International Bulletin - Fall 1997
Strengthen Yourself Before You Can Strengthen Others - "Accept and Live the Miracle of the Moment"
At our PPSEAWA Conference in Malaysia I heard both of these wise sayings and remembered them, little realising they would become of great significance while I was in Norway. What was I doing in Norway you might well ask? So soon after Malaysia? It was all a miracle which I accepted and lived each moment.
The meeting in Norway, to which I was invited as an observer, was to do with the Culture of Peace Programme organised by UNESCO. Specifically, it was an Expert Group meeting on Male Roles and Masculinities in the Perspective of a Culture of Peace, which took place from 24 to 28 September in Oslo in cooperation with the Norwegian National Commission for UNESCO with the support of the Norweigan Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the council of Europe, the National Council of Ministers, the UN Division for the Advancement of Women, and the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women.
The draft note sent prior to the meeting stated that " the meeting is expected to contribute to a broadened understanding of gender socialisation within different cultural contexts and its implications for the development of a culture of peace, with special focus on the socialisation of boy children and men." I was a fascinated listener and the range of subjects was mind expanding. The speakers came from all over the world, their backgrounds and subjects varied, but they all had one thing in common; they were serious about finding ways toward developing a Culture of Peace. That was their commitment. Their message was loud and clear; we cannot afford ignorance. Here are just a few of the subjects so you will understand the depth and breadth of the topics that were covered.
Robert Connell, Australia, "Arms and the Man: Using the new research on masculinity to understand violence and promote peace in the contemporary world."
Oystein Gullvag Holter, Norway, "Gendering peace: on war/peace masculinities and patriachal orders."
Michael Kimmel, USA, "Reducing men's violence: the personal meets the political.
Michael Kaufman, Canada, "Working with men and boys to challenge sexism, end men's violence and redefine masculinity."
Constantina Safilios-Rothchild, Greece, "The negative side of development interventions and gender transactions: Impoverished male roles threatened peace."
Svetlana Slapsak, Slovenia, "Hunting, ruling, sacrificing: traditional practices of manhood in modern Balkan cultures."
George Tillner, Austria, "Masculinity and Xenophobia".
Lourdes Quisumbing, Philippines, "Values education in the family and in the school."
All of the speakers made a valuable contribution to the meeting and I was deeply grateful for the opportunity to be present. I travelled a long way from my Pacific island to get to the meeting in Norway, but all the way there and back my heart was filled with appreciation to those who had made it possible for me to attend. Shirley Munyan PPSEAWA Representative to UNESCO; Ingeborg Breines, Director, Women and the Culture of Peace, Paris; and Mari Hareide, Secretary General to the Norwegian National Commission for UNESCO.
I would like to especially recongize the kindness of Mari Hareide with whom I stayed in Norway and also Fay Dunke, Vice President, Hawaii Chapter for caring for me in Honolulu on my way home. I have returned strengthened in mind and spirit; with a new vision to share with others in our region and our organisation. The conference in Malaysia and the meeting in Norway both generated strength of purpose; and the purpose of PPSEAWA will always remind me of the words "strengthen yourself before you can strengthen others."
In 1995, there was an expert group meeting in Manila and the fascilitators report contained some valuable and inspiring words for us to understand. "Building a culture of peace is a dynamic and multidimensional process which involves changing values, beliefs and behaviours and overcoming prejudices from everyday life situations. Countries and groups seeking peaceful solutions to conflict need to consider the welfare of the individual. Peace is a process. In order to contribute to a culture of peace, we need to liberate the potential for creativity. New ways of knowing and understanding are to be discovered. New social skills have to be developed and learned."
As we move into the new millennium, dynamic action is needed if we are to make real moves towards a culture of peace. We have the capacity to initiate a positive change in the betterment of life for all, but we must act on that vision now. PPSEAWA is serious about its concern for the rights of humanity and respect for life, but we need to pay attention to that concern, for it was never been more needed than it is today.
Editor's note: Paddy Walker, one of 15 NGO's attending the Oslo meeting, was invited by Ingeborg Breines because of Paddy's many papers and talks about women and peace.
Last Modified: November 29, 2002