V-Day Karama Partners Issue Statement on Violence in Middle East

August 7, 2006

V-Day's mission is to end violence against women and girls worldwide. As such, we stand in opposition to war. We ask all political leaders to break the old paradigm of responding to violence with more violence. Instead we urge them to seek more sophisticated solutions that work to reveal the root causes of violence and transformation of violence rather than the escalation of it.

Following is a statement from our V-Day Karama partners on the ongoing violence in Lebanon and Gaza. “Karama,” the Arabic word for dignity, is a unique partnership with nine countries of the Middle East and North Africa: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Sudan.

-V-Day


STATEMENT FROM V-DAY KARAMA PARTNERS
As Arab organizations and representatives of human rights efforts, as citizens in countries living under political violence and different types of occupations, and as women working together to gain peace with dignity, we oppose all forms of violence.

Therefore, we condemn the horrific attacks and extreme military force being used against civilians, including women and children, in Lebanon and Gaza. We condemn the rush to inflict weapons and killing instead of attempting non-violent negotiations and prisoner exchange.

We condemn the United States government's material and political support of the attacks by Israel, the G8's one-sided response, and the deafening silence from some Arab Governments which ignores and condones the heinous scale of civilian casualties and infrastructural damage suffered by the families and communities of Lebanon and Gaza—more than 650 death in Lebanon and 106 in Gaza since 25 June 2006.

As the Israeli air strikes continue well-past 1,500 bombings, as the death and destruction mounts, we condemn the disproportionate harm being done to Lebanese and Palestinian civilians—taking lives, health, homes, livelihoods, economic development, the rule of law, infrastructure, and governance for years to come. In just the past few days, Beirut has seen the appearance of 500,000 displaced families and refugees.

We are women leaders from nine countries across the Arab Region, linked through V-Day Karama, addressing violence against women from every angle of society and politics. When political and military violence erupts, our work begins there.

This includes the conflicts elsewhere in Iraq and Sudan that have leveraged exponential political, military, and humanitarian crises that undermine community and human security for a generation. As the Karama partners we are coordinating common actions to cease these crises. "Karama" means dignity, a prerequisite for establishing peace and keeping an end to violence.

We are women in the region asking the international community and international human rights organizations to take a decisive stand against the attack without any neutrality. We believe that this is the time for these organizations to show their support of our issues and to act immediately to cease fire, take urgent action for solidarity with Lebanese and Palestinian people, and to provide humanitarian assistance for the displaced.

Starting immediately, Karama partners in and around Lebanon and Gaza have set forth the following actions:
- Hold a prominent event on the 2nd of September in Jordan by V-Day Karama, Al Gad News Paper and TV Satellite Channel, and Arab Women Organization of Jordan to support women's NGOs in Lebanon in their struggle for providing humanitarian assistance.

- Activities to support Lebanese women's organizations in the nine countries that Karama work in, as Lebanese people start facing shortages in food, medicine, and fuel.

- Distribute the statements and calls from Lebanese Civil Society Organizations to the international organizations and UN agencies.

- In Addition to activities will be held by Karama partners in each of the Arab Countries.

Organization/Country

1. V-Day Karama
Based in nine Arab countries (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Algeria, Morocco, Syria, Sudan, and Tunisia) with headquarters in Egypt and a regional office in Jordan

2. Arab Women of Organization
Jordan

3. Women in Communication Society
Algeria

4. The Human Forum for Women
Jordan

5. Women Will of Iraq
Iraq

6. ACT
Egypt

7. Egyptian Family Foundation
Egypt

8. The Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights
Egypt

9. Syrian Committee for Women Causes
Syria

10. Research Centre for Refugees Studies
Jordan

11. Kafa (Enough) Violence and Exploitation
Lebanon

12. Hey Institute
Egypt

13. The Lebanese Democratic Forum for Women
Lebanon

14. Najdeh, Palestinian Women Forum
Lebanon

15. Al Nadeem Centre
Egypt

16. Jordanian Society for Professional Ethics
Jordan

17. Women Organization to Combat Illiteracy
Jordan

18. The Jordanian Society for Development
Jordan

19. Izdihar Project for Family Development
Jordan

20. Al Asera Al Bedaa' Society
Jordan

21. Al Nakheel Society
Morocco

22. The Alliance for Syrian Women
Syria

23. UMI Society
Egypt

24. Women and Society Organization
Egypt

25. Union de l'Action Féminine ,
Morocco

26. The Society for Women In Crises
Algeria

27. The Egyptian Centre for Housing Rights
Egypt

28. The Center for Studies & Programs of Alternative Development
Egypt

29. Al Hassna Magazine
Lebanon

30. Jordan Society for Profession and Work Ethics
Jordan

31. Women Movement for Peace Society
Algeria

32. EACPE
Egypt

33. Mosawa Network,
Jordan

34. The Egyptian Forum for Women and Development,
Egypt

35. Salmmah Centre for Gender and Development
Sudan

36. Siha Horn of Africa Network,
Sudan

37. Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling,
Palestine

38. Women against Violence,
Palestine

39. Eve Centre for Counseling,
Morocco

40. Tunisian Women Society for Research and Development
Tunisia

41. The Arab Society for Sociologists
Tunisia

42. The Arab Alliance for women
Egypt

43. Center for Egyptian Women Issues
Egypt

44. Gender Centre for Research And Training
Sudan

45. Women Society for Solidarity with Urban Families
Algeria

46. The National Union for Algerian Women
Algeria

47. The National Committee for Women and Sport
Algeria

48. National Society for Women's Development
Algeria

49. The National Organizations for Families Victims of Terrorism
Algeria

50. The National Society for Urban Women and development
Algeria

51. Parliamentarian Women's Forum
Algeria

52. Society for Enhancement of Women's Activities
Algeria

53. Iqra' (read) Society)
Algeria

54. National Society for Family Development
Algeria

55. The Moroccan Society for Advocating Women's Rights/ Fama Centre
Morocco

56. The Moroccan Society for Combating Violence against Women
Morocco


About V-Day Karama
In 2005, V-Day continued its initiatives in Africa, Asia and the Middle East by launching the Karama Program, envisioned by V-Day Special Representative and Karama Chair, Hibaaq Osman, in Cairo, Egypt. “Karama,” the Arabic word for dignity, is a unique partnership with nine countries of the Middle East and North Africa: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Sudan. Through women's organizations and inter-regional agencies such as the Arab League and the African Union, Karama brings together women, men, governments, activists and artists to examine the impact of violence on women's health, education, and economics, and to create and encourage campaigns at the national, regional, and international levels to end violence against women, tailored to the cultural realities of the target country. Headquartered in Cairo, Karama works closely with organizations working in different sectors, and on different issues in each society, such as education, health, religion, art, economics, and policy.