Women in Black -Belgrade

REPORT ON ACTIVITIES IN THE PERIOD JULY - DECEMBER 2002

Over this period, we continued our actions against war and militarism in the streets and squares and other public places, aimed at sensitizing the public to war and war crimes, as well as with actions that affirm the feminist and pacifist culture and unmasking the neo-fascist tendencies in the country. A variety of forms were used: performances, vigils, crossing borders and interactive panels.

11th July - On the occasion of the anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre, we organized activists from about thirty cities in Serbia and Montenegro to attend the commemoration for the victims in Potocare near Srebrenica (BH). However, the Republika Srpska authorities did not allow the bus with majority of participants from Serbia bound for Srebrenica to cross the border, so that only a smaller number of participants were able to attend the commemoration.

3rd September - A protest rally was staged in Belgrade under the motto Conscientious objectors are our allies, in support to the conscientious objectors and in response to the refusal of two conscientious objectors to perform their military service in the Army of Yugoslavia.

11th September - A peace action named Nothing is as it used to be was organized in Sarajevo by Women in Black-Belgrade and the Association of Mothers of the enclave of Zepa and Srebrenica. Women activists from more than twenty cities in Serbia and Montenegro took part in this action.

12th October - A peace performance was held in Belgrade on the occasion of the 11th anniversary of Women in Black activities. The performance Still in the streets, still disobedient was attended by women activists from our peace network from different parts of Serbia and Montenegro. On the same occasion, in cooperation with the Academic Artistic and Cultural Organization "Branko Krsmanovic", an exhibition of photographs was held in the premises of this organization, entitled We remain in the streets of Belgrade.

12th October - A concert named Music against war and violence was held in Belgrade, with the participation of engaged punk groups from Belgrade and Kraljevo.

11th November - A peace performance named Let us globalize anti-fascism was held in Belgrade. The occasion was the International Day of struggle against fascism and anti-Semitism. The action was supported by the AACO " Branko Krsmanovic" and the Association of Philosophy students Filonus from Belgrade.

9th November - A panel discussion entitled Is there fascism in Serbia? was held in the Center for Cultural Decontamination, in cooperation with Filonus and the Association seeking the truth about the People's Liberation Struggle in Yugoslavia (Second World War).

10th December - A peace performance was held in Belgrade, on the occasion of the International Day of Human rights, together with Filonus, the AACS "Branko Krsmanovic" and the Lawyers' Committee for Human rights.

27th December - A protest vigil in solidarity with the Israeli and Palestinian peace movement, by which Women in Black joined the worldwide action Stop to occupation and banishment.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Mutual support

Over this period, a number of workshops and panel discussions were held, some of which were organized in cooperation with the local groups.

As part of the project From discrimination to equality of the Women's Center - Leskovac, Women in Black activists conducted workshops with the topic What does patriarchy expect from women - what do women think and what do they want? (Vranje, 12th July, Vladicin Han, 13th July), as well as the panel discussion The civic society and the accountability issue (Vranje, 12th June).

The following panel discussions and lectures were also held: Who are Women in Black? (Peace studies - Belgrade, 21st November) and The globalization of conservatism (Women's Studies - Novi Sad, 4th December).

Women's peace network - empowering and spreading

In the continuation of the project of women's peace workshops, the following activities were organized with the support of the German foundation Heinrich Boell:

- From 29th till 31st August, a two-day working meeting in Ovcar Banja, with the participation of 24 women activists from 11 cities in Serbia and Montenegro,

- Health is a basic human right and not a commodity (a lecture held on 4th September in Women in Black premises in Belgrade, attended by the activists of autonomous women's groups from Belgrade),

- Globalization of conservatism (lecture held in Pancevo on 1st October), - By strengthening the civic society - we create peace (an international conference held on 11th and 12th October in the Center for Cultural Decontamination in Belgrade, with over fifty participants from Serbia, Montenegro, Croatian and Bosnia and Herzegovina),

- Health, Woman and Politics (a lecture held on 19th October in Leskovac, with the participation of activists from Southern Serbia),

- Workshops Equal but different and We and others (Zajecar, 6th December),

- Workshops held under the same title (Prijepolje, 14th December). - Workshop Law in everyday life held in Nis, 19th December, with students of high school and faculty.

Education for democracy- Law in everyday life

The educational program for teachers, which is being implemented in cooperation with the Forum for the Culture of Education from Zagreb, with the financial assistance of UNESCO and the government of the autonomous Spanish province of Alava. The Ministry of Education and Sport of the Republic of Serbia verified the program as form of professional training for educators. Two cycles of the seminar were held simultaneously, in Vršac and Vrnjacka Banja (on 22nd and 23rd November and 21st and 22nd December), during which sixty participants from all parts of Serbia became acquainted with the interactive and participatory methods of work with the children and the young. The program is being continued through the application of newly-acquired skills and knowledge in the upper classes of elementary schools and in secondary schools in thirty cities in Serbia.

PUBLISHING ACTIVITES

Over this period, the following titles were published:

- Women for Peace, IX compilation, Belgrade 2002, 366 pages (the English version is will soon come out as well),

- We strengthen the civic society-we create peace (a selection of texts, 106 pages),

- Women's Peace Calendar for 2003 (in Serbian and English, 180 pages) .

ANTIMILITARISM AND CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION

Most of our activities were dedicated to conscientious objectors whose pleas for civilian army service were rejected. Over this period, press conferences were held in Leskovac, Niš and Belgrade. A consulting meeting with EBCO was held on 29th and 30th November in Women in Black premises in Belgrade.

PARTICIPATION AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES

- From 12th till 17th August: participation at the Ninth International Women's Health Meeting in Toronto (Canada),

- From 13th till 17th September: participation at the Summer School of Democracy and Social Justice in Supetar (Croatia),

- October 27th and 28th: participation at the preparatory meeting for the Ninth Conference of the international Network of Women in Black (to be held in August in Florence, Italy),

- October 29th and 30th: International Conference Women from war-affected areas and hotbed of crises testify in Rome,

- From 31st October till 1st November: International Conference on globalization in the media, in Hanover (Germany),

- From 7th till 10th November: the European Social Forum in Florence, - From 11th till 14th November: The conference Warning Signs of Fundamentalism held in London,

- From 29th November till 3rd December: the Convening Event Nonviolent Peace Forces, held in New Delhi (India),

- From 11th till 14th December: participation at International Interim Board of the Women's Global Network for reproductive rights in Amsterdam (the Netherlands).

In additional to the above-mentioned activities over this period, we were visited by numerous women and men activists from the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Europe, North America and the Middle East.

Belgrade, 7th January 2003. Prepared by: Staša Zajovic