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Archive Announcements
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New PublicationsJUST LABOURYork University's Centre for Research on Work and Society is pleased to announce the new electronic journal, Just Labour: A Canadian Journal of Work & Society. It is now on-line at: http://www.justlabour.yorku.ca/. Massive changes in the workplace and workforce require the timely analysis of the restructuring of work and all its social, economic and political consequences. New technologies, subcontracting, new management strategies and the growth of self-employment are undermining the traditional employee-employer relationship and increasingly disciplining workers. While working lives are being transformed, so are the collective abilities of workers to resist these changes through union action. There is a growing need for sophisticated information and analysis by academics and trade unionists. Just Labour seeks to bridge the gap between academic research and the research activities undertaken by trade unionists. Our goal is to provide a venue that 'transfers' knowledge between union and academic audiences. The journal publishes material by both university-based and trade union researchers in a format that is accessible to a broad readership. Please visit our site and freely download articles, reviews and research resources from our first volume: CONTENTS Volume 1 (2002) Articles AN INTRODUCTION TO JUST LABOUR, Editorial Committee THE FUTURE OF UNIONS, Richard Hyman UNION DEMOCRACY AND THE LAW IN CANADA, Michael Lynk EXPANDING LABOUR'S HORIZONS: UNION ORGANIZING AND STRATEGIC CHANGE IN CANADA, Charlotte Yates A NEW LOOK AT SHORTER HOURS OF WORK IN THE CEP, Julie White THE WORKERS ORGANIZING AND RESOURCE CENTRE: THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES IN WINNIPEG, Geoff Bickerton and Catherine Stearns THE LABOUR MOVEMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY: REFLECTIONS ON THE PEOPLE'S SUMMIT FROM QUEBEC, Mona-Jose Gagnon PUBLIC EXCLUSION, UNDER FUNDING AND THE INTENSIFICATION OF WORK: UNIVERSITIES AND THE EROSION OF DEMOCRACY IN ONTARIO, Teresa Healy HOW CUPE 3903 STRUCK AND WON, Clarice Kuhling LEARNING IN SOLIDARITY: A UNION APPROACH TO WORKER-CENTRED LITERACY, Tamara Levine TRAINING FOR LABOUR'S PROFESSIONALS, Tom Nesbit Resources for Researchers WORKPLACE INFORMATION DIRECTORATE: A ONE-STOP SOURCE FOR LABOUR DATA, Suzanne Payette and Cline Laporte PAY EQUITY BIBLIOGRAPHY, Jan Kainer and Rosemary Warskett Book Reviews Consulted to Death by Doug Smith, Reviewed by Larry Haiven Just Labour |
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In Harm's Way: Domestic Violence and Child MaltreatmentState Statutes Elements: Domestic ViolenceNavigate to the Web site of the Family Violence Department of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges for a comprehensive database of domestic violence statutes for all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and most U.S. territories. Based on research conducted over the past 8 years, the database captures all significant domestic violence legislation and is updated every legislative session. The database is meant as a reference tool and does not include the official text of the statutes. The Family Violence Department recommends consulting a lawyer trained on issues related to domestic violence for users seeking legal assistance. Additionally, a disclaimer notes that the information contained in the database is not exhaustive and should be verified with each State's legislative resources before relying on it. The user friendly site allows a visitor to search statutes of a particular State by clicking on the appropriate location of a map of the United States. The database can also be searched for a word or phrase. For example, entering the search term "child abuse" produces references to nearly 600 domestic violence statutes that address the impact on child victims. Similar to Internet search engines, the results are ranked with check marks to indicate the best matches to the search term. The domestic violence statutes database is made possible by a grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Originally launched in 1987, the Family Violence Department was created by the National Council to develop, test, and promote improved court, law enforcement, agency, and community responses to family violence. Access the online domestic violence statutes database at: Contact information: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges |
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News & Opinions That Shape Women's Human Rights AdvocacyWHRnet, Women's Human Rights Net, the first global online community of women's human rights activists, is proud to announce the launch of its new interactive NEWS page. WHRnet NEWS http://www.whrnet.org/ goes live to coincide with International Human Rights Day (10 December 2001). WHRnet uses the Internet to bring together women activists from all continents, and now it takes this opportunity to invite everyone with access to the web to join in. The newly redesigned site aims to promote advocacy through knowledge sharing of women's human rights issues and events. WHRnet NEWS carries stories and information from around the world in one of the most comprehensive spaces on women's human rights on the web. Its features include headline news, opinion polls, news in brief, campaign actions, opinion pieces by leading commentators, interviews with pioneering women's human rights advocates, and a complete archive of previous editions. Keep abreast of news and opinions that shape women's human rights advocacy globally by
connecting to WHRnet NEWS at http://www.whrnet.org/
For more information, contact the WHRnet Editorial Team at whrnet@whrnet.org |
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Girls' Studies, Hetero Desire, and Drag KingsHi folks. I'm writing to let you know that I've recently added two more files to the WMST-L File Collection. Both are compilations of discussions held on the list last month: "Girls' Studies and Women's Studies" and "Heterosexual Desire in Fiction." You can find these and more than 150 other WMST-L files at http://www.umbc.edu/wmst/wmsttoc.html . Also, since there seemed to be a good deal of interest in the topic of drag, sexual
complexity, etc. (you can find that lengthy discussion archived in the file collection
under the title "The Fluidity of Sex, Sexuality, and Gender"), I thought I'd
mention that the Washington Post had a fairly lengthy article yesterday (Jan. 9, 2002)
dealing with drag kings. It's called "Grrrls II Men" and is online at If you haven't taken a look at the WMST-L File Collection lately, I urge you to do so. It's a great teaching resource, among other things. It currently contains more than 150 files arranged both alphabetically and in 17 subject sections. Do take a look: http://www.umbc.edu/wmst/wmsttoc.html Joan -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Gender InnThe team of the gender Inn database http://www.genderforum.uni-koeln.de/ is very proud to present "genderealisations," the first issue of our new online journal "gender forum." "Gender forum - An Internet Platform for Gender and Women's Studies" is now available at http://www.genderforum.uni-koeln.de/. It offers a widely accessible interactive platform for the discussion of literary, cultural and political trends for everyone interested in gender studies. The articles and reviews of each issue are to serve as catalysts for invited commentary. Therefore we will be happy to receive your comments and opinions which will be included in the current issue and updated frequently. ************************ |
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WID Bulletin, Winter Issue 17.2The Women and International Development Program at Michigan State University (MSU_WID) would like to invite you to visit our web site! We would especially like to bring to your attention our WID Bulletin. The Winter 2002 issue has just been published. The Bulletin, published three times a year, provides information on conferences, job postings, new on-line resources, articles, book reviews, and much more in the area of gender and development. The Bulletin is available in full text on our Internet site, http://www.isp.msu.edu/wid. It can be found under the "resources" category. MSU-WID also publishes a WID Working Papers Series with more than 250 titles available to date. Abstracts of the Working Papers are available on our home page. Full Papers can be purchased from the below address. If you are interested in submitting a paper, details on how to do so are also on our home page. If you have any information or additional resources that you feel would be useful to our Program or if you have any information you would like us to disseminate regarding women and international development, we invite and encourage you to contact our office. Sincerely, Isma Zubair, Bulletin Editor Women and International Development |
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The E-Quality ReportThe E-Quality Report is now online in English at http://www.womenspace.ca/equality/report/report.html and in French at http://www.womenspace.ca/egalite/rapport/rapport.html Last May representatives of 23 women's groups from across Canada, met in Ottawa to share, learn, and discuss the implications of federal government internet policies. The resulting report points out that "Unless we address the inequalities in our society, we will embed them into the new and developing forms of egovernment, and our society". This is exacerbated by the lack of a gateway for women on the Federal government web site (www.canada.gc.ca ) and the presentation of random links when you enter "women" into the federal government search engine. The Report raises questions about the future. For example, as e-government continues to develop, the federal government will use more online consultations; will these include women's groups, or solely be directed at individuals? There are 21 recommendations, including the implementation of "special programs to help women and other groups overcome disadvantages we already face in gaining access to, and a voice on the internet", and encouraging more content in French. The E-Quality Report states "By not addressing these issues, we are endangering the possibility for civic participation, particularly by women and the diversity of Canadians." All of this is taking place in an international context, where e-government is being encouraged around the world, especially through the G8 (who will be meeting in Alberta next year). Le Rapport sur l'Assemblée E-galitéVous pouvez accéder à la version française du Rapport sur l'Assemblée E-galité à http://www.womenspace.ca/egalite/rapport/rapport.html et à la version anglaise à http://www.womenspace.ca/equality/report/report.html En mai dernier, les représentantes de vingt-trois organisations de tout le Canada qui revendiquent l'égalité des femmes se sont rencontrées à Ottawa pour partager leurs connaissances, apprendre et discuter des conséquences des politiques du gouvernement fédéral concernant Internet. Le rapport sur cette réunion fait remarquer que si nous ne solutionnons pas les inégalités qui existent dans notre société, nous les ancrerons dans les formes de cybergouvernement nouvelles et en voie de développement, de même que dans notre société. Cela est exacerbé par l'absence d'une passerelle pour les femmes sur le site Web du gouvernement fédéral (http://www.canada.gc.ca/) et la présentation de liens aléatoires lorsqu'on entre femmes dans l'outil de recherche du gouvernement fédéral. Le Rapport soulève des questions sur l'avenir. Par exemple, à mesure que le
cybergouvernement prendra de l'ampleur, le gouvernement fédéral aura davantage recours
aux consultations en ligne. Est-ce que ces consultations incluront les groupes qui
revendiquent l'égalité des femmes ou est-ce qu'elles s'adresseront uniquement aux
individus? Le Rapport comprend 21 recommandations, y compris une qui prône la mise en
oeuvre de programmes conçus spécialement pour aider les femmes et les autres groupes à
surmonter les problèmes qui les affligent en leur donnant accès à Internet et en y
ayant une voix et une autre qui encourage l'augmentation du matériel en français. On y
indique qu'en ne cherchant pas de réponse à ces questions, nous mettons en danger la
participation civique, notamment celle des femmes et de groupes particuliers de Canadiens.
Tout cela se passe dans un contexte international, où l'on encourage le cybergouvernement
partout au monde, particulièrement par l'intermédiaire de l'organisation du G8 (qui se
réunira l'an prochain en Alberta). |
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Violence Against Women studySexually assaulted spouses report crimes sooner, study shows Statistics reaffirm trend that assailants will attack women in their most vulnerable state by Sue Toye. Dec. 10, 2001 -- Women sexually assaulted by their husbands are more likely to inform police sooner than women sexually abused by boyfriends or acquaintances, a U of T study shows. Victims of spousal sexual abuse report the incident to police, on average, 16 hours after the attack, says Professor Lana Stermac of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of U of T, author of the study. Victims sexually assaulted by their boyfriends or acquaintances take an average of almost two days before notifying police. "When a victim of spousal sexual abuse reports an attack, we believe she has probably experienced a long history of sexual abuse, therefore she reports the crime sooner," Stermac says. "The common belief is that women are not sexually abused by their husbands so it has been a hidden crime." Using the database of a sexual assault care centre in Toronto, Stermac compared the reports of 97 victims of spousal sexual assault with those of 256 women sexually abused by boyfriends and 194 by an acquaintance. She analysed a number of factors including treatment, coercion tactics and physical injuries. Sixty-eight per cent of victims of spousal and boyfriend sexual assault sought treatment and consented to having forensic evidence taken compared to 50 per cent of women sexually abused by an acquaintaince. Six per cent of the victims of spousal rape were pregnant at the time of the assault, reaffirming a trend that assailants will attack women in their most vulnerable state, Stermac says. "This result challenges the stereotype that spousal sexual assaults are less serious and less violent." The study was published in the November issue of the journal Violence Against Women. Sue Toye is a news services officer with the Department of Public Affairs. CONTACT: |
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Web Publishing Curriculum Resourceshttp://libweb.uoregon.edu/it/webpub/ "The Web Publishing Curriculum is housed at the University of Oregon and has been in existence since 1994. In the summer of 2001, the Web Publishing Curriculum was redesigned to incorporate many of the latest standards, including HTML 4.01 and Cascading Style Sheets. The site provides workshops on basic Web mechanics, Web publishing processes, and Web page creation. It also provides notes on the anatomy of an URL, guidelines for good practice, and links to other related sites. Its useful information is definitely a wonderful resource for novice Web users." This resource should be quite helpful to those who wish to create internet courses without necessarily going though WebCT, LearningSpace, etc. from The Scout Report, January 11, 2002 -- Volume 7, Number 49 |
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JewishGen Holocaust Database"This would not have been possible without JewishGen!" "After being told that there was no chance in finding out anything about where my family was from or any other information, I have actually uncovered a half a dozen promising records. A thousand thanks for this wonderful service!" We hear similar stories of success all the time, and each one provides reinforcement for what we are doing. Just this past weekend a family separated for more than 60 years reunited in London as the result of an entry in the JewishGen Holocaust Global Registry. And here's what we heard: "Millions were robbed of their lives; we were robbed of our past.... What a day - sad, wonderful, and emotionally draining." We never stop because there are so many records that still need to be made more available, records that may provide closure for the families torn apart by the Holocaust. To meet this need, and with great pride, JewishGen announces a new database -- the "JewishGen Holocaust Database," at http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/Holocaust, which integrates 37 data sets and 140,000 records into one searchable resource. This database is the result of a coordinated effort by Warren Blatt, JewishGen's Editor-in-Chief; Michael Tobias, Vice President for Programming and Development; and Rachel Reisman, Technical Coordinator for the Yad Vashem Indexing Project. Without their tireless work, this project would never have been possible. The wizadry of Michael and Warren most of you are already familiar with. But few of you know Rachel, the consummate project manager. We must also thank the many volunteers and donors who have worked on these projects, as well as the organizational assistance of Yad Vashem and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. We want to personally thank Alex Avraham and Zvi Bernhardt of Yad Vashem, and Michael Haley-Goldman and Peter Lande of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). Our appreciation is also extended to IAJGS for its generous financial support to this project. The JewishGen Holocaust Database contains numerous and varied data sets, all searchable from one location. The current database contains 37 data sets with approximately 140,000 records. Included are concentration camp data; databases on Norway, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, and Poland; ghetto registers from various cities, such as Lvov, Krakow, Brest, and Pinsk. Our pipeline contains exciting historically important material, but we decided not to hold off the launch of this database to wait for these. New material will be added in forthcoming quarterly updates. Do you wonder why it takes so long to get material online? To ensure that the results are as accurate as possible, many steps are needed: obtaining the data; establishing transcription standards; forming a data entry group under a project coordinator; developing an Excel template; getting the completed data entry to a team of proofreaders; and then going through a second level of validation if the data set has been provided by Yad Vashem or USHMM. For example, the Dachau Indexing Project (over 120,000 records) now has approximately 60 volunteers all over the world doing data entry, four volunteers doing validation, and three co-coordinators to supervise this massive project. This project, like all the others, would not have been possible without the vision of our leadership and our partners, the dedication of so many volunteers, the commitment of valuable resource material provided by our donors, and the support of those who continue to make a financial investment in this institution - all so vitally important to unlocking the potential of the projects and services offered by JewishGen today. This one notwithstanding. This is just the beginning and there is so much left to do. Needless to say, we have an immediate need for more volunteers for data entry and project management. With your ongoing assistance and support, The JewishGen Holocaust Database will one day serve as a major tool for connecting our past - to the present - for the future. Joyce Field Looking for a particular Yizkor book? Search our database at The Yizkor Book Project (yizkor@lyris.jewishgen.org)
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New ExhibitionsThe Jewess, Hungarian art exhibitThe Jewess. New Exhibition about History of Hungarian Jewish Women. The Hungarian Jewish Museum and Archive organizes an exhibition on "Jewess" between April-October 2002. The exhibition is a part of the ongoing research project of recovering women's past, which aims to introduce the traditional religion based Jewish women's life cycle, and their responses to modernity at the end of the 19th century Hungary: what kind of new opportunities, patterns were available for Jewish women while they increasingly got involved in science and arts? The exhibition is organized in a way that it moves from general to individual life stories: in the first room items related to general religious duties are exhibited. The general religious duties of Jewess are: ritual cleaning in the mikve, lightening the sabbath candle and preparing kosher food. In the second room items of individual female life courses from birth to death are exhibited. With introducing individual life stories about girls` education, marriage, giving birth, and activity of Jewish women's associations using material from family archives the exhibition aims to introduce the social process that made the "Jewess" the symbol of modernity, when they were breaking out from traditional life frames leaving behind the values of their mothers, Jewesses became the first female students of universities, and audience and producers of modern art. In the third and in the fourth room individual life strategies are exhibited through the works of well-known Jewesses. Through the portrait and works of 120 famous Jewish women organized in thematic block, their remarkable achievements in the field of arts, politics, sport literature, theatre, science are introduced. The exhibition has a bilingual catalogue English/Hungarian with photos of the exhibition and important essays on the history of Hungarian Jewess. For more information contact Zsuzsa Toronyi, the curator of the exhibition at sosana@freemail.hu |
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Women's History Month: A Time to Showcase 'Women of Valor'By Gail Twersky Reimer, Executive Director, Jewish Women's ArchiveWhat do a dancer/choreographer, a socialist and a suffragist have in common? All three are Jewish women. All three helped shape the course of American social, political and cultural history. And all three are featured in a new poster series released in time for March's celebration of Women's History Month. The three "Women of Valor," as the poster series is called, are groundbreaking modem dancer and choreographer Anna Sokolow, radical political activist Emma Goldrnan, and social and political reformer Gertrude Weil. Each year, the Boston-based Jewish Women's Archive (JWA) produces and distributes thousands of the informative and colorful posters, along with related-curricular materials, to libraries, synagogues and schools across America. Educators at all levels use the materials to teach students from kindergarten though college about the important but little-known contributions of Jewish women. Like the 15 "Women of Valor" recognized in previous years, Sokolow, Goldman and Weil get short shrift in general history books, but during Women 's History Month this March, JWA is working to make sure these three Jewish trailblazers get their due. Born in 1910 in Hartford, Connecticut, Anna Sokolow became a preeminent figure in modern dance, as both a performer and a choreographer. An innovative dancer and choreographer, she studied with many of the leading founders of modern dance, including Martha Graham. In her choreography, Sokolow explored the social, political and human conflicts of her time, creating many works with Jewish subjects and themes, including Songs of a Semite, based on poems by Emma Lazarus, and Dreams, a groundbreaking work inspired by the Holocaust. She died on March 29,2000, at the age of90. Emma Goldman dedicated herself to the creation of a radically new social order, rooted in absolute freedom. Born in 1869 in Kovno, Lithuania, she immigrated to the United States at age 16. She became a passionate advocate of free speech, women's independence, birth control and workers' rights. Her fiery oratory and writings led to several prison sentences, and finally to deportation to the newly-formed Soviet Union in 1919. Once in Russia, however, Goldman quickly became disillusioned with what she regarded as a betrayal of communist ideals, and she spent the rest of her life searching for a new political "home." In the 1930s, she spoke out about the dangers of Nazism and fascism. She died in Canada in 1940 at the age of 70. Motivated by her passion for justice and equality, Gertrude Weil stood courageously at the forefront of a wide range of causes, from women's suffrage, to labor reform, to civil rights. Weil drew upon Jewish teachings to argue that 'justice, mercy, [and] goodness" must be "practiced in our daily lives." Born in 1879 in Goldsboro, North Carolina, Weil founded and led suffrage organizations, eventually becoming the first president of the North Carolina League of Women Voters. Through her extensive social service work and her Depression-era tenure as director of Federal Public Relief Work for Goldsboro, Weil became increasingly involved in efforts to improve the lives of North Carolina's African-American population. In 1932, she joined the state Commission on Interracial Cooperation, serving on it and its successor organization for more than 25 years. She died in 1971, leaving behind an enduring record of commitment to social progress. Sokolow, Goldman and Weil were women whose determination to overcome barriers and whose courage to fight for what they believed in are the very definition of conviction. The same is true ofpast "Women of Valor," including politician Bella Abzug; athlete Bobbie Rosenfeld; anthropologist Barbara Myerhoff; philanthropist Rebecca Gratz; poet and writer Emma Lazarus; actress Molly Picon; activist and jurist Justine Wise Polier; National Council of Jewish Women founder Hannah G. Solomon; activist and organizer Lillian D. Wald; entrepreneur and philanthropist "Madame" Beatrice Alexander; Nobel Prize-winning pharmaceutical researcher Gertrude Elion; and itinerant preacher Ray Frank. A "Women of Valor" web exhibit is available at http://www.jwa.org/exhibits/ Past and current posters may be viewed online at http://www.jwa.org/resources/posters/postersfm.htm Gail Twersky Reimer is executive director of the Jewish Women's Archive, whose
mission is to uncover, chronicle and transmit the rich legacy of Jewish women and their
contributions to our families and communities, to our people and our world. |
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Call for SupportCALYX Journal was notified late last fall that we are not receiving NEA Grant support for the Journal in 2002. This has serious implications for CALYX. Grant support allows the non-profit organization to cover the costs of producing this important literary journal. Revenue from sales and ads cannot cover the total costs of production for the publication. Since 1976 CALYX Journal has published the work of over 3000 women writers and artists. We have been the first or early publisher of many important women writers who have since become well-known nationally and internationally. A few of these include Paula Gunn Allen, Barbara Kingsolver, Sharon Olds, Linda Hogan, Julia Alvarez, Eleanor Wilner, Diane Glancy, as well as many more. When Polish Poet Wyslawa Szymborska won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1996, CALYX Journal was one of the few American publishers who had published her work in English Translation in this country. We were also the first publisher of color art reproductions of Frida Kahlo's art in the US. We continue to discover and publish important voices by women writers. For 25 years CALYX Journal has honored its commitment to discovering the underepresented voices of women and publishing them in a beautiful format while promoting them to a wide reading audience. CALYX Journal is well known for its commitment to excellence and is the recipient of numerous awards including the Oregon Governor's Arts Award, THE OLA Stewart H. Holbrook Award, and many others. Without NEA support the Journal will suffer this year. We need to raise over $50,000 in support from individuals for the organization as part of the normal organizational budget. With the loss of NEA support we need to add another $15,000 in support that must be raised as well from individuals this year. (This is above the other grant support we must raise for the organization to continue to publish books.) Grant support from the Oregon Arts Council is a small part of our support due to the small budget of the OAC. We need help to keep women's voices published in this new atmosphere of the "superstore" era where serious, complex literature is more endangered than ever. "If we don't do it, who will?" To support CALYX make contributions payable to CALYX at PO Box B, Corvallis, OR 97339. For more information contact CALYX at: CALYX@proaxis.com or call toll free: 1-888-fem-book. Or visit us at our WEB page: http://www.proaxis.com/~calyx/ Thank you, Margarita Donnelly |
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New FilmsA Score for Women's Voices/Partition pour voix de femmesThis film is now available from the NFB by calling 1-800-267-7710 there are 2 prices $20.00 for private use and $40.00 if it will be used for viewing in groups. A Score for Women's Voices Abstract Director Sophie Bissonnette invited five filmmakers from around the world To cover the march. She also asked each one to film an innovative project. In Senegal a community battles female genital mutilation through education. In Australia a women's circus teaches survivors of sexual assault to become skilled performers. In India a group of low-caste women mediate domestic disputes in informal women's courts. Native women in Ecuador offer leadership training programs to create women leaders. In the United States, Linda Carney describes why she founded Survival Inc. for poor women in Boston: this wealthy city refused her and her son welfare benefits unless she quit her minimum-wage job. Set against the backdrop of a song, A Score for Women's Voices ends at the UN, where women deliver 5 million cards signed during the marches. Their goal? To change the world! Some subtitles. Also available in French Director Producer Script and Text Research and Consultant Images Editor Music Sound Producers |
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BODY: THE VALUE OF WOMENA Documentary Film on Body Image and Self-Esteem Allow me to take a few of your precious moments to introduce myself and my work. I am a woman film director who grew up in Chicago in the 60s and 70&s, raised by a strong feminist mother who raised five children virtually single-handedly. I should feel good about myself and my capabilities, and yet, in my film career, I still found myself battling my body image. And I am an attractive woman who modeled internationally! I realized that no matter what we are doing in the world, no matter who we are, body image is a battle almost every woman fights, everyday of her life. So I interviewed women across the U.S., from almost every socio-economic, age, and race background to find out how we feel about ourselves, why we do, and how we can raise our self-esteem to impact the world powerfully and positively. This is not a commercial film. It does not support the established and secure perspective of the male gaze. So I find myself looking for ways to get this very empowering feature film to the amazing women I made it for. Your Body Has Value! I wrote, directed, shot, and edited Body: The Value of Women. It was an official selection of the Digidance 2000/Slamdunk Film Festival in Park City and the American Film Institute's Digital Filmmaker & Symposium 2000. It moves and raises self-esteem in everyone, man, woman, and child who watches it. Now its time to get it to the women who so desperately want to see it. I am asking you to help Body: The Value of Women reach its audience. You can support my vision of a country filled with women who love their bodies and their lives, in three ways: 1. Make Body: The Value of Women part of your curriculum. This 1 hour documentary is an excellent way to spark discussions about women's body image as part of women's studies or health education programs in any high school or college program. For more information on purchasing the documentary or scheduling a screening go to: http://www.thevalueofwomen.com/screenings.htm 2. Participate in our U.S. Body University Tour – coming in Fall, 2002. (email sbell@lafilm.com for more information on the University Tour) 3. Purchase your own copy of Body: The Value of Women to experience the power of its message. For more information on purchasing a copy of the documentary go to: http://www.thevalueofwomen.com/order.htm I know how busy you are and I am so grateful to you for taking the time to hear a new voice. When you have time, please take a look at our website: http://www.thevalueofwomen.com/ All good things, Shereen Noon |
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RAMLEHWomen Make Movies is proud to announce the new release of RAMLEH by acclaimed filmmaker Michal Aviad (THE WOMEN NEXT DOOR, "EVER SHOT ANYONE?", JENNY & JENNY). A timely and powerful look at the conflicts in contemporary Israel, this highly original documentary follows four seemingly disparate women residing in the town of Ramleh to brilliantly explore how fundamentalism and cultural displacement have impacted their current political climate. Profiled in this highly compelling piece are Sima and Orly, two ultra-orthodox Jewish women who rediscover religion and enthusiastically support the conservative "Shas" party, the third largest political party in Israel; Svetlana, a single-mother and recent Jewish immigrant struggling to establish herself in her new country; and Gehad, a young Muslim teacher and law student attempting to find a sense of national identity in a predominately Jewish state. Filmed between the general elections in 1999 and the 2001 elections, Ramleh demonstrates the profound cultural and political divisions barring these women from living together as a united community, as well as reveals how their political landscape helped sow the seeds of the Intifada in 2000. It similarly raises the question whether each woman and the communities they represent will ever peacefully reconcile their search for tradition, religion and homeland. "Excels in its direct, critical and yet full of respect treatment of its subjects. Aviad is able to create identification, as she describes a frightening world...with wisdom and a lot of talent." Irit Shamgar, Ma'ariv, Israel "The film stands as a meditation about external and internal geographies of identity, particularly in the case of minority groups within Israeli society." Dorit Naaman, Binghamton University ***************** PRICING & ORDERING INFO ***************RAMLEH To order RAMLEH, please visit our website Women Make Movies ***** WMM FEATURES HOLOCAUST & JEWISH TITLES *********In remembrance of the Resistance fighter Genevieve de Gaulle (1921-2002), Women Make Movies is proud to feature our growing collection of films and videos about the Holocaust and Jewish experience. Profiled in the new critically acclaimed documentary SISTERS IN RESISTANCE, Genevieve de Gaulle was one of the brave women who risked their lives fighting the Nazi occupation in France during WWII. As part of our commemoration of Ms. de Gaulle's inspiring life, we are offering our entire Holocaust and Jewish Collection at the following discounted price: Buy any 3 titles and receive a 20% discount, or buy 5 or more titles and receive a 33% discount. A savings of up to $1,000! For a complete list of titles in our Holocaust and Jewish Collection, and for ordering information, please visit our website at http://www.wmm.com/. Offer expires 06/15/02. ******* WMM FEATURED HOLOCAUST & JEWISH TITLES ********SISTERS IN RESISTANCE, a film by Maia Wechsler http://www.wmm.com/catalog/pages/c563.htm SHADOWS OF MEMORY, a video by Claudia von Alemann SILENT SONG, a video by Elida Schogt ISA KREMER: THE PEOPLE'S DIVA, directed by Nina Baker Feinberg and Ted Schillinger, a
film by the Women's Media Group Also part of WMM's growing Holocaust and Jewish Collection are the three highly acclaimed videos, DARING TO RESIST, the celebrated documentary of three Jewish women who choose resistance rather than submission during Hitler's reign of terror; THE RETURN OF SARAH'S DAUGHTERS a compelling personal documentary about secular women drawn to Jewish Orthodoxy and the modern conflicts they experience between assimilation and tradition; and A HEALTHY BABY GIRL, a disturbing portrait of a Jewish mother and daughter struggling with the legacy of the ineffective carcinogenic synthetic hormone DES, by the recent Sundance award-winner, Judith Helfand. Please check out our website at www.wmm.com for information on these and other titles. You can also request a copy our 30th Anniversary catalogue or get information on other new releases at http://www.wmm.com/catalog/newrelse/new_releases.htm. ************* WMM CONTACT & ORDERING INFO ***************For further information on this special offer and ordering information, visit our website at www.wmm.com. Women Make Movies, 462 Broadway, Suite 502E, New York, NY 10013 ******************** ABOUT WMM **********************Women Make Movies is a non-profit feminist media organization which facilitates the
production, promotion, distribution and exhibition of films and videos made by and about
women. Celebrating our 30th year as the world's largest distributor of films and videos
made by and about women, we provide a diverse collection of more than 450 titles to the
viewing public and are supported in part by grants from such agencies as the MacArthur
Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Our catalogue is used by thousands of
educational, community and cultural organizations annually. |
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New ProgramsCENTER FOR JEWISH HISTORY
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together with McGill University, Montreal, is pleased to announce our Sixth Annual Summer
School Programs. We would be grateful if you could bring these programs to the attention
of your students. Please note that whereas in the past all programming has been in
Jerusalem, this year we are also holding a full credit intensive summer school program in
Montreal. This year's theme is: "Religion and Territory in World Religions". We have divided the program into three parts: Part One of the program takes place at McGill University in Montreal, June 9-21. The subject of this part is "Sacred Space without Holy Land: Diaspora in World Religions". Featured lecturers include: Meir Sendor (Judaism, Brandeis University), Abraham Terian (Christianity, St. Nersess Seminary), Suleiman Nyang (Islam, Howard University), Devesh Soneji (Hinduism, McGill University), John Pettit (Buddhism, Vassar College), Kola Abimbola (African Religions, Temple University), and additional guest lecturers. Part Two takes place in Jerusalem, July 7-19, and is concerned with "Sacred Space in World Religions". Featured lecturers include: Alon Goshen-Gottstein (Judaism, the Elijah School), William Thompson (Christianity, Duquesne University), Vincent and Rkia Cornell (Islam, University of Arkansas), Surinder Bhardwaj (Hinduism, Kent State University), Mahinda Deegalle (Bath Spa University College), Kola Abimbola (African Religions, Temple University), and additional guest lecturers. Parts One and Two are structured as summer school courses, with graduate and advanced undergraduate credit available through McGill University. There is registration and tuition. Part Three takes place in Jerusalem, July 21-26, and is a public conference, for which there is neither registration nor payment. The topic is "Territoriality and Peace," and will feature all the lecturers of Part Two, as well as some lecturers of Part One, plus an additional team of international scholars, thinkers and educators. More details are available. If you are interested, email us for our Frequently Asked Questions sheet, soon to be posted on our website. Again, please announce this to your students. TO GET A FULL COLOR POSTER TO PUT UP, OR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION
CONTACT Note: The Jerusalem program may be relocated due to political and security reasons. The Elijah School is a Unesco Academic Interfaith Network |
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ConferencesYou are invited to: Towards our liberation: Women say no to war and imperialism!An international conference initiated by Grassroots Women and organized by
anti-imperialist women's organizations from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas under
the auspices of the International League of People's Struggles This new millennium ushers in unprecedented global assault on national economies; human labour power; and, our democratic rights and freedoms in the name of fighting "global terrorism" and bringing globalization to the world. US-led wars of aggression are being waged against any country or people who stand in the way of its domination in an attempt to reverse the current economic and political crisis plaguing the capitalist system for the past three decades, secure control of resources such as oil, and quell genuine people's struggle against imperialism. Led by the US, imperialist countries are killing innocent civilians in Afghanistan, violating the national sovereignty of the Philippines with the entry of almost 1000 American troops, and threatening aggression against Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. For women, particularly those from war-torn Third World countries, wars of aggression are devastating. Women and children are killed as "collateral damage". Their homes are destroyed in bombing attacks forcing them to join the countless other refugees around the world. For women, war means rape, as rape is systematically used as a weapon of war against women. War also means increased prostitution, violence and trafficking to soldiers looking for 'Rest and Recreation'. The democratic rights and freedoms of working class and marginalized women are also under attack. Migrant women and women of colour in industrialized countries are being attacked, interrogated and deported due to and anti-immigrant hysteria. Legislation is being introduced that curtails democratic rights and freedoms. All those organizations and movements who dare to speak out against US imperialism and its lackeys are being targeted and persecuted. As imperialism - with its wars of aggression - impacts women internationally, women's resistance must also be global, must rely on organized strength, and must support and learn from those who are most impacted and most exploited. Through this conference, we join with the millions of oppressed and exploited peoples of the world who seek to smash the chains of imperialism that bind us to achieve our liberation. Towards our liberation: Women say no to war and imperialism is being held in affirmation of the calls of over 200 women's and other peoples organization at the First International Assembly of the International League of People's Struggles to hold an international militant women's conference. The conference will include panel speakers, workshops, and development of a statement of unity on the themes (1) Wars of aggression and the struggle for a just and lasting peace (2) Imperialist globalization and its attacks on women's democratic rights (3) Fundamentalism and its attacks on women, and (4) The role of women in the struggle for national and social liberation. For more information about the conference or to register, check our website |
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International Perspectives: Global Voices for Gender Equity
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Call for PapersTense Dialogues: Speaking (across) Multicultural Differences in the Jewish/Israeli/International Feminist WorldAs in earlier feminist waves, Jewish women have been among the prominent movers and shakers of third-wave feminism. Often highly educated, sometimes in the most illustrious institutions of western society, they have been outspoken in working toward ending sexist and intersecting oppressions from breaking through the glass ceiling to creating avenues of input from and improving conditions for the world's most marginalized women and minorities. Specifically Jewish feminist movements have been looking into the particular ways that patriarchal traditions in Judaism, on the one hand, and the unique culture and world-minority status of Jews, on the other, have expressed themselves in the lives, the lore, and the struggles of Jewish women in their diversity. In both these dimensions, Jewish feminists have found themselves in anomalous and challenging positions in relation to the feminist world at large and in relation to other minority feminists. Jewish feminists still too frequently find themselves under attack, singled out by a non-Jewish majority as the oppressors of Palestinian women and, by extension, all third-world women and all women and men of color (already presuming these groups to be defined as exclusive of Jewish third-world/people of color). This identification is particularly distressing and ironic to the many Jewish feminists who have spent long years at the forefront of international justice work and peace movement coalition building. Yet when Jewish feminists have sought to identify as and with minority feminists, because of their share in the generalized oppression of minority women and in the unique aspects of exploring minority women's cultures, they often find themselves rejected as interlopers. Stereotyped as relatively prosperous, lighter-skinned or otherwise members of a group that has "made it" in the dominant society, they are viewed as dubious claimants of minority or third-world women's narratives of oppression and resistance. Meanwhile, Jewish women of non-European, poor or working-class origin, or those living out alternative sexualities, must dare to find voice and agency in a context that narrowly equates "Jewish" with elite status, heterosexuality, and European/white origin. Given the racial politics in countries like the U.S., this makes Jewish feminist politics extraordinarily fraught for an array of non-white/non-European/Jews of color. These issues play themselves out uniquely within Israel, where the cultural and economic hegemony of the non-majority but largely more veteran, more prosperous, and better-educated Ashkenazi Jews (of European origin) is called into question by Mizrahi Jews (of Middle Eastern and North African origin) and those of other backgrounds, and by minority Palestinians. In a society in which the mutually reinforcing administrative, military, and religious establishments militate against women's rights, self-definition, dignity, and advancement, feminism is embattled, seemingly leaving a small feminist "pie" in which Mizrahi and Palestinian women struggle for inclusion. Their multi-layered position has led many Mizrahi and other non-Ashkenazi feminists to mine the writings of feminists of color and third-world women in an identity search that oscillates between their location in a western-oriented Jewish society and their non-western points of cultural origin. A further flash point, in both Israel and parts of the Diaspora, lies in the sometimes conflicting priorities of those religiously observant women who are focusing on altering the hierarchies of traditional Judaism and feminists who see their primary mission in transforming the society's institutions more broadly defined. Palestinian feminists in Israel find themselves in a delicate position. Attracted by western feminist thought, they too often tend to be marginalized or rejected by all sectors of the state's Jewish society (including those which themselves tend to be marginalized). Committed to bettering the lot of Palestinian women in what has traditionally been a patriarchal society, they also seek to amplify Palestinian cultural and national identity within their communities and vis-a-vis Israeli national and Jewish discourses of power. That some Israeli feminist organizations, including academic ones, have actively sought their participation can actually accentuate their dilemmas around issues of tokenism and the extent to which they can or wish to identify themselves with Israeli cultural institutions (including this very project for the pages of Nashim). At the same time, their struggle vis-a-vis the feminist "establishment" shares some common ground with that of Mizrahi feminists for respect for cultural difference, acknowledging of western-oriented prejudice and recognition that active steps must be taken to redress their disadvantages and abet their empowerment. Issue no. 8 of Nashim: A Journal of Jewish Women's Studies and Gender Issues, to be
published in summer 2003 under the guest editorship of Associate Professor Marla
Brettschneider of the University of New Hampshire, will take an in-depth look at these
issues and how they have affected Jewish society, in the diaspora and in Israel, and the
state of Jewish and Israeli feminist studies. Please send proposals for articles to the
Managing Editor of Nashim by July 31, 2002, preferably by e-mail to mailto:intsymp@aauw.org, or by mail to Nashim, The
Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, POB 8600, Jerusalem 91083; fax: (972-2) 6790840.
Final date for submission of articles: October 31, 2002. All scholarly articles will be
subject to academic review. Academic Editor of Nashim: Renee Levine Melammed. |
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CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR MONTHLY SCREENING & STAGED SCREENPLAY SERIESWe accept Student films, shorts, features, docs, animated and screenplays which all feature a female protagonist... The WinFemme Film Festival & Screenplay Competition is located in Los Angeles and has produced countless events for 12 years in Hollywood and New York City. Since filmmakers and writers need MEDIA ATTENTION and because it's tough to secure 'ink' from a major urban publication, we suggest entering this event to garner reviews from THE LA WEEKLY, VARIETY, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER and/or The Los Angeles TIMES. Ink helps screenwriters and filmmakers secure representation, film distribution, television sales and investors for their next project. WinFemme Monthlies is a monthly screening and screenplay staged reading series to help
filmmakers and writers realize their dreams and to forward our commitment to have women's
stories told. Screenwriters and filmmakers are now encouraged to submit their films and
screenplays to Women's Image Network for the Monthly Film Screening & Screenplay
Series. In addition to our annual WINFEMME film festival, we will now be producing a
Screening Series for selected shorts, documentaries and features. These screenings will be
open to the public and film critics and held at a high visibility venue in Los Angeles.
Plus, each month we will select one screenplay for a staged reading before a panel of
studio and production executives as part of an ongoing effort to introduce new material
and talent. We will also be forming a collection of actors, writers and directors inside a
committed community of artists who support each other to get the written word 'in the
can'. Previous Women's Image Network speakers include decision makers from companies such as Miramax, New Line, Egg Pictures, and individual producers and directors like, Debra Hill, Garry Marshall and David Brown, Henry Jaglom, agents from top talent agencies such as CAA and William Morris, readers and development executives from Blue Tulip, Miramax, Lake Shore, Castle Rock, Paramount, and Disney, to name a few. Women's Image Network is a nonprofit media advocacy production company, that strives to increase the number of women's stories and benefits from the support of the corporate world, the entertainment community and from its stellar advocates including: Anjelica Huston, Sharon Stone, Geena Davis, Andie MacDowell, Madonna & Lynn Redgrave. WIN has produced several successful projects, including The Annual WINFEMME Film Festival, the prime time ABC special, FIFTY YEARS OF FUNNYFEMALES, and the WIN AWARDS, (whose recipients include: Lauren Bacall, Jane Campion, Tichi Wilkerson, Lynn Redgrave, Pierce Brosnan and Laura Ziskin), as well as all studios and networks. See our website for our complete history of events. http://www.winfemme.com/ APPLICATION PROCEEDURES ACCEPTIBLE ARTFORMS: film & video We are creating this series because historically, we have had too few available positions for the many worthy films and screenplays to be included at the WinFemme Film Festival. Even if you have previously entered and were NOT accepted at WinFemme, you will be ELGIBLE TO RE-ENTER FOR THE MONTHLY SCREENINGS and STAGED READINGS. OFFICAL ENTRY FORM APPLICATION [ open & print in new window ] Name of Contact__________________________ Contact's Title_______________________ Telephone_____________________ Fax______________________ Email__________________________ Mailing Address_____________________ City _______________________ Zip________________ Country of Origin________________________ Signature________________________________________________ Project Name_____________________________ Project Type_______________(screenplay, short, doc or feature film) The following items must accompany all entry forms: 1/2" VHS (NTSC) review videotape. Screenplay (please keep under 120 pages) MAKE CHECK OR MONEY ORDER PAYABLE TO: WOMEN'S IMAGE NETWORK. SEND BY U.S. MAIL ONLY: Application, 1/2" Video Tapes and/or Screenplay, plus Fee(s) to: WOMEN'S IMAGE NETWORK P.O. BOX 69-1774 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORIA 90069 TERMS & CONDITIONS OF ENTRY: Each film tape AND/OR script must include as signed application form AND the appropriate fee(s). NO ENTRY MATERIALS WILL BE RETURNED unless you provide a SASE. ALSO, If you wish to
receive notification of receipt of materials: please include as SASE post card.1-All
entries must have a female protagonist 2-For the staged screenplay please consider having
it copyrighted and WGA registered by its author.3-Entries must be submitted on (NTSC)
only. Works-in-progress will be considered, provided they are completed prior to the
screening. 4-Final work must be submitted no later than the last day of each month to be
eligible for the next month's screening or staging. 5-ONLY If accepted, films should
include provide photos, biography of director, b & w photos and/or color stills from
the film, press kits and 3-5 additional VHS film copies. 6-More than one entry may be
submitted but EACH entry must be accompanied by an Official entry form (photocopies are
accepted) and entry fee. 7-The entry fee is non-refundable. Acceptable forms of payment
include check or money order in U.S. dollars. 8-Submitted video tapes will not be returned
and will be recycled. 9-Acceptable Formats for screening include: 1/2" or Beta Sp,
16mm, 35 mm. |
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