INTERNATIONAL NETWORK MEETINGS
At the founding meeting in Okinawa, May 1997, women gathered to share information on US military operations in our various countries. Participants decided to meet again in Washington, DC, October 1998 to bring their experiences to US organizations, and Members of Congress and their staff. The third meeting, entitled “Redefining Security: International Women’s Summit,” was timed to coincide with the G-8 Summit in Okinawa, June 2000. The Network met in South Korea in 2002, Philippines in 2004, San Francisco Bay Area in 2007, and Guam in 2009. The most recent meeting was in Puerto Rico in 2012. Each meeting has sessions that are open to the public, as well as site visits and in-depth discussions for participants.
PAST MEETINGS (1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2012)
MISSION & GOALS
To promote, model, and protect genuine security by creating an international women’s network of solidarity against militarism.
- – To strengthen our common consciousness and voice by sharing our experiences and making critical connections among militarism, imperialism, and systems of oppression and exploitation based on gender race, class and nation
- – To contribute to the creation of a society free of militarism, violence, and all forms of sexual exploitation, in order to guarantee the rights of marginalized people, particularly women and children, and
- – To ensure the safety, well-being, and long-term sustainability of our communities
We are currently committed to working in 5 languages, and translation is a crucial component of our work. Through this transnational organizing we call for an end to all forms of violence and for economic development based on local people’s needs, especially those of women and children.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
“East Asia-U.S.-Puerto Rico Womens Network against Militarism” article published in People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, Asia Journal, 2003.
“Women’s Network Against US Militarism in Asia,” by Margo Okazawa-Rey.
“Making Connections: Building a East Asia-U.S.-Women’s Network Against Militarism,” by Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey, 1998.
“Resistance, Resilience and Respect for Human Rights: Women Working Across Borders for Peace and Genuine Security” by Ellen-Rae Cachola, Gwyn Kirk, LisaLinda Natividad and Maria Reinat-Pumarejo, 2009. This article has a version published in Peace Review that tells the history of this network.