• The IFWF guarantees that, on the basis of freedom of thought and humanity, women can play an active part in the development of peace and democracy, and within this framework, in the promotion of the development of social and peaceful relations.

• The IFWF struggles against all forms of militarism, fascism, nationalism and discrimination (including that between men and women), by taking peaceful resolution of social questions as its basis.                                              

Opening Event of IFWF, September 2001

"Women: many languages, many colours, many realities - one hope", was the theme of the opening celebration of the Internationaln, which took place on September, 15^th 2001 in Amsterdam. By this theme we express our hope connected with the active endeavour of women in the whole world for peace and justice.

Creating a platform for exchanges of ideas and experiences by giving activists from women’s and peace movements from different parts of the world the opportunity to present their views and projects are important steps for overcoming prejudices and discrimination as well as for building up stable networks of solidarity. Thus women often play an important part in bringing together communities that had been divided as a result of nationalist ideologies and wars.  But women’s engagement in these fields is often not recognized. While women play a vital part in the societies who create the conditions for peace processes as we could see for example in former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Turkey/Kurdistan or Northern Ireland, peace talks are often led by men in responsible positions. They are often not able to take the specifics needs of women or even women’s basic rights into account. Reports of the United Nations confirm this insufficiency: “All but 26 States have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, making it the second most widely ratified human rights treaty. (…) Despite calls for gender equality, women are significantly under-represented in Governments, political parties and at the United Nations.”  (The World's Women 2000: Trends and Statistics).

To abolish this imbalance we see it as important to strengthen the role of women and their abilities to express themselves within a lasting development of peace and democracy by taking peaceful solutions as the basis for resolving conflicts.In this framework, women representatives of different institutions from the Netherlands, other European countries, Turkey, Kurdistan and Egypt joined the Information and Solidarity Event on September 15^th.  As well as speeches in which women explained their standpoints on the importance of women’s struggle for equality, democracy and peace, a rich cultural program accompanied the speeches. And in particular, the deep shock after the events on September 11^th in the United States made every speaker emphasize the crucial meaning of such meetings and the strengthening of women’s activities against violence and war.

After the opening speech, held by the President of the IFWF, Mrs. Gönül Kaya, Mrs. Elvira Sweet congratulated the event in the name of the City Council of Amsterdam. This was followed by speeches from Mrs. Shereen Abou El Naga (Arab Women’s Solidarity Association/Egypt), Mrs. Ellen Diederich (International Women’s Peace Archive/Germany) and Messages of Suna Parlak from the Tigris Women’s Cultural Centre/Istanbul and from Berivan Kum from the Amargi Women’s Co-operative/Istanbul. Further greeting messages have been sent by several personalities and institutions as for example by the Peace Mothers (Turkey/Kurdistan); Mrs. Leyla Zana (former Kurdish MP of the DEP); Mrs. Sylvie Jan (Women’s International Democratic Federation/France); MEP Feleknas Uca; Mrs. Brigitte Schubert (Women’s Initiative for the Freedom of Leyla Zana) and others. The cultural part of the program was arranged by musicians and artists from different cultures and styles, ranging from contributions of classical music by the Kurdish pianist Naze and the opera singer Diyana Wekil to contemporary Kurdish music in the different dialects of the Kurdish language by the musicians Gülistan Perwer, Beser Sahin, Merziye Razazi and the group Venge Sodiri. The Latin American musician Guadeloupe Urbina and the Dutch musician Winanda del Sur presented their songs. During the event, the visitors also showed a big interest in the exhibition of the Kurdish painters Dilvin Shengali and Farzaneh Ghorishi.

Diyana Wekil

Guadeloupe Urbina

  Opening-Speech
  by the Chairwoman of the International Free Women´s Foundation 

"Dear Friends and guests,
with today’s gathering, we declare the opening of the International Free Women´s Foundation to the world’s  public. This Foundation has been set up in a period when humanity is searching for solutions to severe problems. Now, the world is going through big changes in terms of societies as well as regarding international balances. The unsolved problems of the 20^th century have been carried over to the 21^st century, solutions are still required. Unfortunately present systems and politics were not able to produce such solutions. By permanently delaying them they became more and more deadlocked and the reason for social explosions.
We have to evaluate the present system and its politics as a result of male mentality. This mentality has led the world into the bitter experience of two world wars, destruction, the threat of weapons of mass destruction, hunger, migration, prostitution, trafficking of women and children, the exploitation of children and segregation of societies. Instead of seeking for a real solution of these problems through democracy and peace-building, they have been increased through bloodshed and warfare.

The disaster experienced in the USA on September 11^th is also a part of this mentality. We condemn the attack leading to the death and the injuries of thousands of people by remembering those who have lost their lives. These events showed that this logic immediately has to be brought to an end. Peoples´ longing for a peaceful, free and democratic life has to become reality. The responsibility for realizing such a world belongs to us women. Every part of the society we have to confront and influence with a women´s point of view, which means creativity instead of destruction and exploitation. Every woman -from Japanese women of Hiroshima who still carry the scars of the A-bomb to Chinese women who invented a language understood only by women, from Hindustani women who struggle to survive to the Native American women striving to protect their culture and their  existence, from the enlightened European women who stand up against all injustices to Middle Eastern women who resist the depopulation of their homelands and their  own annihilation- is the architect of a much needed women’s system.

We believe in the importance of recreating women´s power by educating and advancing ourselves in all fields of the social, economic and cultural life. And this is one of the most important aims of our foundation. By recovering our own nature and identities we will improve the solidarity among women worldwide, and set free the beauties which remain hidden inside of us. (…)"

Speech of Shereen Abou El Naga (AWSA, Egypt)

"On behalf of Nawal El Sa’dawi, on behalf of the members of the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association, I warmly and heartily congratulate every woman who participated in launching this event. We wish you all success and luck in a world that makes it hard for women to become themselves. (…) Starting from the 70’s the power of the Islamists has been rising and snowballing as known by all of us. We can see the consequences all over the world: Afghanistan, Algeria, Nigeria, Iran, Sudan and many other places. Everywhere, those fundamental regimes are highly obsessed with women, who are believed to be the bearers of cultural values. It is through women that societies declare their identities. Veil women and islamize society, unveil women and secularize society. As if things are that simple.
This is how we were brought up. The house is for women, the street for men; the cooking and kids for women, politics and decision-making for men. Women are related to the sacred private sphere, while men are related to courageous public sphere. Why do I feel that there is a universal discourse?

(…) We should by now be sure that the woman’s question is not just conferences to be held or conventions to be signed. Solving the problem needs a hard struggle to link the private and the public, to integrate them, to understand that the personal is political. If we do that we will then be able to eliminate our double standards and schizophrenia. Let’s push the problem of domestic violence into the public; let’s talk about decision-making, let’s talk about launching missiles and F16, bombs, nuclear weapons…etc. They bomb and we heal, they go to war and we cry over their death, they use nuclear weapons and our children suffer from cancer. Let’s shatter all barriers, falsely erected, between the house and the street. Let’s eliminate this vicious dichotomy; only then we can change the infrastructure and the mentality.

Solidarity is a sustained ongoing process that does not require the eradication of differences or the wiping of disagreements. We can be sisters united by shared interests and beliefs, united in our understanding and acceptance of diversity, united in our struggle to end oppression and to stop violence. Let’s argue, confront, disagree, and mobilize; but, let’s not hurt or kill. Let’s not steal the dream of solidarity, the dream of digging deep in our souls to bring out the abundance of strength.
We did not choose our colours, we did not choose our languages, we did not choose our realities, we did not choose to lose our security, we did not choose to go into war, and we did not choose to kill. We firmly choose to better the world, to lessen blood, to love ourselves, to believe in our strength, to believe in humanity. In feminist solidarity I thank you all for giving me this opportunity to meet all those wonderful women.”  

Message of Leyla Zana,
former Kurdish MP of the Peoples Democracy Party (DEP) political prisoner in Turkey since March 1994

Dear Friends, Precious Guests;

                                        I deeply greet your difficult however gracious,                                         honourable and determined walk for freedom.
                                                  Let me tell you that I believe you’ll be an answer                                         to woman’s 4 thousand years of history of pain                                         through forming her organizations, being a                                         medicine to her wounds and a light to her            e                                      darkened world. We see and live the basic conflict                                         of the 21^st century in all areas of life and throughout history. As the woman is made more and more into an object, her mobility is limited,time and opportunities have been developing to her disadvantage.
Life itself became more mechanical; it lost its taste, colour, smell and most important of all its soul. The grieving incidence lately experienced in the USA on the September, 11^th has also shown that the male dominance may have created many objects and aimed to reach the most advanced technology, glorious buildings and a luxurious life. And presumed that it had the solution for everything. However they were wrong. The history has shown once again that even the most ideal systems, if they do not put the human being itself in their centre, cannot be forever. This is why the women should prepare themselves for this century and make life liveable. In science, politics, economy, arts and culture we should bring out our talents and have an influence. Hence retrieve back the human being and humanity. And thus create the new human being and society. This historical duty should be the duty of creative women.

Foundations, associations and all NGO’s are the most important means of developing and specializing in all areas of life, grasping the century and creating the free and new human being. I can see even from this moment the services of the International Free Women’s Foundation to peace and humanity without discrimination against religion, language, race and gender.

Through feelings that get their nutrition from the light and warmth of the sun I hug you all, wish you success and send you my love and regards.

Leyla Zana,
September, 14^th 2001
Closed Prison of Ankara