INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE "WOMEN FOR LIFE WITHOUT WARS AND VIOLENCE!" Переключиться на русский
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
"WOMEN FOR LIFE WITHOUT WARS AND VIOLENCE!"

St.Kalinina, 88
Novocherkassk, Rostov Region
Russian Federation, 346427
tel./fax (86352) 31936

St Streletskya, 6 - 28
Moscow,
Russian Federation, 127018
tel./fax (095) 2894050
E-mail: fdpr@aha.ru
PRESS RELEASE

On 17-18 of January in Rostov-Don II International always active conference "Women for Life Without Wars and Violence" discussing the issue of "Peace-Building in the Post-Conflict Era" took place.

Two hundred and sixty four representatives of women's and other non-governmental organizations (NGO) from 10 countries (Azerbaijan, Armenia, White Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Russia, USA, Ukraine, Swisserland), participated in the work of the conference. On behalf of Russian Federation representatives from 49 subjects (from Khabarovsk to Smolensk; from Arkhangelsk and Norilsk to Dagestan and Tyva) were present. Representatives of NGOs from Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Chechen Republic of Ichkeria also participated in the work of Conference.
Other than that 34 guests and 29 representatives of mass media were also present on the conference.

     MAIN RESULTS:

1. Compared to the first Rostov Conference (November 1996) the present forum was regarded with tenfold interest, witnessing not only the presence of the tangible need for that, but also the effectiveness of the first year of work. The participants were furnished with various materials including information about the execution of the "Women for the Peaceful Resolution of Interethnic Conflicts" program Adopted by the first conference (78 pages).

2. During the conference the "Peace-Building in the Post-Conflict Era" project-program was adopted. The program includes activities in three fields:

  • psychosocial adaptation and rehabilitation of individuals having stress and poststress disorders;
  • avoidance and non-violence resolution inter-ethnical conflicts and controversial questions;
  • the culture of no violence and peace.
    Each direction in the work is splitted and focused upon in the work of each section and subsection of the Conference, groups (coalitions) of women's or other NGOs which are going to realize these descrete suggestions.

    3. Having a leading line concrete action here and now the Conference has adopted a series of important decisions hence starting the realization of the "Peace-Building in the Post-Conflict Era" project-program:
    3.1. It was agreed to address the president of Russian Federation B.Yeltsin concerning the statement of the vice-premier of the RF Government and the RF minister of internal affairs A. Kulikov /06.01.98/.
    3.2. It was agreed to address the presidents of North Osetia Republic, Alania A. Dzasokhov and Ingushetia Republic R. Aushev about the execution of the program of Russian Federation, North Osetia Republic and Ingushetia Republic joint action concerning the consequences of Osetin-Ingush conflict, the treatment of the situation in the republics and the development of the peaceful process of regulation of the conflict.
    3.3. It was agreed to address the Georgian Government (Department of the Handicaps' Affairs) to express gratitude for the help provided in organization of the International rest camp for the children of soldiers killed in interethnical conflicts. The initiator of the camp is "To Soldiers' Memory" Foundation (leader Maya Buchukuri, participant of the conference).
    3.4. It was decided to create a mechanism of fast reaction and reply (chain information network) to enable the simultaneous emergency actions by women's and other NGOs which participated in the conference. The realization started on the Conference itself: 4 centers of this chain were defined(North-West, Povolzhye, Urals, West Siberia) which cover more than 35 subjects of Russian Federation included the organizations present on the conference which agreed to do that work and responsible for that.
    3.5. It was decided that right after their return the women participating in the Conference will summon meetings of their organizations' members, press-conferences, will forward publications to the Information Center of the conference.
    3.6. Accepting the suggestion of "Independent Newspaper" observer N. Azhgikhina, the editor of "Women's Line", it was decided to issue a regular (twice each quarter) International always active conference "Women for Life Without War and Violence" informational newsletter with the help of professional journalist women.
    3.7. Taking as their primary objective heeling the internal traumas of the people suffered from armed conflicts and prevention of the possible conflicts the participants of the Conference agreed to organize a series of seminars on the subject "Cleansing the Warrior", they also agreed to meet in Dagestan to discuss the question about the steps in stabilization of the situation in that region.

    4. Outside the official program of the Conference three round tables with the participation of representatives of women's and other NGOs from Azerbaijan-Armenia-Nagorno Karabakh, Abkhazia-Georgia, Russian Federation-Chechen Republic Ichkeria were held. On these the majority of the participants joint announcements about further development of the peaceful process of the conflict resolution, widening the dialogue of women's and other NGOs (folk diplomacy) real joint actions were adopted.
    In the work of "Dialogue of Russian and Chechen Women" round table participated killed soldiers' mothers who worked out a descrete plan of the search of death and lost soldiers of the Chechen war.

    5. Undertaking the most difficult problem of our days - peace-building in the post-conflict era the women again demonstrated an example of should human efforts be concentrated on a common affair, proved the possibility of union of people of different political points of view and belonging around that affair by a simple statement: "Women for Life Without War and Violence".

    6. The Conference acknowledged as the people of 1997:
  • Khadijad Gataeva - a Chechen woman who adopted 47 children of different nationalities (including Russian) who became orphans as a result of the Chechen war. Taking the advice of Z. Salakhova (Azerbaijan)the participants collected money for those children.
  • Vladimir Sherbakov - medical service Colonel who supervised and took part in the identification of Russian and soldiers killed in the Chechen war. The Mothers' comity members addressed the President of Russian Federation with a request to consider the possibility of furnishing V. Sherbakov with a high governmental award.

    7. Administrative and financial help to the Conference was provided by:
  • Russian Federation President Administration;
  • Open Society Institute (Soros foundation);
  • Incombank, Agroprom Bank, Center Invest, "Trust Consult" Co.;
  • Novocherkassk city administration;
  • "Gender Expertise" Project (Moscow);
  • Companies: "Molot" Publishing House, "Khleb"(Novocherkassk), "Novocherkassky molzavod", "Kavkaz", "Silit", Novocherkassk fuel base.
    Other than that many delegations (Abkhazia, Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh) were sponsored by their governments and organizations (International league of women for peace and freedom).
    The participants of the Conference expressed their deep gratitude to all the listed organizations.

    20 January 1998
    Moscow

    		 Valentina Cherevatenko -
    the Chairperson of the temporary coordinative council
    of international Conference "Women for Life Without Wars and
    Violence" and of the Union "Women of the Don Region".


    Marina Sallier -
    the Chairperson of the Editory Commission of international
    Conference "Women for Life Without Wars and Violence",
    member of the Political Consultative Council under the President of Russia.


    Natalia Mikhailova -
    the Executive Director of international Conference "Women
    for Life Without Wars and Violence" Information Center.