Use the internet to explore diverse ways women’s organizations promote people to people connections across cultural divides. In small groups, select one of the following intercultural organizations to explore. Your tasks are to find the:

 •  position statement or mission of each organization.
 •  actions to achieve their mission.
 •  effectiveness, in your opinions, of the group in forwarding their mission.

After, discuss possible answers to the question (or questions) posed with each organization, and report back to whole class using the Newscast format.

Newscast Format

Working together as a “news team,” create a brief report on the activities of the organization you researched. The newscast must be not more than 10 minutes long. Give speaking parts to more than one member of your group.

Suggestions:

 1)  select one or two topics or activities addressed by the organization that interest you.
     Write an editorial opinion commenting on those activities.

 2)  reproduce any illustrated pictures to go along with the report.

 3)  end by considering if any of the organization’s methods might work to address intercultural problems in your country.

 4)  do additional research to find out what women’s groups in your country are doing to create inter-cultural dialogs.

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Intercultural Organizations

 1)  The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), the oldest women's peace organization in the world.
      http://www.wilpf.int.ch/AboutUs/index.htm

Question: “Why did women almost 100 years ago organize internationally to define peace as a women’s issue?”

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 2) International Museum of Women (I.M.O.W.), an innovative museum that inspires global action, connects people across borders and transforms hearts and minds by amplifying the voices of women worldwide through global online exhibitions.
      http://imow.org./about/index

Question: “What innovative ways can online exhibits be used to make cross-cultural connections?”

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 3)  Women Waging Peace, a network of more than 800 women experts from over 40 conflict areas around the world offering critical and often overlooked perspectives to the peacemaking process.
      http://www.huntalternatives.org/pages/82_women_waging_peace_network.cfm

Question: “In what ways can examples of women’s efforts from around the world offer new ground in peacemaking and reconstruction?”

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 4)  Women in Black, a world-wide network of women committed to creating a political culture of women, and of peace with justice. The participation of women of diverse backgrounds and across conflict divides in decision making is crucial.
      http://www.womeninblack.org/

Question: “During conflicts, are women freer to publicly express their solidarity with each other?”

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 5)  Girls Helping Girls: Girls in the United States are partnered with girls in schools and community organizations in developing countries to jointly identify problems in their communities and develop social change through micro lending projects to address those issues.
      http://www.empoweragirl.org/pages/page.php?pageid=13

Question: ” Can international connections of youths become change makers around the world?”

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 6)  Rwanda Women in Action: Hutu and Tutsi tribe, survivors of the 1994 genocide and its violent aftermath. come together in the spirit of reconciliation to work toward improving the social, economic, and physical security for women and children in Rwanda.
      http://www.rwia.org/

See also: “Forgiving Atrocities in Rwanda”: Founder, Norah Bagirinka’s story.
      http://www.imow.org./wpp/stories/viewStory?storyId=1507

Question: “After genocide, what can women do?

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 7)  Batisseuses de Paix, or Peace Builders: a cooking club sponsoring cultural sharing programs by Muslim and Jewish women in France to defuse hostilities between the groups.
      http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/24/europe/women.php
      (International Herald Tribune article, July 24, ‘08)

See also: http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-01-18-voa9.cfm
      (Voice America: 18/01/09)

Question: “Do relationships between Jews and Muslims revolving around everyday events like cooking have a potential to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before politicians do?”