Reports

The following is a brief report about the activities we have realized in the period from January – April 2005:

PUBLIC – STREET ACTIONS

We have realized numerous street actions that can be classified as:

Facing with the past – actions against denial of the criminal past
Extradite Them! - This is continuation of the action that began on December 10^th, 2004, on the occasion of International Human Rights Day. By these actions we addressed the following demands to the authorities as well as the entire public: complete and unconditional cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, urgent extradition of all war crimes suspects, revocation of the Law providing financial support to those accused before the Hague Tribunal and their families, and immediate investigation of the mass graves in Serbia. During this period, we have held public actions in following towns in Serbia:

• February 1^st – in Novi Sad, together with NGO “Esperanca”, Women’s Studies “Mileva Marić- Ajnštajn” and NLO (Lesbian group from Novi Sad);
• February 3^rd – in Leskovac with Women’s Center;
• February 4^th – in Niš together with OGI (Committee for Civic Initiative);
• February 8^th – the action “The Hague Tribunal is anti-criminal” in Belgrade in organization of Youth Initiative for Human Rights;
• February 8^th – in Vlasotince in cooperation with SOS Hotline for women and children victims of violence;
• February 11^th – in Dimitrovgrad with the Center for the Affirmation of Youth;
• February 27^th – in Prijepolje with the Forum of Women, Prijepolje and Cultural Center “DamaD” from Novi Pazar; on the same day the peace action “We Remember” was organized on the occasion of the anniversary of the abduction in Štrpce (February 27^th, 1993), as well as a tribune in Prijepolje;
• March 5^th – in Novi Pazar with the Cultural Center “DamaD”;
• March 8^th – in Belgrade.

Antimilitaristic actions
No to the army! – Civic initiative of collecting signatures for the petition “No to the army!” – demand for revocation of obligatory army service. The action was organized in Belgrade on March 8^th, 15^th, 21^st, 24^th and 29^th and on April 8^th. We are continuing this action of civic disobedience (the demand for total conscientious objection) in the following period.

Women’s peace marches – We will not go back – We demand our rights!
These actions were organized on the occasion of March 8^th – International Women’s Day and were dedicated to the protection of reproductive rights, against the clericalization of society and against the increasing fundamentalist tendencies. In addition, other actions were organized together with other autonomous women’s organizations:

February 3^rd – Solidarity is our strength – Solidarity with Anita – protest and women’s march in Surdulica because of political and sexual violence (South Serbia).
March 5^th – in Novi Pazar; on the same day were the opening of the exhibition of Women in Black: “The aesthetics of anti-patriarchal, anti-war resistance: Activist T-shirts,” “Deconstruction of the kitchen space and content” as well as the theatrical performance “The Inner Mandala” by Dah Theater from Belgrade.
On the occasion of March 8^th were organized numerous activities, on the street and through the distribution of leaflets, informing of the public, etc.; “Beijing +10 and beyond” on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Fourth UN Conference on women; March 8^th – in Belgrade: the performance “I bear your embryo” in cooperation with the Institute for Theater Engagement and Art was realized on Republic Square.
Actions under the same slogan were organized in other towns in Serbia in the scope of the Women’s Peace Network/Women in Black Network.

“Let’s stop the conspiracy of silence”
Action of collecting petition signatures against the increasing anti-Semitism in Serbia; this action was initiated by eight non-governmental organizations from Belgrade, and Women in Black organized the collecting of signatures in Belgrade on March 8^th, 15^th, 21^st, 24^th, and 29^th and on April 8^th. The demand of this action is for the adoption of an anti-discriminatory law in Serbia.
March 21^st – on the occasion of the International Day against Racism was organized, in addition to the collecting of signatures for the aforementioned initiatives, the performance “Fascist dark in the recess! – Part two.”

Eight human rights organizations from Belgrade (Center for Cultural Decontamination, Belgrade’s Circle, YUCOM, Fund for Humanitarian Law, Youth Initiative, Civic Initiatives, Women in Black, and Helsinki Committee for Human Rights) have initiated a series of common initiatives against denial of the criminal past – demands directed to the high authorities for the beginning of investigation about the mass graves in Serbia, as well as a demand for the investigation of the murder of soldiers in Topcider, etc.


WOMEN'S PEACE NETWORK - WIDENING AND STRENGTHENING

The following is a selection of the educational activities of various content (international and regional meetings, trainings, lectures, workshops, etc.) realized during this period:

“Women, Peace, Democracy” – regional seminar/training held on February 18^th, 19^th and 20^th, 2005 on the mountain Zlatar (Sandžak, south-western Serbia) dedicated to the role of women’s activism in building civil society and peace, the concept of human security, a feminist-antimilitarist concept of security, etc. 38 civil society activists from Sandzak and Belgrade were present at this seminar.

Women, Peace, Democracy – Women’s Human Rights, Peace, and Solidarity – international conference in the organization of Women in Black, Belgrade and Cultural Center “DamaD” from Novi Pazar. This conference was held on the occasion of March 8^th – International Women’s Day, with the participation of about 60 activists from twenty towns in Serbia, as well as activists from USA. During the conference, three panel discussions were held – about peace and security, about women’s solidarity in opposition to the rising conservative, cleric-fascistic and fundamentalist tendencies – as well as eight workshops (on reproductive rights, demilitarization, women’s human rights, female poverty, etc.).

Dealing with the past – A feminist approach
During the first and second stages of this educational activity, the following has been realized:
On March 25^th, 26^th and 27^th – eight interactive lectures and three workshops on the following issues: the theory of responsibility, feminist practices and theories of responsibility, from the ethics of care to civic responsibility, on the ethical principles of women’s peace politics – feminist-antimilitarist responsibility for peace, on the consequences of denial of the criminal past, on the responsibility of civil society in dealing with the past, etc.

On April 15^th, 16^th and 17^th – two lectures were held (on the role of the media and cultural institutions in facing with the past) as well as four workshops (on overcoming the role of the victim – feminist ethics of responsibility, on female disobedience, responsibility, facing with the past, on the feminist contribution to international justice, on models of transitional justice, etc.).
The lecturers and coordinators were eminent theoreticians and civil society activists (historians, law experts, feminist theoreticians and activists) and participants were activists of the Women’s Peace Network/Women in Black Network in Serbia and Montenegro.

On April 1^st and 2^nd, the workshops “Women’s solidarity – the beginning of the end of patriarchy” in organization of the NGO “Impuls” from Tutin (Sanžak) in coordination with Women in Black, Belgrade activists.


PUBLISHING ACTIVITIES

During this period we have published the reader Dealing with the past – a feminist approach. The reader is 230 pages long and has three chapters: From victims of war and violence to subjects of peace and international justice; Guilt and responsibility; and Models of dealing with the past – methods of recognition of the criminal past.

The English edition of our publication Women for Peace was also published, with 360 pages. This is the 10^th edition of Women for Peace and was promoted at our international conference on the occasion of March 8^th.

We have also published other numerous materials: leaflets, brochures, posters, stickers on reproductive rights, brochure on conscientious objection to military expenses, etc.


INTERNATIONAL ALTERNATIVE POLITICS

These are some of the international meetings, conferences and lectures that we attended:

• January 9^th – 16^th – activistic “tour” in Germany (Berlin and Bremen) and presentation of the work of Women in Black;
• January 24^th – presentation of the activities of Women in Black at the Institute for Social Researches in Zagreb,Croatia;
• February 24^th – 27^th – Forum against the war in Firenza;
• February 28^th – March 8^th – conference in New York (UN) – Ten years since the Fourth World Conference on women – “Beijing + 10”;
• March 24^th – 28^th – visit of activists of the International Women in Black Network/Women in Black, Italy to Belgrade, during which was realized a series of common activities;
• Participation in numerous international conferences in Belgrade, as well as meetings with numerous activists who were visiting Belgrade, etc.

In addition, workshops dedicated to the topic of women’s health were realized in the Women in Black space in Belgrade.

Belgrade, April 19^th, 2005

Report prepared by: Staša Zajović