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Contribution from Valli Boobal Batchelor, Australia
Recently returned from a simply awesome experience at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, I am writing to reflect on dance choreography of a controversial biblical story titled Bathsheba’s Voice which premiered at the 42nd International Choreographers Showcase -a high profile art event.
Valli Batchelor
As the choreographer, I felt that I was able to challenge many minds (especially my own) under the creative and safe zone of artistic expression. A review from the British Theater Guide published that “Valli Boobal Batchelor’s Bathsheba’s Voice uses Australian and Indian dance forms to tell the biblical story of Bathsheba as a metaphor for violence against women. There are arresting moments, such as Bathsheba’s seduction by David which here is portrayed as rape…”
My choreography was inspired by the UN’s White Ribbon pledge “not to commit, condone or remain silent on violence against women and children” and is a dedication to the reclaimed voices of Australian victims of clergy sexual abuse. It explores a biblical story on the sexual violence and subsequent cover up by King David against Bathsheba, his loyal soldier’s wife. It symbolizes the reclaimed voices of violated survivors of gender based violence by spiritual leaders in churches. The choreography draws from traditional dance forms yet allows freedom from the constrictions of techniques to enable the expression of experiences. It consists of intricate steps in varying speeds and rhythmic measures of various counts. The dancers portrayal of emotions are communicated through the slower tempo and high melodic vocals of Rasa [experience] and Bhava [expression] adapted from the south Indian Bharata Natyam classical dance style. Read the rest of this entry »
The Women, Faith, and Development Alliance is launching their Breakthrough Summit this Sunday, April 13, in a move to end global poverty. EW applauds many things about this historic alliance, such as a large networking event for faith-based women’s groups, the summit being open to the public, and free registration. Obviously, getting lots of people together to make a gender-based statement against poverty from a(n inter)faith-based perspective is something EW can get behind!
We do, however, wonder what purpose this summit will achieve. The most we can find is that different organizations will be announcing their committments to support women and girls in the fight against poverty–and that’s great–but where are our Christian denominations in this picture? Why isn’t the summit being broadcast over the internet? EW is eager to learn where this alliance will go, and what documents will be put forth in response to the summit.
By Michel Ngoy Mulunda, EW delegate, as presented on panel: “A Dialogue Among Cultures; Iraq for All,” 3 March 2008
Photography by Kim Llerena.
We are grateful to the Al Hakim foundation for inviting us to this session of “A Dialogue between cultures: “Iraq for All”". The special invitation to me as one of the panelists to speak on the issue of Women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, marks our strong solidarity with the wrestle for the respect of women’s rights in Iraqi society.
We all know well that violence doesn’t have a specific form in the Congo or in Iraq, but we do agree to call for an end to that form of inhumanity. We hope that great progress will be achieved soon in this area despite reluctance encountered here and there. And we hope that our communities will play a leading role in becoming “the light of the world and the salt of the earth”. Read the rest of this entry »
My two week CSW experience is just coming to an end. This has been a great opportunity to witness the nations from across the globe come together around the issue of the status of the half of the world’s population - women. Read the rest of this entry »
by Sarah Strickland
As a first-time delegate to the CSW annual meetings, I can only describe my experience as “jumping into the deep-end of the pool.” I was blessed to be asked to be a delegate for the Women’s Intercultural Network by Jean Shinoda Bolen and Marilyn Fowler and I thank divine guidance for my leap of faith to say “yes!” My trade is strategic planning and co-creating “road-maps” that help people in organizations “see” where they want to go. I often find myself in a “midwife” role by helping bring an emerging idea or strategy into being. Recently, I have found myself drawing what I am seeing, hearing and understanding to be present about conversations I am in. The images flow through me and simply show up. It is my way of synthesizing and connecting many different elements into a picture-story. I was asked to share this with others. Please feel free to use it however you wish.
This picture emerged in the chapel at the Church building after I attended two days of meetings. Read the rest of this entry »
by Ann Tiemeyer
From February 22 – 26, 2008, seven young women between the ages of 21 to 28 years old participated in the first Young Women’s Leadership Experience facilitated by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC). The group received intensive orientation about the NCC, Ecumenical Women at the UN, Nongovernmental Organizations (NGO’s) at the UN and the history of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). More>>
by Jocelyn Tengatenga
The imperative to act on gender equality and development is an integral part of the mission of God. God’s mission and vision for humanity is one of peace, prosperity and justice. We believe that because women and men are made equally in the image of God they are equal players and equal beneficiaries in God’s bounty. This is the new life as God intended it to be, a life of equality which is spelt out in Galatians 3:28, “in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female for all are one in Christ Jesus”. It is therefore a calling on each one of us as women to be involved in the fight for liberation from all forms of oppression and marginalization. We can only do that if we are united and collectively speak out. As women of faith we have been silent for a long time and now is the time to raise our voices together and join hands in working towards a better tomorrow. As Mercy Amba Oduyoye said,
“As a woman who feels the weight of sexism I cannot go again and again to the stories of the exodus, exile and to other biblical motifs in which the “least” are recognized and affirmed, are saved or held up as beloved by God or at least are empowered to gnaw at the fundaments of the structures of injustice until these fundaments cave in on themselves.”
Read the rest of Josie’s speech here.
Ecumenical Women delegates to Commission on the Status of Women were given the opportunity to translate Ecumenical Women’s input into the agreed conclusion into prayers of confession, petition and thanksgiving during morning worship on Thursday, February 28th.
This document contains excerpts from the draft of the agreed-upon conclusions. Ecumenical Women suggested additions and changes to the draft agreed upon conclusions, followed by prompting questions. Then three short sentence prayers were created from the thought around those agreed-upon additions: a prayer of confession, a prayer of petition and a prayer of thanksgiving.
We hope you might pray these prayers with a deep and committed heart for the sake of the disproportionate number of women suffering abject poverty. On Monday, governments began to determine the language needed within the agreed-upon Conclusions. By augmenting the agreed-upon conclusions in such a way as Ecumenical Women have desired, it is just possible that we will begin to rebuild an economic system which has at its core a desire for more resources for development, more decisions for development, and less injustice in the financial mechanisms, in the hands of those who are unable to access them under the current mechanisms: the poor.
On Saturday, February 23, Ecumenical Women gathered for our orientation on the 52nd Commission on the Status of Women. On that day, we joined together as women from many different areas of the world, cultures, ethnicities, denominations, and identities of all kinds, to form a coalition of women advocating for gender equality at the United Nations, from a faith-based perspective. We worshipped together, learned together, reflected together, and ate together! And after all that togetherness… we advocated together!
Photograph by Kimberly Llerena.
Want to feel extra-prepared for Ecumenical Women’s Orientation day? Curious about the Faith-based events that will be offered during CSW? Look no further–you can download them right here:
CSW 2008 delegates, click here for even more info on the upcoming weeks!
The Draft Agreed Resolution for CSW 52 as presented by the Bureau is now available on the CSW website.
Major Christian youth movements and organizations called for a stronger effort to make the next steps towards Christian unity. Two days before a prayer meeting of Pope Benedict XVI. and Samual Kobia, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, they asked in a joint statement the heads of the Roman Catholic Church, the World Council of Churches, Christian World Communions and Regional Ecumenical Organizations to share the ecumenical dialogue with young people: “While we know that you, as senior church leaders, are committed to Christian unity, we still experience disunity among Christians. For example, many of us feel pain when we are unable to celebrate the Eucharist together and be united at the Lord’s Table.”Therefore, they call on church leaders to share the ecumenical dialogue with young people.At the same time, the representatives of Christian young movements committed to:
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“raise awareness of the importance of Christian unity among young people, including members of our organizations;
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“develop joint activities among young people that respond to social issues, and
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“deepen cooperation amongst our organisations as a model of Christian unity.”
Read what Lutheran World Federation youth desk has to say here….
Are you sitting at home wondering how to prepare for the Commission? Make sure to read the Financing for Gender Equality paper from the UN’s Expert Group Meeting. We also really recommend AWID’s FundHER report - it answers million dollar the question, where is the money for women’s rights? Still curious? Find more advocacy resources here.
Last year a great group of women came together as Ecumenical Women to CSW-51. The theme was The elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child. In this picture we are getting to know each other making an “web of connections” out of yarn. Don’t worry, this year we plan to have a party instead!
With much collaboration and input, Ecumenical Women have submitted a statement on financing for gender equality to the 52nd Commission on the Status of Women. Entitled “Justice for the poor and care for life and creation continue to be at the heart of the matter” the statement incorporates the six themes of the Monterrey Concensus on financing for development to financing for gender equality.
We welcome you to read it in preparation for the conference and to make your comments below.
Ecumenical Women is excited to have events planned for the Commission on the Status of Women, which will take place 24 February through 7 March 2008. We hope that governments and NGOs around the world will come together and make real progress on our theme: Financing for Gender Equality.
Just as in previous years, we are planning to hold daily worship services in the chapel at the Church Center for the UN. The schedule for these worship services can be found here.
We will also host two side events:
- Ecumenical Women’s Challenge to Financing for Development
- Gender Architecture in our Religions: Walls and Windows
