International: 'Women in Black' will hold their 14th International Encounter in Valencia, Spain (16-20 August 2007)
The watchwords of this year's encounter, "The relations between women as an alternative policy for Peace", try to stimulate the Women in Black to reflect on themselves, their diverse activities, evolution and future, also leaving room for women from other countries at war or suffering forgotten conflicts, which at the moment they are working on with the objective of placing women as essential elements for avoiding conflicts, attaining peace and/ or manage post conflicts.
About 400 women from 40 countries will attend the XIV international encounter coming from all continents, not only the 'hottest spots' such as Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan or Colombia; but also from countries whose hard realities and conflicts are not understood, are not known or have been forgotten.
The list includes women from Chechnya, Guatemala, Cyprus, Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, the ex-Yugoslavia, the Congo, Zimbabwe, India, the Philippines, Australia, to American women (where an ample network of groups of Women in Black exist), and a very representative block of European women as much from the European Union as from the ex-East Europe.
The acts will take place in the Hall of Residence, Galileo Galilei, located in the Valencian capital, where those assisting will also be accommodated. Throughout the four days a series of plenary acts and meetings in workshops will take place, and cultural and recreational sessions will be celebrated.
On Sunday 19th of August a demonstration will be held on the Malvarrosa beach at 20:00 hours, where the 400 internationalists will give a performance dressed in black and in silence.
We hope that, with the aid of the Valencian media and of the Spanish State, -the same with international media- we can achieve the repercussion that this encounter deserves. Peace needs friends. The voices of the women who struggle to avoid being victims of wars and violence and to be the protagonists of peace processes, are much needed in a world so heavily militarized.