Women from across the globe to discuss visions for future in international conference

The Second International Conference of the Network Women Weaving the Future will be held on the 5th and 6th of November in Berlin, Germany.

Berlin Technical University will host the conference organized by women's groups including International Women's Alliance (IWA), Free Women's Movement (TJA), Feministas del Abya Yala and Jineoloji Center.

"Inspired by the revolution in Rojava"

Stating that they have been inspired by the revolution in Rojava (South and East Syria) in developing their vision to build a political and societal system based on women's autonomy, the organizers say in a declaration:

"With the help of the state, the patriarchal and capitalist system deepens its methods to deprive women, peoples, workers, farmers, and laborers of their right to live. Today, everywhere, we are confronted with war, occupation, violence, with femicide, genocide, and ecocide (...) The struggles of our sisters from places like Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, the Philippines, Brazil, and the US show us that this century has the potential of being the century of women’s and peoples’ freedom. It can be the era of carrying our struggles from the local to the universal. Now it is time to weave our future together through common struggle!"

Sessions

On the first day of the conference, there will be a plenary session on "State Violence Over Society and Women," "Ecocide: The Subordination and Colonization of Nature," "Making Invisible Labor Visible: Women’s Unpaid and Low-Paid Labor," which will be followed by several workshops.

The first session on the second day is to include three separate discussions under the title, "Becoming: The Desired Life Will Come Not through Miracles but through Revolution."

The following session, similarly, will hold three discussions on "Our Vision: Building Free Life."

The last session of the day is titled, "Finding Our Way." The idea of a "Supranational Women’s Organization" and the "Proposal for Woman’s World Democratic Confederalism" will be discussed by the speakers.

Speakers

The speakers at the conference include:

- Meghan Bodette, Director of Research at the Kurdish Peace Institute based in Washington DC

- Nilüfer Koç from the Kurdistan National Congress

- Mariam Rawl, member of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)

- Lolita Chavez, member of the Consejo de Pueblos K'iche's (CPK), from Guatemala

- Ariel Salleh, sociologist and eco-feminist, from Australia

- Genevieve Vaughan, independent researcher, author and editor of several books

- Kavita Krishnan, feminist, activist with the All India Progressive Women's Association

- Rahila Gupta, journalist, writer, activist and a long standing member of Southall Black Sisters in UK

- Niemat Kuku Mohamed, representative of the Sudanese Women's Movement

- Dilar Dirik, political sociologist and writer

- Dr. Anjila Al Maamari, consultant on issues including citizenship, democracy, peacebuilding and women's rights, from Yemen

- Marta Dillon, writer, journalist and lesbian feminist activist from Argentina

- Elif Kaya, member of the Jineoloji Academy

- Jules Falquet, professor of philosophy, lesbian and feminist activist

- Benedetta Argentieri, journalist, writer, documentary film director, from Italy

- Deniz Abukan, activist with the Free Women's Movement (TJA), from Kurdistan, Turkey

- Jade Daniels, narrative strategist, author, interdisciplinary and digital artist, from California, US

- Asya Abdullah, co-chair of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), from Rojava, Syria

- Vilma Rocio Almendra Quiguanas, a member of Pueblos en Camino, from Colombia

- Heza Sengal, Yezidi activist and fighter, survivor of Yezidi Genocide

- Havin Guneser, engineer, journalist and women's rights activist, translator of several books by Abdullah Ocalan

- Haskar Kirmizigul, journalist and women's rights activist

- Montes Jovita Mataro, psychologist, political activist with Gabriela Women's Party in Philippines

- Boushra Ali, President of the JIN Women's Association, from Rojava, Syria

- Irem Gelkus, sociologist, women's rights activist with Women Strong Together in Turkey

- Nizol Lonko Juana Calfunao, political activist with the resistance movement of the Mapuche People, from Chile