Women, peace, security

Conference on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of passing of UN Security Council Resolution 1325
31 October 2005, Belgrade, Center for Cultural Decontamination, Birčaninova 21

Instead of the expected changes, the period after 5 October 2000 has been marked with the missing of opportunities for our country to create a discontinuity with the politics of the Milosevic regime, to start down the path of democracy and reconciliation, towards the establishment of a just and lasting peace and integration into the international community. A number of chances have been missed for active inclusion in the international community, which is possible only with complete respect for international standards and conventions. One of those conventions is the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 devoted to women, peace, and security.

Five years after the passing of Resolution 1325, our country has yet to ratify the resolution. Because of this, we consider it necessary to continue activities directed at familiarizing the public with the contents of Resolution 1325 as well as to demand that the competent institutions ratify and accept the mentioned resolution. With Resolution 1325, for the first time, the highest body of the UN officially confirmed the significance of civil society, in particular women's autonomous groups, in the building of peace and establishment of security. Without the participation of women on all levels decision-making, especially those where questions of peace, conflict prevention and the creation of new forms of security are decided, a just and lasting peace cannot be achieved.

We take the following as starting points:

Peace is not simply the absence of war – peace is the absence of fear, hatred, misery, and injustice;

A positive peace implies the absence of direct (physical, etc.) but also indirect or structural violence (poverty, exploitation, injustice, tyranny, etc.)

A positive peace is possible only on the basis of balanced development, social justice, and human security;

Security is not only the absence of armed conflict and open terror, but also implies the absence of fear, violence, repression, misery; security implies the investment in peace, health, education, and culture;

Human security is based on civilian/civic values, including full respect of human rights, particularly women's human rights.

Keeping in mind that we live in a country in which human security is seriously endangered, we consider it imperative that we warn of a series of forms of endangerment of the basic security of all citizens, in particular of activists of civil society. Retrograde forces, making use of the passive (in some cases even open) collaboration of state organs, are more and more openly and aggressively spreading hatred and producing a murderous climate, who's first victims are human rights defenders and advocates of peace.

In line with our feminist-antimilitarist politics, with this conference we wish to affirm the concept of a positive peace and human security, thereby strengthening the values of civil society. In this conference, experts, activists of civil society from across Serbia, and politicians of democratic orientation will participate.

Program:

31 October 2005

• 11h – 12h: Handing over of the draft of Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security

National Parliament of the Republic of Serbia; at the same time on Andric Venac the performance Women, peace, security will be held

• 12h-13.15h: Lunch
• 13.15h - 14h: Promotion of new Women in Black publications about women, peace, and security

Translation of Rising Up in Response, by Jane Barry
Women, Peace, Security, Reader
Coordinators: Tamara Belenzada and Boban Stojanovic, Women in Black

• 14h-16.30h: Panel: Security is the absence of fear, violence, and misery...

From traditional through human to feministic concepts of security
Participating:

• 17h-19.30h: Panel: Attacks on defenders of human rights, women's human rights, and peace activists...

Testifying:

Barbara Davis, UN Mission for Human Rights in SR Yugoslavia from Feb. 1998 – Feb. 2001
Biljana Kovačević-Vučo, Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM), Belgrade
Borka Pavićević, Center for Cultural Decontamination, Belgrade
Ivana Dulić-Marković, Belgrade
Ljiljana Raičević, Women's Safehouse, Podgorica
Nataša Kandić, Humanitarian Law Center, Belgrade
Sabina Talović, Bona Fide, Pljevlja
Sonja Biserko, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, Belgrade
Staša Zajović, Women in Black, Belgrade
Suzana Antić-Ristić, Committee for Human Rights – Office Chris, Vranje

Dragana Dulić, Faculty of civil defense, Belgrade
Dragana Petrović, Council for gender equality of the Serbian government, Belgrade
Gordana Čomić, Parliamentarian in the National Parliament, Novi Sad
Nađa Duhaček, Women in Black, Belgrade
Vera Marković, Social-democratic Union, Belgrade
Vesna Pešić, Center for Anti-war Action
Vesna Rakić-Vodinelić, Faculty of Comparative Law, Belgrade