2002 Women's Global Leadership Institute

Building a vision of women's human rights is a work in progress that is critical, not just for women, but for the future of communities, nations, and the world. The complexities and obstacles that women encounter make clear the need to continuously sharpen and clarify this vision. At the same time, the struggle for the full realization of women's human rights faces both old and new challenges, as well as important opportunities in the new global environment. Age-old practices that violate women's rights, such as domestic violence, female genital mutilation, honor killings, and denial of property and inheritance rights, continue and, even, take new forms. At the same time, other areas of violation, such as sweatshops, trafficking in persons, and the theft of intellectual property rights, are on the rise.

Under the theme, Realizing the Vision of Women's Human Rights: Understanding the Intersection of Racism, Sexism and Other Oppressions, June 10 - 21, 2002, the Ninth Women's Global Leadership Institute brought together 24 women representing diverse regions, cultures and interests who had been working on issues of women's human rights, including local and national organizers, policy makers, researchers and activists. Participants spent time sharing their reflections on how the fundamental feminist value of respect for the diversity of women informs the movement and on strengthening the skills needed to carry out the work of women's human rights. They worked on cross-cultural collaboration and plans for influencing local, national and international approaches to these issues. They also learned and exchanged leadership skills and organizing techniques. Participants met with resource people from the United Nations and non-governmental organizations based in the USA.

Click here to read the speech presented by Ruth Taillon, a 2002 WGLI Participant representing the Women's Support Network (Ireland), to the Women's Global Leadership Institute Reception in New York, July 20, 2002. Ruth's observations stem from discussions held by the Dialogue Circle on Religion, Culture and Fundamentalisms.

Photogallery of 2002 WGLI Memories

2002 WGLI Group Photo
2002 Women's Global Leadership Institute Participants with Global Center Staff.
Faces of WGLI
Joumanah El Matrah (Australia) enjoys a discussion on "fundamentalisms."	Global Center Executive Director, Charlotte Bunch, arrives at the New Jersey Public Event, June 13, 2002.
Program support person, Diane Erbe-Maltabes, poses for a picture during the New Jersey Public Event.	Summer support staff, Zahabiya Marvi and Nia Parson (l-r), work together on documentation for WGLI.
Anberiya Hanifa (Sri Lanka) poses for the camera wearing traditional dress from her region.	(l-r:) Gabriela De Cicco (Argentina), Faika Anna El-Nagashi (Austria), Mariya Gencheva (Bulgaria), and Sibongile Mtungwa (South Africa) at the New Jersey Public Event, June 13, 2002.
Betty Powell, Resource Person, leads a discussion on "Diversity, Leadership, and Women's Rights Activism."	Jaclyn Kee (Malaysia) wears traditional dress at the New Jersey Public Event.
Themes
Diversity and Difference
Resource Person, Betty Powell, leads a discussion on "Diversity, Leadership, and Women's Rights Activism."	Participants engage in the Power Walk exercise around diversity and difference.
Geopolitics Resource Person, Cathlin Baker, shares experiences about local organizing during a session on geopolitics.	Human Rights Wheel of Equality developed in the "Standing Up for Your Rights" Exercise.
Conflict Resolution
Participants Manjula Pradeep from India (left), Ayesha Mir from Pakistan (right), and Global Center Program Support Person, Bojana Blagojevic (center), dramatize an issue on Conflict Resolution.	Spectators discuss Conflict Resolution. (Seated [l-r]: Jaclyn Kee (Malaysia), Aminata Dieye (Senegal), Harriet Evar Nabukeera (Uganda), Lamis Nasser (Jordan), and Bojana Blagojevic (with the Global Center).
Group Discussions
Participants (l-r) Mariya Gencheva (Bulgaria), Vera Kurtic (Yugoslavia), Lamis Nasser (Jordan), and Hanaa Boucha (Iraq) work and discuss an issue in small groups.
Participants meet on the Global Center patio to discuss leadership.	Participants and Resource Person Betty Powell enjoy a discussion under the sun.
(l-r) Manjula Pradeep (India), Lydia Alpizar (Mexico), Bernardine Dixon Carlos (Nicaragua), and Anberiya Hanifa (Sri Lanka) engage in a small group discussion.
Ayesha Mir (Pakistan), Joumanah El Matrah (Australia), and Lydia Alpizar (Mexico) listen intently in a discussion.	Sylvanna Falcon (United States) shares her views during the discussion on "Sexuality and Human Rights." Ana Cristina da Costa Gomes (Brazil) looks on.
Fun Moments!
Participants, Jaclyn Kee (Malaysia) and Gabriela De Cicco (Argentina), enjoy a break from a session.
Institute summer support staff, Vanessa Llana and Zahabiya Marvi, pose for a photo as they put together the WGLI photo gallery.	Participant Ana Cristina da Costa Gomes (Brazil) poses next to the completed WGLI photo gallery.
New Jersey Public Event, June 13, 2002
Charlotte Bunch speaks at the New Jersey Public Event.
Browsing through books on feminism, race, history, activism, and culture at the bookseller's table.	Participant Kathy Wan Povi Sanchez (United States) browses through postcards and books.
Joumanah El Matrah (Australia) and Aminata Dieye (Senegal) arrive at the New Jersey Public Event.	Promise Catering sets up for the New Jersey Public Event.
Global Center staff (l-r) Lisa Clarke, Program Associate, and elmira Nazombe, Program Director, enjoy the food prepared by Promise Catering.	Guests marvel at the variety of food prepared for the New Jersey Public Event. Salah El-Shakhs (second from right) with the Humphrey Fellow Program catches a glimpse of the camera.
Interns and Program Support Persons pose for a photo with Charlotte Bunch at the New Jersey Public Event. (Standing l-r: Vanessa Llana, Sue Yacka, Tracee Joseph, Amira Lemes, Charlotte Bunch, Diane Erbe-Maltabes, and Bojana Blagojevic. Seated l-r: Kaitlin DeGennaro and Sun-Yeong Min)
Visitors and Resource Persons
Acting Dean of Douglass College, Linda Stamato, welcomes Institute Participants.	Resource Persons Ayesha Imam and Dorothy Q. Thomas lead a panel on Leadership.