Ann Garvie, International President

 

On arrival, Liliane
Bosschaert of Soroptimist International of Bruges met us from the station and
drove us around the city, highlighting to us landmarks of significant heritage
importance and also the wonderful selection of restaurants, chocolate and lace
shops.

I was
privileged to meet members of Soroptimist International of Bruges, President
Belgium Union Marthe Claeys, Past Governor Theresa  Ladon and Club President Barbara Claerhout,
for lunch at the most famous and aesthetically pleasing restaurant Duc de
Burgogne. The restaurant is located and ‘almost’ suspended over the canal,
quite outstanding, the food delicious and the company delightful.

 

All-in-all,
a wonderful introduction to a magnificent occasion. The memories of which I
shall cherish.

Firstly,
allow me to quote Mimi Marivoet, President Organizing Committee. “This meeting
in Bruges would not have been possible if our mourned friend Eliane Lagasse had
not insisted that the seven West Flemish clubs of the Belgian Union be accepted as
candidates for organizing these friendship days. For this very reason we would
like to honour this congress to her. Our hope for you during this weekend is to
receive the opportunity to experience, understand and find these inner
foundations of peace and to share them with new friends.”

And, Marthe
Claeys, President Belgian Union 2014-2016, “I chose a theme within the context
 of the centenary of the First World War,
which is in line with the theme of the Friendship Days:

Women for Peace

 

War is still a hot topic: there is increased
violence in the Middle East as well as closer to home, the current unstable
situation in Ukraine. Peace is an active process, a commitment to a correct
society in which all people have equal rights and opportunities. To create this
one must have gender equality education, education and training key resources.”

The Opening
Ceremony comprised, a Welcome from President Mimi and speeches from Union
President Marthe, European Federation President Ulla Madsen, initiator of the
Friendship Days Maguy Chabert, Governor of West-Flanders  Minster Carl Decaluwe and myself, with a
candle lighting ceremony and a musical interlude by two 17 year old young
ladies on cello, Karin Broeckhove and Marie Ponseele. 

Day two the
delegates were addressed by five key note speakers:- 

Katlijn
Malfliet, vice rector University of Leuven, professor, past-president Flemish
Council of Women and godmother of Peace Vigils, Langemark 2014-2018. She
addressed UN Resolution 1325, gender equality, building sustainable peace,
whilst acknowledging that Resolution 1325 is not so readable, almost a
non-selling resolution.

Acknowledged
that resolution 1325 was ground breaking if sustainable peace is to be achieved
and this must include gender inclusion. 1325 was more concrete and more
explicit, condemnation of rape as a weapon of war, not only for the victims but
also having a mission in and impact upon the peace process.

 

The three P’S: participation, prevention and protection

Marleen
Temmerman, founder of the International Centre of Reproductive Health,
University of Ghent, director WHO in Geneva, Peace Women in 2011. Why do we
need to bridge the gap between policy makers, governments and individuals?
Because one in three women throughout the world, are subjected to violence;
violence is everywhere and has serious health implications. In the health
sector researchers have failed to transfer into an action plan the need to
train health sector staff to recognise the implications of violence in relation
to health problems. The most common form of violence is the most physical intimate
part of their relationship and women accept it is “my fault”, so he beats me,
but he loves me.

 

The health
consequences are serious and long lasting. The effects are not just on women
but also their family, intergenerational with social economic consequences.
Violence against Women is a public health problem, it can be prevented.

It is time
to break the SILENCE, has your country ratified the Istanbul Convention 2014?

Jennie
Vanlerberghe, baroness, journalist, women’s rights activist, founder Mothers for
Peace, Peace Women in 2010 and Martine Bossuyt, sculptor-artist, volunteer
Child Cancer Fund, member Mothers for Peace, Peace Women in 2011.

 

Jennie is
founder of Mothers for Peace, global women becoming independent, what really
can happen to women? Rape camps as a weapon of war can you imagine how life
continues afterwards? The victims of various atrocities of war are taught how
to work to earn their own money. Currently there are 33 different wars
globally, no one ever learns.

The speakers
focused on Afghanistan, the culture means that women mean nothing, the clinics
set up to educate, train and manage health has proved 12 years on to be an
evolution and men are now showing albeit tentatively support such as
assisting  to recreate a clinic.

Regrettably
however women’s rights do not exist despite the fact that women’s rights are
human rights. Women are half of the world’s population. In Afghanistan 90% of
women are illiterate, boys have a future, but girls will have the same fate as
her mother’s.  80% will be married into
another family, before their 12 birthday, to the highest bidder, this provides
the family with an income. The life expectancy remains an average of 42-45
years. Men who do not want any of their several wives’ invariably pour petrol
over them; the outcome appears to be another suicide to the outside world.

The pillar
of success is education to become teachers, health care staff and farmers,
successes are being recorded.

Silvana
Arbia, Italian lawyer, Chief Prosecutor at the UN International Criminal
Tribunal for Rwanda, former Registrar of the International Criminal Court,
received in 2013 the Peace Award SIE in Berlin.

 

Picture: Silvana
Arbia
receiving  the Peace Award SIE in Berlin, 2013. 

She
explained that the International Community wanted an International Criminal
Court (ICC) and in 1938, in Rome the decision was taken to create the ICC for
the hearing of tribunals. Many questions had to be addressed, should the
victims participate? It was resolved yes, should participate and there should
be a strong contribution from civil society and NGO’s.

She highlighted  the
challenges which the ICC has  had to
address for example 2012 conscription of children under 15 years, Democratic
Republic of Congo, judgement rape can be genocide, more than two thousand
pregnancies as a result of rape, crimes against humanity. ICC punishes crime
whilst protecting victims.

Past International and European President Marie-Jeanne
Bosia, eloquently and charmingly summed up the speakers and gave the final
conclusions.

The speakers were all thought provoking, enlightening and
reignited the abhorrence of war. 

We  cannot become
dilatory we must as Soroptimist continue to highlight the plight of women and the
elimination of Violence Against Women must be upper most in our global advocacy
work at all levels.

The speakers were intense and hard hitting but there were
also many pleasant and most enjoyable events:-     

·        
Cocktails and Dinner

·        
Guided walking tour

·        
Horse-tramways carriage tour

·        
Lunch at brewery De Halve Maan

·        
Boat trip on the canals or visit of brewery or
ladies walking tour

·        
Coffee time with special Belgian chocolate
degustation

 

And for those staying longer in Bruges:

·        
Discovery of the west coast

·        
Visit to the National Fisheries Museum

·        
Demonstration by shrimp fishermen on horseback

·        
Lunch in De Panne

·        
Visit to Ypres, City of Peace

·        
Visit to Military Cemeteries including Last Post
ceremony and laying of wreathes

·        
Dinner at brasserie Les Halles 

I offer my sincere congratulations to President Mimi of Organising committee and the team; this has been a wonderful
experience of all that Soroptimist International strives to eliminate through
advocacy and action whilst treating the delegates to an opportunity to
regenerate friendships and charter new friendships whist contemplating the
strength of achievement by empowerment, Women for Peace.

Ann Garvie

President

17 October
2014