Background/Hopes/Her Stories

November 21, 2005

Dear Allies, Colleagues, Friends and Supporters:

We are organizing a retreat in May 2006 called Solidarity Work: Internationalist and Anti-Racist Women’s Human Rights. We are pleased to offer you this material as a way to introduce what we hope will become part of a longer campaign of organizing around anti-racist/internationalist women’s human rights.  

Our vision is one that is based on coalition work and alliance building—and we know that many of you have been doing this for years. We welcome your advice on how to shape this event in ways that make it something concrete and on-going in terms of organizing for effective change—within, and across, the various networks, specific issues, and organizations you/we are involved with.

We are looking for a balance between participants from global North and South with a special emphasis on grassroots organizing work around issues of “militarization,” understood broadly.

In the packet you will find the following material:

• A three page PRECIS document of what we envision, as of now.
• An application and statement of interest due January 10, 2006.
• A brief “bio list” of our Advisory Board and Organizing Team.

Please feel free to photocopy and circulate this material to anyone who you think would be interested in this event. You can also receive an electronic/digital copy of this information at solidaritywork@yahoo.com.  As we have emphasized through the material here, we would also like to hear back from folks who might not be able to make it but who are interested in being involved with some campaign/organizing in the long term.

Thank you so much for your consideration,

Solidarity Women Organizing Team