dispatches

Burmese Women’s Groups to World: Hold the Applause

Posted in Militarism, Violence & Conflict on November 1st, 2012 by

Burma has most recently been in the news for the “return” of beloved pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and the signaling by world leaders that the decades-long sanctions on the country will soon be lifted. Yet the Burmese women’s groups speaking today on the panel, “Women Resisting Militarized Development in Burma,” said: not so fast. Speakers […]

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Dispatches from AWID 2012: The New World War? Fundamentalism vs. Human Rights

Posted in Culture & Religion on November 1st, 2012 by

The rise of religious fundamentalisms is having a profound impact on rights, in every sense, in every region of the world, from Sudan to the United States. If you think you’re free of it, think again. In the panel, “Ongoing Dilemmas: Religion, fundamentalisms and human rights,” human rights advocates and progressive religious representatives discussed the ways […]

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Dispatches from AWID 2012: A Day in the Life of a Sex Worker

Posted in Labour & Work on November 1st, 2012 by

“Everyone in society knows all about ‘prostitution,’ or ‘the big ‘P’,’ but no one knows about the real lives of sex workers.” So began the session “…7 hours and 55 Minutes: Exploring money and work in sex work,” an educational game designed by sex workers and presented by the Empower Foundation, a Thailand-based sex workers’ collective […]

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Dispatches from AWID 2012: Queer Economics

Posted in Sexuality on November 1st, 2012 by

What does our sexuality have to do with our economic freedom and power? A lot, but it’s complicated. In the panel, “Highlighting the InterSEXions: Sexuality, economy, and LBGT Rights,” queer rights advocates and researchers from the United States, Uganda, and the Philippines spoke about specific ways in which hetero-normative and capitalist, patriarchal society keeps the […]

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