[WA-News] Intersections - Issue 1 - Part 2

[jradloff at iafrica.com]

Intersections – Covering Gender @ the WCAR NGO Forum, Durban 2001
Issue 1 – Part 2
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This bulletin is an APC-Africa-Women project, implemented by Women’sNet South 
Africa. 
For the full version or to add your stories and information please go to:
http://www.apc.org/intersections

About us:
Women’sNet is a joint project of the Southern African Non-Governmental 
Organisation Network (SANGONeT) and the Commission on Gender Equality. It is a 
vibrant and innovative networking support program designed to empower South 
African women to use the Internet to find the people, issues, resources and 
tools they need for Social Action.
http://www.womensnet.org.za
 
APC-Africa-Women is a network of organisations and individuals that work to 
empower African women's organisations to access and use Information and 
Communication Technologies (ICTs) for equality and development. (APC stands for 
Association for Progressive Communications)
http://www.enda.sn/synfev/apcfemafr/indexapc.html
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Items in Issue 1 – Part 2

*Gender Events at WCAR
* Poetry – Mama Wipe your Tears by Righteous the Common Man
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Gender Related Events at the WCAR
This is not an exhaustive list but rather an example of what is happening 
around gender at WCAR.

Roundtable discussion on gender, race and exclusion and launch of a gender 
gateway www.siyanda.org

Roundtable on Colonialism, slavery and reparations

Live radio broadcasts – FIRE PLACES : Voices without brackets 
http://www.fire.or.cr

Grassroot women sharing their experiences : Breaking Boundaries – United in our 
Diversity organised by Ilitha Labantu

International seminar on Racism, Xenophobia and Gender organised by Lola 
Feminst Magazine

Grassroots women speak on slavery as a form of oppression : Contemporary forms 
of slavery and other forms of oppression organised by Ilitha Labantu

Unmarking Bodies organised by Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era

Gender and racism in South Africa – Historical perspectives organised by 
Masimanyane Womens’ Support Centre


Poetry
Mama Wipe Your Tears by Righteous the Common Man

>From the first moment of my consciousness
My perception of you was that you are the greatest
Ever since that moment you’ve been to me
the only goddess I know and respect
Many have tried to deny the value of your presence
and yet they survived by sucking milk from your breasts
Your existence has always been the essence of life to mankind 
Mama pleeze wipe your tears
Echoes of your cries in my heart is all I hear
Swallow your fears coz the glorious times are near
Mama pleeze wipe your tears 
For so many centuries you’ve been in misery
coz only you can comprehend the complexities of your tragedies
you’d always manage to overcome adversities
Your hospitality has caused you so many enemies
because they were guided by selfish needs, vanity and greed
They turned many of your children into hungry beasts
Divide and rule was the golden rule of these subhuman beings
They are the fools who glorify destructive tools 
Their passion is orchestration of atrocities
But they’ll always fail to diminish your everlasting spirit
Mama pleeze wipe your tears
Echoes of your cries in my heart is all I hear
Swallow your fears coz the glorious times are near
Mama pleeze wipe your tears

[End of Issue 1 Part 2]


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