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Dear Friends,
Autumn greetings from the Global Fund for Women!
We are eager to share with you an update about the Balkans, the region that during the 1990s, has experienced the bloodiest conflicts in Europe since World War II. Even though by 2006, the Global Fund had awarded 190 grants to 93 women’s groups in all six post-Yugoslav states totaling $2.2 million, it was only last October that we traveled to the region for the first time to meet with grantees and learn about the current issues facing women in each country.
Our journey started with listening to international songs sung by members of Le Zbor (featured below in this ebulletin), at the reception for the Global Fund hosted by the Women’s Studies Centre in Zagreb. We then traveled to six countries over 23 days where we met with over 100 women’s rights groups. The impact of women’s activism is visible everywhere. We met with advocates of the women’s movement since the early 1970s as well as young activists, educated abroad (during the war), who are widening the limits of feminism. We saw how strong the movement is regarding issues of conflict resolution, feminist identity, and anti-nationalistic and anti-patriarchal attitudes.
We met with over 20 groups in Albania, 65 groups in Kosova, and many groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina, all of which are encountering high levels of violence (both military and domestic), political and social isolation and economic hardship.
This was a particularly crucial time for us to take a stand demonstrating our continued support since many donors are decreasing or ending their financial assistance to women’s groups in the Balkans, and moving to “hotter” conflict regions. Yet post-conflict traumas and problems persist among refugees, internally displaced populations and ethnically diverse communities who live in separate but parallel worlds.
Since our outreach trip in October 2006, our grantmaking in the region has increased significantly - we have made 28 grants totaling more than $360,000. Ten new groups in Albania, Kosova and Macedonia are now Global Fund grantees, including Le Zbor.
It is encouraging to see women in the Balkans embracing women’s power and bridging art, academia and activism in events like Pitch Wise and equally inspiring to have initiatives like the Women’s Peace Coalition (both featured in this ebulletin) that are being directly organized by women of the region. We trust that these voices will reach larger audiences and will convince the international community that women know best how to solve the problems they face.
In solidarity,
Angelika Arutyunova
Program Officer for Europe and the Former Soviet States
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Marta Drury
California, USA
Marta Drury, a long-time supporter from 1991, and former Balkans advisor of the Global Fund for Women has made a career out of giving to and working for women and girls in the US and abroad.
As a Global Fund Advisor from 1999 to 2007, Marta's support and perspectives have been invaluable in expanding the Global Fund's grantmaking in the Balkans. She has connected the Global Fund with many of the key feminists in the region who are now, in turn, advisors themselves and has helped the Global Fund to learn about the groups, issues and needs of women in the Balkans.
Today, the Global Fund continues to support and work with several of the phenomenal groups and the incredible women to whom Marta linked us. Learn more about Marta! |
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Le Zbor
Zagreb, Croatia
Ringing through the squares and halls of Zagreb in Croatia, you may hear the sound of the country’s one-of-a-kind, lesbian-feminist a cappella choir, Le Zbor. This Global Fund grantee bridges the gap between art and activism, fearlessly and elegantly delivering its original and unusual repertoire along with its feminist messages to Zagreb’s cultural scene.
Le Zbor was formed in 2005 by a group of former choir members who chose to create a new choral group that would not only produce fantastic music but also serve as an LGBTIQ inclusive, safe space and a platform for political activism.
Watch a video-clip of Le Zbor performing one of their all time hit songs, “Moj decko je gej” (“My boyfriend is gay”) Find out more about this incredible group of women!
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Kosovar and Serbian Feminist Activists Strategize for Peace
Serbia and Kosova
Last month, more than 60 activists representing groups from Kosova and Serbia came together for a second Women's Peace Coalition conference in Struga, Macedonia. Titled "Through Women's Solidarity to a Just Peace," the annual conference is a space where women address crucial issues of building bridges between the two nations, preserving peace, and recovering from war trauma.
The coalition was started jointly last year by Kosova Women's Network and Women in Black (Serbia), both Global Fund grantees. Among the issues discussed this year were feminist approaches to transitional justice and justice for women who suffered sexual violence during recent conflicts. The main goal of the Coalition is to find grassroots solutions which address the ethnic and border divides in the region! The conference was also attended by international organizations such as UNIFEM, Filia, Mama Cash, Urgent Action Fund, and Kvinna til Kvinna. Learn more about the conference!
PitchWise, Foundation CURE
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Pitch Wise, a women's festival of engaged arts held last month at the Museum of History of Bosnia and Herzegovina, brought to Sarajevo some of the great talent from the international feminist art scene. Comprising creative workshops, lectures, performances, film screenings, concerts, street actions and more, the festival strives to create a platform for networking and artistic exchange among artists, activists, students, youth and the general public.
The Global Fund supported the festival through its organizer Foundation CURE, a women's rights organization led by Global Fund advisor Taida Horozovic. The many events and workshops addressed the socio-cultural and political backdrop in which women are organizing and creating change. Believing that "arts in combination with social-change-driven activities give us the needed balance in our daily lives," the festival celebrated and empowered women worldwide. Find out more about Pitch Wise!
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California, USA
Global Fund Co-Hosts Launch Of latest Edition Of Inspired Philanthropy!
Noted philanthropost and author Tracy Gary brings you the newest and expanded edition of "Inspired Philanthropy: Your Step by Step Guide to Creating a Giving Plan and Leaving a Legacy."
With practical, step-by-step information, this latest edition shows how everyone can align and integrate values, passions, and dreams for their communities and families into their plans. Whether you are a donor, an advisor, or a nonprofit, Inspired Philanthropy helps you with clear, thorough and inspired giving and legacy planning. Find out more about the book, and attend the launch, co-presented by the Global Fund!
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Bangkok, Thailand
GAATW Conference Trains Its Lens On Measuring Impact Of Anti-Trafficking Work
The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW), a dynamic alliance of over 80 nonprofit and self-organized groups working on anti-trafficking, migrant labor rights and women's rights (and a Global Fund grantee), is hosting its triennial international thematic conference in Bangkok, Thailand, from November 5-8 2007.
This conference and congress will focus on the impact of anti-trafficking measures on human rights worldwide and decide on the strategic direction of the Alliance in the coming years. Bringing together a diverse group of activists working on issues of migration, labor and trafficking from a rights based perspective, this event will afford a much-needed space and opportunity to review the gaps in current anti-trafficking initiatives with a view to strengthen a right based approach in future. Learn more about the conference!
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WOMEN WHO LIGHT THE DARK
Women Who Light The Dark - Raffle Winner, Video
Clips and more! 
This holiday season, we invite you to buy gift copies of Women Who Light the Dark by acclaimed photojournalist Paola Gianturco. This Los Angeles Times top 10 bestseller features the work of several innovative women's groups from 15 countries, working tirelessly to improve their communities, including 18 Global Fund grantees.
Check out some of these cool links:
• Watch a short video clip that features Paola Gianturco and Kavita Ramdas talk about the Global Fund for Women.
• Watch Paola and Kavita at Google, talking about the book and sharing information about the Global Fund.
• Buy this book as a gift for women who light the dark in your region, community and family, which will in turn help women all over the world - Paola is donating 100 percent of the royalties from the book to the Global Fund for Women!
• And find out about Tina Kushnir, who won a free copy of Women Who Light the Dark in our online raffle!
Vote For the Global Fund!
Are you a Working Assets customer? If you haven't voted already, then you can still help decide how Working Assets should distribute their annual donations. In 2005 your votes helped us secure an additional $70,000 for the global women's movement. Vote for the Global Fund by December 31st.
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