wfn.org | WACC - Celebrate Women Communicators Building Peace

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Press Release: International Day of Peace, 21 September 2008

> Celebrate Women Communicators Building Peace

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It may seem ironic to celebrate an International Day of Peace when conflicts rage in Afghanistan, Colombia, Georgia, Iraq, Zimbabwe, and many other countries. Yet, focusing the world?s attention on the possibility of peace - even for 24 hours - gives people a chance to reflect individually and collectively on what they can to do to make a difference.
As the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) puts the final touches to its global encounter ?Communication is peace: Building viable communities? in Cape Town from 6-10 October, it recognises that the International Day of Peace is a day of hope - one that reminds people that they have not been forgotten in their struggle. And many people are joining that struggle.

The International Day of Peace is a time to celebrate the achievements of millions of those
?unsung? heroines and heroes who work for peace in their own backyards.  On this International Day of Peace, WACC is celebrating women communicators and peace builders around the world who have ties with WACC. Their numbers are many, so many that we can?t say all their names. Here we mention some who were among the 1000 women nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005:

Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls, Coordinator of femLINKPacific: Media Initiatives for Women, an organisation that has collaborated with WACC on several projects. femLINKpacific has just published ?Pacific People Building Peace: A Media Toolkit for the International Day of Peace? It also runs the innovative magazine ?femTALK 1325? that provides media space for women and peace initiatives in the Pacific region.

Anju Chhetri, a journalist and publisher who played a pivotal role in making the Nepali media responsible and accountable in its approach to women's issues. She has energetically campaigned for women's human rights through the Asmita Women's Publishing House (AWPH), which she helped found. Asmita and WACC have collaborated on several projects on critical media literacy for women in selected districts in Nepal.

Nilza Iraci, a communicator and political activist who played a key role in Geledés-Instituto da Mulher Negra, the Afro-Brazilian Women?s Feminist Movement. She sees her role as guaranteeing the presence of the subject of racism in official documents and public policies. WACC supported a Geledés project.

Musimbi Kanyoro, President of WACC for the past 6 years, who until recently was Chief Executive Officer of the World Young Women?s Christian Association (YWCA), which reaches more than 25 million women and girls in 122 countries. Her commitment to building peace is an example for many.

Sara Lovera, a journalist and feminist activist who works for CIMAC, a multimedia institution that promotes women?s rights in Mexico and which won the National Journalism Prize in 2007 for reporting military violence against women. WACC recently supported a documentary film on coal mine widows based on investigative reporting by Ms Lovera.

Doreen Spence, who has dedicated her life to volunteering in native and non-native communities with a consistent emphasis on aboriginal issues and concerns. She is founder and executive director of the Canadian Indigenous Women?s Resource Institute and will give a keynote address at WACC?s global encounter in October this year.

All over the world, women communicators are leading the way in communicating peace. Women like investigative journalist Amy Goodman, who believes that the role of the media is to go to where the silence is and say something, and to whom WACC is giving its 2008 ?Communication for Peace? award.

Peace Women Across the Globe, the NGO born from the 1000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize Campaign, is working to make women?s roles as peace-builders more visible, recognized and better supported globally. A crucial part of that work is challenging narrow definitions of peace. Envisioning peace and human security in their fullest sense leads to new understandings of what peace-building means. And building peace means communicating peace - which is a cause for celebration!