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August 11, 2014

Activism is an Antidote for Despair

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something . . . I will not refuse to do something I can do.”

Helen Keller

Dear People:

Peace depends upon women’s empowerment and equality because patriarchy is the root cause of war. Advocacy for 5WCW, seeding and supporting circles and writing are expressions of my activism: Envision 5WCW in India with me and do whatever you can do toward reaching a tipping point.

Re: UN Fifth World Conference on Women (5WCW). The dream scenario: The new prime minister of India, Narendra Modi addresses the 69th UN General Assembly in September, and says he supports having this conference in India, and stands with Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and the President of the 67th General Assembly Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nassir who proposed this in 2012. 5wcw.org/docs/5WCW-UN_JointStatement.html The General Assembly passes a 5WCW resolution by consensus.

More likely how it could come about (1) India proposes 5WCW and offers to be the sponsoring country during the 69th General Assembly (sessions held between September 2014 and September 2015). (2) Support for 5WCW comes out of the Latin American and Caribbean Island and African regional meetings. (3) A General Assembly resolution to hold 5WCW passes. 5WCW is held in 2018.

The Beijing +20 Review and Regional meetings are in process of happening. This will also be the focus of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and Forum in March 2015. My intuitive expectation is that the personal recollections by women who were in Beijing 20 years ago and who are now in positions of leadership in NGOs and governments will be positive, nostalgic, and be saying that part of each woman’s personal myth came from the inspiration and bonding that attending 4WCW created. Films with sound tracks and song will make this vivid. Those who didn’t go will wish that they had been there. It will stir feelings of wanting to go to 5WCW.

Reports from 193 countries about the status of girls and women re the implementation-or lack of-in the twelve areas of concern will raise consciousness about the gaps in equality and confirm the prevalence of violence against women in each country. This makes it possible for women in each member state to learn about the report for their country, this will raise consciousness and could become a basis for grassroots activism. NGOs such as Equality Now are documenting such things as legal steps backward in the USA. With the rise in fundamentalism, this may be a common finding. Research supports the reality that political will at the top to implement or initiate anything that would empower or protect women is in response only to grassroots feminist movements. 5WCW would energize a global grassroots women’s movement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

India as host country? Flow and synchronicity for 5WCW in India began with the contacts made by 5WCW advocates with influential people before the last CSW. There was no point in approaching government officials at that time because of the pending elections. With the new Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decisive victory and amends to be made by the USA for denying Modi a visa in 2005, if India proposes it, a sensible expectation is that 5WCW would not be opposed this time. India is the largest democracy in the world, with a diversity of people, religions, and many of the issues of a developing country, as well as being a leader in internet technology. New Delhi could hold a conference attended by over 100,000 with the infrastructure developed for the Commonwealth Games, and accommodations available at every price range. Recently, the most active and influential grassroots feminist protest movements to take to the streets have been in India, which also had the largest turnout for One Billion Rising, the dancing in the streets demonstrations to stop violence against women, supported by Bollywood Stars who created songs for this.

Modi is coming to address the opening of the 69th General Assembly. He has appointed two strong women to his cabinet. Sushima Swaraji is the new Minister of External Affairs, the most powerful cabinet position, only the second woman in India’s history to be so. Maneka Gandhi is the new cabinet Minister for Women and Children's Development. I have heard that Maneka is a feminist, an animal rights and social justice activist, who entered politics as a young woman with a year old child after her husband was killed in a airplane crash. While India is a huge country, I have now heard from both ends of the spectrum that many who may have influence are related by family ties, schools, and some also by connections to the late Sai Baba. I am hearing of connections to women spiritual leaders who advocate for women through their actions, words and as role models themselves. I am finding that there is one degree to three degrees of separation between me and some very influential people and respected spiritual leaders. Might this also be true for many of you who are reading this? Might you be someone with influence on someone who has influence?

I continue the grassroots-seeding of circles with a spiritual center and advocating the idea of 5WCW, and am seeing that others are stepping up and taking on their piece of it. The model is the women's movement: in less than a decade, a tipping point was reached through the spread of ideas, inspiration and sisterhood in consciousness raising groups. It was a leaderless movement. A critical number of women felt the need to do something and did. By doing so, each contributed to her own equality and empowerment, and through marches, conferences, lobbying, protesting and doing whatever each was called to do, changed institutions and challenged laws. Grassroots feminism became a powerful force for change in the world and in each individual woman who found her assignment and voice as she worked to make a difference in her own life, which contributed to a cumulative effect on the world. And just as there were men whose support mattered to the success of the women's movement, there are men who are advocates for 5WCW.

Cick Here for Jean Shinoda Bolen's Lecture part 1 of 8, on the original meaning of Mother's Day and the third wave of the women's movement (5+ minutes). The second Culture of Peace Distinguished Speaker Series Initiated by Ambassador Anwaul K. Chowdhury, credited with the passage UN Security Council Resolution #1325, the Women, Peace, and Security Resolution.

HELP WANTED

Inform yourself through research 5wcw.org website: home page and documents in particular)

If you are going to the UNDPI—NGO Conference at UN Headquarters August 27 - 29 (UN Department of Public Information and Non-Governmental Organizations Conference), ask about 5WCW or speak in favor of 5WCW. You may need to consider what to say when fear underlies being against it. (Fear of power of fundamentalists, fear of loss of ground) The Beijing Platform for Action is an historical document, it will remain unamended. Instead a new document or statement would emerge, which will be a reflection of changed issues and times since 1995. You may be on the staff of one of the 193 missions to the UN where you might help inform or help your mission to be support or be receptive to 5WCW. If you can help or have an idea about what could help, write to me: jeanbolen@gmail.com.

I will be in New York August 24 - 31, attending UN DPI Conference August 27 -29, 2014 at UN Headquarters, and at the UN CSW in March 2015.

Support a UN 5th World Conference on Women (5WCW)
If you haven;t signed — click on the logo to read the preamble.Yet to be decided: when to present the print out of this petition to Ban Ki-Moon and to UN Women.

Artemis: The Indomitable Spirit in Everywoman. This is the archetype that gives meaning, depth and energy to activists whose causes are women and girls, protecting mothers, environmentalists motivated by love of nature and the planet, women who protect and provide sanctuaries for animals, mystical and spiritually energized activists. Artemis, the Greek goddess of the Hunt and Moon’s symbols are the mother bear, the waxing crescent moon, her silver bow and quiver of arrows: like Katness Everdeen in Hunger Games and Atalanta in mythology. Pubdate: September 1, 2014. You can pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Artemis will also be an audiobook by BrillianceAudio.

“Artemis is emerging in the popular culture as a new source of strength, power, and integrity. . . .Bolen shows how a woman can draw on her courage and her passion to change the world.” —Isabel Allende, author of House of Spirits and most recently Ripper.