Kurdish National Congress
The First International Conference on Kurdish Women for Peace and Equality
Date: March 8th 2007 (International Women’s Day)
Place: Southern Kurdistan (Exact location to be announced)
The Kurdish National Congress of North America intends to hold a conference about Kurdish Women in Greater Kurdistan (Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria) and in the Diaspora.
The conference will be held in Southern Kurdistan and will be focused on the role of Kurdish women in politics, science, art, and history inside Kurdistan and in Diaspora as well as marginal participation of women in politics. Kurdish Women compose half of the citizens in Kurdish society. Opportunities for women to be represented in political bodies and to have influence in political matters are important yardsticks of democracy and thus an integral indication of social development and democratization processes in the region. Increasing the active participation of women in politics and the representation of women in positions of power remains a crucial and critical step towards obtaining gender balance in Kurdish society. At the same time it is important to examine the "gender" of politics, science, art, and the implications of gender in the political, scientific and artistic aspects of life in Kurdistan. “It is our contention that true peace, referred to in the peace studies literature as “positive peace” is only possible under conditions of just and fair gender relations, respect for democratic rights and freedoms, and equal opportunities for economic, social and intellectual development across age, class, ethnicity and gender.”
The conference will address both quantitative and qualitative aspects of Kurdish women’s role in politics, science and art. Studies on women and politics have suggested a variety of possible explanations for the paucity of women leaders and the marginalization of women in politics. These include electoral systems, party systems, gender-role socialization, women's movement, political culture, religion, and women's representation among professions from which potential leaders are drawn. The conference looks at both obstacles/constraints to progress and the emerging practices/strategies leading to progress, and encourages both structurally oriented and actor-oriented explanations for either the lack or the increase of women in political bodies, sciences and art in different cultural, political and developmental contexts across Kurdistan.
As for the qualitative aspect of Kurdish women and politics, science and art, and history the conference will address issues concerning gender and power relations. The conference will look into alternatives or informal channels of participation, Kurdish women's exercise of power through these channels, and Kurdish women's role in influencing political, science and art agendas. Moreover, the conference will address the impact of diverse political discourses and religious systems on shaping the status quo. It will examine what political options these discourses provide for women and how women maneuver within or across different political discourses.
We are looking forward to hear from you or, even better, to see you at the conference. Please call us if you have any questions:
International Kurdish Women’s Conference Coordinators
Chair of Kurdish Women’s Conference
Soraya Fallah
e-mail:sorayaf40@yahoo.com &soraya@vokradio.com
cell#:(818)434 9609 & (818)7000933
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<
Call for papers
International Conference on Kurdish Women
for Peace and Equality
Background
Kurdish women have played a vital role in their societies and in Kurdish political and social movements. Despite this evident fact, women in Kurdish societies have been overlooked and at times neglected. We are striving to emphasize the importance of women’s participation in social and political life, and to highlight the essential part our unsung heroes have played in bringing us to where we are today.
In this light, the “Kurdish Women’s Conference Coordinator Committee” is pleased to announce the upcoming “International Conference on Kurdish Women for Peace and Equality” in Kurdistan. The conference is organized by the Kurdish National Congress (KNC) of North America, and will be held in Erbil (Hewler) on March 8th, and Sulaimany on March 11th, 2007 . Kurdish Women are embracing their position as integral part of civil society and moving forward to claim their natural place in Kurdistan.
Topics
➢ Gender and Nation Building in Kurdistan.
o Gender, democracy and statehood in Kurdistan
o Women, power and political representation in Kurdistan and in Iraq opportunities and challenges
o The role of women in conflict negotiations and peace-building and
o The role of gender equality in strengthening democracy and peace
o Economic inequity and how can we increase the chances of women in building small businesses and economic growth in Kurdish society and in Kurdistan
➢ Religious - questioning faith, reason and human rights
o Theocracy, redefining gender roles at home and in society
o Kurdish women and the construction of civil society.
o Engaging men in women issue
➢ Violence against women in public and in private (at home/domestic violence)
o Honor killings as utmost advanced violence against women in Kurdish society, historical aspect
o Cruelty, self mutilation and suicide among women
o Psychosocial aspect of violence in a generation
o Economic violence, and abuse
o Cultural and religious violence
o Societal violence, political violence and state violence.
Suggestions for additional sub-themes within the overall theme are also welcome.
The conference is multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary and welcomes papers from the social, experimental sciences, and the humanities.
Since the conference organizers will not be responsible for paper circulation, it is important that you mail your paper to this address, once the paper is accepted please print out the papers you have received (accepted papers) and takes the papers with you to the conference. This address is only for the purpose of paper circulation
Proposals
You are invited to submit a proposal for a 10-15 minute original paper presentation on any aspect of the conference theme or related topics. Panels and poster presentations will also be considered. The proposal (one page maximum) must include: name(s), personal title(s), institutional affiliation(s), paper title, abstract (100 word maximum), biographical details of presenter(s) (100 word maximum), and contact details. The deadline for submissions is February1st, 2007. Please send the abstract paper presentation to the following address knc@KURDISHNATIONALCONGRESS.ORG , womenconference@vokradio.com and soraya@vokradio.com
Timeline
Proposals Due .................................................February 1st, 2007
Notification of Acceptance...............................February 8th , 2007
Papers Due......................................................February 15th, 2007
Conference.......................................................March 8th ,and 11th 2007
Logistics
- The Conference will be open to the public.
Conference participants will be responsible for their airfare (flight tickets and insurance) The guests are not responsible for their local travel, and accommodation.
The Conference will be conducted in Kurdish and English.
Publication
The Coordinator Committee will review conference papers and may consider them for publication. Final papers will be selected and authors/presenters will be notified of their selection for final presentation. A final copy of the paper is required before the conference (give a date when papers are required)
REGISTRATION FORM
Please type the requested information below as you would like it to appear on your name badge. Please complete a form for each person attending and submit prior to Feb 15th.
Name_____________________________________________________________Title ________________________________________
Company/Agency/affiliation___________________________________________Address___________________________________________________________ State or country _______________ Zip_______________
Work Phone ___________________________
Home Phone_____________________________
Fax ____________________________
E-Mail _______________________________________
Website_________________________
Language ________________________________
Presentation title_________________________________
You can simply e-mail your information via address provided on contact information.
The First International Conference on Kurdish Women for Peace and Equality
Date: March 8th 2007 (International Women’s Day)
Place: Southern Kurdistan (Exact location to be announced)
The Kurdish National Congress of North America intends to hold a conference about Kurdish Women in Greater Kurdistan (Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria) and in the Diaspora.
The conference will be held in Southern Kurdistan and will be focused on the role of Kurdish women in politics, science, art, and history inside Kurdistan and in Diaspora as well as marginal participation of women in politics. Kurdish Women compose half of the citizens in Kurdish society. Opportunities for women to be represented in political bodies and to have influence in political matters are important yardsticks of democracy and thus an integral indication of social development and democratization processes in the region. Increasing the active participation of women in politics and the representation of women in positions of power remains a crucial and critical step towards obtaining gender balance in Kurdish society. At the same time it is important to examine the "gender" of politics, science, art, and the implications of gender in the political, scientific and artistic aspects of life in Kurdistan. “It is our contention that true peace, referred to in the peace studies literature as “positive peace” is only possible under conditions of just and fair gender relations, respect for democratic rights and freedoms, and equal opportunities for economic, social and intellectual development across age, class, ethnicity and gender.”
The conference will address both quantitative and qualitative aspects of Kurdish women’s role in politics, science and art. Studies on women and politics have suggested a variety of possible explanations for the paucity of women leaders and the marginalization of women in politics. These include electoral systems, party systems, gender-role socialization, women's movement, political culture, religion, and women's representation among professions from which potential leaders are drawn. The conference looks at both obstacles/constraints to progress and the emerging practices/strategies leading to progress, and encourages both structurally oriented and actor-oriented explanations for either the lack or the increase of women in political bodies, sciences and art in different cultural, political and developmental contexts across Kurdistan.
As for the qualitative aspect of Kurdish women and politics, science and art, and history the conference will address issues concerning gender and power relations. The conference will look into alternatives or informal channels of participation, Kurdish women's exercise of power through these channels, and Kurdish women's role in influencing political, science and art agendas. Moreover, the conference will address the impact of diverse political discourses and religious systems on shaping the status quo. It will examine what political options these discourses provide for women and how women maneuver within or across different political discourses.
We are looking forward to hear from you or, even better, to see you at the conference. Please call us if you have any questions:
International Kurdish Women’s Conference Coordinators
Chair of Kurdish Women’s Conference
Soraya Fallah
e-mail:sorayaf40@yahoo.com &soraya@vokradio.com
cell#:(818)434 9609 & (818)7000933
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<
Call for papers
International Conference on Kurdish Women
for Peace and Equality
Background
Kurdish women have played a vital role in their societies and in Kurdish political and social movements. Despite this evident fact, women in Kurdish societies have been overlooked and at times neglected. We are striving to emphasize the importance of women’s participation in social and political life, and to highlight the essential part our unsung heroes have played in bringing us to where we are today.
In this light, the “Kurdish Women’s Conference Coordinator Committee” is pleased to announce the upcoming “International Conference on Kurdish Women for Peace and Equality” in Kurdistan. The conference is organized by the Kurdish National Congress (KNC) of North America, and will be held in Erbil (Hewler) on March 8th, and Sulaimany on March 11th, 2007 . Kurdish Women are embracing their position as integral part of civil society and moving forward to claim their natural place in Kurdistan.
Topics
➢ Gender and Nation Building in Kurdistan.
o Gender, democracy and statehood in Kurdistan
o Women, power and political representation in Kurdistan and in Iraq opportunities and challenges
o The role of women in conflict negotiations and peace-building and
o The role of gender equality in strengthening democracy and peace
o Economic inequity and how can we increase the chances of women in building small businesses and economic growth in Kurdish society and in Kurdistan
➢ Religious - questioning faith, reason and human rights
o Theocracy, redefining gender roles at home and in society
o Kurdish women and the construction of civil society.
o Engaging men in women issue
➢ Violence against women in public and in private (at home/domestic violence)
o Honor killings as utmost advanced violence against women in Kurdish society, historical aspect
o Cruelty, self mutilation and suicide among women
o Psychosocial aspect of violence in a generation
o Economic violence, and abuse
o Cultural and religious violence
o Societal violence, political violence and state violence.
Suggestions for additional sub-themes within the overall theme are also welcome.
The conference is multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary and welcomes papers from the social, experimental sciences, and the humanities.
Since the conference organizers will not be responsible for paper circulation, it is important that you mail your paper to this address, once the paper is accepted please print out the papers you have received (accepted papers) and takes the papers with you to the conference. This address is only for the purpose of paper circulation
Proposals
You are invited to submit a proposal for a 10-15 minute original paper presentation on any aspect of the conference theme or related topics. Panels and poster presentations will also be considered. The proposal (one page maximum) must include: name(s), personal title(s), institutional affiliation(s), paper title, abstract (100 word maximum), biographical details of presenter(s) (100 word maximum), and contact details. The deadline for submissions is February1st, 2007. Please send the abstract paper presentation to the following address knc@KURDISHNATIONALCONGRESS.ORG , womenconference@vokradio.com and soraya@vokradio.com
Timeline
Proposals Due .................................................February 1st, 2007
Notification of Acceptance...............................February 8th , 2007
Papers Due......................................................February 15th, 2007
Conference.......................................................March 8th ,and 11th 2007
Logistics
- The Conference will be open to the public.
Conference participants will be responsible for their airfare (flight tickets and insurance) The guests are not responsible for their local travel, and accommodation.
The Conference will be conducted in Kurdish and English.
Publication
The Coordinator Committee will review conference papers and may consider them for publication. Final papers will be selected and authors/presenters will be notified of their selection for final presentation. A final copy of the paper is required before the conference (give a date when papers are required)
REGISTRATION FORM
Please type the requested information below as you would like it to appear on your name badge. Please complete a form for each person attending and submit prior to Feb 15th.
Name_____________________________________________________________Title ________________________________________
Company/Agency/affiliation___________________________________________Address___________________________________________________________ State or country _______________ Zip_______________
Work Phone ___________________________
Home Phone_____________________________
Fax ____________________________
E-Mail _______________________________________
Website_________________________
Language ________________________________
Presentation title_________________________________
You can simply e-mail your information via address provided on contact information.
