WFWPI and the Beijing process a new advocacy and methodology in the settlement of peace

WFWPI AND THE BEIJING PROCESS A NEW ADVOCACY AND M ETHODOLOGY IN THE SETTLEMENT OF PEACE BY CAROLYN HANDSCHIN, DIRECTOR, WFWPI UN OFFICE CSW 59 | WFWPI LUNCHEON | MARCH 10, 2015 DELEGATES DINING AREA, UNITED NATIONS HQ, NEW YORK

We are here today to celebrate the advances made towards the equality and empowerment of girls and women. We are also being asked to re-think ways of achieving these global goals.

There is no doubt that we are living in a turbulent time in world history. For example, bright young women from England and Canada are dropping out of universities and travelling to Iraq and Syria in order to support fraudulent nation-building. Why? I believe it is Carolyn Handschin, Director of WFWPI UN Office and because a deep human longing to International Vice President for Europe. contribute to justice and change is not being properly addressed in our involved in decision-making. More educational curricula, our institutions critically it is because the basic building and even in our families. As another block of our world—the family--requires example, some men are still convinced both a father and a mother as keys to that it is justifiable to rape a young girl creating peace. Peace in the community because she is out too late. We cannot and world should rest upon the accept that, but what can we do? What foundation of peace in the family. are we missing? In Beijing in 1995, just three years after As one answer to that question, I’d like our founding, WFWP hosted a side event to mention here a few conclusions of our entitled, “True Families and the Moral report: “WFWPI and the Beijing Process.” Renaissance,” with more than 500 participant. In her keynote speech, Global Paradigm Change Is Needed to Maureen Reagan, daughter of former Utilize Women’s Advocacy and President Ronald Reagan, explained, Networking Skills “Women are builders of our communities, peacemakers on a daily It is not only because we are more than basis. Ask any mother the art of family 50% of humanity that we must be peace and you will receive a lecture in

psychology and understanding which WFWP has educational programs on will rival any course in a university.” every continent that address discrimination at its root. This, again, Insisting on our “Human Rights” alone should be part of that Global Paradigm will not work, nor is that the golden Change package. Through Character thread of community, or peaceful nation- Education courses, youth — parents-to- building. Only by reversing the be — are taught how and why their psychology of self-centeredness, by treatment of each other with dignity and investing in others, empowering others equal value is critical to the prevention of to step forward in peace-building, will we many future violations, not to mention make women’s involvement valuable, an element in the most profound joy in noticed and, obviously, indispensable. life: successful parenthood.

This has been the work ethic of WFWP Even though there is not time to go into as an organization. Its broad mandate, too much detail about specific findings of “Let us form loving families and establish the “Report on WFWPI and Beijing + 20” sound societies and a peaceful world here today, I will present just a sampling ensured and protected by the maternal of many WFWP programs that have love of women,” challenges us to contributed to the Twelve Strategic contribute to the resolution or Objectives of the Beijing Platform. I hope prevention of almost any problem, any you will take this, not necessarily in the time of day. The bottom line is that a spirit of how great WFWP is, but to strong, deeply concerned feminine understand how amazingly effective and perspective is needed in every area of life, creative women can be as leaders when most especially those areas that have confronted with real problems. been long dominated by men. Constructive Self Criticism Is Needed Girls have been endowed with the Via Introspective Assessment instincts that prepare them to become good mothers later in life. Those talents The second broad category of our report and propensities are innate, not just an is the need for constructive self-criticism. evolutionary result of female roles over Too few women really understand our the ages. Our instincts include tenacity, “public” value. Due to our history and strong will, strategic thinking, and long- often subservient roles, girls and women term vision. Women tend to think and tend to undervalue ourselves and each plan not just lineally, but with other. consideration of broad effects. Because women are protective of their own If women want to change their profile, be children, we can also empathize with taken more seriously in governance and other mothers’ situations, and this is development at any level, we need to be actually a key ingredient for sustaining a able to “demonstrate” convincingly the culture of peace. difference that we can make in words and in actions --more so than men --

because it is always like that when a Education for Global Citizenship at paradigm is being changed. UN Vienna; Women’s Development Centers. Women NEED to lead, not with anger because it has taken so long, but with 3. Overcoming Inadequate and confident insistence because we know we Unequal Access to Health Care: are right on this point. This assertion was Nutrition Guidance Programs; AIDS made so graciously, but firmly, by prevention programs; Multi-Sectoral Gertrude (Mama) Mongella yesterday. Educational Programs for Preventing (She was Chair of the Beijing 4th World FGM. Conference on Women in Beijing 1995.) 4. Eliminating Violence against Around eight years ago, WFWP Japan Women: Seminars and Conferences decided to do a study of their 100 + on Prevention of Domestic Violence; overseas projects and attribute each one Marriage Counseling; Self-Defense to the support of a particular Millennium Training. Development Goal (MDG). All eight MDGs were easily covered. In Geneva, 5. Healing the Effects of Conflict and WFWP interns are working on a similar Foreign Occupation on Women: project with the 30 Articles of the Sisters of Faith for Peace Program in Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Europe; Middle East Women’s Here too each article is being addressed Annual Conference Series (19 Years); by WFWP activities somewhere. These Palestinian Scholarships; Medical Aid studies have helped to prove (something and Humanitarian Aid to Palestine, we already know) that women tend to be Syria, DRC, North Korea, etc. brilliant problem-solvers. 6. Equalizing Economic Structures, Beijing Platform’s 12 Strategic Access to Resources: Microcredit Objectives & Some Corresponding Programs for Women; Business Start- WFWPI Programs Up Training; International Marketing for Indigenous Products. 1. Alleviating the Burden of Poverty: Job training programs in dozens of 7. Power Sharing: Youth Leadership developing countries; Agriculture Training Programs; Model UN Projects in Africa; Poverty Eradication programs; Marriage Preparation Conferences at UN in NY; Youth Programs; Interreligious Marriage Re- Volunteers for International Dedication Programs. Cooperation 8. Mechanisms to Promote Women: 2. Female Education & Training: UN Internships in NY, Geneva, Scholarships; Schools with Character Vienna; Young Women’s Awards; Education Classes; Marriage Mentoring Programs for Young Preparation and Counselling Women; Essay and Drawing Contests. Programs; Series of Conferences on

9. Human Rights: Prevention of Action, in the category of Constructive Trafficking Campaigns; Interracial Self-Criticism Needed, would be for us Reconciliation Projects in the USA; to put more emphasis on systemizing Advocacy at the Human Rights and documenting our results. We’ve Council and CEDAW; “Bring Our been busy “doing” peace, but we need to Girls Back” Advocacy Campaign also devote our minds and passion to across Europe. building our portfolio. This is not just for our glory, but for the future of peace. 10. Media Stereotyping: Europe-wide We need documentable proof of what Campaigns for Dignity of Women in works. We will not be taken seriously if Advertising; Penpal Programs across we do not have that, or if we wait for cultures. someone else to do it for us.

11. Safeguarding the Environment: Two words sum up what WFWP is Tree Planting in North Korea and promoting these days. Both are Africa; City or Beach Clean-Up associated with expertise, but have not Projects; Clean Water Project for been necessarily associated with the Africa. grassroots peace building initiatives of women. Those words are: Methodology 12. Eliminating Discrimination and Advocacy. “Methodology” is defined against the Girl Child: Young as a set of principles and rules for Women’s Leadership programs; regulating or systemizing a given Character Education programs; discipline. “Advocacy” has to do with Scholarship programs; Building and systematic persuasion towards a public Funding Girls Schools. issue or opinion.

All this came about, not because of a While rarely realizing it, it seems to me decision from the top to apply the Beijing that women, especially mothers, are Platform, but because these needs were geniuses at both creating effective discovered to be most important by the methodologies and developing advocacy women volunteers focused on the action plans at the familial level on a grassroots. daily basis. Yet those talents, those years of training and expertise, are still largely The small and large successes of un-mentionable on a Curriculum Vitae. grassroots programs initiated by women This also falls under the category of still need further prioritizing within the “Global Paradigm Change Needed.” United Nations to glean their real contribution to conflict resolution, peace Mothers discover while “on the job” that and development. These are the Best equality or parity, as we speak about so Practice Models that must contribute to often in terms of human rights, is only policy and program development. partially about equal access to opportunity and a fair share of things. My point today, as a recommendation for The work of holding a family together the future of the Beijing Platform for involves, of course, trying to assure that

each member is adequately equipped. would be a social system in which the But the most critical aspect of the job of family unit is the nexus: Parents, raising responsible, empathetic, future children and extended family members “Global Citizens” involves the nonstop, cooperating according to unique, but day-to-day sacrifice, skill, intuition, interdependent, roles tracing to a mediation, patience and unconditional common Creator who remains engaged love that only a mother and father can through their interconnectedness. give. Through this talent of the parents, each family member can feel equally The family contributes as a whole — and appreciated, yet amazingly unique. as individual members — to the development of the larger community, Feminism, a movement for women’s becoming intertwined networks of political, social, and economic “equality empowered families. And then, of with men” is an aspect, but not the core course, it would expand to networks of methodology, of WFWP because it governance across nations, in which all covers only part of our goal. In this people – male and female-- share respect WFWP is different from some responsibility for governance rooted in other women’s organizations. While we concern for each member and the shared are very concerned about human rights, prosperity of all. Herein, women’s we know that a global peace structure essential role in leadership is obvious. can never reside solely upon laws, regulations and threats of punishment. Simply put, WFWP’s methodology for Parents may utilize rules and threats of substantively advancing peace leading up punishment with their very small to the year 2020 is: children, but the goal is to help children find a deeper incentive for living 1) Be a model of strong feminine properly. In order to develop a leadership, complementary to the sustainable, peaceful world society, each masculine style, in our families and person is required to tap into the within the larger community. awareness of our human ties as Family. 2) Accelerate change by working with “Her pain is my pain,” and “his joy” is like-minded women and women’s also felt as mine. organizations. Create partnerships and a grassroots mobilization of female energy “Familiarchy” (not unlike the Culture of Peace Manifesto aspirations). I often use the term “Familiarchy, “a 3) Influence governance and policy, term that came to me based upon an based on evidence that we will have explanation of peace by the co-founder collected, that priorities need to be set of WFWPI, Dr. Sun Myung Moon. I see it straight. Women must be in any as a term describing the natural sustainable leadership paradigm because framework for replacing patriarchy. Such their role in families, the microcosm of a paradigm change could not and would human society, is irreplaceable. not need to be forced. Its blueprint is already found in the basics of ecology. It

Some may criticize, “That is very vague, Can we convince our husbands, fathers, not professional,” but don’t be fooled. It sons and brothers to speak up for us? is not vague to those women who have ambitions as peacemakers. Each WFWP Can we prepare our daughters with the region, each local chapter, and each UN mindset and expectation that the world Office within WFWP breaks this broad needs them to stand up and stand out? guideline into incremental steps. An inspirational quote in closing: Let’s start with gathering the evidence – The day will come when man will our Portfolio — of our contribution to recognize woman as his peer, not only at peace. Then let’s ask ourselves the the fireside, but in councils of the nation. following: Then, and not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship, the ideal union Can we prove convincingly with our between the sexes that shall result in the actions (methodology) and words highest development of the race. (advocacy) that being a good wife, Susan B. Anthony 1820-1906, American mother, daughter, is a valid credential for social reformer. public leadership, and perhaps the one that can make all the difference?