Dear Sisters and Friends of ARWC,
The Asian Rural Women's Coalition (ARWC) in commemoration of the 100th year of the International Women's Day in March 2011 and in furthering its mission to strengthen the unity and advance the struggle of Asian rural women, invites you to submit nominations for its special award Honouring 100 women to mark 100 years of Women's Resistance in 2011. This special award honours 100 women from Asia who have displayed creativity in rural life, courage, empowerment, resistance in the face of crisis and disasters and who have tirelessly worked to improve the quality of life in rural communities.
Rural women are in the front lines fighting for freedom, justice and survival. Peasant and indigenous women through their organisations had taken to various forms of resistance to defend their lands and ancestral territories against corporations and landlords. The struggle even includes taking over abandoned agricultural lands. Women workers joined and even lead strikes to fight for higher wages and protect their rights to work. Rural women are human rights defenders asserting their economic, social and cultural rights -- from rights to food, water and other productive resources, health, nutrition, education, traditional knowledge to decent income and jobs as well as civil political rights including right to self-determination.
Borne of the women's continued resistance against imperialist globalization was the Asian Rural Women's Regional Consultation held in the Philippines in 2007 (of 52 Asian women from 14 countries) followed by the Asian Rural Women's Conference in 2008 held in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, India. The 2008 conference forged unity among the 700 rural women leaders, national women's groups, regional networks representing peasants, agricultural workers, indigenous women, Dalit women, workers and migrants from around 21 countries in Asia and the Pacific. These processes paved the way in the formation of the Asian Rural Women's Coalition (ARWC) in March 2008.
Asian rural women comprise the majority of world women's population and, thus, play a critical role in the fight against imperialist globalization. The intensifying crisis brought by globalization warrants an intensified resistance. Towards this that ARWC commemorates the 100th year of the International Women's Day in March 2011 where this special award will be launched.
ARWC requests your help in sending your nominations. Your nomination(s), following the guidelines as listed below, must arrive no later than 30 July 2012 via the post or email or fax.
Eligibility:
· Nominees should be women and women's groups currently active in rural life whose efforts have not yet been acknowledged by other awards. They may not nominate themselves.
· The nominating organization or individual must have direct experience of the nominee's work. The nominator may not nominate a family member, be a member of the nominated organization, nor can an organization nominate its senior officer (i.e. founder, president etc.). No more than 3 nominees may be presented by the same person/organization.
Nominations must include the following items:
1. Signed letter of nomination indicating how the nominator knows the nominee and for how long.
2. Biographical data on the nominee (full name, age, education, place of work, background) and a detailed history of the nominee's creative project (written by the nominator) including her motivation, innovative aspects, any obstacles overcome, and the impact in the community. Stories and quotes from the nominees are also encouraged.
3. One signed endorsement letter from organizations or individuals other than the nominator and, if possible, additional supporting materials such as newspaper articles or publications.
4. A few labelled photographs clearly showing the nominee(s) for possible publication on ARWC website and other publications.
Criteria:
The nominee's history (2-3 pages) should demonstrate the creativity, courage and sometimes sacrifice in her efforts at the grass roots to improve life in rural communities.
Any of the following elements should be emphasized:
· Exceptional courage and perseverance in improving rural life
· Creativity in the approach
· Preservation of and respect for the environment
· Continuing impact on the community
Honourees are selected by a team of ARWC Steering Committee members.
Please send your completed nominations to the following address: mailto:secretariat@asianruralwomen.net
Please visit the ARWC website for announcements: http://www.asianruralwomen.net/
Nomination materials should arrive no later than 30 July 2012 through email.
We take this opportunity of wishing you a most successful 2012 and look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
The Steering Committee (SC) of the Asian Rural Women's Coalition (ARWC)
The SC ARWC is composed of 12 member groups of national formations/alliances and regional organisations working on women's issues on various fronts. The SC members include national alliances: Tamil Nadu Women's Forum (TNWF) and Society for Rural Education and Development (SRED) in India; Tenaganita in Malaysia; Human Development Organization (HDO) in Sri Lanka; INNABUYOG and GABRIELA National Alliance of Women's Organization in the Philippines; and the All Nepal Women's Alliance (ANWA) in Nepal. Regional network include Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW), Committee for Asian Women (CAW), Coordination of Action Research on AIDS and Mobility (CARAM Asia); the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) and Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP).