WFWPI UN 56TH COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, GROWING SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES
Speakers:
Ms. Susan Bradbury, Founder, The Sound Essence Project in Mongolia
Ms. Evelyn Drake, Coordinator, WFWP- USA Relief Project for Haiti
Ms. Merly Barlaan, Founder, Center for Wisdom and Character Excellence, Philippines
Dr. Nessie Ndive-Hill, Professor, Essex County Community College, Cameroon
Moderator:
Ms. Bonnie Berry, UN Representative, WFWP International
In the heart of New York City, the United Nations Headquarters welcomed official delegations to the 56th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and NGO representatives, the UN Church Center and the Salvation Army headquarters opened its doors to women from all parts of the country and world to attend the 56th Commission on the Status of Women to participate in NGO sponsored parallel events. WFWPI's event took stage on the morning of opening day, February 27th, 2012 addressing the theme: Growing Sustainable Projects in Rural Communities, Women to Women. This topic supported the priority theme of this year's CSW: The empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development and current challenges. While outside it was turning into a beautiful sunny day in the middle of what should be the winter season, inside, the meeting room overflowed with people making their way to the side walls and stuffy corners. The audience respectfully listened to four talented women, Ms. Susan Bradbury, Ms. Evelyn Drake, Ms. Merly Barlaan, and Dr. Nessie Ndive-Hill, speak on behalf of rural communities in Haiti, Cameroon, Mongolia and the Phillippines. Their practical strategies, personal stories and engaging visuals showcased their passion and energy for the projects they have conceived of, created and nurtured. Many of these projects started at the grassroots level, which gave insight into the planning and sustainment of each project. The panelists offered proven ways to eradicate poverty in small steps through education and love. The event only lasted two hours, but transformed the way people understood how to dissolve poverty even on a small and personal scale.
With an inspirational message by Dr. Nessie Ndive-Hill on Cameroon's impoverished villages, she set the stage by defining the rural woman as someone who is hard working, family oriented and essentially a super woman. Dr. Ndive-Hill promotes self reliance through certain strategies: food banks, food preservation methods, and educational resources to help women farmers improve product marketing. One major staple crop is the cassava vegetable, which could feed everyone in a village with its many uses if people know how to preserve it well. She feels strongly that knowledge will protect and enhance the environment. However, women in these rural villages lack marketing tools, government support, and technology, which slows progress.
Ms. Merly Barlaan's energetic personality lit up the room as she spoke from her 21 year experience working through grass root projects to support marginalized women and children. Her most recent activities include the Hope Program, a project of the NGO sheand her husband cofounded, the Center for Wisdom and Character Excellence. This program helps cross barriers of poverty in the small village of Montesunting in the Philippines. With the addition of the library and learning center, 2000 Moringa trees and a vegetable garden being planted, and leadership programs for women, the results are transformational. Household income increased on average, more tourism opportunities were invited and more scholarships became available for students looking to pursue their dreams.
Ms. Evelyn Drake spoke on her efforts through her program, the Haiti Relief Project, created in 2008, to help the Haiti community move forward through education. Planting over 1000 seeds of the Moringa tree helped reduce poverty and sustained the community with its medicinal uses. Women in rural areas practice natural healing methods to cure headaches and other common ailments using the Moringa tree, because of minimal access to doctors. In 2011, she initiated a summer service project that included health education on diabetes, hypertension, and anemia. Midwifery lessons were taught in a seminar to promote women to women networking and support. She believes that by living for the sake of others, change will come for women in Haiti and all over the world.
Brilliant storyteller, Susan Bradbury weaves together dreams and real life testimonies that reflect on the potential of Mongolia's rural women through her sustainable projects. She established five essential points on making these dreams into realities: envisioning the design, trusting yourself and others, working across boundaries, respect and having courage. For seven years now, The Sound Essence Project has led the Mongolian Student Scholarship Program in efforts to provide a four year college education to young women; they have successfully helped 20 young women into college. Ms. Bradbury's micro-lending project that empowered five women to start and own a local bakery with a $500 loan, helped stabilize and feed a whole community, including supporting 50 other people in their extended families. Expanding into two bakeries eradicated poverty in their entire community. Susan ended her presentation with a three minute movie showcasing the beautiful landscapes, people and projects in Mongolia.
As moderator, Bonnie Berry, closed the afternoon's event with a small question and answer session, women from the audience chose topics that addressed farmingand farmland being replaced by industries, higher education for women and using better energy solutions that protect the environment. An overwhelming applause following the conclusion of the questions was directed at the panel of women who presented their tremendous efforts in the process of fighting poverty. People then made their way around and congratulated the panel of women and conversed among each other for insight and guidance. The event was a huge success. Most women left with resources and new faces to access on their way to build new projects aound the world.
Following the panel, WFWPI UN Office hosted a fellowship luncheon to celebrate the parallel event success and network among the members of our delegation, some of who had traveled from as far away as Geneva. Continued renovations at UN Headquarters prevented the luncheon from being held in the UN Delegates dining room but this did not dampen the spirit of the dialog within the group.
In fact, the authentic Italian restaurant, Padre Figlio, provided a most romantic ambiance as well as excellent cuisine, which was very conducive for the ladies to chat together, and to get to know each other personally.
Mrs. Motoko Sugiyama, the secretary general and International President of the UN office, opened the gathering with warm remarks of welcome as well as thanking everyone for their support not only for this event but for their support over the last 20 years. She described the arduous path WFWP had undergone to come to this point, and stated that this year also marks the 20th anniversary of WFWP International since its founding in 1992!
Mrs. Sugiyama announced the upcoming International WFWP conference in Korea, to be held on March 26, 2012 this year, to which Mr. Abramov, head of the UN NGOs, had committed to attend.
Angelika Selle, President of WFWP USA, then was asked to make a toast. She surprised Mrs. Sugiyama and her team with a gift (ceramic plate and scarf) and offered words of gratitude and appreciation in recognition for their outstanding work with the United Nations over the last many years.
All toasted in celebration of that day's successful event, the founder, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, and all women who laid the foundation, and, in addition, toasted for the next 20 years during which all women around the world shall come to be heard, empowered and liberated to be the best they can be.
Daily briefings were organized and facilitated by the NGO/CSW Committee, not just from NY, but representatives from Vienna and Geneva presided, including WFWPI's UN Office Deputy Director, Carolyn Handschin, who also co-facilitated one of the newly formed conversation circles, on the theme of Human Rights. Staffers from UN Women reported each day on the formal proceedings at CSW, and progress on the agreed conclusions outcome document.
Formal sessions focused on national reports about the progress and challenges faced by rural women, in both the developing and the developed worlds. Concerns were expressed from many member state delegations and ngo representatives alike, such as lack of land rights for women, violence against women, particularly domestic violence, lack of education, men and boys are given preference for tools and resources for agriculture, the main source of income in rural areas. Yet women and girls perform a significant portion of agricultural work and produce a significant percentage of crops as well. Another significant issue is the impact of climate change on rural women and girls, who often are not warned about pending natural disasters and are ill equipped to face the aftermath. This issue will receive much more attention at the upcoming Rio+ 20 Conference on Sustainable Development to be held in June 2012.
Regional Caucuses met to brainstorm about the outcome document and gaps in the language that articulates the issues for rural women and the commitments by member state delegations to address these gaps. This year, the Europe and North America caucuses were combined, which lent focus and allowed North American NGO representatives to gain exposure to the very organized and inclusive European NGOs. Caucuses focused not only on input to the outcome document, but also on identifying representatives to attend a meeting at the invitation of UN Women, now one year old, to discuss how NGOs would interface with the organization as it develops its organizational and outreach structures.
NGOs organized and presented a wide array of parallel events that ranged from the UN Foundation's panel on its newly released report: Girls Grow to Femme's Soliditaire Africa's panel informing on the predicament, both progress and challenges of rural women and girls in Africa; to panels on Women's Leadership Development. Opportunities to learn, network and expand one's horizons abound. WFWPI's delegation took full advantage of opportunities to attend the formal proceedings of CSW, parallel events sponsored by Member States and UN Agencies as well as the NGO sponsored parallel events. The presence of UN Women staffers also added an educative focus to daily briefings which lent focus to the advocacy and interventions of the NGO representatives, including WFWPI's delegation.
The ongoing renovations at the UN Headquarters continued to challenge NGO participation due to the severely limited access to the meeting rooms where the official events and Member State parallel events were held. WFWPI sincerely hopes that the UN CSW organizers will show good faith following renovation completions and provide the open access that NGOs in Consultative Status need to fulfill their responsibilities to be active observers and participants in the formal CSW process.
(additional CSW summary content and editing support provided by Bonnie Berry)