Dr. Krishna Ahoojapatel
President, NG0 Committee on the Status of Women - Geneva
E-Mail: kpatel@iprolink.ch

 

 

 

 

 

The India National WILPF  Section of Women's International League

for Peace and Freedom was officially inaugurated at the  
Peace Research Center, Gujarat Vidyapith ( Institute of Learning ) 
Ahmedabad (Gujarat ) on January  29, 2004,  after a series of training  
workshops, seminars and lectures  on  womens` perspectives on promoting 
peace  and healing communities  in post conflict situations . These  
activities  began  much before  the  UN Security  Council  adopted the 
now famous United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on

Women, Peace, and Security.

The subjects   and ageda items  in these  activities  were also  based on  
the UNESCO Resolution  on Culture of Peace and Non- Violence, 2000.  
These two UN  resolutions became  the  basic  texts   for WILPF 
analysis and discussion and  their  every word , article and  clause   
became  a source of adovacy,  local debate, and institutional  
campaigns. It   became  increasingly clear during deliberations that    
while the  various articles of the UN SC Resolution 1325  were aimed

at  post-conflict justice , there were  no clear points  of departure 
between pre- and post-conflict  problems as far as women were 
concerned.   From  the  experience of the diversity of NGO'S present   
during  training sessions in different cities - Ahmedabad, Nagpur, and 
Delhi -  it was concluded that  each  clause of these  Resolutions 
needed  not  restrictive but  an extra-legal ,economic and  social   
interpretation  when applied to  women`s  contribution to peacemaking 
and  peacebuilding.  

 

The conclusions which emerged from almost all  intensive 
and interactive discussions  were   that  irrespective of  local  
tradition, culture or language, women craved for peace in their 
everyday lives . They wished to be left in peace as violence surrounds  
their lives,  their families and communities  most of their lives.

What is heartening and satisfying for WILPF members in India  is that  our 
training sessions and workshops were appreciated by  local  NGO's  who 
were willing  to co-sponsor and participate in our events and join  the 
WILPF Section  as volunteers and members  suppporting  WILPF core  
groups and local  initiatives. The origin and story of  the evolution 
of  the history of  WILPF  was  told and retold several times . It was 
particularly  fascinating  and interesting for the audience  when Edith 
Ballantyne personally recounted various WILPF landmarks  during her two

visits in Nagpur  in 2003 and 2005.  During several of these events ,  WILPF 

organisers  missed  relevant documentation and material on  its   
history, structure and  current  international activiities .We  had a 
few brochures and pamphlets  and PeaceWomen Newsletters  which were 
copied and recopied and translated  for distribution in  different 
meetings in   Nagpur  and  the Peace  Research Center  in  Ahmedabad . 
The Marathi version of the  translation of the  UN SC Resolution 1325   has 
gone very far and has been used in several academic institutions  
also  in other cities of Maharashtra . The work on the Hindi 
translation has also bagun,  as there is a lot of demand in this 
language, as Hindi  is the  official language of India and about 75 
percent of the Indian people speak it or understand it in varying 
degrees. The Gujarat Regional section, its current coordinator and 
acting President , Ilaben Pathak   has already begun work on  the 
Gujarati translation of the Resolution 1325  and is  applying  for 
funding from WILPF International .

After my arrival in India in December 2005, several groups were 
coordinated to  prepare  strategies to take  action and continue to  
spread  the  main  message of SC Resolution 1325  and  at the same time 
work for  increasing institutional and individual  membership   for 
regional  branches.. During   Feburary/March  2006, there  were 
altogether  three workshops, two lectures and five general meetings in  
Nagpur, Delhi, and  Ahmedabad.  The  general meetings included  
responding to invitations by colleges and women's organisations  to 
speak on any issue of the International Programme of  WILPF  and/or  
subjects related to  Resolution 1325;   analysing   its  relevant  
paragraphs  and   linking  them with local  problems and conditions. 
For instance ,the meeting in Ahmedabad  held in the headquartes of 
Ahmedabad Women`s  Action Group (  AWAG ) was titled " Local Beginnings 
and International  Solidarity ".  The  titles  of the  more formal 
workshops had to be adapted according  to  the   interests o  of the  
membership from  different regions  and  the  political   focus  of   
the  co-sponsers  who had provided either the  adminstrative facilities 
and /or human or financial resources.  In  Nagpur,  we were fortunate  
to network  with the University and Government  Colleges where women 
were  studying    women`s  issues including gender  equallity.. The 
workshop  itself was held  in  a building owned by the  
Ecumenical Church (connected  to the Council in Geneva ) which  
supports  local  NGO's working on communal  harmony and  international 
  peace. The   Nagpur  workshop on "Women and Peacebuilding "  was 
efficiently and  professionally organised  by the most active Ngos in 
town. The organisers   succeeded  in attracting activists and  students 
  from  various  disciplines who  were  interested in  development, 
equality and  peace at  the local, national  and international. levels. 
They were   mostly  in  their twenties and early thirtees  with a 
minority of teachers and activists  who were  a little  older.

 In Delhi, where there are competing demands from different  subjects 
and institutions, a WILPF Workshop was organised with  the  help of 
the  prestigious Indian Council  for Social Development .We  had a 
brief   morning session   with the local NGO's  who included  well known  
activists   committed   to  gender and peace and who  have  enormous  
experience  on  these issues .   Most of the   employees and  the 
hierarchy of the Council  including the President and the Director   
also  participated in our meeting  I have  recently  
received a  letter from the Director, Prof  Muchkund  Dubey expressing  
his interest in  INDIA WILPF and its  future activities. We are hoping  
that in future he   will  also   support  or sponsor  our activities  
in Delhi. It is difficult to find space or organisations in the Capital 
city of India with whom   one could form coalitions .On 4 Feburary 
2006,  It was during the  Delhi Core  Group meeting that   the idea of 
holding a WILPF  International  Conference on  30 AND 31  January ,2007 
( Gandhi Anniversary ) in Chennai ( Tamil Nadu)  was first considered. 
It  was  enthusiastically  supported   and   confirmed  by the 
coordinators and members  by  the core group  in Delhi. It is too early 
to announce details about  this  future meeting .  The Committee  in 
Chennai is working  for   this  grand occassion  and  is  keeping  
closely in touch with  all of   us. As soon as more details are 
availabe  WILPF International will be informed for the purpose of 
communication with other  National Sections.

The  Workshop on "Local Beginnings and International Solidarity  "  
in Ahmdedabad,  was perhaps  politically   the most  important
endeavour  by the India  National WILPFSection, as  it brought  
together  those NGO's  who  will  be our partners   in the future   to 
stablise our activities througout the country. The Gujarat   Regional  
Organiser, Dr. Pathak , at present  the  Director of  well  known   
NGO Ahmedabad Women`s Action Group  ( AWAG ) , with consultative 
status with UN ECOSOC,  is a highly respected and active  Indian  
organisation  working for the Statis of  Women  to enhance  their 
economic and  social  conditions. We   are all delighted  to have  Ila 
Pathak as the  WILPF Acting  President  for the  transitional  period  
until  the National Section holds    elections in  January 2007.    At  
this Gujarat Workshop , the  newly appointed   Vice- Chancellor  of 
Gandhi University ( Gujarat  Vidyapith )  inaugurated   the  event  and  
applauded  the  establishment of the  WILPF  National Section, currently

affliated to its Peace  Research Center.  He emphasised the need 
for research  linkages between  India and  movement for  global  
peace.

Among the  audience  in  the three cities (Nagpur, Delhi and  
Ahmedabads ) in India  where we held Workshop , there was much
enthusiasm  and excitement about continued  activities on   
implementing  the UN Resolution  1325  and giving it a wider meaning to 
improve  for the Status of Women . There was a  suggestion to continue 
to  work  on the  general  methodology of conflict  resolution which 
had  been introduced by WILPF in earlier  workshops at  the Peace 
Research Center ,  These events have given rise  to  an  enormous 
demand for UN and WILPF  documents and materials which need to be sent 
from Geneva . It is politically and practically impotant  for them to 
also produce material in Indian languages  particularly  Hindi  to 
bring  non English speaking members of NGO's under WILPF umbrella.

WILPF is rapidly making inroads in India.

 

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