This period was characterized by intensive preparations for the Tenth jubillary Conference of the International Network of Women against War (Novi Sad 23^rd-26^th August), so that all other activities were reduced in number, but still very important for us.

ACTIONS ON THE STREETS AND SQUARES

Several public actions were organized, which can be divided into the following way:

1. Actions against war and violence

The protest in Belgrade on 23^rd August, with the participation of activists of the International Network from several countries, entitled Women’s solidarity against the war in Macedonia.

The protest in Belgrade on 5^th September Let us stop armed violence in Macedonia – with women’s solidarity against war. The action was agreed upon at the Novi Sad conference and it was also held in other European cities.

2. Actions aimed at sensitizing the public to war crimes – encouraging the process of catharsis and facing of the past

The sixth anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre (Bosnia and Herzegovina) was marked with a protest vigil on 11^th July in Belgrade (which was joined by activist from fifteen towns in Serbia). We organized the action together with the Center for cultural Decontamination from Belgrade, and we coordinated the protest in several towns in Serbia and Montenegro on the same day.

In cooperation with the Center for Cultural Decontamination, a panel discussion on the Srebrenica massacre was held in Belgrade on the same day.

On 6^th August, a protest was held in Belgrade, on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the expulsion of the civilian population from Krajina.

In cooperation with the Women’s Peace group from Pancevo, the peace performance Storm was held in Pancevo on the same day.

3. Anti-militaristic women’s actions

We have continued performing the traveling women’s peace performance We pace slowly in order to get there safely, with the aim of promoting conscientious objection to military expenses and raising awareness about the connection between feminism and anti-militarism. The performance went on in Bujanovac on 14^th July and in Kraljevo on 8^th September.

INTERNATIONAL ALTERNATIVE POLITICS

We organized the peace gathering in Bujanovac on 14^th July with the support of the Women’s Center from Leskovac and the Board for Human Rights from Vranje. Activist from Macedonia and Serbia (predominantly southern Serbia) also took part.

The Tenth Conference of the Network of Women’s Solidarity against war – The Women in Black Network was held in Novi Sad. The conference was attended by 250 activists from 16 countries. Within the framework of the Conference, the international peace performance We Create Peace was also held, on 25^th august in Novi Sad.

After the conference, several encounters of the activists from the International Network were held with activists from several towns in Serbia.

On 27^th August, a memorial gathering was held in the Center for Cultural Decontamination to the recently deceased member of Women in Black, Neda Bozinovic, with the participation of activists from Great Britain, Italy and Spain.

The international Conference of Danube countries Art and Culture took place in Regensburg, Germany. Within the framework of the Conference, an exhibition of Women in Black from Belgrade was put up (20^th –26^th September 2001).

Ismir – Feminism and anti-militarism in Turkey (25^th –29^th September 2001).

Pontevedra (Spain) – International Conference on the Balkans.

ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION

The yearlong project Traveling women’s peace workshops, has been continued. Within the Fifth Cycle, Antimilitarism and Women, three workshops were held in Kraljevo on 7^th and 8^th September. There were 25 participants from Kraljevo, Cacak, Smederevo, Valjevo and Svrljig.

PUBLISHING ACTIVITIES

The compilation Women and Peace came out at the end of August in two editions: in Serbo-Croatian and in English. This is the eighth compilation of Women in Black that has come out since 1993. This year’s issue has 438 pages. The English version has also been published since 1993. This year it is somewhat shorter from the Serbo-Croat version.

BRIDGES OF PEACE AND DEMOCRACY

Two panel discussions have been held, the first on 5^th July in Kragujevac, entitled For and against the Hague (in cooperation with the Center for the Development of the Civilian Society from Kragujevac) and the second on 7^th September in Kraljevo, entitled Civilian Society and Conscientious Objection (in cooperation with the Creative Workshop from Kraljevo).

Belgrade, 30^th September 2001