Third International Action at the WSF 2011

Around 500 people took part on the 8th February of the activity “Feminist struggle against militarisation, capitalism and patriarchy: the 3rd International Action”, where women from 22 countries shared news of the activities carried out, and lessons learnt, during the International Action.

The activity began with music and reports from WMM in different countries and regions. After, the coordinator of the International Secretariat, Miriam Nobre (Brazil), gave an introduction on what is the WMW as a permanent movement. Then, Alexandra Patricia Jurado Pantoja, from Colombia, spoke about the Women’s  and People’s Summit of the Americas against Militarization, which was the Américas regional momento f our international action. Alexandra strongly denounced the role of transnational corporations and imperialists governments in keeping the conflict in her country in order to control natural and human resources as well as to keep geopolitical control of the region. "We women demand the abolition of military bases in the world!"

Yildiz Temurturkan, from Turkey, spoke about the links between capitalism and patriarchy. She described the historical process of disciplining women’s body and life developed in parallel to the support and exploitation of the colonies on a capitalist and patriarchal system basis. In its report about regional action in Europe, she highlighted the presence of the Caravan of women from the Balkans and the strong component of solidarity with Kurdish women living under conflict.
"We are tired of war, we are tired of militarization, we must do everything to stop conflicts. When we hear of Colombia, we know very well what it means, because we have similar conflicts in Africa, such as in the Sahel and the Maghreb. That is why we must strengthen solidarity to fight against this reality, "said Nana Aicha Cissé, from Mali, establishing the link with the closing event of the Third International Action held in the DRC.

Finally, Adele Kagarabi Safi, DRC, presented the economic interests which are behind of the conflict in the South Kivu region, where the systematic rape of women is used as a weapon of war. Adèle said that the organization of the closing event of the WMW Third International Action in the region enabled the Congolese to be heard in their own country. "For the first time after 15 years, journalists and the authorities are interested in what women have to say, what they are experiencing and recognize the horror they face in their daily lives". Advancing self-organization of women in the DRC to advance concrete achievements is one of the major challenges after the action. "The Congolese are determined to fight and no more be seen as as victims, but as women who can contribute to the restoration of peace, reconstruction of our country and our lives. To get there, we count more and more with the support of sisters from the five continents that do not save effort to do so".
Click to read the text with the presentations made by Yildiz (in English) and Adele (in French).
Soon we will publicize more text and audiovisual material about the WMW presence in the WSF 2011.