TORONTO, May 30: From May 23-25, Nobel Peace Laureates Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi and Mairead Maguire led an unprecedented conference in Canada, to develop strategies for ending rape as a weapon of war.
According to a statement from Mary D Khuvung of Control Arms Foundation of India, they were joined by over 120 civil society activists, corporate and security sector leaders, military and peacekeeping personnel, and academics to discuss and share ideas at the conference, entitled Women Forging a New Security: Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict.
According to Nobel Women`s Initiative who organised the Conference, “Sexual violence takes place in every region of the world, with the reasons for its use varying from conflict to conflict. It has been used as a tactic to terrorize communities suspected of supporting guerrilla forces, as a way to force population off land, and to punish human rights defenders”, it added.
“Waging war on the bodies of women has got to stop,” says Jody Williams, who won the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for her work to end anti-personnel landmines. “Like any tactic of war, it can be eliminated.The magnitude of the problem must be matched by our collective effort. Working together, we can finally bring an end to this scourge on women and their communities.”
The statement also stated that Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and honorary member of the Nobel Women`s Initiative, Aung San Suu Kyi also sent a video message emphasizing the critical importance of ending sexual violence in conflict.
On 26 May, which was declared as international day of action against sexual violence in conflict, the three Nobel Peace Laureates called upon concerned people and nations from around the world to TAKE A STAND to end rape in war, it added.
Binalakshmi Nepram, Founder of the Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network who participated in the conference spoke about the situation in Manipur and in India`s Northeast Region and the non-violent ways of unique protests in which women in Manipur and Northeast India have undertaken to respond to sexual violence against women in conflict zones, the statement added.
A declaration was also unanimously adopted at the historic conference which called up Government of India, Manipur and other Northeast Indian states and also to non-state armed groups to stop violence against women in conflict areas and work to protect women.
According to the statement, the conference has resolved that, “We, 120 women from 33 countries including three women Nobel Peace Laureates gathered at the conference “Women Forging a New Security: Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict” in Montebello, Canada, May 23-25, 2011, call upon the Governments of India and the state of Manipur and other Northeast Indian states and non-state armed groups operating in the region to end violence against women in Manipur and Northeast India. We declare our solidarity with Irom Sharmila and hundreds of thousands of women in Manipur and India`s Northeast region who have non-violently resisted militarization in the name of insurgency and counter-insurgency. We call upon the Government of India to uphold its democratic values by repealing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958. We call on all parties to cease attacks on the civilian population and seek peaceful solutions”.
Bomb attack decried
Imphal, May 30 (Newmai News Network): The Ukhrul District Congress Committee and also the North East chapter of Jesus Gospel Ministry (JGM-NE) have condemned the bomb attack at the office of Autonomous District Council (ADC) located at Khuman Lampak sports complex in Imphal on May 28.
Three persons–a woman and her two daughters–were injured in the explosion on Saturday morning. Till date no organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Ukhrul District Congress Committee termed the Saturday incident as “undesirable bomb attacking culture targetting the innocent people. The Commiittee then appealed those elements responsible for such act to abstain from repeating in future.
Meanwhile, the Jesus Gospel Ministry-North East India (JGM-NEI) while asking the people involved in the May 28 incident to identify themselves, has said that such act is against any religion. “No religion permits such cruelty,” said Ashang Kasar who is the director of the JGM-NEI. He also said that acts of violence will not bring any good for the society but only more problems.
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