Bahá’í World/Volume 24/Equality, Development, and Peace

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[Page 145]

EQUALITY,

DEVELOPMENT,

ANDPEACE:

Bahá’ís and Jthe United N ations Fourth WOIH Conference on Women anel NGQ Forum

U nited by their belief that full and equal partnership between women and men is necessary to bring about the peace that humanity desires, some 500 Bahá’ís—of both sexesw-made What were in many cases long and difficult journeys to China in the fall of 1995. Their goal was to contribute to two gatherings of monumental proportions called by the United Nations to address the existing inequalities Which continue to prevent the realization of full partnership. Representing a diverse worldwide community With a 150—year commitment to promoting equality,1 they came from more than 50 countries and a Wide range of occupations, ages, and backgrounds, from a Russian reindeer herder to a United States appellate court judge to a 16-year—old author from Malaysia. They came to share, learn, celebrate, contribute, and be of service, and to offer hope that true equality can be achieved.

1. For an ovewiew of this histmy, see The Bahá’í World 1993~94, pp. 237—75.

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It would have been easy for them to be daunted by the gravity of the world situation they came to address. Just two weeks prior to the opening of the Forum, a new study of the status of women worldwide was released, and it showed that in no country are women offered the same education and health opportunities as men, women seriously lag behind men in economic and political status, and Violence against women is rampant. The study was prepared by independent experts commissioned by the United Nations Development Program to gather statistics on women for international comparison. It found that more than 900 million women are living in poverty; an estimated 1 million children, mostly girls, are forced into prostitution annually; an estimated 1 in 6 women in several major Western countries is raped during her lifetime; and women occupy only 14 percent of top managerial jobs in the world, 10 percent of national legislative seats, and 6 percent of cabinet level positions. The report estimated the annual value of the unpaid and underpaid work done by women to be $11 trillion.

In the foreword to the report, United Nations Development Program administrator James Gustave Speth wrote that the report is “a major indictment of the continuing discrimination against women in most societies.” He also asserted that “investing in women’s capabilities and empowering them to exercise their choices is not only valuable in itself but is also the surest way to contribute to economic growth and overall development.”

The Bahá’í community shares the View that the status of women is not a “women’s issue” but is fundamentally linked to the well—being and progress of all people. As the Universal House of Justice wrote in 1985 in a statement addressed to the peoples of the world, “Only as women are welcomed into full partnership in all fields of human endeavor will the moral and psychological climate be created in which international peace can emerge.” This was the central concept which Bahá’ís shared at the F ourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing 4—1 5 September 1995 and at the NGO (nongovernmental organization) Forum on Women which began several days earlier in nearby Huairou.

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The NGO Forum

The “sudden emergence of a university, full of highly intelligent, intensely curious women learning all about everything,” was how one participant characterized the NGO Forum on Women ’95, held 30 August to 8 September 1995, with the theme “Equality, Development and Peace.” Despite press emphasis on the logistical problems associated with the site chosen for this companion event to the UN conference for government leaders, Bahá’í participants reported that the opportunities for exchange in Huairou were unprecedented and the extraordinary capacity demonstrated by the approximately 30,000 women and men who attended testified to the progress underway and the potential for even greater change.

The Forum opened with a ceremony on the theme of peace which involved 5,000 performers, the release of 20,000 doves, and the arrival of a peace torch which had begun its journey in Africa. Then the representatives of more than 2,500 NGOS and community—based organizations proceeded to share their ideas and experiences with each other through some 5,000 workshops, seminars, and other activities. The Forum marked the culmination of two years of regional fora organized to help NGOS develop recommendations for presentation to governments at the Fourth World Conference.

Bahá’í participation in the Forum also began years before the actual event. The Director of the Bahá’í International Community Office for the Advancement of Women, Mary Power, chaired the NGO Committee on the Status of Women in New York from 1991 to 1995 and served on the Global Forum Facilitating Committee responsible for organizing the Forum. Another Bahá’í, Giovanni Ballerio, chaired the NGO Forum Working Group of the Committee on the Status of Women in Geneva. A Bahá’í International Community representative also acted as Rapporteur for the Asia/Pacific NGO Working Group in Bangkok. All over the world, Bahá’í communities participated in the regional forums leading up to Huairou.

Once the Forum began, Bahá’í participants put their energy into three main areas: sponsoring workshops, maintaining a special “Quiet Space” to meet participants’ needs for a calm

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environment in which to reflect and meditate, and volunteering to help the entire event run smoothly.

Bahá’ís sponsored, coordinated, or organized more than 30 workshops at the Forum. The Bahá’í International Community, as an NGO, cosponsored “Community Reconstruction: A Consensual Framework for Global Peace and Security” with the International Peace Research Association and the Association of African Women on Research and Development. Participants examined the components of a paradigm of global security, exploring the practice of conflict resolution, the concept of consultation, and the processes of reconciliation and reconstruction as Vital aspects of community building and social reintegration. The Bahá’í International Community also offered a Video presentation and discussion about the Traditional Media as Change Agent project undertaken in Bolivia, Cameroon, and Malaysia in cooperation with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) to help local communities use theater, dance, songs, and storytelling to examine and change existing attitudes about gender roles. A workshop presenting program models that aim to address gender roles in the family was also cosponsored by the Bahá’í International Community with UNICEF, the YMCA, and Save the Children, and another workshop called “The Right to Food” was convened by BIC and presented by Advocates for African Food Security.

Among the topics addressed by other Bahá’í agencies in their workshops were consultation in the family; young women and a Violenoe—free society; the impact of development on indigenous families; women, work, and family; and women and men in partnership promoting equality. Some of these presentations were made by Bahá’í institutions, such as the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Greece, and others were made by organizations founded by Bahá’ís, such as l’Association médioale baha’ie. In one case, a Bahá’í agency, the Office for the Advancement of Women of the Bahá’í Community of Malaysia, was appointed as a South East Asian Focal Point for Family and Young Women’s Issues for the Forum, and in that capacity presented several workshops.

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Whenever Forum participants found the need for some time away from the lively exchange of some 30,000 voices, they were able to make use of “The Quiet Space.” Facilitated by the Bahá’í International Community at the request of the NGO Forum Office, the space was arranged with flowers and potted plants placed amidst the chairs, a rug 0n the floor, and quiet music from different parts of the world playing in the background. Hanging in the tent was an 8' X 12' tapestry called “Threads of Unity” created by artist Vickie Hu Poirier with contributions from more than 60 Bahá’ís; the design included Bahá’í quotations in a variety of languages woven throughout. Many people came regularly to “The Quiet Space” and often expressed their appreciation for having such a haven.

”T he Quiet Space, ”

facilitated by the

Bahá’í' In ternattonal Community at the NGO F 0mm in Huairou. See

p. 81 for a photograph of the tapestry ”Threads ofUm'ty” which was displayed in “T he Quiet Space. ”

Volunteers at the Bahd ’z’ Internatianal Community booth at the 3‘ NGO Forum N on Women ’95 i in Huairou.

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Prior to the Forum itself, as Bahá’ís prepared themselves for the event, it was suggested that those who would participate might draw inspiration from the figure of Bahíyyih @émum, daughter of Baha’u’llah and an example to all women of how leadership and strength can be combined with humility and service to humanity. Thus when they arrived at the Forum, a number of Bahá’ís found that a natural way of expressing Bahá’í principles and ideals was to use their talents in service to their fellow attendees. One Bahá’í acted as a facilitator of scores of volunteers, helping to link them with needs throughout the Forum. The volunteers also helped make possible distribution of the daily NGO newspaper, managed the marketplace at which women from all over the world sold their crafts, and assisted with maintaining the atmosphere of “The Quiet Space.”

Among the Bahá’í participants at the Forum were approximately 50 youth. In addition to volunteering and participating in activities throughout the Forum, the Bahá’í Youth Workshop from the United States—a diverse group of young people who use the performing arts to promote the principles of racial and sexual equality and the oneness of humanitywperformed five times during the Forum, including once at a youth arts night before 500 people. They also presented “Partnership is the Key: Young Women and Young Men as Agents of Change,” a panel discussion and question and answer period on developing attitudes of partnership within the Bahá’í Youth Workshop and the potential of the Workshop as a social and educational development tool. At the Forum’s Closing ceremonies, before a crowd of 15,000, the Workshop performed a dance portraying the need for both sexes to work together to achieve equality and a rap on the nobility and dignity of women. Members of the group were enthusiastically approached for more information by people from the Bougainvillaea Islands in the South Pacific who were trying to find ways to stop gang Violence; by others from Pakistan eXamining the role teenage boys play in the self—esteem of girls; and by a woman living as a refugee in Kenya who uses the arts to address the trauma of Children in refugee camps.

The youth from Malaysia also played a significant role in the Forum. They offered a workshop on the increasing burden of

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poverty on young women, and the final speech of the youth presentation at the closing ceremonies was given by Malaysian Bahá’ís Kim Siew Yen and Anyssa Ludher.

The torrential rains which regularly flooded some NGO tents at the Forum and the difficulties associated with the relatively late move of the Forum site from Beijing to Huairou did not in the end prevent the women and men who attended from carrying out the important work they had come to accomplish. “The tone of the women present at the closing of the NGO Forum is one of confidence and determination,” wrote Dr. Elizabeth Bowen in one of a series of reports sent electronically to fellow members of Health for Humanity and through SatelLife to health care providers in Africa, Asia, Australia, and Canada. “The sense of unity and appreciation of diversity among the women in their quest for justice is impressive.” The NGO Forum ’95 provided more evidence of the truth of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s words, spoken in 1912: “The world in the past has been ruled by force. .. But the balance is already shifting; force is losing its dominance, and mental alertness, intuition, and the spiritual qualities of love and service, in which woman is strong, are gaining ascendancy. Hence the new age will be. . .an age in which the masculine and feminine elements of Civilization will be more evenly balanced.”

The United Nations Conference

Halfway through the NGO Forum, the Fourth World Conference on Women began at the Beijing International Conference Center. Although this Conference was organized to give government representatives an opportunity to forge a Platform for Action, nongovernmental agencies continued to play Vital roles in the process. In fact, the Conference, held 4—15 September 1995, was described by conference officials as the largest international meeting ever convened under United Nations auspices, with some 17,000 people registered, including 5,000 delegates from 189 states and the European Union, 4,000 NGO representatives, and more than 3,200 members of the media. While continuing their educational and networking activities in Huairou, NGOs also contributed substantively to the conference in Beijing through direct participation in the debate about the Platform for Action. In

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a message to the conference, United Nations Secretary General Boutros Boutros—Ghali called this a demonstration of “the new partnership in international life which has been forged between governmental and nongovernmental organizations” and Of the “new legitimacy of the organizations of civil society as actors on the international scene.”2

Seven Bahá’í delegations were accredited to the conference: the Bahá’í International Community, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís Of the United States, the Bahá’í 00mmunity Of the Netherlands, the Bahá’í community of Canada, l’Assoeiation baha’ie de Femmes (France), l’Association médicale baha’ie (France), and the National Bahá’í Office for the Advancement of Women (N igeria). In addition, two organizations founded by Bahá’ís sent delegations: Health for Humanity and Women for International Peace and Arbitration. Individual Bahá’ís were also selected to serve on the delegations sent by their countries.

The conference was called by the United Nations to review progress made toward implementation of the “Forward—looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women” adopted at the Third World Conference in Nairobi in 1985. By the end of the conference in Beijing it was determined that much remains to be done, and the government representatives adopted a Declaration and Platform for Action aimed at launching a global campaign to bring women into full and equal participation in all spheres of public and private life worldwide. The Platform addresses twelve critical areas of concern: poverty, education, health, Violence, armed conflict, economic structures, power sharing and decisionmaking, mechanisms to promote the advancement of women, human rights, the media, the environment, and the girl Child.

Caucuses were held on each of these issues, as well as on the common issues being faced by various regions of the world.

2. The role played by NGOs at international United Nations conferences has continued t0 grow significantly during the last several years, as witnessed by their prominence at the World Summit for Social Development. For a description of Bahá’í International Community involvement at that Summit, see The Bahá’í World 1994—95, pp. 37-46.

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Through participating in these caucuses, NGO representatives were able to work collectively to develop language which could be recommended to the governmental working groups for inclusion in the Platform for Action. Brenda Maxwell, one of the delegates representing the Bahá’í community of Canada, worked long hours drafting a statement for the health caucus. Patricia Locke, representing the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, was elected chair of the indigenous women’s caucus.

Two members of the Women for International Peace and Arbitration, an organization founded by Bahá’ís, played key roles in the peace caucus, helping to draft a statement which was delivered orally to the Conference. A portion of the statement read: “Equality is one of the most important though less acknowledged prerequisites to peace. Therefore, women must participate fully in all stages of peace processes and negotiations. From peace education, preventive diplomacy, non—Violent peace building and peacekeeping to post—eonfliot peace building, women’s skills and experience as mediators and oonoiliators in all spheres of society will make a qualitative difference in the effectiveness of these activities.”

The selection of the girl child as one of the twelve priority areas of concern to be addressed in the Platfonn for Action was particularly gratifying to the Bahá’í International Community, whose members had worked for years to draw attention to this subject. As far back as the early 19703, after the Bahá’í International Community became accredited to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and became an NGO observer at meetings of the Commission on the Status of Women, it submitted a statement to the Commission calling attention to the importance of educating girls. In the early 19803, a strong statement was made to the UNICEF Executive Board supporting the initiative taken by UNICEF’S Women’s Senior Programme Advisor to advocate for the girl child, and the Bahá’í International Community worked closely with UNICEF to promote awareness of the needs of girl children. In Geneva, BIC representative Giovanni Ballerio worked with representatives of the

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A diverse group of participants at the NGO Forum on Women ’95, held in conjunction with the F ourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, September I 995.

International Federation of University Women and other international NGOS to promote inclusion of this issue in the Beijing Platform for Action. He also premoted the importance of the issue at the Economic Commissien for Europe Preparatory Conference in Vienna in October 1994 and the final session of the UN Preparatory Committee in New York in March 1995. Continuing its work after the Beijing conference, the Bahá’í International Community gained representation on UNICEF’S NGO Working Group on the Gir1 Child.

In addition to participating in issue caucuses, the Bahá’í International Community distributed a statement entitled “The Role of Religion in Promoting the Advancement of Women” to all delegations represented at the conference. The statement was going to be presented orally at the Conference, as the Bahá’í International Community had been one of approximate1y 50 NGOS se1ected to speak, but at the 1ast moment organizers requested that a slot be relinquished t0 the Moscow Center for Gender Studies which was represented for the first time at a world conference. Given the importance of Eastern European women’s gaining recognition for the challenges they face, the Bahá’í International Community decided to offer its place on the program and distribute its statement in print form only.

App1auding the fact that the Platform for Action addresses the advancement of women from the standpoint of mora1 principle and not just pragmatism, the Bahá’í International Community asserted in the statement that if the Platform is to receive the

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worldwide support it requires for implementation, “the equality of men and women needs to be understood as an essential aspect of an even broader principle: the oneness of humanity. Properly understood in the context of the oneness of humanity, equality of the sexes must be embraced not only as a requirement ofjustice but as a prerequisite for peace and prosperity. Nothing short of a compelling Vision of peace, and commitment to the values on Which it must be based, Will have the power to motivate the revolutionary Changes in individual behavior, organizational structures, and interpersonal dynamics called for by the Platform for Action.”

Specifically addressing the role of the religious community in this process, the Bahá’í International Community stated, “Because religion is such a potentially powerful force for progress, religious leaders and people of faith everywhere are urged to step forward as lovers of humanity to promote these eternal unifying principles—or spiritual values—that can inspire in both individuals and governments the Will to implement the Agenda for Equality.” Speaking to the contributions Which must equally be made by both sexes, the statement said, “Men must use their influence, particularly in the civil, political and religious institutions they control, to promote the systematic inclusion of women, not out of condescension 0r presumed self—sacrifice, but out of the belief that the contributions of women are required for society to progress. Women, for their part, must become educated and step forward into all arenas of human activity, contributing their particular qualities, skills and experience to the social, economic and political equation.”

Bahá’í perspectives on equality were also shared With both Conference and Forum participants through distribution of The Greatness Which Might Be T heirs, a collection of Bahá’í International Community statements and essays by Bahá’ís reflecting on the Agenda and Platform for Action. The booklet’s title is drawn from the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “As long as women are prevented from attaining their highest possibility, so long Will men be unable to achieve the greatness Which might be theirs.”

For the first time since the World Conferences on Women began in 1975, the United Nations invited youth to take an active

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role. The Bahá’í International Community was among a small number Of organizations selected by the UN to send representatives to youth consultations organized at the regional preparatory conferences in Jakarta, Mar del Plata (Argentina), Dakar, and Vienna. In Beijing, Ashley Avaregan was the only male on a panel of NGO youth representatives making a presentation called “International Youth NGOs: Actors in Implementation” on Youth Day. As mentioned earlier, youth also played an important role in the NGO Forum.

Near the end of the conference, the Bahá’í International Community celebrated the achievements of the Fourth World Conference on Women by hosting a reception for 300 old and new friends from 30 different countries at the Great Wall Sheraton in Beijing. Music, food, and conversation was shared with ambassadors, a princess, members of the Chinese community, government ministers, presidents of NGOs, United Nations personnel and others.

In her address to the final session of the Conference on 15 September, Gertrude Mongella, Secretary General of the Conference, exclaimed, “My dear sisters and brothers, we have made it! We have managed to transcend historical and cultural complexities; we have managed to transcend socioeconomic disparities and diversities; we have kept aflame our common Vision and goal of equality, development and peace. In a number of areas, we have significantly expanded the horizons of previous conferences.”

Of course the goals agreed upon in Beijing will not become a reality unless the conversation continues and inspires widespread action. The Bahá’í communities around the world worked to maintain the momentum begun at the Conference and Forum. In Canada, local communities had held “Beijing-connect” conferences at the same time as the World Conference, to inform those who couldn’t travel to Beijing about the Conference’s proceedings, and following the Conference, “Post—Beijing” gatherings kept the issues alive. The gatherings included panel discussions with various community leaders; an evening of song, poetry, story-telling and Video clips from the Beijing conference; and a public discussion which kicked off a three-month series of events focusing on issues faced by women. In Anchorage,

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Alaska, the Bahá’í Center filled up with people wanting to hear from those who had attended the NGO Forum in Huairou. The panel members, representing the Bahá’í community and seven community organizations, spoke about the history of UN activities related to women, the documents produced in Beijing, and the issues identified as priority areas of concern.

Some Beijing participants travelled beyond their home communities to present the results of the Conference. Dr. Hoda Mahmoudi, a university professor from California, shared her thoughts on Beijing with a number of audiences in Puerto Rico. Before a group of lawyers and educators she spoke about “Why Women are the Key to World Peace: The Bahá’í View”; at the Puerto Rican Bar Association she addressed the audience on “The United Nations 50 Years Later: Are We Closer to World Peace?”; and at University College, University of Puerto Rico, she took part in a symposium entitled “Gender and Law: Toward the Next Millennium.”

Prominent people took part in post—Beijing events initiated by Bahá’í communities. The Prime Minister of Guyana, Sam Hinds, provided opening remarks for the Post—Beijing Symposium on Women cosponsored by UNICEF and the Bahá’í community of Guyana. Representatives from some 35 organizations attended and speeches were given by members of UN agencies in the region. The post—Beijing conference hosted by the Bahá’í Women’s Group of Trinidad drew the country’s First Lady, the Director Of the Women’s Affairs Division of the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Women’s Affairs, a UN representative from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Secretary of the Network for the Advancement of Women.

As these examples of follow-up activities suggest, the effects of the deliberations and the connections made at Beijing will continue to be felt for some time as women and men strive to forge entirely new relationships based on equality. One metaphor for the work ahead is that of weaving a tapestry: different kinds of thread are needed to make the tapestry beautiful, and each thread must support the others for a strong fabric to emerge. In Beijing, this metaphor was used to demonstrate the qualities of

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women through the “Weaving the World Together” project, initiated in 1994 by Asia-Paoific women. They called on women around the world to contribute to a banner, Which in the end was one kilometer long and reflected the talents of women from at least 122 countries. On 7 September, 200 women carried 200 meters of the ribbon to the Great Wall of China and displayed it. “Weaving means many elements are made into one strong piece, so it represents the diversity, the strength, the dignity and the unity of women,” said Chartikavanij Sumalee from Thailand, quoted in an article on the banner in World Women. The Bahá’ís Who contributed chose to View weaving as a metaphor for harmony between women and men. The World Women article on the proj ect finished by noting that the portion created by Bahá’ís used another metaphor for the work that must be done: “At the end of the ribbon, a huge banner from the Bahá’ís of Southeast Asia cried out the Will of women all over the world: ‘The world of humanity has two Wings: One is women and the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. ’”

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