NATO talks about women rights but it destroys life’s!

A Workshop during the counter summit  (programm counter summit.pdf) in Wales,

Sunday, August 31st, 2014, 12:30-13:30 h, Cardiff County Hall, Atlantic Wharf Cardiff CF10 4UW

We should discuss, why with NATO no gender justice can be achieved, even if it implements UN Res 1325 and talks about women rights. NATO is a military organization, which need for its survive hierarchical structures, with commandingandobedience, creates and need concept of the enemy (Feindbilder). These are contradictions to a just, democratic, participative and inclusive policy need for women emancipation and gender justice. We should discuss how to overcome NATO and its inherent militarization of societies. How can we achieve, that no women is going to military due to social problems. What actions should be taken?

Speakers: Cynthia Cockburn (Women in Black, UK), Marlène Tuininga (Le Mouvement de la Paix, France), Kristine Karch (No to NATO)
Chair: Rae Street (CND, UK)

Cynthia will introduce the theme of NATO’s use of UNSC Resolution 1325, and the activity of its new officer, “the Secretary General’s Special Representative on Women, Peace and Security”, Mari Skare. She will show also a 3-min. video. Marlene and Kristine will add information from France and Germany. Afterwards we will have a public debate.

As you know, NATO takes 1325 very pro-actively, which in some ways of course is good, but does add up to a significant and problematic contradiction – our own tool taken up and used by an organization whose very existence we deplore! One contradictory implication is a drive to recruit more women to the military in the name of equality and more sensitive peacekeeping operations. We need to question our own feminist tactics. We should focus the debate what to do to overcome NATO and other militarized structures, and which actions should be taken next year, where we will have besides others the peace congress in the Hague in April 2015. The titel is “Women’s Power to stop war”, which is remembering the 100 anniversary of the 1st women’s peace conference in 1915, and of course we have to act against the (new) wars made by NATO.