Over 200 women gathered for this year's Women in Black Conference in Ulcinj, Montenegro. There were representatives from all parts of the former Yugoslavia and other countries: large groups from Italy and Spain; smaller ones from other parts of Western Europe, Israel and Mexico; one woman from Chechenya but not, as far as I could tell, anyone from other Eastern European countries.
The theme was creating a feminist pacifist ethics and our responses to the increased militarisation of society, in the Balkans and in the rest of the world - all packed into three days, including a vigil in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, a 2-hour bus ride each way along twisting mountainous roads... to be at the conference was both inspiring and frustrating, energizing and exhausting - at times totally overwhelming. I came away feeling that international pacifist feminism is a real and tangible thing; we are involved in concrete projects as well as working in the realm of ideas and feelings. I was painfully aware of the lack of time, not being able to converse/connect as much as i would have liked; inevitably, women tended to stick together in groups that already knew each other.
In the plenary sessions, with heroic simultaneous translation, we heard of the bridge-building and reconciliation work going on between different women's groups throughout the former federation, of women's refusal to be pushed into nationalistic identities, and their resistance to war.
In Montenegro, declared in a state of emergency during the war, one woman started demonstrating all on her own against the conscription of young Montenegran men to fight for the Milosevic regime. Other women have come together, and there is now the beginning of a women's peace movement in Montenegro. There have been organised mother's protests in Serbia; they said they were given no information about what might happen to their sons, that there is no constitutional right of conscientious objectors, and that the police keep permanent dossiers on war resistors.
Sasha, a young woman from Sarajevo, talked of never knowing peace - "no-one ever asked us anything" - and called for all women to meet together to transcend nationalistic divides. Serbian women spoke of a propaganda of hatred, of homophobia, of the preconditions for war being created by the Serb regime, and the possibility of deliberately orchestrated violence in Montenegro.
Radmila, an art-history teacher from Leskovac, spoke of the pressure to teach a school curriculum based around concepts of duty, obedience and nationalism - and that the children are actually tested on these things. She said the teachers were sent a printed version of the war according to Milosevic, which they were supposed to read to the children, but quietly tucked into the backs of their folders. Teachers have not been paid since June. In her home town, 3 people have been arrested for trying to organize demonstrations against the regime.
A woman from Pristina spoke of making coffee to Serb soldiers who took away her ID, and the woman from Chechenya told us of smiling at the soldier who stuck a machine-gun in her face, and only later hiding in the toilet to cry.
Women from Srebrenica called for help in organizing a meeting in Srebrenica where still, four years on, they do not know the fate of those who disappeared from the so-called UN safe haven.
The women from Israel and Mexico added interesting perspectives - the Israeli women talked of the power of even small demos, when women go home afterwards and talk of what happened with family and friends, and the Mexican women emphasized the importance of bringing in women who are not necessarily working on issues of anti-militarism.
At the final plenary, 4 dates were announced around which we could all organize.
- 25 nov - International Day against Domestic Violence - possible launch of international networks
- 10 dec - International Human Rights Day
- 15 may - International CO Day
- 24 may - Women for peace and disarmament
The plenary backed a proposal to nominate WiB Belgrade for a Right Livelihood award. Also Lela Zana was nominated - currently serving 18 years in a Turkish prison for saying she wanted Turks and Kurds to live in peace.
We are asked to send support to women NGO's meeting on 10th December in Srebrenica to call for an investigation into the fate of the disappeared.
Piera from Italy called for mass strikes against war.
There was discussion of the use or DU in Kosova and Serbia, of the horrendous implications for the health of future generations - can we sue the American and British governments for endangerment of youth? And how can people best be protected from contamination?
We are asked to back the demand for the right of conscientious objection in Serbia - there are currently indictments out against 27,000 young people who refused conscription; they face prison sentences of up to 20 years.
We are asked to intensify international campaigns for the release of those currently detained for resisting the Serbian government . A list of names and ideas for actions will follow as soon as we have the full information from WiB in Belgrade. It is absolutely vital that we support all the groups and individuals in ex-Yugoslavia who are opposing the Milosevic regime in whatever way they can.
We need to continue to support all the projects that have been set up in Bosnia and Kosova, such as Medica Zenica, that are trying to rebuild shattered lives and communities in the aftermath of war.
Most of all, we need to continually question, in whatever ways we can, the militarizarion of society here in Britain and elsewhere; to continue to press governments and peoples to reject war and violence at every level, whether domestic, commercial, institutionalised, global or multi-national. We need to continue creating our international networks of love and solidarity, to work for a world where war ceases to be a viable option.
Women In Black stand in silent vigil against violence in front of the New York Public Library at 5th Avenue and 41st Street on last Wednesday of every month, from 5:30 – 6:30.
Come join us. For information about Women in Black, please visit our website at http://balkansnet.org/women or call Indira at 212 560-0905.