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Africa: Women's Peace Conference
Africa: Women's Peace Conference
Date distributed (ymd): 990607
Document reposted by APIC
+++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Region: Continent-Wide
Issue Areas: +economy/development+ +security/peace+
+gender/women+
Summary Contents:
This posting contains the Zanzibar Declaration on Women and a
Culture of Peace, adopted by a Pan-African conference in
Zanzibar on 17-20 May 1999. The conference was organized by
UNESCO in conjunction with the government of Tanzania, the
Organization of African Unity and other organizations. For
additional background see
http://www.unesco.org/cpp/english.htm, or contact the sources
cited at the end of the declaration.
+++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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First Pan-African Women's Conference
on A Culture for Peace
and Non-Violence,
Zanzibar 17-20 May 1999
UNESCO organized in conjunction with the Tanzanian government,
the Organization of African Unity and the African Women's
Committee for Peace and Development and other inter- and
non-governmental organizations a 'Pan-African Women's
Conference for A Culture of Peace and Non-Violence' that took
place from 17-20 May 1999, in Zanzibar.
More than 300 participants including policy makers, academics,
peace activists, and members of non-governmental organizations
from forty-nine African countries and six European and North
American countries, representatives of the UN family, the OAU,
ECA and other regional institutions attended the conference
that focused on women's initiatives and potential for
peace-building.
The conference adopted the 'Zanzibar Declaration on Women and
a Culture of Peace' as well as a 'Women's Agenda for a Culture
of Peace'.
Kindly find the text of the declaration adopted below.
UNESCO
Zanzibar Declaration:
Women of Africa for a Culture of Peace
We, Women of Africa,
1. Gathered at the Pan-African Women's Conference on a
Culture of Peace in Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania
17-20 May 1999, on the eve of the new millennium and the
International Year for the Culture of Peace, consider this
Conference as an irreversible climax for African women. We
resolve to launch a Pan African women's peace movement to stop
violent conflicts and war, and appeal to women and men, also
on other continents to join us in our efforts.
2. After the social, economic and cultural devastation caused
by colonialism, Africa has witnessed in the post-independence
years economic and social deprivation, uneven distribution of
wealth and opportunities among people, violent conflicts,
military coups, political instability, dictatorship and
corruption. Abject poverty, gender inequality, policies of
exclusion, illiteracy, the lack of social, economic, religious
and political security and the limited participation of women
in the democratisation processes have marginalised us and
denied Africa the use of women's talents, experience and
skills as agents for peace and development. We are determined
to use our visions and capacities to redress these imbalances
and help ensure sustainable development and durable peace.
3. Africa continues to lose resources through unfavourable
economic systems which have been causing a widening gap
between Africa and other regions. As a result, despite the
substantial contribution that Africa has made to global
development, the continent is in danger of loosing direction
and being marginalised in the current trend towards
globalisation and open market economies. In that regard, we
call for debt cancellation by the international community.
4. Having suffered massive violations of fundamental human
rights and having had to shoulder the burden of sustaining our
societies while at the same time handling traumas, miseries,
violence, social injustices and poverty, we commit ourselves
to promote non-violent means of conflict resolution and
African values for a culture of peace.
Women participation in peace promotion
We, Women of Africa,
5. Regret the fact that current peace negotiations are male
dominated, despite women's efforts and initiatives to resolve
conflicts and promote peace on the continent including through
consensus-building and dialogue,
6. Advocate that a culture of peace requires strong
determination to confront and transform the institutional
frameworks, attitudes and behaviour patterns that polarise
people along economic, social, religious and gender lines.
7. Commit ourselves to promote human rights as well as
non-violent means of conflict prevention by supporting
networks for:
- Detection and response to early warning systems;
- Conflict resolution harmonised with traditional
African mediation strategies;
- Co-ordination of efforts to strengthen women's capacity for
peace building.
8. Therefore, urgently appeal to all African governments, the
OAU, other regional and sub-regional bodies and organisations
such as the African Women Committee for Peace and Development
(AWCPD), the international community, including the UN system,
to take prompt and effective action to enforce equitable
representation of women in decision making processes, notably
in the areas of conflict prevention, management, resolution
and peace negotiation.
Demilitarisation and disarmament
We, Women of Africa,
9. Recognise that people's security is not only a matter of
state and military security, but a question of economic
livelihood and overall well-being,
10. Condemn the proliferation of arms that fuel conflicts,
wars and jeopardises the development of Africa and call upon
African governments to put in place mechanisms for the
reduction and control of the arms trade,
11. Condemn the use of African children as soldiers and
commit ourselves to help release, demobilise, re-socialise,
protect and actively integrate these children into
constructive development processes,
12. Support the sub-regional initiatives on demilitarisation,
disarmament and drug control, such as the ECOWAS moratorium on
the Importation, Exportation and Manufacture of Light Weapons
and its Program of Co-ordination and Assistance for Security
and Development (PCASED).
13. Re-affirm that disarmament is a necessary tool for
lasting peace and dedicate ourselves to mount a massive
international campaign to collect all illicit arms and to help
ensure that Africa becomes a zone free from all types of
weaponry, including land-mines and radioactive materials and
elicit the support of the international community in this
endeavor.
14. Appeal to African governments and parliaments to reduce
military expenditures and re-channel these resources to
people's basic development needs,
15. Commit ourselves to work with governments to revisit all
education systems in order to:
- Establish a culture of peace as the pillar of
education and socialisation;
- Include counselling and special programs and
training modules in conflict resolution and peace negotiations
in curricula at all levels of formal and non-formal education.
Networking between African women's movements and international
movements
We, Women of Africa,
16. Invite our governments, the private sector, civil
society, sisters and brothers of African descent and the
international community to support the peace movement of
Africa and to contribute to the strengthening of African
women's capacities to sensitise, mobilise and reconcile the
entire continent to the importance of peaceful means of
conflict prevention, resolution and transformation.
Communication, information and dissemination
We, Women of Africa,
17. Strongly advocate for full access to and use of
appropriate communication tools and technology in order to
strengthen effective networking and solidarity among women at
all levels. A Pan-African radio program on gender and peace
issues should be created as an effective tool for civic and
peace education, communication and mobilisation which will
give visibility to African women's quest for peace.
18. Commit ourselves to engage in extensive consultations,
research and networking with women and men in all walks of
life to develop a comprehensive and gender sensitive view of
conflict prevention, management and resolution.
Resource mobilisation
19. Whilst committing our time, energies, skills, and talents
to build peace in our homes, communities and nations, We,
Women of Africa, call upon the OAU and other sub-regional
institutions, the UN and its agencies, other international
organisations, national governments, NGOs, the private sector,
women and men who cherish peace, to recognise, as well as to
give moral, technical and financial support to our peace
making and peace building efforts.
Finally,
We, Women of Africa,
20. Gathered in Zanzibar, the United Republic of Tanzania,
express appreciation for UNESCO's initiative and efforts to
build a culture of peace and thank the organisation for
bringing together some 300 African women from different walks
of life to this important Pan-African conference "Women
organise for peace and non-violence in Africa". By virtue of
its mandate, we recommend that special attention be given to
follow-up action by UNESCO's governing bodies in pursuing and
strengthening activities for African women and a culture of
peace within its regular Program and Budget, as part of the
Organisation's Medium Term Strategy as well as a continuation
of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.
21. Thank the host country and the people of Zanzibar for
their hospitality and appreciate the support given to African
women's peace initiatives by the OAU, ECA, other African
sub-regional bodies and organisations of the UN family,
including FAO, ILO, UNCHR, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF,
UNIFEM, WFP and WHO,
22. Strongly urge the OAU, ECA, ADB, the African Women
Committee for Peace and Development, all international,
regional and sub-regional bodies such as ECOWAS, SADC and
IGAD, as well as NGOs, governments and the donor community to
support and implement the Zanzibar Declaration and the Women's
Agenda for a Culture of Peace in Africa, adopted in Zanzibar,
20 May 1999.
Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania, 20 May 1999.
For more information contact:
The Women and a Culture of Peace Programme (WCP)
UNESCO>
7, Place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP, France
Tel. (33.1) 45.68.12.12
Fax: (33.1) 45.68.55.57
E-mail: i.breines@unesco.org
The Unit for the Promotion of the Status of Women and Gender
Equality (WGE)
UNESCO
7, place de Fontenoy
75352 Paris 07 SP, France
Tel.: (33.1) 45.68.12.02
Fax: (33.1) 45.68.55.58
E-mail: b.pavlic@unesco.org
The UNESCO Office in Dar es Salaam
P.O. Box 31473
Dar es Salaam
United Republic of Tanzania
Tel: 255 51 112799-801 (UNDP)
Fax: 255 51 113 272 (UNDP)
Telex: 41284(UNDP)
Cable: UNDEVPRO DAR ES SALAAM
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the
Africa Policy Information Center (APIC). APIC's primary
objective is to widen the policy debate in the United States
around African issues and the U.S. role in Africa, by
concentrating on providing accessible policy-relevant
information and analysis usable by a wide range of groups and
individuals.
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