Voici un message de la part des Women in Black de New-York.
Le 23 octobre, Gila Svirsky parlera devant le Conseil de Sécurité.
J.W.

----- Original Message -----
From:
Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 11:59 PM
Subject: Women in Black New York vigil at the UN October 23


> On Wednesday, October 23, Women in Black New York vigil will move from
> its regular site at the Public Library (5th Av at 41st St) to the
> Isaiah
> Wall, adjacent to the United Nations (facing it across 1st Avenue from
> slightly southish), at the usual time (5:30-6:30).  This change is in
> honor of Gila Svirsky's address to the Security Council.  All are
> invited and encouraged to attend.
>
> Following the vigil, a  reception will be held at the Church Center,
> 777 UN Plaza, 2nd Floor from 6.30 to 9 pm - organized by the NGO
> Working
> Group on Women, Peace and Security, call Indira or Kara at 212
> 682-1265.
>
> Gila Svirsky has been a member of Women in Black since its founding in
> 1988. She is co-founder of the Coalition of Women for a Just Peace,
> which brings together 9 Israeli women's peace organizations, and has
> staged a number of dramatic acts of resistance to the occupation.
> Svirsky has been executive director of Bat Shalom and chairperson of
> B'Tselem, two leading peace and human rights organizations. For six
> years, she served as director in Israel of the New Israel Fund, a
> foundation that works to strengthen democracy in Israel.
>
> From Gila:
> "As for what I will say, I will plan it carefully over the next few
> weeks, but I want to get some input from my political friends here.  I
> understand that we must urge them into action, and I will be very
> clear
> about that.  Right now what I'm thinking of saying is the following:
>
> "There is a very large constituency of Israelis who would support an
> end to the occupation -- a return to the pre-June 1967 borders, the
> sharing of Jerusalem as the capital, the dismantling of all the
> settlements.  I will bring results from several opinion polls to prove
> this.  I will also point out that 80% of the settlers themselves have
> expressed their willingness to leave the settlements, if they were
> financially compensated.
>
> "I will point out the very large and active peace movement in Israel.
> I will say that the world outside doesn't hear about our work or about
> pro-peace public opinion in Israel because (a) the media would rather
> cover the violence; and (b) the belligerent actions of the Sharon
> government speak louder than any words.  I will describe the women's
> peace movement in Israel, its variety and numbers.  I will emphasize
> the
> Women in Black movement, active since 1988 in Israel.  I will describe
> the international network of Women in Black  -- its courage in many
> countries wracked by war -- and give some remarkable numbers about our
> size and strength.
>
> "In particular, I will point out that generals who are honed in the
> art
> of war, in confrontational tactics, are not best suited to be those
> who
> engage in negotiations.  Although it will be impossible in both Israel
> and Palestine to keep the generals away from the negotiating table, it
> is crucial to balance their approach by bringing women to the table,
> who
> are peopled honed in the art of reconciling opposing views.
>
> "I will end by calling the Security Council to action -- to interfere
> with those make war, and support those who make peace.  I will make
> this
> a dramatic and heartfelt call for them to take courageous stands,
> knowing that there is a large constituency of Israelis as well as
> Palestinians who would applaud their involvement in ending this
> blood-soaked conflict and bringing peace to the region."
>
> mission statement:
> Women In Black New York stand in silent vigil to protest war, rape as
> a
> tool of war, ethnic cleansing and human rights abuses all over the
> world. We are silent because mere words cannot express the tragedy
> that
> wars and hatred bring. We refuse to add to the cacophony of empty
> statements that are spoken with the best intentions yet may be erased
> or
> go unheard under the sound of a passing ambulance or a bomb exploding
> nearby.
>
> Our silence is visible. We invite women to stand with us, reflect
> about
> themselves and women who have been raped, tortured or killed in
> concentration camps, women who have disappeared, whose loved ones have
> disappeared or have been killed, whose homes have been demolished. We
> wear black as a symbol of sorrow for all victims of war, for the
> destruction of people, nature and the fabric of life.
>
> Women in Black is an international peace network. Women in Black is
> not
> an organization, but a means of mobilization and a formula for action.
> Women in Black vigils were started in Israel in 1988 by women
> protesting
> against Israel's Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Women in Black
> has developed in countries such as Italy, Spain, Germany, England,
> Azerbaijan, Colombia, and in FR Yugoslavia, where women in Belgrade
> have
> stood in weekly vigils since 1991 to protest war and the Serbian
> regime's policies of nationalist aggression. Women in Black groups
> have
> formed in many cities in the United States since September 11th.
> Women
> in Black New York have been holding vigils in solidarity with our
> sisters throughout the world since 1993.
>
> We stand in silent vigil in front of the New York Public Library at
> 5th
> Avenue and 41st Street every Wednesday from 5:30 - 6:30. Come join us.
>
> Donations may be sent to P.O. Box 20554, New York, NY 10021, and
> should
> be made payable to RACCOON, Inc., with WIB in the memo line.
> For information, please visit our website at http://womeninblack.net
> or
> call Indira at 212 560-0905.  E-mail [email protected] to get on
> our
> mailing list.  See also http://wib.matriz.net.