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Women, Peace and Security Initiaves: Fiji
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Lobby your Pacific Officials to the Upcoming Forum Regional Security Committee meeting (June 2008) - Say "Yes" to UN Security Council Resolution 1325
femLINKPACIFIC and members of our regional women's media network on UN Security Council resolution 1325, titled Women, Peace and Security is seeking your support for our call to action to the officials attending the upcoming Pacific Forum Regional Security Committee meeting.

femLINKPACIFIC’s Regional Women’s Media Network on UN Security Council resolution 1325 calls for support for operationalization of “1325” at the Forum Regional Security Committee Meeting 2008:

- Say “Yes” to ongoing collaboration and partnership with Pacific PeaceWomen

- Say “Yes” to an Annual Pacific Forum statement at the UN Security Council Open Debate

- Say “Yes” to incorporate “1325” into the Biketawa Declaration

- Say “Yes” to equitable representation of Pacific Peacewomen as advisers, envoys and eminent persons

- Say “Yes” to implementation of recommendations from the 2006 Gender Conflict Peace and Security consultation and 2007 Women, Peace and Human Security Consultation

- Say “Yes” to Women at the Peace and Security Table

femLINKPACIFIC regional women’s media network members include Catholic Women’s League-Legal Literacy Programme (Tonga), Vois Blong Mere Solomons and Leitana Nehan Women’s Development Agency (Bougainville).

For more information please contact femLINKPACIFIC Coordinator: Sharon Bhagwan Rolls email: Sharon@femlinkpacific.org.fj

For more information, please click HERE

femLINKPACIFIC Blue Ribbon Campaign ....One Year on from December 5th 2006
Continuing in their efforts for the use of non violence to enable and ensure gender inclusive conflict transformation, femLINKPACIFIC (Media Initiatives for Women) will be undertaking a series of Blue Ribbon Women's Community Media Exchange (dialogue) sessions in their four target communities commencing on the first anniversary of the December 5th coup.

Planting Peace in the Heart of Suva: The PPSEAWA FIJI Peace Garden Project
Peace initiatives, such as the Blue Ribbon Peace Vigil facilitated by the National Council of Women, the Women’s Action for Democracy and Peace (WAD’aP) and other responses took shape over the coming weeks, throughout the hostage crisis. But the peace work did not stop after the release of the hostages. In Suva, the Peace Vigil collective has continued to stage regular peace vigils at the Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral, while a dedicated group of women, members of the Fiji Chapter of the Pan Pacific South East Asia Women’s Association (PPSEAWA Fiji) decided to create a Peace Garden in the heart of the capital city.

For more information, please click HERE

Suitcase Radio 89.2FM Reaches Vanua Levu!
31 March, 2007
History was made when femLINKpacific's Northern rural correspondent, Adi Vasu Chute and Generation Next Project Team Leader, Eta Rabuatoka joined women and young women including Labasa's sole female town councillor, Paulini cutting the blue ribbon "peace cutting" to commemorate the first "suitcase radio" broadcast in the Northern Division.

The community broadcast brought to Labasa listeners within a 10 kilometre radius from Wailevu to Bulileka and surrounding areas, women's stories produced by femLINKpacific's correspondents and field staff in Vatukoula, Ba, Nadi and Nausori as well as special features from the North including an interview with Commissioner Northern explaining development priorities for the Northern Division, including the "Look North Policy" and a health feature with Sister Selina Waqa of the Ministry of Health. The broadcast wrapped up with a lively yet emotional song performed by a number of market vendors from the foothills of the Three Sisters mountain range.

For more information on the Suitcase Radio initiative of femLINKpacific, please click here

Blue Ribbon Peace Special
November, 2006.
A women's media initiative of femLINKPACIFIC re-launched the Blue Ribbon, a symbol of a collective call to action in May 2000.

For more information, please click HERE

What you can do:

- Form or join a sharing space or start an interfaith prayer vigil in your community; There are many people who are feeling scared and unsure…keep the conversations going across the existing barriers
- Keep a candle or lamp burning for democracy in your home, office or church
- Wear a “blue ribbon”

Radio Campaign and Peace Vigil in Fiji commemorating 1325 Anniversary
October, 2006
An English, Fijian and Hindustani radio campaign on the 5 stations of the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation Limited and supported by the International Women’s Development Agency will be the start of a public information campaign to promote the key aspects of this ground-breaking security council resolution.

For more information, please click HERE

Daily Media Scan: Monitoring the Recurrence of Conflict
August, 2005
A daily media scan is assisting UNIFEM in the Solomon Islands collate information on monitoring the recurrence of conflict. This is all part of a global series of pilot projects which are monitoring peace and conflict using Gendered Early Warning Indicators, as Dr Annalise Moser explained to femLINKPACIFIC: “The media scan is conducted through a partnership with Vois Blong Mere Solomons. We look at the Solomon Star newspaper on a daily basis and look just at articles pertaining to peace or conflict issues, which are very broadly defined. What we do is analyse each of those articles, identifying what the particular topic of the article is, whether the subject of the article is women or men, and whether the subject of that article is portrayed in a positive, neutral or negative light.”

Young Women Denounce Trading of Girls for Guns
May, 2005
The Young Women of the YWCA of PNG have denounced news reports of girls being traded in exchange for firearms in the Western Highlands Province.The Young women's Desk Coordinator, Okera Amini, said trading young girls for guns is a total violation of girls and women's rights, their dignity and devalues a girls life. Such actions contribute to an increase in violence in all forms against women and girls, and those responsible should be dealt with accordingly. It's alarming to note that this trend is happening in various parts of the province with girls and mothers living in constant fear of threats and reprisals", she said."The Young Women also expressed their concern at the growing incidences of violence against women and girls in the country."

Two Petitions Receive Support at Women's Peace Vigil
May, 2005
Two petitions addressed to Prime Minister Qarase and President Iloilo in response to the Fiji Government's introduction of the Reconciliation, Tolerance and Unity Bill received rousing support at today's Women's Peace Vigil in Suva, a revival of the 'Blue Ribbon Peace Vigil' coordinated by the National Council of Women Fiji during the May 2000 crisis in Fiji.

Women's Peace Vigil to be staged in Suva
May, 2005
A Women for Peace Vigil will be staged at the Anglican Cathedral in Suva on Thursday 26 May, 2005, from 12noon to 2pm. This vigil will serve to commemorate The International Women's Day for Peace and Disarmament which is commemorated globally on May 24, 2005 by UNESCO as the Decade for a Culture of Peace.

The Prophetic Mission of Women in the Asia Pacific Region Conference
May, 2004
Members of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO) will join their sisters from the Catholic Women’s League Fiji as they host from May 3 to 8, 2004 this exciting conference for the Asia-Pacific region. With the theme “The Prophetic Mission of Women in the Asia Pacific Region” discussions will be centered around 3 focus areas, namely: the trafficking on women and children, violence against women, and the ongoing education for women. For more information contact the Catholic Women’s League Fiji.

Conflict Prevention and Early Warning Workshop
December 1, 2003
The Women Peace and Security Coordinating Committee Fiji organized a 5day training workshop on Conflict Prevention and Early Warning at the Lagoon Resort, Pacific Harbour. The training workshop, which is a joint government and NGO initiative, is designed to up-skill women peacebuilders, who are working at national and local level, as well as participants from the government sector, in particular the security sector, to strengthen their understanding and capacity on conflict early warning and prevention perspectives – particularly with regard to their work on gender equality and women’s human rights, and to strengthen the capacity of participants to provide gender equality and women’s human rights perspectives to mainstream prevention and early warning activities. To read the press release click here. For more information contact femLINKpacific <femlinkpac@connect.com.fj>.

Women Peace and Security through the artistic impressions of Fiji’s Youth
September 21, 2003
Launched by Women, Peace and Security Fiji, this initiative calls students from primary and secondary schools, as well as young people willing to project their artistic impression of the theme Women, Peace and Security. Art expressions will be displayed during an exhibition coinciding with the 16 days of activism against gender violence from November 25 to December 10. Click here to read the press release. For more information contact the Catholic Women's League Fiji.

Catholic Women’s League Fiji Peace Vigil
September 21, 2003
A Peace Vigil organized by the Catholic Women’s League Fiji took place in Yasawas. The Peace Vigil is one of numerous activities that took place during the annual general meeting of the Catholic Women's League Fiji. The annual general meeting of the Catholic Women's League Fiji was hold in Nasomolevu, Vuaki, Yasawa, the home village of the 'League's spiritual adviser, Archbishop Petero Mataca. According to Mrs. Susana Evening of the Catholic Women's League, it is important for the organization to stage its annual meeting in rural centers, as this enables more women from the surrounding areas to attend. In addition, men were encouraged to participate. Click here to read the press release. For more information contact the Catholic Women's League Fiji.

Blue Ribbon Peace Vigil
November 19, 2001
A small group of Peace Vigil supporters gathered at the Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral to hear messages of peace and unity from the next generation of Fiji Islanders, inlcuding students from Tamavua Primary School and St Joseph's Secondary School shared their vision for Fiji and Global Peace. Also, the National Council of Women Fiji / Women's Action for Democracy and Peace Initiative highlighted its support not only for the Fiji Anti War Movement Petition but also recommitted itself to peaceful solidarity across the Pacific Island region. For more information contact the National Council of Women Fiji.

Women’s Letter
June, 2000
The Women’s Letter was a series of strategies designed to assist the Military Council, which had the executive authority at that time, to address the long-term impact and consequences of the Fiji’s political crisis due to the coup d’ etat perpetrated in May 2000. It urged to manitain a gender perspective in the future developments of the period of reconcoliliation and reconstrcution. On June 17, 2000, a delegation of nine women from the National Council Women Fiji, and other women’s groups, including the Adi Cakobau School Old Girls’ Association, and the Catholic Women’s League, met with the Military Council and presented the Women’s Letter. For more information contact femLINKpacific <femlinkpac@connect.com.fj>.

Peace and Prayer Vigil
May 19, 2000
On May 19, 2000 the Fiji elected government was overthrown by a civilian, who held Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and 17 other hostages in the parliament complex for 56 days. The National Council of Women-Fiji issued its first media statement denouncing the coup the next day, and then mobilised the network of women’s groups in Suva to gather for a Peace and Prayer Vigil the following day. During the 56-day hostage crisis a multiethnic group of women held a daily vigil. For pictures and stories of Women from the Peace Vigil click here. For more information contact femLINKpacific <femlinkpac@connect.com.fj>.

Pamphlets for Legal Rights
December, 1998
Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre lauched pamphlest for legal rights campaign stressing the importance of people being aware of their rights and obligations under the constitution and the law and being prepared to insist upon them. FWCC distributed four pamphlets entitled: Your Rights in the Home, Your Child in Court, Lodging a Complaint: your Rights and Obligations, and Your Rights if Charged by the Police. The pamphlets were available at all Crisis Centres - Suva, Lautoka, Ba and Labasa. For more information visit Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre.

Zero Tolerane to Domestic Violence Campaign
November, 1998
The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre launched a three year Zero Tolerane to Domestic Violence Campaign, as their focal point of the 16 Days of Activism Against Violence Agaisnt Women.On November 25, FWCC launched a Zero Tolerance to Domestic Violence Petition to be presented to the the Prime Minister's Office. The Petition calls upon the Government of Fiji to allocate adequate resources for preventative, protective and rehabilitative measures to eliminate domestic violence, commitments to which are included in the Government's National Plan of Action for Women. The campaign included a national research on Domestic Violence, which is expected to be used to add impetus to FWCC's lobbying for the introduction of separate legislation on domestic violence. Also part of this campaign was the launch of FWCC's 1999 calendar on 5 December, 1998 in the Fiji Times. This calendar is based on the Zero Tolerance theme and features leading public personalities in Fiji who have come out strongly in support of the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre Zero Tolerance campaign. For more information visit Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre.

Women’s Month
March, 1998
In 1998, the NGO Coalition on Human Rights declared the month of March to be the "Women's Month". The Fiji Women's Crisis Centre (FWCC) began the month with a panel discussion on 'What are Human Rights?' Also, FWCC commemorated International Women's Day with a Reclaim the Night March through the streets of Suva. The march ended at the Government buildings, where the Co-ordinator of the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre, Shamima Ali, re-launched a petition inviting our government to cut military spending and divert more funding to social issues such as the rights of women and children, poverty, disability etc. Towards the end of March a second panel discussion was held on 'What are Women's Human Rights?'. For more information visit Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre.

16 days of Activism Against Violence Against Women
December, 1997
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is part of the Global Campaign for Women's Human Rights. The campaign begins on November 25 which is International Day Against Violence Against Women. The theme for the 1997 16 Days campaign was Demand Human Rights in the Home and in the World. Several activies, such as workshops, seminars, forums and public advertisements were organizaed by the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre during the 16-days period. Click here to read the newsletter. For more information visit Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre.

International

UNIFEM and All Women & Development Activities Under Threat
November 13, 2003
The Fiji Association of Women and femLinkpacific joined the global action organized to support UNIFEM and all women and development activities after the Dutch government deciced to elimante their funding to UNIFEM. Currently, funding from The Netherlands represents 20% of UNIFEM's core budget. According to Executive Director Noeleen Heyzer, the loss of these funds could lead to cutbacks in all regions and programmes, including up to a 50% cut of UNIFEM funding in the African region alone. It appears that the government of The Netherlands decided to prioritize support for "gender mainstreaming" over support for women-specific programs, inferring that women's agencies have not been successful in mainstreaming gender equality. To support this initiative contact Lily Vesikula at vesikula_l@usp.ac.fj