development, Democracy & Sovereignty Day, and other events of the week. To learn more on women's demands in Seattle, read the Women's Caucus Seattle Declaration which follows this announcement.

When:	Tuesday, December 14th
Time:	1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Location:	Church Center, 777 UN Plaza (enter at 44th) 2nd Floor New York City

No R.S.V.P. necessary to attend. For more information contact Rosa Lizarde - WEDO at rosa@wedo.org or call (212) 973-0325.

July 20 -23, 1999: Conference on The Aftermath: Women in Post-war Reconstruction, Johannesburg

Work on the book by Meredeth Turshen, What Women Do in War Time: Gender and Conflict in Africa (Zed Books, London 1998) led us to raise the question, what happens to women in the aftermath of war and internal armed conflict? What happens to gender relations in African societies in post-war reconstruction? We are aware that for women, a truce does not always bring an end to violence. The idea for a global conference in which African women dialogue with women who have lived through other conflicts arose from recent experiences in several African countries where violence against women escalated after the armistice. In South Africa, for example, women are coming forward to testify about abuse and brutality under apartheid rule in hearings convened by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Information on our conference is at www.wits.ac.za/aftermath.

July 26, 1999... 1-4pm: Workshop on Health and Gays in the Army, Cape Town

The venue for the workshop is: MRC at Tygerberg, Cape Town Block D, Second Floor, Room C210

Over the past year Mikki van Zyl has conducted research into the experiences with health workers of gay members in the armed forces during the apartheid era. The research was co-ordinated by the Medical Research Council, the Health and Human Rights Project, the Gay and Lesbian Archives, and the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality.

We invite all interested parties to attend a workshop where the findings will be discussed, and you will have an opportunity to contribute to the recommendations in the final report.

• Background to the project
• Presentation of findings & recommendations
• Grouping and Prioritisation
• Discussion in small groups: Strategising for recommendations
• Report back from small groups.

Please let anyone you think would be interested know and invite them. Everybody should please let me know by Thursday 22 July to expect them.

For more details please contact me at: Tel: (021) 424 3789 or by email: mikki@mweb.co.za

July 29-31, 1999: Women and Technology: Historical, Societal and Professional Perspectives, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey

Conference Announcement

International Symposium on Technology and Society 1999 of The IEEE Society for the Social Implications of Technology

The roles of women in technology are more diverse, controversial, and important today than ever before. Historically, women's involvement in the creation, manufacture, and use of new technologies has been seriously neglected. Even today, the public has an understanding of society that usually treats women as "technological illiterates" with little stake in any aspect of new technologies. Yet since the 1950s women have tried to technologically empower themselves, particularly by entering the engineering profession. They have done so in great numbers, although today it is glaringly obvious that women are still underrepresented in engineering. Women in the field still face gender-based obstacles, expectations and biases despite decades of efforts to eradicate these problems.

Call For Papers

We encourage contributions for topics related to this general theme:

• Impact of Information technology on women and women's work
• Women workers in industry and manufacturing
• Women in the Engineering Workforce
• Women Faculty and Students in Science and Engineering Education
• Motherhood and technology
• Historical and current perspectives on women and technological development
• Technology and Gender Inequality

We also welcome papers in areas of interest to the members of SSIT:

• Environmental, health, safety, and peace-related implications of technology
• Social, Economic, and ethical issues involving energy, information, and telecommunications technologies.
• History of Technology
• Systems analysis in public policy decisions. Research Methods for technology-policy analysis

Submit a one page abstract for a paper or poster, or a proposal for a paper session or panel discussion to the Co-Chairs at

email: David Morton, Research Historian, IEEE History Center d.morton@ieee.org or April Brown, Associate Professor, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology april.brown@ee.gatech.edu

Mail: David Morton, IEEE History Center, Rutgers University, 39 Union St., New Brunswick, NJ 08904

April Brown, Associate Professor, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332

Deadlines: Abstracts of papers and proposals for complete sessions March 1, 1999
Your Notification of Acceptance: April 15, 1999
Your Manuscript for the Conference Proceedings (some presentations may not require full length papers) June 1, 1999

Sponsor:

IEEE Society for the Social Implications of Technology
Technical Co-sponsors
IEEE History Center at Rutgers University
IEEE Committee on Women in Engineering

July 31 - August 7, 1999: Zimbabwe International Book Fair to Focus on Women's Information, Harare

The theme of the 1999 Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF) is "Women", with a 2-day pre-Fair 'Indaba' or meeting on the theme "Women's Voices: Gender Books and Development". The country focus is South Africa. While the programme is still being formulated, events and initiatives at ZIBF99 presently include:

• Marketing Workshop for African Women in Publishing
• Women and Information Technology
• Women Writers in Africa
• African Booksellers Convention
• African Publishers Network
• Children's Reading Tent

Calendar of events:

• July 31st and August 1st Indaba days
• Monday 2nd August setting up day for exhibitors
• Tuesday 3rd to Thursday 5th seminars, workshops and traders days
• Friday 6th and Saturday 7th are public days and the fair is open from 10 am to 5pm

The Book Fair is one of the largest of its kind in Africa and provides an important meeting ground for publishers, librarians, and booksellers. For information packs and application forms or if you'd like to present papers, participate in the Indaba or book fair or to find out what is being planned, contact:

Trish Mbanga, Director ZIBF
P.O. Box CY 1197, Causeway,
Harare, Zimbabwe
Fax: 09263-4-702129
E-mail: zibf@samara.co.zw
Web site: http://www.mediazw.com/zibf/

South African participants can contact

Monica Seeber
PO Box 31134
Braamfontein 2017
Fax: 011-622 6899
E-mail: seeber@icon.co.za

August 2-3, 1999: Women and the Environment - International Conference

Convened by the University of Zimbabwe in association with the Zimbabwe International Book Fair

ZIBF99, 31 July-6 August, theme: Women

Venue: Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Monomotapa Hotel, Harare

This special conference on Women and the Environment will focus on the role of women in both the natural and the human-created environment. It is premised on the recognition that most African women belong to the underside of history in cultures in which they have key roles in the maintenance of the environment. The conference will explore various ways in which women further our understanding of environmental issues as participants in the history, geography, politics and religion in Africa.

Proposals for papers may still be accepted and are called for from different disciplines and under the following heads: (i) Politics (ii) Religion (iii) Development (iv) Educational and Legal Policies.

Please send an abstract (maximum 300 words) of your proposed paper as soon as possible to any of the organizing committee at the University of Zimbabwe:

Dr I Mukonyora, Department of Religious Studies, Classics and Philosophy, UZ Email bmukonyora@esanet.zw Tel +263 4 303211 extn 3304

Dr J Nhongo-Simbanegavi, Department of History, UZ
Email root@history.uz.zw
Tel +263 4 303211 extn 3256

Mrs Sibongile Mhlaba, Department of History, UZ
Email root@history.uz.zw
Tel +263 4 303211 extn 3256

Participation is invited both from Africa and outside Africa. There will be a number of places available for ZIBF99 participants who would like to attend the conference but who are not presenting papers. Please see the conference registration form at the end of the programme.

Conference Programme

Day One - Monday 2 August

8.15 Welcome and introductions
Dr Josephine Nhongo-Simbanegavi
Department of History, University of Zimbabwe.

8.30 (Topic tba)
Dr Pat McFadden , SAPES

9.15 Report from Oxford Conference on the African Environment
Presenter: Joann McGregor
Department of Geography, University of Reading, UK
Chairperson: Mrs S. Mhlaba, History Department, UZ
Discussant: Mr M Mushonga, History Department, UZ

10.00 Tea break

10.30 The Chisumphi Cult and the role of women in preserving the environment
Presenter: Isabel Apawo Phiri
University of Durban-Westville, South Africa

11.00 Women and the ecology in Shona religion
Presenter: Dr Isabel Mukonyora
Department of Religious Studies, Classics and Philosophy, UZ

11.30 Women, Religion and the Environment in Zimbabwe
Presenter: Professor T. O. Ranger
Visiting Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, UZ
Chairperson: tba
Discussant: Dr Lilian Chirairo

12.30 Lunch

14.15 The Clash of Oil Exploration with the Nigerian Environment: Challenges to women's development process
Presenter: Dr J.O. Olusi
Obafemi Owolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

15.00 Gendered Power in the Social Forest in a Zimbabwean
resettlement area
Presenter: Allison Goebel
Women Studies Program, Trent University, Canada

15.45 Women, indigenous knowledge and scientific experts in Eastern Zimbabwe
Presenter: Wilbert Sadomba, Harare
Chairperson: Dr I. Mukonyora
Discussant: Mr David Kaulemu
Department of Religious Studies, Classics and Philosophy, UZ

16.30 Tea break

18.30 African Scholarship at ZIBF Reception

- End of day one -

Day Two - Tuesday 3 August

8.15 Women and conservation in rural colonial Zimbabwe
Presenter: Eira Kramer
Department of EconomicHistory, UZ

8.45 A documentary film from Mozambique
Dona Mariana Mphande
Chairperson: tba
Discussant: Mr E. Mufema

10.00 Tea break

10.30 Women as custodians for food security
Presenter: Mrs Pamela Mbabazi
Mbarara University, Uganda

11.00 A gender sensitive analysis of community based wild-life utilization initiative in Zimbabwe's Zambezi Valley
Presenter: Nontokozo Nabane

11.30 Women and the Environment: Knowledge, Power and Environmental Transformation in Southern Africa.
Presenter: Dr M. F. Chingono
University of Botswana.
Chairperson:
Discussant:

1.00 Lunch

14.15 pm. Final paper

Group discussions

15.00: Report-back session

16.00 Tea break

16.30 Conclusion

Women and the Environment - Conference Registration Form

Name

Mailing address

   

Zip code

Tel

Fax

Email

Do you plan to give a paper? Yes    No

Title of proposed paper

Will you require any special equipment in conjunction with your paper? (for example: slide projector, video projector, audio equipment? Please list below:

     

Return Completed Form To:
Dr I Mukonyora
Department of Religious Studies, Classics and Philosophy
University of Zimbabwe
P O Box MP 167 Mount Pleasant
Harare, Zimbabwe

or by email to bmukonyora@esanet.zw

On acceptance of your application, a registration fee of US$50 will be charged to international participants, covering papers, lunches, teas and refreshments. The fee will be waived for presenters who are based in Africa. Selected presenters from within Africa will have financial support towards the purchase of air tickets. Participants from outside Africa are encouraged to look for funds from their institutions.

Please Note: The above registration form is for the Women and the Environment conference only. To attend the rest of the ZIBF99 programme, including the Book Fair (3-7 August) and the opening Indaba on Women's Voices - Gender, Books and Development (31 July-1 August), you will need to register directly with the ZIBF as either a visitor or exhibitor.

Prospective ZIBF99 participants based in Europe, North America or the Caribbean please contact:
ZIBF(UK), P O Box 21303, London WC2E 8PH
Tel/fax +44 (0)171 836 8501
Email zibf.kingstreet@dial.pipex.com

For details of other regional ZIBF agents, contact the ZIBF head office at
zibf@samara.co.zw
P O Box CY1179 Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel +263 4 702104/702108 Fax +263 4 702129

June 15-July 31, 1999: Codesria Gender Institute 1999: Men, Women and African Plural Economies

Every year, CODESRIA organises a Gender Institute which brings together fifteen African and six non-African researchers for a period of six weeks (June 15-July 31). The Institute was launched in 1994 and is organised in collaboration with Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, Senegal, with a view of establishing links among, and meeting the need of a new generation of scholars in terms of access to recent documentation, participation in current debates on gender within the social sciences, and retooling research methodologies.

The 1999 Session

Men, Women and African Plural Economies

Gender relations in Africa have experienced over the past years far-reaching changes. The political transitions under way as well as the expansion of the political arena have meant greater, although still limited, participation of women in the public sphere. New strategies have been developed with a more dynamic role for women through access to small credit, self-employment, the development of associational life and increased practices of self-help and solidarity.

Recent studies on gender are increasingly focussing on the creative practices of women and their role in daily life. African economic systems have become more complex than it was assumed. More than ever before, uncertainty and indetermination stand as the norms. Personal relations as well as the bargaining capacity of actors play a preponderant role in the survival strategies of individualand communities.

Under such uncertain and unstable conditions, women play a crucial role through their capacity to create economic networks beyond geographical borders or social stratifications. Such networks of exchange and self-help represent forms of resistance to the failure and crisis of formal economies.

Moreover, the accumulation process is reflected by the growing social differentiation and the development of individual autonomy in a context of increasing poverty. Female economic networks participate in the management of such contradictions between individual aspirations and demands for solidarity.

The objective of the 1999 Institute will be to elucidate and analyse the various roles played by women in the changing African economies and the various ways in which gender relations are transformed in this very process.

Eligibility

1. African researchers

African social scientists as well as post-graduate students are eligible. CODESRIA does provide 15 fellowships to those who are selected.

2. Non-African researchers

Applications for a limited number of places (six) are also invited from Non-African scholars who are able to raise funds for their participation.

Application

Applications should include :

• a curriculum viotae
• a letter indicating institutional affiliation
• an application letter showing the relevcance and significance of gender analysis for the research envisaged
• a research proposal including a descriptive analysis, outlining the problematique and its articulation with the general theme of the year
• two letters of reference from scholars known for their expertise in the candidate's research field

Deadline

The deadline for submission of applications is April 15, 1999.
Applications should be addressed to:

Codesria Gender Institute
B.P. 3304 - Dakar - Senegal
Fax: (221) 824 1289
Email: codesria@telecomplus.sn

June 26 - Jul 1, 1999: UNESCO World Conference on Science for the Twenty-First Century: a New Commitment

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Council for Science (ICSU), in co-operation with other partners, are providing a unique forum for debate through the convening of a World Conference on Science for the Twenty-First Century: a New Commitment to be held from 26 June to 1 July 1999 in Budapest, Hungary.

The Conference will analyse where the natural sciences stand today and where they are heading, what their social impact has been and what society expects from them. Finally, it will establish what efforts should be invested to make science advance in response to these expectations and to the challenges posed by human and social development.

The Conference will address and involve national governments and institutions, educational and research establishments, members of the scientific community, the industrial sector, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as the media and the general public.

Gender, Science and Technology at the Conference

The Once and Future Action Network is coordinating NGO advocacy and participation in gender, science and technology at the regional preparatory meetings and at the conference itself. Click here fore more details on the above, as well as the OFAN focal point in your region for more information.

Contact the OFAN Secretariat in India for information on activities planned for the main conference:
Dr. Jayshree Mehta, OFAN Secretariat, c/o SATWAC Foundation, AI/22,
Amrapali, Sukhipura,Paldi,
Ahmedabad 380007, India,
Tel (91-79) 412422,
Fax (91-79) 663-6386,
email: satwac.gasat@lwahm.net.

See also Once and Future Action Network (OFAN) Virtual Pavilion at the UNESCO World Conference on Science

June 28-29, 1999: Change of Date and Venue: Africa Women's Forum 2nd International Conference, Johannesburg

The Africa Women's Forum Meeting scheduled to take place on 27-29 June at the Indaba Hotel has been postponed due to circumstances beyond the control of the organizer, the Africa Leadership Forum and the organization providing local logistical support, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.

The conference will now take place at the end of August in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. All those interested in participating should contact Africa Leadership Forum directly at:

"alf" alfip@alpha.linkserve.com

A list of individuals from South Africa who had expressed an interest in attending the conference has also been forwarded to ALF.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

Eve Thompson

Eve Thompson, Director, Africa Programs
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
PO Box 23881, Joubert Park, 2044, South Africa
27-11-403-8641 (t); 27-11-339-8386 (f)

June 29 - July 1, 1999: "The Challenge of Change" Workshop - a Three Day Introductory Workshop on Intervention Work with Perpetrators of Intimate Violence, Johannesburg

The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation invites interested organisations and individuals to attend a workshop entitled "The Challenge of Change". This three-day introductory workshop is aimed at counsellors, social workers and psychologists wanting to learn more about working with abusive men. The workshop will be facilitated by Andrew Favell, an expert in the field.

Biography:

Andrew Favell has spent the last nine years working both here and in Canada in the area of men's violence towards their intimate female partners. He has conducted numerous workshops both here and overseas, published and presented at conferences on the subject and holds a Ph.D. in Psychology. He draws on a range of psychological theories and practices from a of pro-feminist, social justice and social constructionist perspective in dealing with men's violence towards their intimate female partners.

Workshop details:

Venue: Parktonian Hotel, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Cost: R1 200.00 (includes workshop materials & catering)

To reserve your place in the workshop, or to obtain further information, please contact Caron Kgomo at (011) 403 - 5650

For those outside the Gauteng Province requiring Travel and Accommodation: Bookings should be made directly with Wings Travel Agency. The contact person is Thabo Erasmus at (011) 783 - 800 or Fax (011) 783 - 8800

June 29, 1999... 1.30-4.30pm: Equality Alliance: Invitation to a Workshop on Equality Legislation, Johannesburg

Venue:

Commission on Gender Equality Boardroom, 10th floor,
Braamfontein Centre, 1 Jorissen Street, Braamfontein
RSVP to Hunadi -
hunadi@cge.org.za,
tel - 011 4037182,
fax - 011 403 7188.

Aims and Objectives of the Workshop

• update on equality legislation and the drafting process
• forming the Equality Alliance and a co-ordinating committee in Gauteng
• endorsing basic principles for substantive equality (an equality charter is proposed)
• agreeing strategies and tactics for public education, mobilisation and lobbying

What is Equality Legislation?

The Constitution requires parliament to pass equality legislation by February 2000 to promote substantive equality and prevent and prohibit unfair discrimination in all spheres.

In February 1998, the Department of Justice and the SAHRC established an Equality Legislation Drafting Unit. The unit has produced several drafts of an "Anti-discrimination and Equality Bill" which is likely to be tabled in parliament before September 1999.

What is the Equality Alliance?

There are many questions about what equality legislation will cover. How will the legislation be enforced? Will the legislation address discrimination based on HIV/AIDS status, family status, socio-economic status and nationality? Will the legislation be in plain and accessible language?

In response to these concerns, the Equality Alliance was formed in April 1999 in Cape Town. In Gauteng, the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality, the Commission on Gender Equality, the AIDS Law Project and SANGOCO are convening the Equality Alliance.

Why Should Your Organisation be Involved?

Few organisations know about equality legislation. Everyone must shape equality legislation. Conservative forces will oppose equality legislation like they opposed the Employment Equity Act. Progressive forces must support and strengthen equality legislation. Equality legislation will be an important tool which poor people, women, lesbian and gay people, people living with HIV/AIDS and many other sectors can use in fighting discrimination and claiming equal rights everywhere in society.

The Equality Alliance

Cape Town -
Pia Zain,
NADEL P O Box 15803,
Vlaeberg, 8018
Tel: (021) 424-3561;
fax: (021) 423-6309
email - pia%nadel@mhs.cstat.co.za

Johannesburg -
Mazibuko K. Jara,
NCGLE
P O Box 27811, Yeoville, 2143
Tel: (011) 487-3810/1;
fax: (011) 487-1670
email - mazibuko@ncgle.org.za

June 29, 1999... 6pm: Rights Africa Invites You to the Launch of the European Foundation for Human Rights in South Africa Human Rights Awareness Campaign, Pretoria

Venue:
The African Window Museum
(Visagie Street, Between Bosman & Schubart Streets, Pretoria)

Music by Duzi Magwaza & Friends playing Marabi/Kwela

RSVP: Paula McBride 083 303 2226
Joanne Thurman 011 403-0850

Rights Africa is a project implemented by HURISA on behalf of the European Foundation for Human Rights in South Africa

June 30, 1999... 12.30-2pm: Invitation: Ceasefire Campaign Annual General Meeting, Johannesburg

Venue:

Trinity Hall
Jan Smuts Ave
Braamfontein
(Oppsite Braamfontein Centre, next to Catholic Church,
parking on top of Braamfontein Centre)

Agenda:

12.30 Refreshments

12.45 Guest Speaker: Jody Kollapen, Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission "Human Rights Implications of the South African Arms Trade"

13.30 Executive Committee Report + Financial Report for 1998
Elections to the Executive Committee

This event is part of the Arms Control and Disarmament Project to facilitate debate on disarmament in the region. It is run jointly by Ceasefire and Gun Free South Africa.

RSVP to the Ceasefire office:
Tel: (011) 4035315
Fax: (011) 3397863
E-mail: stopwar@sn.apc.org

Name

Organisation

Phone / Fax

June, 1999: The International Women's Media Foundation 3-day Conference on "Reporting on Women's Health Care", Constanta, Romania

Fifty women journalists from Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Slovakia, and Macedonia will be invited as delegates. Now seeking nominations for other delegates and speakers.

Contact Amy Johnson, Program Director asjIWMF@aol.com.

July 2-4, 1999: Fifth Women in Archaeology Conference - Engendering Material Culture Conference, Australia

University of New South Wales

This interdisciplinary conference aims to examine material culture, in all its various guises, and its links to notions of gender and gender relations in the past and present. This conference will build upon the body of work developed by the 'Women in Archaeology' conferences and intends to provide a networking opportunity for scholars from a variety of disciplines involved in gender and material culture studies. So far the Conference has attracted registrations and offers of papers from academics and students in archaeology, history, museum studies, cultural studies and heritage studies and has received offers of papers from researchers in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Canada, UK, and the USA.

Keynote speakers include:

• Barbara Bender, University College London, UK.
• Ericka Engelstad, Department of Archaeology, University of Troms, Norway.
• Joan Kerr, Centre for Cross-Cultural Studies, Australian National University

Session topics include:

• Engendering Cultural Landscapes
• Masculinity and Material Culture
• Comodification of Gender
• Historians and Material Culture
• Gender issues in Museum Curation and Displays
• Exhibitions Past and Present
• Gender and the organisation of domestic and public space
• Feminist Theory and Material Culture
• Feminist Issues in Research

Abstracts for papers on the above topics, or any other topic, must be submitted to the conference organisers no later than March 31.

Abstracts for further sessions or workshops must be submitted to the conference organisers no later than March 31.

Conference registration is $120.00 (Australian) for three days, or $80.00 concession. Registrations after May 1 will be $150.00 and $100.00 respectively (registration form over page).

Conference Organisers:
Laurajane Smith and Ann McGrath

Contact details--

Postal address:
Aboriginal Research and Resource Centre
University of New South Wales
Sydney NSW 2052, Australia

email:
lj.smith@unsw.edu.au
Ann.McGrath@anu.edu.au

phone: 61 2 9385 1267
Fax: 61 2 9385 1062

July 4-9, 1999: From Policy to Action in Gender Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the 21st Century, Accra, Ghana

From Policy to Action in Gender Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the 21st Century, Accra, Ghana

Contact: Mrs. Georgina Quaisie
National Coordinator, FEMSA Project
Girls’ Education Unit
Ghana Education Service
P. O. Box M. 45, Accra, Ghana
Phone: 233 - 21 - 665421 ext 3729, 3703 (Office)
233 - 21 - 237348 (Residence)
Fax: 233 - 21 - 232602

E-mail: gquaisie@africaonline.com.gh

For more information: http://www.idn.org/meetings/dc032899-1.htm

July 5, 1999... 12.30-1.30pm: Treatment Action Campaign - People Before Profits: Protest Action (Human Chain) Against US Government

Venue:
US Consulate, 1 River St, corner Riviera Rd, Killarney
(opposite north end of Killarney Mall), Johannesburg

The Treatment Action Campaign would like to invite you to join us in a protest action against the US government by forming a human chain in front of the US Consulate.

The Treatment Action Campaign calls on you to join its protest action against the bullying actions of the US government, which are condemning people with HIV/AIDS to appalling and unnecessary suffering, and to death.

Join us in forming a human chain around the US Consulate to protest this inhuman and inappropriate intervention. Call on the US government to demonstrate its commitment to people and not profits.

South Africa faces what is termed the 'most explosive epidemic of HIV/AIDS in the world' - over 3.5 million South Africans are infected with HIV, with about 1 500 new infections daily. In addition, the country is undergoing a massive restructuring of the health system, which places further demands on already limited resources.

In this environment, South Africa and other developing countries are looking for ways of responding to the crisis in access to treatment, including 'compulsory licensing' - the granting of local licences to produce generic equivalents of patented medicines when the public health is threatened by lack of access to such medicines. This could lower drug prices locally as much as 90%. Compulsory licensing is legal under current international trade agreements, and includes provisions for the patent holder to receive royalties on the generic drugs. Another alternative is 'parallel imports', which would allow countries to import generic drugs from another country that is already producing them, once again paying royalties to the patent holder.

US Vice President Al Gore has publicly threatened severe trade sanctions against SA in response to our government's attempts to pass a law to allow production of essential AIDS and other drugs through compulsory licensing and to allow parallel imports. Gore's domestic policy adviser, David Beier, is the former head lobbyist for a major US pharmaceutical company. Tony Podesta, top Gore adviser and brother of US President Bill Clinton's Chief of Staff, is currently the lobbyist for PhARMA (the association for pharmaceutical companies) and most other US drug interests. For two years, the American government has vehemently opposed SA's attempts to introduce compulsory licensing and parallel imports. Despite Gore's statement that the AIDS pandemic must be a top priority for developing nations, it appears that the interests of pharmaceutical companies rate higher than the possibility of saving or improving the quality of lives.

Issued by the Treatment Action Campaign

Contact :
Sharon Ekambaram and Morna Cornell ;
Tel - 011 403 0265,
email - shasha@netactive.co.za

Mark Heywood;
Tel - 011 403 6918,
email - 125ma3he@solon.law.wits.ac.za

Mazibuko K. Jara;
Tel - 011 487 3810/1/2,
email - mazibuko@ncgle.org.za

July 5-7, 1999: International Conference - Exploring Cyber Society: Social, Political, Economic and Cultural Issues

School of Social, Political and Economic Sciences, University of Northumbria at Newcastle, UK.

What is Cyber Society? What are its social, political, economic and cultural dimensions? What are its theoretical and policy implications for the 21st century?

New Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) now touch on almost every aspect of our lives. No serious discussions of society, politics, economics or culture can be complete without their consideration. This interdisciplinary conference will assemble theorists and practitioners from the social sciences, the humanities and the arts, to explore the emergence of Cyber Society. Both the rhetoric and reality of Cyber Society will be addressed at a regional, national and international level. The conference will provide a forum for the critical evaluation of the impact of ICTs on individuals, communities, the state, economy, and culture.

Confirmed Keynote Speakers

Professor James Der Derian, Centre for European Studies, Harvard University, USA.

Professor William Dutton, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California, USA.

Professor Ian Miles, Centre for Research on Innovation and Competition, and PREST, University of Manchester, UK.

Professor Kevin Robins, Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies, University of Newcastle, UK

Professor Frank Webster, University of Birmingham (From January 1999), UK.

Four Conference Themes

*Cyber Society* - Cyber communities; Cyberspace and everyday life; Cyberfeminism; The virtual class; Cyber ethnicities and identities; The cyber classroom; Cyber medicine; Research methods .

*Cyber Politics & Policy* - Information age government and public administration; Power and control; Geopolitics; Net politics and activism; Censorship, Privacy; Regulation and surveillance; Access; Interactivity; Democracy; Cyberwarfare; Cybercrime.

*Cyber Economics* - Cyber markets, industries and corporations; Internet and Intranet economics; Electronic commerce; Information services; R? Cyber employment; Globalization of information and networks; Intellectual property rights.

*Cyber Culture* - Theory; Posthumanism; Cloning; Cinema; Intelligent TV and video; Post-photography; Digital architecture; Cybernetic art; Literature; Performance; Cultures of the Internet.

Call for Papers

Papers related to the above themes are welcome. Abstracts (150 - 300 words) should be sent to the conference secretary (see over) stating the theme under which the paper should be considered.

Deadlines for papers:

31.1.99 - Submission of abstracts
31.3.99 - Notification of acceptance
31.5.99 - Submission of full papers

All papers will be published in conference proceedings. A selection of papers will be published in edited volumes. Professor Manuel Castells, University of California, Berkeley, (Author of the three volume 'The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture') has agreed to contribute a commentary to one of these conference volumes.

Provisional Programme

The programme and timetable for the call for papers and conference bookings are subject to change and will be updated as details are finalised. Form mid September the latest information will be available at our web site: http://www.unn.ac.uk/corporate/cybersociety

Monday 5th July 1999 Registration 11.30am - welcome, plenary session, lunch. Afternoon - parallel paper sessions, plenary session. Evening - dinner.

Tuesday 6th July 1999 Morning - plenary session, parallel paper sessions, lunch. Afternoon - plenary session, parallel paper sessions. Evening - conference dinner.

Wednesday 7th July 1999 Morning - plenary sessions, parallel paper session, closing comments, lunch.

Booking Form

(Please print off and complete) Name:

Institution/Affiliation:

Address:

   

Postcode:

Tel No. (including STD code)

Fax No. (including STD code)

Email

Fee

(Please tick as appropriate)

Including accommodation stlg285

Without accommodation stlg255

stlg20 Reduction for booking by 1.3.99

stlg20 Reduction for paper presenters

Accommodation consists of bed and breakfast in the Claude Gibb Halls of Residence at the University of Northumbria at Newcastle. For those wishing to arrange their own accommodation a list of hotels can be obtained from the conference secretary or our web site.The Conference fee includes all meals and timetabled refreshments. Please state any special requirements (diet, disability etc.):

   

I enclose a cheque (payable to the University of Northumbria) for the sum of stlg................................

Travel details, maps of the city of Newcastle and the campus of the University of Northumbria, and an acknowledgement of payment slip will be sent to delegates on receipt of this booking form and payment of the appropriate fee.

Closing date for booking: 31st May 1999.

Completed booking forms, paper submissions, and general Enquires should be directed to:

Lorna Kennedy, Conference Secretary, School of Social, Political and Economic Sciences, University of Northumbria at Newcastle, Room 143, Northumberland Building, Newcastle Upon Tyne. NE1 8ST.

Tel: +44 (0)191 227 4937
Fax: +44 (0)191 227 4515
Email: lorna.kennedy@unn.ac.uk
Further details will be available from mid-September at the Cyber Society web site:
http://www.unn.ac.uk/corporate/cybersociety

John Armitage,
Division of Government & Politics,
University of Northumbria at Newcastle,
Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE1 8ST, UK.
Tel:0191-227-3943
Fax: 0191-227-4654.
E-mail: John.Armitage@unn.ac.uk
Home Page: http://www.unn.ac.uk/academic/ss/government/john.htm

July 5-10, 1999: Khanya College and ILRIG 1999 Winter School - "Towards Development and Social Change", Johannesburg

The Winter School is a programme of workshops and debates on current organisation building questions. The Winter School is from 5 July till 10 July 1999 at Wits University.

Who can apply ?

Anyone working in an organisation e.g a trade union, student, community worker.

What are the Workshops on ?

1. Labour and Economic History of South Africa.
2. The role of Popular Education in organisation building.
3. An Introduction to Gender Studies.
4. Debating Globalisation.
5. Rural Development Strategies.

Fees ?

R50 per workshop.

All Welcome !!

Open Session Wednesday Evening: Debating Gender Violence

For more information Contact us at:
Tel: (011) 3378604/5
Fax: (011) 3372728
email: Khanya@wn.apc.org
Contact Person: Ms. Theresa Damane

NB: Closing date for applications 25 June. We have a limited number of places.

July 6-9, 1999: SASA Congress 1999: Securing South Africa's Future, Saldanha Bay

SASA congress will take place between 6-9 July 1999 in the Military Academy located in Saldanha Bay. A document with all the necessary details and registration form is attached.

This year's theme is Securing South Africa's Future.

The Congress presents an opportunity to all sociologists to interact, debate social issues, establish and maintain networks, and get up to date with current debates and empirical work. The theme also lends itself to a discussion of the future of the social sciences in South Africa, and an opportunity to develop a coherent and effective response to challenges to the discipline.

This theme also provides a suitable framework for an examination of issues related to health and disease in South Africa. Since these issues are often tackled by multidisciplinary teams, it would be of great benefit to include contributions of an interdisciplinary nature with a bearing on the Sociology of Health.

There have been past attempts to create a network of people interested in this field, but unfortunately they did not bear fruit. It seems that this congress has the potential to provide us with new impetus to get together and share our research and experiences. For this reason I would like to urge all of you who are interested in, and/or are working in the broad field of the sociology of health/medical sociology/social dimensions of health, disease and health care to participate in the congress and present a paper.

Consideration will be given to all papers in the general area of the sociology of health. However, to provide for coherent sessions, we invite papers on the following topics:
Teaching the sociology of health
Health policy and health services
Women and health
Traditional medicine
Complementary medicine
Occupational health
Urbanisation and health
Violence and health
Theoretical issues in the sociology of health
Health professions
Disability
Ageing

It is our intention to cast the net as wide as possible, and therefore your assistance is needed. Please distribute this note to all interested parties. If possible provide us with details of people, who might be interested in attending and/or presenting a paper.

If you intend to present a paper, please send a note or an abstract to: Dr Leah Gilbert, Department of Sociology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg Private Bag 3, WITS 2050 E-mail: 029leah@muse.wits.ac.za

July 12-14, 1999: 2nd International Interdisciplinary Conference On Women & Health, Edinburgh

Deadline for submissions to conference: November 30th 1998

European Association for Research on Women and Health

July 12-14, 1999
Edinburgh Scotland

This Conference aims to:

• Stimulate communication and collaboration between researchers, clinicians and policy makers working in the area of women and health.
• Bring critical contributions from theory and research into discussions of aetiology, clinical practice and health care systems.
• Identify priority areas for women's health research.

The Conference will provide a unique forum for the exchange of ideas and the development of new models and approaches to the understanding and promotion of women's health. It will appeal to psychologists, sociologists, doctors, nurses, midwives, psychotherapists, health care workers, policy makers and health advocates.

The key themes of this conference are:

• Addressing inequalities and human rights
• Delivering appropriate health care and health services for women
• Promoting women's health across cultures, ages and stages
• Developing critical theories and methodologies
• Lifespan perspectives

We welcome submissions which are concerned with the areas of interest identified by the Report of the EC Commission on the state of women's health. These include: cardiovascular disease; incontinence; cancer; eating disorders; HIV/AIDS; family planning; abortion; menopause; violence against women; and health risk behaviours such as smoking, diet, exercise and alcohol consumption.

For further details, abstract forms etc please see http://www.ucs.ed.ac.uk/~pamew/ICWH2.htm

or contact the Conference Secretariat at conferences@bps.org.uk

Help please!

The difficulty with interdisciplinary conferences is in ensuring that information about the conference reaches the majority of potential participants, in their diverse disciplinary and occupational enclaves..... Please help by forwarding the above web address to anyone you know who is not on this discussion list, and who may be interested in the conference. Thank you.

Erin T. McNeill, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Family Health International
33 The Causeway
Duddingston Village
Edinburgh EH15 3QA
Tel: 0131-661-4886
email: emcneill@btinternet.com

March-June, 1999: Women's Writing Workshops Facilitated by Anne Schuster, Cape Town

Weekly morning workshops:
The workshops will provide a regular time, creative exercises and a friendly and generous environment to help women express and record ideas, thoughts and memories, and to help them sustain their writing.

Weekend Workshops (Narrathons):
The Narrathon introduces participants to narrative theory and story construction. Participants will then develop the elements of narrative and write a story from these. And in this way they will learn a way of writing stories which can be used outside the workshop.

Narrathon 1: 27& 28 March 1999
Narrathon 2 : 10 & 11 April 1999
Narrathon 3: 1& 2 May 1999

Each Narrathon runs over 2 full days, Sat and Sun from 9:30 to 4:30 each day.
Fee: R150 for the 2 day workshop

One-day workshops:
Short story workshop : 29 May 1999 (9:30 to 4:30)
Poetry workshop : 26 June 1999 (9:30 to 4:30)

The approach: All the workshops use games, drawing, freewriting and other lively techniques to create a non-threatening, spontaneous and productive space for writing. The emphasis is on exploring and practicing writing skills in a supportive environment and finding eays to sustain writing in women's varied and demanding lives.

Beginner writers welcome. Bursaries available.

To book phone Natale Labia Museum, Cape Town at (021) 788-4106/7

June 24-26, 1999: 1999 Meeting of Councils, Second Follow-up Meeting to the Microcredit Summit, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

H.E. Henri Konan Bedie, President of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, will chair the opening plenary of the 1999 Meeting of Councils, the second follow-up meeting to the Microcredit Summit.

This year's meeting will be held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire on June 24-26 and is designed to be a working meeting of lead institutions in the global campaign to ensure that 100 million of the world's poorest families, especially the women of those families, are receiving credit for self-employment and other financial and business services by the year 2005. More than 600 representatives of leading institutions worldwide are expected to attend.

Participants in the meeting will have the opportunity to share and further develop bold Institutional Action Plans that contribute to the fulfillment of the Microcredit Summit's goal; examine common challenges and identify next steps; learn best practices; and network with others who are active in the field. In addition, funders of microcredit will be provided with the opportunity to offer private scheduled appointments to practitioners who meet the funder's basic eligibility criteria.

During Plenary Sessions, four papers will be discussed by their authors and a panel of donor agency heads. The papers, whose authors include InterAction member Opportunity International, are now being circulated in draft form for comment and will then be finalized and distributed to delegates. The papers are available by sending an email to microcredit@igc.org referencing the keyword in parentheses after each title below. The paper topics are:

1) Overcoming the Obstacles to Identifying the Poorest Families, Especially Women: Using Participatory Wealth Ranking, the Housing Index, and Other Measurements in a Way that Assures Identifying the Poorest Families, Especially the Women in Those Families, and that Encourages Their Participation in Programs.

2) Impact on the Lives of Clients as a Measure of Program Success: Identifying Cost-Effective Impact Evaluation Tools for Practitioners.

3) How Donor Funds Could Better Reach and Support Grassroots Microcredit Programs Working Towards the Summit's Goal and Core Themes.

4) The Summit's Challenge: Working Towards Institutional Financial Sustainability While Maintaining a Commitment to Serving the Poorest Families.

Two sets of Council Meetings will also take place, and in Regional Meetings, delegates from each region will have the opportunity to meet together and hear from a panel of funders offering resources in that region.

Six in-depth, five-hour courses will be offered, and will address current issues of concern to the microcredit field such as: how to use poverty measurement tools; how to establish national legal and regulatory frameworks for microcredit institutions; how to use cost-effective impact evaluation tools; how to plan for institutional financial self-sufficiency; how to learn the basics on starting a microcredit program, especially in Africa.

Further information including registration packets is available on the internet at www.microcreditsummit.org/meetings/intro.htm, by contacting the Microcredit Summit by email at microcredit@igc.org, or by writing to 440 First Street NW, Suite 460, Washington, DC 20001, USA.

June 23, 1999... 5-6.30pm: Feminist Scholar Professor Iris Marion Young - Public Lecture on "Inclusion and Democracy", Johannesburg

Venue:

Wits University Graduate School of Public and Development Management in Parktown.

Donald Gordon Building, 2 St David's Place (near the intersection with St Andrew's), one block from the M1 Parktown exit and Jan Smuts Avenue. (Best entrance is via Blackwood Road, off St Andrew's.)

Iris Marion Young
University of Pittsburgh
"Inclusion and Democracy"

Considered one of the world's leading feminist scholars of political philosophy, policy and planning theory, Professor Young's pathbreaking work on gender and social justice is widely recognised. She has authored the books Intersecting Voices (1997) and Justice and the Politics of Difference (1990, also translated into Italian and Spanish). She will speak to the theme of her new book, Inclusion and Democracy (forthcoming from Oxford University Press), which contemplates exclusion, segregation and discussion-based cosmopolitan democracy.

June 18-19, 1999: International Conference - Women and Political Action: Debating Ways Forward for Feminists, Middlesex University Gender Research Centre, London

This conference will bring together feminist researchers, political activists and policy makers worldwide to discuss and evaluate experiences of feminist campaigning over a wide range of issues. Building on these diverse experiences, the conference will provide a forum for debating political strategies which can develop united campaigns without ignoring differences.

Key Themes of this Conference Include:

• Dealing with difference
• Single issue campaigns
• Women and the law
• Women in conflict
• Women in formal politics
• Work and the family
• Poverty and social exclusion

Contributors Include:

• Inez McCormack
• Hilary Wainwright
• Cynthia Cockburn
• Cynthia Enloe (to be confirmed)
• Nadje Al-Ali
• Lynne Segal
• Vicky Randall
• Ruth Lister (to be confirmed)
• Valerie Amos
• Speaker from the Fawcett Society

Supporting Organizations Include:

• European Forum of Left Feminists
• Pay Equity Project
• Fawcett Society
• Conference of Socialist Economists

Further Information From The Organizing Committee

• Professor Jeanne Gregory j.gregory@mdx.ac.uk
• Dr Rosemary Sales r.sales@mdx.ac.uk
• Dr Lesley Hoggart l.hoggart@mdx.ac.uk
• Angela Kennedy a.kennedy@mdx.ac.uk

Gender Research Centre
Middlesex University
Queensway
Enfield
Middlesex EN3 4SF
Phone 0181 362 5552
Fax 0181 962 6404

Help Please!

The difficulty with interdisciplinary conferences is ensuring that information about the conference reaches the majority of potential participants. Please help by forwarding the above message to anyone you know who may be interested in the conference. Many thanks indeed, with apologies for any cross-posting.

Eva Turner
School of Computing Science
Middlesex University
Queensway
Enfield
Middlesex, EN3 4SF
email: E.Turner@mdx.ac.uk
ext: 6353

June 16-19, 1999: Inaugural Conference: "The Children of Africa: Resources for Learning, Health, and Society", Ohio, US

Ohio University
The Institute for the African Child
Inaugural Conference

Call for Papers

Ohio University will inaugurate the Institute for the African Child with an international and interdisciplinary conference, "The Children of Africa: Resources for Learning, Health, and Society," June 16-19, 1999 on the campus of Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. The Institute for the African Child has been established as a collaborative initiative between the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Communication, Education, Health and Human Services, and Osteopathic Medicine in order to apply knowledge about Africa's children in a comprehensive context. The Institute invites participation from both theoreticians and practitioners and seeks ways to synthesize their efforts.

The Conference will begin with a keynote presentation on June 16, International Day of the African Child, and continue on Thursday and Friday with panel presentations featuring representatives of different disciplinary or professional perspectives. We invite individual paper or panel submissions on topics including but not limited to:

• Literacy and Schooling
• Children's Health and Children's Learning
• Children in Agricultural Societies
• Nutrition and Child Survival
• Development Issues
• The African Family and the Wider Society
• Immunization Campaigns
• Communication Issues in Children's Health
• Children as Soldiers

For further information, registration forms, and to submit panel or paper abstracts contact:

Polly Sandenburgh
e-mail: sandenbu@ohiou.edu
African Studies Program
Ohio University
Burson House, 56 E. Union Street
Athens, OH 45701 USA

Deadline for proposal submissions: March 15, 1999

Each proposal for a paper or panel should include: Title page with title, author names, affiliations, address, telephone, fax and e-mail addresses. Maximum two page abstract of proposed paper or panel. Proposals may be electronically submitted to above e-mail address.

June 17-20, 1999: National Women's Studies Association meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA - International Task Force Event

It gives me great pleasure to announce that the National Women's Studies Association meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, (June 17-20, 1999) will include an International Task Force event. I thank the organizers for agreeing with me about the importance of 'reviving' such an event. Given current phenomena such as the Beijing Women's Conference and widespread discourse on globalization, an active International Task Force at the NWSA is potentially productive at the least, if not absolutely necessary.

Connections between the local and global, and between internationalism and interdisciplinarity, the impact of these on academic and non-academic curricula or programs, nationalism/nationhood as it relates to feminism-across-borders -- these are a few of the various issues that I see as part of the agenda at the meeting.

Since I envision this as a collaborative effort, I invite and welcome

• your suggestions about issues to discuss and about the future work of such a Task Force (if you can't attend, knowing about your ideas is important to me);
• your letting me know if you can attend;
• your recommendations on colleagues in other countries you'd like to see contacted;
• and addresses of e-mail distribution lists where this announcement might receive attention or interest.

Please reply as soon as you can to sarker@macalester.edu

REMEMBER that the intentionally general title, the International Task Force, means that it includes a variety of groups/categories.

Thanks, Sonita.

Sonita Sarker
Women's and Gender Studies/English
1600 Grand Avenue
Macalester College, St. Paul, MN 55105, USA.
PH: +1-651-696-6316
FAX: +1-651-696-6498
sarker@macalester.edu

June 7, 1999... 2pm: Equality Alliance Cape Town Planning Meeting

Venue: 71 Loop Street, 8th Floor, Cape Town

The Constitution requires parliament to pass equality legislation by February 2000 to promote substantial equality and prohibit unfair discrimination both in the private and public spheres. In February 1998, the Department of Justice and the SAHRC established an Equality Legislation Drafting Unit. The unit has produced several drafts of an "Anti-discrimination and Equality Bill" which is likely to be tabled in Parliament before September 1999.

What is the Equality Alliance?

There are many questions about what equality legislation will cover. How will the legislation be enforced? Will the legislation address discrimination based on HIV/AIDS status, family status, socio-economic status and nationality? Will the legislation be in plain and accessible language? In response to these concerns, the Equality Alliance was formed in April 1999 in Cape Town. We are gathering as many organisations as possible together to concentrate on dealing with the critical issues the legislation brings to the fore. The Alliance in Johannesburg is spearheaded by the National Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Equality.

Why Should Your Organisation be Involved?

Few organisations know about equality legislation. Everyone must shape equality legislation. Conservative forces will oppose equality legislation like they opposed the Employment Equity Act. Progressive forces must support and strengthen equality legislation. Equality legislation will be an important tool which poor people, women, lesbian and gay people, people living with HIV/AIDS and many other sectors can use in fighting discrimination and claiming equal rights everywhere in society.

Please RSVP to Pia/Rikky.
Tel:021- 423 6309
Fax:021 - 424 3561
Email: Pia%nadel@mhs.cstat.co.za

Prakashnee Govender
National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADEL)
Human Rights Research and Advocacy Project
P.O. Box 15803, Vlaeberg, 8018, Cape Town
tel: +27-21-423 6309 fax: +27-21-424 3561

June 6-9, 1999: Spaces, Places, & Times of Memory from the perspective of feminist & socialist theory & practice, Canada

I am organizing a session at the 1999 Canadian ex-Learneds meetings which will be held in June at Bishop's (Lennoxville) & Sherbrooke (Quebec, Canada). The session would aim to bring together studies that look into the ways in which time/ space are gendered, as well as into time/ space/ memory through some unified theories of gender/ race/ class/ sexuality.

Here is the call for proposals:

Society for Socialist Studies
Annual Meeting
June 6-9, 1999
Bishop's University, Lennoxville
(Quebec) J1M 1Z7 Canada
Deadline for abstracts: January 15, 1999
Deadline for submission of papers: May 1, 1999

Session title: Spaces, Places, & Times of Memory from the perspective of feminist & socialist theory & practice

Session Organizer (Coordinator): Dr. Sima Aprahamian
(Sociology-Anthropology & Simone de Beauvoir Institute, Concordia University)
1455 de Maisonneuve W., Montreal (Quebec) H3G 1M8
Telephone (for messages) c/o (514) 848-2140, & (514) 848-2373.
E-mail address: aprhsma@alcor.concordia.ca

Session abstract:

The proposed session aims to bring together papers discussing or exploring memory, histories, spaces, places and times from the perspective of feminist & socialist theory or (theories) & practice(s). In particular papers are sought that provide spaces of discussion on public and private gendered, racialized, or class divided spaces of time, memory, or at studies that look at various forms of cultural practices that tend to demarcate, construct spatial and symbolic boundaries.

Thank you,

Sima Aprahamian
Concordia University
Montreal (Quebec)
Canada H3G 1M8
e-mail: aprhsma@alcor.concordia.ca

March-May, 1999: International Health Programs (IHP) Workshops

Dear Colleague,

International Health Programs (IHP) has initiated this quarterly reminder of upcoming workshops. Please send your nominations for these workshops to IHP as soon as possible to reserve space and housing.

Health Care Finance & Reform (3 weeks)
English March 8 - 26, 1999 $US 3,500

Building & Sustaining Reproductive Health Services Programs (4 weeks)
Spanish March 1 - 26, 1999 $US 4,500
French March 8 - April 2, 1999

Family Centered Maternity Care (3 weeks)
English April 5 - 23, 1999 $US 3,500

Practical Health Research Skills (4 weeks)
English April 5 - 30, 1999 $US 4,500

Implementing AIDS Programs (4 weeks)
Spanish April 5 - 30, 1999 $US 4,500
French April 26 - May 21, 1999
Portuguese May 10 - June 4, 1999

Total Quality Management (2 weeks)
English May 3 - 14, 1999 $US 2,500

Tuition: Covers training materials, supplies, field trips, airport pick-up and drop, certificate, awards and graduation ceremony. International airfare, emergency health insurance, book purchase/ship Per Diem: Most sponsors follow USAID rates.

Housing for Santa Cruz arranged by IHP:
Single Occupancy: $70/day per participant
Double Occupancy: $35/day per participant

Meals & Incidental Expenses (M&IE): $38/day per participant

The actual payment of the per diem has to be authorized by the project in country.

The per diem (housing, meals and miscellaneous expenses) and book purchase/shipping fee are provided directly to the participant by the sponsor prior to their arrival in the US. We look forward to meeting your candidates at IHP.

Sincerely,

Robert L. Minnis, Director
International Health Programs

International Health Programs
Public Health Institute
210 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060-3713 USA
831.427.4965
Fax: 831.458.3659
ihp@cruzio.com
http://www.ihp.org

May 10-28, 1999: Leadership Course on Gender and Reproductive Health

Women's Health Project invites application for this three week course for senior health managers, donors and NGOs.

If you are running health services; a district manager; involved in improving quality of care; responsible for training health sector staff; responsible for MCH/FP/ or reproductive health services; responsible for managing people; doing health systems research; involved in advocacy for health policy or programmes, this is the course for you. It is for men and women who are senior in their jobs, have experience, and are looking for new insights and new tools to enhance their work.

Closing date for applications: 15 February 1999

Click here for more information.

May 17-28, 1999: Seminar on "Conflict Transformation: Quest, Test, Shift & Renewal", Johannesburg

Unisa Centre for Peace Education and the Letsema Conflict Transformation Resource, a programme of Wilgespruit Fellowship Centre, are hosting the second annual in-depth conflict seminar.

Our aim is to equip participants to approach their work with a critical conceptual base that will spur them on to be more innovative, creative and effective in managing, resolving and transforming the conflicts faced in the new democratic South Africa.

This in-depth seminar is for South African conflict intervention practitioners, researchers and civic or gorvemental leaders / policy-makers who are encountering and needing to handle public conflict as part of the daily work.

Bursaries available for Women Delegates.

For information contact: Carl Stauffer or Deon Plaatjies
P O Box 81, Roodepoort, 1725.

Tel: (011) 768-1314/1315/1620
E-mail: letsema@wfc.org.za

May, 1999: International Workers' Solidarity Month

To all trade unions and community groups

Let us revive a proud history of struggle

Make May 1999 international workers' solidarity month

For more than ten years the Workers' Library and Museum has been attempting to revive workers' culture. As well are as library service and Saturday workshops, we have organised an International Workers' Film Festival, a Workers' Poetry Festival, a Workers' Theatre Competition and two Heritage Day Festivals, and photographic exhibitions on child labour and migrant labour - KwaMzilikazi. As part of the Poetry Festival, on 2 May 1998 we organised a symposium on Reviving Workers' Culture, attended by about 80 participants.

Now we want to break new ground by organising a whole month of workers' culture in May 1999. It will include a second International Workers' Film Festival, in partnership with the Centre for Democratic Communications and the Newtown Film And TV School, and a second Workers' Poetry Festival.

We also want to get union and community participation in this International Solidarity Month, which will begin on May Day and run throughout the month. (Watch the press, union notice boards and our newsletter for details.

Since time is short we want to know as soon as possible of members of your union or community group who want to participate in any way - artists who want to display their painting, sculpture or photography, writers who want to read their poems and stories and especially workers' choirs who want to sing. Please contact us as a matter of urgency with the names of individual artists or groups of performers from your union or community group.

The organising sub-committee, comprising activists from unions and community organisations, is co-ordinated overall by myself. But we also have a number of working groups which are busy finalising the programmes. It is important that you contact one of these people not later than 20 March 1999 if your members intend to participate. I have asked the following sub-committee members to co-ordinate the following specific themes:

Area	Name	Phone	Fax
Film and Photography	Morobane Modise	838 7462	838 1043
Choirs/traditional music	Mxolisi Masuku	863 3007	834 2181
Art, painting and sculpture	Mamashoabathe Noko	403 8403	403 8309
Art, painting and sculpture	Usha Prajapat	406 2393	406 2794
Poetry and writing	Rajesh Seejarim	407 6317	339 4127

We are also working closely with the Workers' Library and Museum's Education Sub-committee, whose convenor is Mojalefa Musi, 339 3713, 339 3775

For general information on the overall programme, please phone me on 403 8403 or Pat at the Workers' Library and Museum on 834 2181 (phone and fax) or e-mail us on wlm@sn.apc.org.

Yours sincerely

Hassen Lorgat
Festival Convenor

May 20-23, 1999: First International Conference of Journalists Writing About Children's and Women's Issues, Macedonia

In Macedonia, of 20-23 may will be held First international conference of journalist who write about childrens and womens issues, when will be established First international coalition from journalist who write about this issues.

For more information contact:
Natasha Dokovska
e-mail: dokovska@yahoo.com

May 11,12,13 1999: Trade Fair: "Marketable Products From Land Reform Projects”, Pretoria

This announcement is to inform your NGO about the proposed "Trade Fair" and related seminar for stakeholders and to invite involvement from the NGO sector.

What are the Purposes of the "Trade Fair'?

The Centre for Land Development, Housing and Construction (University of Pretoria) and KHULA Enterprise Ltd. are holding a Trade Fair on Marketable products from land reform projects. The primary purposes of the "Trade Fair" are the following:

• To provide land reform beneficiaries with the opportunity to display their goods and services to a wider audience.
• To provide beneficiaries with the opportunity to exchange experiences and know what support services are available e.g. credit, marketing, training
• To highlight to SMME support and to the broader public, the various small enterprise initiatives already underway as part of the national Land Reform Programme
• To develop an on-line database of land reform projects with marketable productive and service activities so as to aid further development of support services.
• To produce a booklet documenting the emerging SMME activities of the Land Reform Programme.
• To bring together people in government and related sectors who can co-operate in the development of the SMME components of the land reform Programme

What are the Activities/Events Associated with the "Trade Fair"

The following are the activities and events associated with this initiative:

"Trade Fair" - T o consist of product, art and photographic display of the achievement of Land Reform participants with the active participation of the beneficiaries.

"Land Lives" Booklet - A booklet describing some of the SMME activities on Land Reform Projects and providing a directory of such projects.

"Skills Exchange Sessions" - During the course of the "Fair" NGO's and other organisations involved in Land Reform and SMME will be invited to participate in open forums with people living on land reform projects.

"Land Reform - SMME Database" - The development of a database that can provide detailed information on SMME developments on the Land Reform Programme.

"Land Reform - SMME Programme Planning" - A seminar for reps from groups and organisations involved in Land Reform and SMME work to discuss opportunities developing and strengthening SMME inputs into land reform.

Potential for NGO Participation

It is hoped that NGO's involved in Land Reform, Rural Development and SMME will use their knowledge and expertise to develop and enrich this initiatives. This can be done in a number of ways including:

• Provision of information about relevant land reform projects that should be involved in the "Trade Fair"
• Advertising the Trade Fair and related events through your network
• Preparing either a display or information material for the trade Fair detailing what work you are doing in this sector
• Participating in the exchange with land reform participants and other stakeholders during the course of the "Trade Fair"
• Participating in the "Seminar" to consider ways of developing further the links between SMME network and the Land Reform Programme.
• Others...... your suggestions welcome.

For more information contact:
Maureen at:
Tel. (012) 420-3384 or 420-2551
Fax. (012) 420-3598
E-mail: Housing@Scientia.up.ac.za

Visit http://landreform.epages.net for updated information. The Centre for Land Development, Housing and Construction (University of Pretoria) and Khula Enterprise Finance Ltd. in association with the Department of Land Affairs and the Land Bank of South Africa invites you to participate in the workshop Land Lives: Land Reform and SMME Development

May 13, 1999: Workshop on Land Lives: Land Reform and SMME Development, Pretoria

The Centre for Land Development, Housing and Construction (University of Pretoria) and Khula Enterprise Finance Ltd. in association with the Department of Land Affairs and the Land Bank of South Africa invites you to participate in the workshop Land Lives: Land Reform and SMME Development

Where: The African Window Museum 105 Visagie Street, Pretoria

Purposes of Workshop

The workshop is intended to bring together key practitioners working in the fields of land reform and rural SMME development to consider practical ways of strengthening the interaction between SMME development and support and the national Land Reform programme. It is part of a broader initiative that involves the LAND LIVES: LAND REFORM EXPO in Pretoria at the same venue on 11 and 12th May and the development of a database of small enterprise development in land reform projects across the country.

Specifically the purposes are:

• To examine what is presently being done to support SMME development in the Land Reform Programme
• To define the programme needs arising from the Land Reform Expo
• To define practical programmes, projects and action that can strengthen the interaction between the Land Reform Programme and the SMME sector.

It is intended that the workshop should produce 4 to 5 practical proposals on action that can be taken by both governmental and non governmental agencies during the next 12 months to strengthen the SMME component of land reform.

Enquiries and Responses

If you require further information on any of this please contact: Maureen, Adri or Sindi (012) 420-3384 or (012) 420-2551 or fax (012) 420-3598

For more information on this workshop and the whole expo, go to http://landreform.epages.net

May 14, 1999... 9am-2pm: Commission on Gender Equality 2nd National Gender and Media Symposium; Theme: Gender, Politics and the Media

The Commission on Gender Equality invites you to our 2nd National Gender and Media Symposium. The focus of this year's event is Gender Politics and the Media. The symposium includes a presentation of a research report on Gender, Elections and the Media as well as the official launch of "Redefining Politics", a book which captures the experiences of a sample of women politicians in South Africa.

Venue: The Parktonian, 120 De Korte Street, Braamfontein, Jbg.

Please RSVP as seating is limited

Response Form

I will ___ / will not___ be attending the CGE's 2nd National Gender and Media Symposium.

I have a special dietary preference of :
Vegetarian
Halaal
Kosher

Fax to (011) 403 2931, c/o Eva Moloko
tel: (011) 403 7182
or email kubeshni@cge.org.za

The programme for the day will be emailed upon confirmation of attendance.

May 15, 1999: Lesbian and Gay People's Elections Forums

Lesbian and gay voters and the 1999 Elections

Do you know which party to vote for? Do you know what the different parties say on lesbian and gay rights?

Come to Lesbian and Gay People's Elections Forums to be addressed by political parties.

Pretoria
Date: Saturday, 15 May 1999
Time: 13h30 - 17h00
Venue: to be announced

Durban Lesbian and Gay People's Elections Forum
Date: Saturday, 15 May 1999
Time : 13h30 - 17h00
Venue: Justice Hall, Ecumenical Centre, St. Andrews Street,

The Forums will be addressed by the major political parties contesting the 1999 elections Attend the Forum so you can ask questions and hear what the parties have to say on your rights Get an Election Information Booklet for lesbian and gay voters at the Forum. This booklet gives you detailed information on what the parties say about your rights, gender equality and affirmative action. Use your vote to support and protect lesbian and gay rights Support openly lesbian and gay candidates Support parties that support lesbian and gay rights. The African National Congress and the Democratic Party fully support lesbian and gay rights. Other parties are not strong supporters We have won constitutional equality, equality at work and rights to medical aid for our partners We want fully equality. We are still working for full rights to adoption, custody and legal recognition of our relationships as lesbian and gay people Secure your future - vote for a party which supports full equality for lesbian and gay equality

Protect your rights - Vote in the 1999 elections

For more information contact

National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality

Johannesburg
Paddy Nhlapho
Tel - 011 487 3812
Fax - 011 487 1670
admin@ncgle.org.za
P.O. Box 27811
Yeoville, 2143

Cape Town
Josie Abrahams
021 423 5026
021 423 5046
josie@ncgle.org.za
Suite 295, P.O. Box 2611
Cape Town, 8000

Durban
Vasu Reddy
reddy@mtb.und.ac.za
031 260 1149
P.O. Box 30890
Mayville, 4058

1-3 pril 1999: Themba Project Workshop - Gender: Conflict or Congruence?

1 - 3 July 1999, 8h30 - 16h30: Themba Project Workshop - Gender: Conflict or Congruence?

The Themba Project aims to provide facilitation, training and support to organisations, institutions, communities and individuals, which will enable transformation, raised awareness, development of skills, positive change and growth.

Gender: Conflict or Congruence? Understanding gender and its effect on our lives. 1 - 3 July 1999, 8h30 - 16h30

What is Gender? People are born female or male but are taught to be girls or boys who grow into women and men. They acquire the appropriate roles, attitudes and behaviours, which are assigned to them as women and men. These learnt practices make up gender identity and gender roles. Gender roles vary from culture to culture and within different social groups. Gender analysis looks carefully into the complicated ways in which gender identity is shaped in society along with other forms of social differences

All workshops are will be held at the Holy Family Centre, Victory Park, Johannesburg.

For more information about this workshop or other Themba workshops please contact:

Genni Blunden
Tel: 012 8034037
Fax: 012 8034316
Cell: 082 8086151
Email: themba@sn.apc.org

April 8-10, 1999: International Conference: "Feminist Movements: Origins and Orientations", Fez, Morocco

The Center for Studies and Research on Women in Fez, Morocco, is organizing the conference. Current academic research on women has acquired a significant place in the field of knowledge. As a scientific discipline, it has largely contributed to theoretical elaborations. These elaborations, however, cannot be fully appreciated except in a framework that enhances the origins and orientations of feminist movements which have initiated and developed research studies on women. Through the theme of this conference we aim to place the problem of origins and orientations of feminist movements in a context wide but specific enough to foster a real understanding of these movements at a universal scale.

Click here for more information.

9th pril 1999: The Commission on Gender Equality invites you to the public launch of its Annual Report

Invitation

The Commission on Gender Equality invites you to the public launch of its Annual Report for the period April 1998 to April 1999.

• Hear CGE Commissioners account for their work over the past year
• Meet CGE's newly appointed Chairperson, Joyce Seroke

Date:	Friday, 9th April 1999
Time:	12h00 to 14h00
Venue:	CGE Offices, 10th Floor Braamfontein Centre, 23 Jorissen Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg

A social event will follow the launch
RSVP with Seipati Modisane on (011) 403 7182

April 10, 1999:Seminar: "Election `99: Pre-empting potential Violence and Intimidation"

In the period leading up to the 1994 general election South Africans suffered from widespread political violence and intimidation. Is there a threat of violence in relation to the June 1999 election? To what extent is there a problem of political intimidation? What is being done to prevent possible violence and intimidation? What more can and should be done?

The British Council and The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation invite you to a workshop on the topic:

"Election `99: Pre-empting potential Violence and Intimidation"

Programme:
Session 1: Is there a threat of election related violence and intimidation?

Panel includes speakers from the Network of Independent Monitors (NIM) and the Urban Monitoring and Awareness Committee (UMAC).

Session 2: Pre-empting possible violence and intimidation

Panel will include speakers from the Independent Electoral Commission, the South African Police Service and the NGO sector.

Both sessions will include time for questions and discussion.

Light refreshments will be served.

Date: Wednesday, 14 April.
Time: 8.30. am to 1.pm.

Venue: 8th Floor, British Council Building, 76 Juta Street, Braamfontein.

Parking: There is a public parking garage in Juta Street one block from the British Council. Parking will however be at your own expense.

RSVP: Bella on (011) 403 5650

April 21st 1999: Press Conference: CGE Tackles the Private Sector

• Pre-launch release of CGE findings on Gender Issues in the Private Sector.
• Media brief on CGE publication: The Workin