FEARS FOR IMPACT ON COSTA RICAN WOMEN AND YOUTH AS US MILITARY FLOTILLA LANDS IN COSTA RICA
By Margie Thompson FIRE – Feminist International Radio Endeavour
August 20, 2010
The first of an expected 46 US naval warships has arrived on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, landing in a country that abolished its army in 1949 and has long been proud of its non military stance in foreign affairs.
USS Iwo Jima, Fotografías: Andrea Alvarado y Bernie Araya
Virtual Feminist Observatory on Honduras on Monday, June 28, 2009,
8 am – 1 pm (Honduran/RMT)
One year to the day after the military coup d’etat in Honduras, FIRE with conduct a live Internet broadcast to accompany the voices and perspectives of the Feminists in Resistance, who have continued their struggle against ongoing brutal repression and violence against women.
WASH, WASH AWAY THE NATIONAL SHAME!
(of impunity and repression)
Action by Feminists in Resistance on Thursday, June 24, 2010
The FIRE radio broadcast on June 28th includes:
Connecting live with feminist activists and others in the popular resistance who participate in the rallies, the march and the presentation of the Truth Commission.
Reporting live by the FIRE radio team
Recorded interviews with participants in the Days of Resistance organized by the Feminists in Resistance from June 22 to 28, 2010.
Other actions of the Days of Resistance:
June 24, am: Feminists in Resistance in Action (see photo above)
June 25: Meeting of Women in Resistance in San Pedro Sula
June 26, 1pm: Radio program La Bullaranga: A Year in the Streets (1 pm)
For those who want to retransmit La Bullaranga, go to: www.radiochn.com for information.
Send email messages and reports to:
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Phone la Bullaranga in the student during the program: 00 504 2257718 al 2
To participate in the Virtual Observatory on June 28th:
Listen to the broadcast and call the FIRE studio (506 2249 1319 Costa Rica) or write to us with your comments at: observatoriovirtualadiofeminista.net
Contact your local/regional/national media and journalists and tell them about the event and encourage them to listen to the broadcast and cover it
For those in media or communications:
To transmit the program in your own media, call the FIRE studio at: (011) 506 22493863 ,
Write about the FIRE broadcast for your own media or communication networks
Download audio interviews from FIRE webpage (available at: www.radiofeminista.net) within a day after the broadcast; plus other interviews
Write to us about other actions that you organize in your own communities in support and solidarity with the Feminists in Resistance of Honduras.
Listen to the FIRE broadcast and send an email expressing solidarity with the actions of resistance of the Honduraneans against the ongoing repression.
The initiative for the creation of the Feminist Observatories of Transgressions began with an agreement of 25 feminists from Central America & Mexico, who met during a conference in Panama entitled, “Imagining and Reinventing the Feminism of the Future. It took place September 19-22, 2006, and was organized by Just Associates (JASS), and sponsored by the international organizations HIVOS of Holland, and the Global Fund for Women. The first action was the International Observatory of Women in the Nicaraguan Elections, followed by seven more both actual and virtual observatories in different locations in the region.
Declaration of Feminists in Resistance of Honduras:
June 28, 2010 marks the one-year anniversary of the military coup d’etat in Honduras, which ousted a democratically elected president, and launched brutal repression against opponents of the coup, who form part of a strong popular resistance movement. Numerous violations of women’s human rights have been documented by feminists in Honduras since the coup, which continue today amidst the ongoing violent oppression
Declaration of Feminists in Resistance of Honduras:
One year after the military coup
June 28, 2010
With the coup, femicide and violence against women escalated to levels of serious concern, in response to which the government of Porfirio Lobo Sosa, (a continuation of the coup), has not taken steps to investigate the facts and therefore the [femicides and violence] remain in complete impunity.
The escalation against freedom of expression is such that in less than three months nine journalists have been killed and several have been forced into exile. To date none of these crimes have been solved and those responsible have not been punished.
The deterioration of the legitimacy of the [public] institutions has revealed that at least ten magistrates of the Supreme Court, participated in the dismissal of five judges of the Courts in San Pedro de Sulá for their critical positions against violations of law and order.
Murders, persecution, arbitrary detention and illegitimate legal actions have been carried out against several farmers in the Lower Aguan region.
Given the brutal events June 28, 2009, the Lobo government has organized a Truth Commission whose legitimacy has been questioned as it responds primarily to concerns of high level officials [supporters of the coup].
Therefore, we demand:
Of all women's organizations in Honduras and the world to join our voices one year after the coup, demanding respect for life, and condemning the femicide and violence against women in our country
Firm and strong solidarity with the struggle of Hondurans in the defense of their rights and the reconstruction of the rule of law that respects human rights by rejecting the murder, detention and torture of Hondurans for demonstrating against the coup.
Solidarity support for the [Alternative} Truth Commission, designed as an alternative (to the government Truth Commission) in order to clarify the facts, and recognize and punish violations of human rights suffered by the Honduran people.
4. Strengthening of the organizational structures mentioned above who are working to end the repression suffered by the Honduran people since the military coup of June 28, 2009 for a peaceful struggle for the restoration of democracy. For freedom and respect for the life of the people in resistance Neither coups (golpes) or beatings (golpes) of women! For the empowerment of women and all oppressed! July 28, 2010
Haiti Lawyers collect rape survivor accounts and plan legal strategy
U.S. Delegation Finds Inadequate Response, and “Victim-Blaming” Approach to
Rapes in Haitian Displacement Camps
Lawyers collect rape survivor accounts and plan legal strategy
PORT-AU-PRINCE (May 14, 2010) – In over a week of on-site interviews and exploration, a delegation of U.S. lawyers, health professionals, and community activists found continued alarming rates of rape and other gender-based violence (GBV) in the displaced persons camps throughout Port-au-Prince since the Haitian earthquake in January. Expressed sentiments on the part of some Haitian government officials that victims are somehow to blame for the rapes is outrageous to human rights attorneys and community members, who find that women face a grave lack of security necessary to prevent and respond to the sexual violence crisis. Medical services are overwhelmed and unable to meet women’s healthcare needs stemming from the assaults.
April 6th, 2010 - Women and gender issues were glaring in their absence from the March 31st Haiti International Donors’ Conference held in New York when billions of dollars were pledged to finance Haiti’s reconstruction. Haiti’s National Plan of Action, the blueprint guiding reconstruction efforts and resource allocation, was based on a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA). The PDNA resulted from a two month process led by the Government of Haiti and involving more than 250 people from the United Nations, the World Bank, the European Union and the Inter-American Development Bank. Despite this large scale effort, the resulting PDNA failed to address gender dimensions of Haiti’s proposed strategies for reconstructing macroeconomic, social, environmental policies, as well as infrastructure and governance.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — When the young woman needed to use the toilet, she went out into the darkened tent camp and was attacked by three men.
"They grabbed me, put their hands over my mouth and then the three of them took turns," the slender 21-year-old said, wriggling with discomfort as she nursed her baby girl, born three days before Haiti's devastating quake.
“MYRIAM MERLET, ANNE MARIE CORIOLAN & MAGALIE MARCELIN FEMINIST INTERNATIONAL CAMP"
Press Release: [For immediate release]/ 27/01/2010/ The tragedy suffered by the Haitian people on January 12 has called worldwide feminist solidarity to action and, in particular, Latin American and Caribbean feminists who met here in Santo Domingo on January 26 and 27 with representatives of the Haitian women’s movement. An agreement was reached to solidify this solidarity though the establishment of the “Myriam Merlet, Anne Marie Coriolan & Magalie Marcelin Feminist International Camp”.
FEMINIST INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY CAMP DISTRIBUTES TENTS FOR HEALTH CLINICS, SHELTERS FOR ORPHANS & ELDERLY VICTIMS OF HAITIAN EARTHQUAKE
DONATIONS SOUGHT FOR TENTS AND SOLAR RADIOS
By Margaret Thompson, FIRE
Health clinics to deliver babies and treat HIV/AIDS and other illnesses and injuries, and shelters for orphans and elderly are just a few of the uses for tents distributed by a feminist international solidarity camp established by FIRE – Feminist International Radio Endeavour, and women’s organizations from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In a broadcast on January 29th dedicated to the memory of the three Haitian feminist leaders who were killed in the earthquake on January 12, FIRE put out a call for more donations to buy more tents and solar-powered hand-crank radios.
María Suárez Toro, RIF 22 January. San Juan. Radio Internacional Feminista.
Translated by Ruth Jordan, Barbados
Via sea and land, Haitian activists will receive the first donations from the Haitian Feminist International Camp this Saturday, 23 January when a delegate of the Latin American and Caribbean feminist initiative, Sergia Galvan, will travel to Port au Prince to meet with Haitian feminist activists from various organizations, among them SOPHA (The Strengthening of Public Health Associations) and ENFOFAM (Association of Women and Gender Studies from Countries in Transition).
“MYRIAM MERLET, ANNE MARIE CORIOLAN & MAGALIE MARCELIN FEMINIST INTERNATIONAL CAMP"
The tragedy suffered by the Haitian people on January 12 has called to action feminist solidarity worldwide and, in particular, Latin American and Caribbean feminists who met here in Santo Domingo on January 26 and 27 with representatives of the Haitian omen’smovement. An agreement was reached to solidify this solidarity through the stablishment of the “Myriam Merlet, Anne Marie Coriolan & Magalie Marcelin Feminist International Camp”. International organizations and women’s movements have long recognized that women experience deep-seated inequality and marginalization –especially in the poorest ountries, such as Haiti – and their needs are made invisible and almost never met.
This situation worsens during emergencies and disasters. At the same time, it has also been recognized that when resources and support are put in the hands of women and in their organizations, these resources reach those who most need them and are better managed and utilized. We have learned from our Haitian sisters that in the current, dramatic conditions, there has been very limited response to women’s specific needs. Particular cases stand out among the various limitations:
•Treatment during births and obstetric / gynecologic emergencies –such as miscarriages brought on by trauma and the treatment of vaginal infections – has been practically nonexistent, including in the humanitarian aid camps and centers, with serious implications and risks of irreversible injury and death. •Immediate psycho-social attention must be guaranteed, respecting the necessities of women of all ages and establishing the conditions that will allow them to mourn. Additionally,
•It is urgent to take measures to prevent, protect and call to account genderviolence of all forms, the incidence of which has been proven to increase in similar disaster situations, particularly in temporary camps.
•The risk of human trafficking must be taken into account – especially women and children- which also tends to increase in emergency situations like that in Haiti. The Myriam Merlet, Anne Marie Coriolan & Magalie Marcelin Feminist International Camp is an initiative that seeks to respond to these problems in a flexible and adaptive manner, taking into account the particular needs of women and girls.
The Camp is a reference space for international solidarity that will make it possible to channelresources directly to women and their organizations, which contribute to the re-articulation of the feminist and women’s movements in Haiti, as well as guarantee their decisive participation in the reconstruction of the country.
The Camp is not only a physical space; it is also a solidarity initiative expressed in multiple forms and through each of the women and organizations that are showing theirsupport and solidarity with Haitian women.
This Camp has the following immediate priorities that respond to the petitions of our Haitian sisters: Advocate, impact and monitor so that the needs specific to women and girls are incorporated into the aid agendas of the bilateral and multilateral agencies. Support the efforts of Haitian and Latin American women’s organizations to affect positive change in national and international public policies on mitigation and reconstruction, and in Haiti’s case, the re-construction of the state, government and civil society, according to what the Haitian people articulate, taking into account theexperience of women’s organizations in the region in other disaster situations.
Contribute, together with Haitian women, to the creation of public policies that take into account the needs that have emerged from the natural and man-made disasters that have devastated the country, especially those related to the disabled (a significant increase inthis population, not yet quantified), general and specific emotional trauma, gender violence and health and reproductive rights.
Support the recuperation of historic memory of the feminist and women’s movements in Haiti. Accompany the mourning processes and give psychological support to address the different effects and consequences of the damage and losses.
Reinforce the continuance of the Women’s Ministry and the other Haitian governmental institutions that address and promote women’s rights. In addition to these actions, the sisters and fellow activists in attendance today decided to promote a Worldwide Day of Tribute, this 8th of March, Centennial of International Women’s Day, honoring three leaders: Myriam Merlet, Anne Marie Coriolan and Magalie Marcelin, all Haitian women who died in the earthquake.
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