OCTOBER 2003
Update on our work in Peru
Focus of our new partnership
The strategic focus of the partnership between Chirapaq and The Hunger Project is to improve the quality of work of the Indigenous Women's Program, both its Strenthening Indigenous Women's Leadership in Local Democracy Project and its coordinating work to prepare the Fourth Annual Forum of Indigenous Women of the Americas in Lima, in March 2004.
Participates of the “Human Rights and Indigenous Women Conference”
Activities and Results
National Workshop “Indigenous Women and Human Rights," Lima, June 30-July 4, 2003.
A core activity of Chirapaq is to bring together indigenous women leaders from all the languages groups of the country on a quarterly basis, for training and advocacy in the capital city of Lima. Each participant then returns and re-creates this training at least three times in her local areas - thus mobilizing and empowering thousands of grassroots women leaders. The achievements of this quarter’s conference included:
● Representatives of 20 organizations from different parts of the country participated.
● 34 female leaders from the Andean and Amazonic region learned and practiced concepts relating to rights and duties. They studied in depth the concept of human rights and fundamental rights from an indigenous woman's perspective, with a methodology based on the use of concepts and group dynamics.
● Participants exchanged experiences with Aymara Congresswoman Paulina Arpazi; the subject was “What Does Being a Congresswoman Mean to an Indigenous Woman?"
● A presentation by Reyna Concha, The Hunger Project in Mexico, who came from the state of Oaxaca, Mexico as part of an exchange of experiences.
● Well-received visit by workshop participants to the Peruvian Congress´ Commission on Women, to present their proposal for the creation of an Ombudsman for Indigenous Women.
● Organization of the Public Forum on "Human Rights and Indigenous Women" and participation in it. With speakers from several backgrounds: 3 Peruvian indigenous women, 2 Nicaraguan Miskito women, a representative of the organization Madre, and representatives from universities and from CLADEM-Peru (Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women´s Rights). About 200 people attended, in addition to the Peruvian female leaders and the Chirapaq team. Madre financed the visit of the international delegation that participated in the Public Forum.
Reyna Ortiz from Mexico THP delivers a VCA Workshop at the
“Human Rights and Indigenous Women” conference hosted
by the Chirapaq in
Strengthening the work team
● A state-of-the-art computer, which facilitates work, has been purchased for the Indigenous Women´s Program.
● One person is systematizing the Report of Workshop 1 and will also do that of Workshop 2.
● The online newsletter "Wayra," produced at CENDOC (Women´s Information and Documentation Centre, Peru) and focused on the issue of indigenous women is being revitalized. We have received congratulations for this from different networks.
● Support for the Fourth Continental Forum of Indigenous Women (Lima, March 2004).
● Focus on the preparatory process for the Fourth Forum is being directly coordinated by Tarcila Rivera Zea. This has allowed us to promote and hold a Working Meeting with indigenous women in Colombia.
● Eight representatives from the Americas and more than 20 indigenous representatives from different parts of the country attended.
● The group identified the issue of Indigenous Women in an Environment of Political Violence as a working issue for the Fourth Forum. This issue involves Guatemala, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, and Nicaragua and will be taken into account in the Working Agenda of the Fourth Forum.
● Development of the Working Agenda continued. Preparation of a profile of participants in the Preparatory Indigenous Meeting for the World Summit on the Information Society, which will be held in Brasilia October 8-12, 2003.
● This work is done on behalf of the Enlace Continental de Mujeres Indígenas (Continental Network of Indigenous Women).
● Contacts with UNIFEM, UNDP, and other cooperation sources to seek financing for the Fourth Continental Meeting of Indigenous Women.
● Trip to Quito to speak on "Interculturality and Governability from an Indigenous Women´s Perspective", invited by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) as part of a course for young leaders from the Andean area. The trip was used to publicize the Fourth Forum.
● We are coordinating with the Embassy of Ecuador the promotion of a preparatory meeting for the Fourth Forum in Quito and La Paz.
Institutional strengthening:
● Support from The Hunger Project also contributes to the strengthening of institutional activities through communications. This allows us to maintain communications about our issues and commitments, both with national organizations and institutions and international organizations.
● We are coordinating an acquaintance visit of the NISGA people of Canada to indigenous people from three regions of Peru, highlighting the role of indigenous female leaders. Health and traditional medicine and training opportunities for youth are issues of mutual concern.
Plans for the remainder of 2003
● Publication of the Workshop Module, which will be ratified at the National Workshop, October 6-10.
● Systematized reports of the 2 workshops.
● Preparatory meeting of the Fourth Forum in Bolivia and Argentina.
● Three "Wayra" online newsletters.
● Presentation of our 2004 proposal to The Hunger Project.
Conclusions:
● Activities are being carried out as planned, with no setbacks, and following a criteria of careful and sound use of resources.