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Cairo +
10
Press Release #2
San Juan, Puerto Rico,
June 25, RIF/FIRE (María Suárez Toro)
Translation by Claudia Anfossi by Radio Internacional Feminista FIRE
Today, Michael Moore and Latin American feminists came together in defense
of democracy around the world. Today is the premiere of Moore's movie,
"Fahrenheit 9-11", while in San Juan, Puerto Rico over 100 feminists of
the region inaugurated the Sexual and Reproductive Rights Forum, in
preparation for the United Nation Meeting known as Cairo + 10 later this
week.
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Just as Disney boycotted,
although without any success, the distribution of Michael Moore's
movie, currently the Bush Administration is attempting to block in the
United Nations the affirmation of the Program of Action of the World
Conference of Population and Development adopted by this organization
and its member nations in Cairo, Egypt in 1994.
This year, decade after the original World Conference of Population
and Development, the United Nations are committed to evaluating the
achievements toward the Platform for Action, which were the agreements
and commitments adopted in 1994. The process is popularly known
in three regional meetings as "Cairo +10."
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The
regional Cairo + 10 meeting in Africa already took place in Dakar, Senegal
and the one in Asia was held in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting for Latin
America and the Caribbean is in the preparation process, and it will take
place in San Juan, Puerto Rico from June 28th to July 2nd.
Just like Michael Moore refused to give up when Disney boycotted his
movie, the feminists affirmed today at the Forum that they will not allow
"a step back" in the Cairo agreements. Many of the activists present at
the African and Asian meetings proclaimed here that the arrogance of the
delegation of the United States of wanting to impose their
ultra-conservative agenda has isolated them from the process to a point
that they came to San Juan with the simple purpose of threatening the
countries that reaffirm the original 1994 program of the World Conference
of Population and Development. "In some forums they [US delegation] have
openly contacted specific countries, reminding them of the aid money they
have received," said Sonia Correa, Brazilian feminist activist.
It seems that what unites Moore and the feminists from the region is an
agenda for the defense of democracy, in the face of the arrogance and
extreme conservatism that characterizes the Bush administration. "They
have used arguments that became known in Cairo years ago as coming from the mouth of
the Vatican: that the [Cairo] program is pro-abortion, that it defends
homosexual marriages, that teenagers will be able to do whatever they want
sexually, and that promotes confusion over a socially balanced agenda with
regard to rights and services--that's how they want to do politics," says
Francoise Girard of the Coalition of Women for Health.
Ultimately, the topics of the World Conference of Population and
Development are, just like Fahrenheit 9-11, a matter of democracy. There
was in Cairo 10 years ago a resistance to the dominant neoliberal politics
of "development" at that time, which resulted in a recognition of the
right of men and women to sexual and reproductive health as a matter of
citizenship. The 1994 Cairo conference also led to a redefinition of
development that went far beyond the free market and economic indicators,
to include integral human development that defends political and public
services in health, education, etc.
With their characteristic arrogance, the Bush Administration has tried to
rewind Cairo's agenda of 10 years ago during the 10-year the evaluation
process, questioning many rights and services in a systematic way. But
Bush lost in Thailand, in Dakar, and in Santiago, and in the meeting that
focused on preparing this week's agenda for San Juan.
The international community gave Michael Moore the support he needed to
distribute his movie around the world, giving him the Golden Palm at
Cannes Film Festival, thus defending democracy in the world of denouncing documentaries.
Feminists cannot be alone either in their defense of global
democracy facing Cairo + 10. The governments of Africa and Asia were not
intimidated. We will have to wait and see what the Latin American and
Caribbean governments will do this week, since last March they affirmed in
Santiago, Chile, the original Platform for Action of the 1994 World
Conference of Population and Development.
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Feminist International Radio Endeavor (FIRE) is transmitting live the UN's
Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights: Reaffirming Cairo + 10, between
June 25 and 26, 2004 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at
www.radiofeminista.net.
It will also cover the 30th session of CEPAL programmed for June 28th to
July 2nd in Puerto Rico.
To listen to women voices, see the program of the forum, and to verify
transmission schedules, visit our web site www.radiofeminista.net.
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