Category Archives: Peace

A Line in the Sand

Welcome to A Line in the Sand – my new weekly column that will address pertinent questions about our environment in open public spaces.

Question: What does climate change mean to you?

Johnathan G. and Bridget M. both 19, students, of Rancho Cucamonga, California
” We were just talking about this. Climate change is caused by human activity. People need to pay attention. People need to be aware, about everything we consume and how we consume, and how we obtain what we consume, and our disposal. We need to be aware of our ecological footprint. All of this affects our biodiversity, especially when it starts killing things around us. It is so easy to ignore.”

Paolo M., 29, scientist, Lugano, Switzerland: ” I think it’s a measure of concern. It is underestimated. Our life is short, but the effects are long-term. We don’t do enough to prevent it. It’s important to try to make people aware of it, especially in the U.S.A. where people drive their car for an errand five minutes away. And plastic. I have been here two weeks and have a hundred bags. In Europe, the glaciers are disappearing.”

Oscar G., 32, window washer, Chula Vista, California: A variation of hot and cold weather. Stormy weather. Hot winds, cold fronts, dramatic and not normal weather patterns.”

Shao-Ya Hsu, 37, student, Scripps Ranch, California: Awareness of the environment. Before I was not so aware. Personally, I try to do more – recycling, not wasting our resources. Just to be here and observe the ocean. I just appreciate it. We have only one earth and we need to protect it.”

Ramona B. 49, housewife, Louisiana: I’ve heard about it on T.V. It’s all I can think of.”

All replies and photographs are published with the participants permission.

A Line in the Sand column copyright, Ana Elisa Fuentes.

My sincere thanks to the participants.

What does climate change mean to you?

International Women’s Day: Mache Lakay

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The focus of International Women’s Day 2012 is rural women. In honor of this day, I’ve posted one of my favorite photo essays on a women’s cooperative in rural Haiti.

The Mouvman Peyizan Papay or the Peasant Movement of Papay is the oldest and largest peasant movement in Haiti. The cooperative is nearly 40 years-old with over 60,000 plus members and an education facility located in the heart of Haiti, the Central Plateau. No individual may join MPP only collectives.The goal of MPP is to educate and empower.

The collective offers their members instruction in women’s health and advocacy and gender equality while providing sound economic and work alternatives to the people of Haiti. The cooperatives are trained by licensed Agronomists in environmental and sustainable farming methods.

Pictured here is KOPA Mache Lakay or home market cooperative. The cooperative owned and operated by three women is a roaring success. Their cooperative provides the employment alternative to the bateys in the Dominican Republic. Their secret double roasted butter is sold throughout Haiti. Their cooperative and MPP at-large provides the humanitarian means to financial independence in Haiti while contributing to a healthy and stable family environment.

The images above were recorded using a Canon 10-d camera while on assignment with Direct Relief International and the American Jewish World Service.

A selection from this set of photographs will be featured in my exhibit “Women’s Empowerment: A Global Perspective” at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County.

This exhibit with support from the Holocaust Center, I am dedicating to my mother Eduvigen Fuentes, my friend, compañera and source of strength. She never let me give up.

Thank you for reading.

Compañeras

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News from the Nobel Women’s Initiative

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The meeting with Honduran women this morning was sobering to say the least. In 2011 there were 460 cases of femicide (murder of women) — that’s a woman murdered every 16 hours. Of these cases, seven were brought to the justice system. Women human rights defenders are targeted with death threats, harassment, threats to their children, and sexual violence. In spite of this, we met over 50 women today who continue to fight for women’s rights, and for an end to impunity. They are building networks, organizing and continuing to call themselves “feminists in resistance”. The meeting was live-tweeted at #defensoras – tons of startling info there… don’t miss.

Do not dismiss this as feminist rhetoric. These are women, most often poor women, surviving and fighting for basic human rights, such as food, the right to exist, and the right to raise their children in a safe and healthy environments and to provide them education. These are nobel qualities and are worthy of your attention.

For information visit Nobel Women’s Initiative here or for live updates follow @NobelWomen

Women Peace and Security

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Yesterday I watched and listened to an inspiring conversation with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and World Economic Forum Founder Klaus Schwab . Some quotes from yesterdays conversation moved me to post these photographs from the 2011 Nobel Peace Award in Oslo, Norway. The courageous, bold, and unstoppable efforts of these women, have indeed made their impact. The Archbishop mentioned them in their conversation yesterday.Some of his quotes I found compelling were: “We have excluded people for a very long time (pause) Women!” Then he went on to say, “we won’t make it without them.”

I was tickled that he mentioned the film that chronicles the life and peace building movement of Leymah Gbowee, in the film “Pray the Devil Back to Hell.”

His comments reminded me of a remark made by Tawakkol Karman during the Women Peace and Security panel discussion , “A bird needs two wings to fly,” she said – explaining that men too must help women to fly. We cannot do it without their assistance. Each of these comments is in support of the other.

The link to the Archbishop Tutu and Schwab conversation may be found here at 1 hour and six minutes, after the opening address by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Crystal Award presentations.

While to some it may seem that a call to action on behalf of women may be a throwback from the past or an outdated feminist cry. Whatever your position, I encourage you to visit here and here.

You might also be interested in the interview with Billy Moyers and Leymah Gbowee

2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates , center Tawakkol Karman of Yemen, (r) President Ellen Jonson Sirleaf of Liberia and Leymah Gbowee, also of Liberia are greeted by dignitaries of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee to the official awards ceremony in Oslo, Norway on Saturday December 10, 2011. The three women were honored and awarded by the Committee " were awarded "for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work"

2011 Nobel Peace Prize co-recipient Leymah Gbowee during the film screening of "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" at the Vika Theatre in Oslo, Norway on Friday December 09, 2011. The film chronicles the life of Gbowee, a Social Worker by profession, who led the Women's Peace Movement in Liberia.

"Pray the Devil Back to Hell" Producer and Philanthropist Abigail Disney, and film director Gini Reticker during a Q & A of their film screening at the Vika Theater, in Oslo,Norway, Friday December 09, 2011.

Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini is a leading international advocate, writer, researcher and trainer in the field of women in conflict, conflict resolution and peace-building. In 2000 she co-drafted UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and was appointed to the Civil Society Advisory Group on resolution 1325, chaired by Mary Robinson. Resolution 1325 was ,unanimously adopted on October 31st, 2000, called for the respect of women's and children's rights and their inclusion in conflict resolution, peace negotiations, and peace building in conflict zones, resettlement and/or repatriation. Ms. Anderlini is the co-founder of ICAN, an American NGO based in Washington D.C. She is also the author of "Women Building Peace: What They Do, Why It Matters." http://www.icanpeacework.org/

Harriette Williams, an Advocacy Officer at Femmes Africa Solidarité during the panel discussion on Women, Peace and Security at the Det Norske Theater, December 11, 2011 in Oslo, Norway.

This post I dedicate to the memory of my mother whose roaring support for the rights and protection of women, burns in my heart daily. Her constant love and support is with me always.