Mahila Shanti Sena WOMEN S PEACE BRIGADE INTERNATIONAL FOUNDED: FEBRUARY 2002

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1 Mahila Shanti Sena WOMEN S PEACE BRIGADE INTERNATIONAL FOUNDED: FEBRUARY 2002 NEWSLETTER VOLUME 4, #6 OCTOBER, 2013 Compiled by: Dr. Rama Singh, Professor, Department of Biology and Centre for Peace Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Ph: (905) ext , Fax: (905) ; singh@mcmaster.ca; This issue has been prepared by Dr. Sri Gopal Mohanty Women Rule Out of ten premiers (first minister of a province) in Canada there are five women premiers. Kathleen Wynne ONTARIO Pauline Marois QUEBEC Christy Clark BRITISH COLUMBIA Alison Redford ALBERTA Kathy Dunderdale NFLD & LABRADOR A series of essays is published as part of Women Rule, a unique effort this fall by POLITICO, Google and The Tory Burch Foundation exploring how women are leading change in politics, policy and their communities. See Hillary Clinton is No Quitter Neera Tanden, President of the Center for American Progress has an essay, Hillary Clinton is no quitter. Read more: story/2013/10/hillary-clinton-is-noquitter html#ixzz2jucdzll1 Tanden says Clinton s political opponents respect the fighter in her 1

2 MSS Partner Organizations CANADA Canadian Gandhi Foundation for World Peace, Edmonton, Canada INDIA ADITHI (NGO) Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India Asha Darshan Kumarikata, Assam Gandhi Peace Foundation Rajghat, New Delhi, India Gandhian Studies Foundation Rajghat, Varanasi, U.P., India Jaya Prakash Bharati (NGO) Rasulpur, Saran, Bihar, India Kasturba Gandhi Foundation Agartala, Tripura, India Mahila Shanti Sena Manipur, India Shrambharati (NGO) Khadigram, Bihar, India Serv Seva Sangh Doimukh, Arunachal Pradesh Tamulpur Anchalik Gramdan Sangh (TAGS) Kumarikata, Assam, India Vision Society for Interactive Operational Needs (VISION) Varanasi, India Unnayan (NGO) Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India USA Sustainable Economic and Educational Development Society (SEEDS) MSS (International) Board Members Subhash Dighe, Physiotherapist, Hamilton Reva Joshee, Professor, OISE, University of Toronto Graeme MacQueen, Professor (Emeritus), McMaster University Sri Gopal Mohanty, Professor (Emeritus), McMaster University Anne Pearson, Assistant Professor, Department of Religious Studies, McMaster University Karen Sihra, Graduate Student, OISE, University of Toronto Rama Singh, Professor, Department of Biology, and Centre for Peace Studies, McMaster University Mark Vorobej, Professor, Department of Philosophy, McMaster University Ashley White, Ottawa MSS is a registered not-for-profit organization in Canada. Declaration: The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and not neccessarily of MSS or the partner orginizations. Mahila Shanti Sena International (MSS) (Women s Peace Brigade)...Give women a chance... Make them agents of change...help break the circle of poverty, violence and neglect......it (each village community) should be able to plan its total life in terms of economy, education, health and other things pertaining to local life. The village community needs an army of peaceworkers, who will not fight among themselves but are willing to solve problems and resolve conflicts and disputes peacefully. In this task of neighbourhood-building, women are likely to be better than men. That is the rationale of Mahila Shanti Sena.....Can we not use her (woman s) creative talents to make society more human and enlightened? Acharya Ramamurti What is Mahila Shanti Sena? It is a peace movement to empower women in order to build a peaceful and just society to raise mass awareness among women to realize their strength and power to focus on problems facing women such as violence, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and neglect. to provide training in the rudiments of peace, democracy and development to promote Gandhian tradition of engaging in constructive village service. Participation in MSS peace movement is open to both men and women. When did it start and what has followed? Conceptualized by Late Acharya Ramamurti, a revered social activist and leader in Ganhian tradition. Created by rural women at the Buddhist City, Vaishali, in Vashali Sabha held in Frebruary Attracted about 10,000 women in Bihar to Vaishali Sabha. Founded by Shrambharati (NGO, India) and McMaster University. Spread to North Eastern States of India, UP and Odisha. Held three conferences, one in Vashali (2002) and supported by UNICEF and McMaster, the second in New Delhi (2005) supported by CIDA, Govt of India and McMaster, and the third in Sarnath, Varanasi (2007) MSS members getting elected to Panchayats and elected women joining MSS How does it operate? It fosters awareness among women on all the above issues through training camps, workshops and conferences and spreading in regions by formation of MSS groups of five or ten. It promotes neighbourhood building, peaceful settlement of mutual conflicts, peace rallies. It encourages to join other women groups, say self-help groups (SHG) for income generation.

3 Behind the wheel, Saudi women hope for new gains Another essay, Behind the wheel, Saudi women hope for new gains is a report by Associated Press. The report opens with. It s been a little more than two years since the last time women in Saudi Arabia campaigned for the right to drive. Now activists are calling for women to get behind the wheel again Saturday, and they hope reforms made by the monarchy since then have readied the deeply conservative nation for change. Read more: Malala Yousafzai Wins Top Prize Associated Press also reports, European lawmakers have awarded their top human rights prize to Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, who survived a Taliban assassination attempt last year. Read more: eu-awards-top-human-rights-award-tomalala html#ixzz2jujhvwfx 16-year-old Malala won the 50,000 euro ($65,000) Sakharov Award. 3

4 Report of Regional MSS Convention, Jagatsinghpur, Odisha Satya Narayan Kar, Unnayan The regional convention of MSS was organized at Jayagaon, Balikuda Block in Jagatsingpur District on 31st January There is a strong presence of MSS in that block. It was a huge gathering of almost 1000 participants from Balikuda block. Sudarshan Das, Secretary HDF (Human Development Foundation) coordinated and conducted the meeting. Among those present in the meeting were Dr. Rama Singh and Dr. Sri Gopal Mohanty from McMaster University, Canada and Dr. Annapurna Devi Pandey from San Jose State University, USA who is the President of The Orissa Society of the Americas (OSA). Baripada and the December brutal rape of Nirbhaya in Delhi. In the present scenario MSS has worked with success to minimize the problems of women like atrocities, family violence, dowry and torture, providing women protection and to empower them to march forward in order to build a healthy society. Then MSS leaders of different districts shared their experiences. Sarojini Das, Jagatsinghpur: She said that fourteen years ago, after the super cyclone of 1999, Rashmi Mohanty visited her village and talked with the women groups. The process of formation of SHG was initiated and later 25 SHGs formed. Then Janani (A federation of SHGs) came into existence with the membership of 350 women. Now the members are involved with the weaving of Golden Grass Craft items in their respective homes and getting economic benefit. In the meantime they have received training on innovative designing in golden grass supported by Development Commissioner Handicraft, New Delhi and they are preparing 150 types of items. They are also participating in different exhibitions within and outside the state. As a tradition of MSS, all participants were greeted by passing on the flower bouquets from one person to another in each row. The meeting started with a welcome song led by Indira Mohanty and a few MSS members: Ame Karmara Upasana Kariba (We will worship our work). Unnayan Secretary, Rashmi Mohanty who is the main MSS trainer in Odisha gave a brief introduction of MSS and the purpose of the convention. During her discussion she highlighted different issues related to the violence against women, very specially rape cases in Odisha like in Pipili, Raygada and 4

5 in the village level by the Dasta Nayak (leader) and Panjha Nayak (leader). MSS messages have been spread by her to all the villages. Even the local police today advise the people for any family or community problem to go to MSS before going to the police. Minati Behera, Mayurbhanj: According to her 7 women from her group initially took MSS training in Family problems, dowry atrocities, prevention of alcohol use and management of SHGs are being managed by MSS. In the year 2004, many of these women got involved in MSS during Agni Utsav (fire ceremony) at Jagatsinghpur although formal MSS training was given later. As of today 70 groups are working under the banner of MSS. In addition to many activities in the past, around 150 MSS members recently visited the block office to request for the construction of an embankment for flood relief and consequently 19 lakh of rupees was sanctioned for the purpose. Bharati Kabi, Mayurbhanj: In the year 2005 MSS started in Gadighati, Jhatipada and Amarda Gram Panchayats. So far 157 Dastas and 232 Panjhas have been formed. Among the activities, issues relating to the problems of women are identified and solved Aliva Sarvang, Sonepur: In last 4 years MSS functions in Boudh and Sonepur district. During last October 2012, 40 persons of Jhupadipada participated in Love India Clean India with the support of MSS. The purpose of this program is to keep the environment clean Jaymati Sunani, Nuapada: After being involved in the MSS program the mindset of women is gradually changing. They now send their children to school. Through MSS movement awareness on antiliquor campaigns, protection of women, anti caste movement, health care knowledge is developing among women. Pragnya Paramita Pattnaik, Puri: At Brahmagiri block of Puri district 183 women have been 5

6 programmes by the Government). She also expressed concern about skewed male/female ratio, say in Anugul being 1000/835 - an alarming situation. supported by Amara Viswas (NGO) through nano-finance, a small amount (Rs ) of loan money. They have started MSS campaign with the aim to make women self reliant. In addition to experience sharing of MSS groups, some other guests from the local area and outside addressed the gathering. Annapurna Devi Pandey, a supporter of MSS was overwhelmed by the huge gathering of women. She compared the achievement of women s rights in America with that in Odisha and suggested the women to initiate protests against portraying negative images of women particularly in Doordarshan (TV Sri Gopal Mohanty who is involved with MSS from its inception gave a historical background of MSS movement and expressed satisfaction on the progress in Odisha and hope of spreading the peace movement from villages to districts and to the State if more hands are joined collectively and work persistently by meeting regularly. He emphasized the sustainability of MSS for which economic progress of women would be necessary. He reminded to continue Love India Clean India project with enthusiasm and to monitor education of the children in their respective community by guarding against teacher absenteeism. Nishikanta Mohapatra, Consultant, RTI (Right To Information) emphatically said that people being the owner of the country could ask the Government officials about anything through RTI Act. He narrated several success stories of the use of RTI and suggested the women to take advantage of this instrument for redressing many of their issues related to the Government. Pratap Rudra Nanda, Team leader of Trupti Project spoke of different development programs for women 6

7 expressed their happiness for Balikuda being one of the advanced blocks of Odisha with regard to MSS activities and were willing to extend their help. in Thailo and Alikanta Gram Panchayat to provide revolving funds to women groups for income generation program. MSS could inspire women to utilize this facility and lead women towards progress. Nirupama Barik of Chalan Balikuda reported the progress of the women in her area in so far as benefitting by interest free loan that Amara Biswas provides and helping women in tailoring activity. Kamalakanta Mohanta of Mayurbhanj District believed in women s ultimate success in their struggle and said at local level the livelihood programme by Unnayan helped many women to go forward. Local residents, Antaryami Boral, a Gandhian, Advocate Bira Narayan Patra and Krishna Satpathy, Secretary, Alaka Budi Anchalik Krushak Parishad Rama Singh from McMaster University emphasized that MSS is not a political party and rather it is a family. While appreciating several songs MSS members sang on that day, he urged the members to share their feelings with others mostly in the form of songs. He explained the meaning of MSS Logo and asked to organize Gandhi Gyan Mela, an awareness campaign at different places of public gathering, say a weekly local market, in order to draw attention of the public to common social problems, one being abuse of alcohol and its detrimental impact on health, economy and destruction of the future of a family. He also reiterated to continue Love India Clean India right in Jagatsinghpur. Later a MSS declaration was read and accepted. MSS Declaration: The violence on women who are citizens of this great nation is ever growing. We vehemently condemn the continued violence against women. We will work hard to protest against it without fear. We will not see our sister Nirbhaya s sacrifice to go in vain. We will monitor our children s education in our villages. We will if necessary, have 7

8 recourse to Right To Information for development and change in the society. We will keep our village clean. We love India and Mahatma Gandhi, our nation s father. We believe: Love India, Clean India, Clean Villages, Clean Jagatsinghpur. Lastly MSS of Odisha was named after Annapurna Maharana who was affectionately called Chuni Apa and hence forth it will be called, Chuni Apa Mahila Shanti Sena, Odisha. In this connection, Krishna Mohanty, a life long Gandhian and a cousin of Chuni Apa, while applauding the new move, narrated her memories associated with Chuni Apa. Among her several stories a few were very significant. A Swaraj Ashram was constructed besides the Alaka River and Harijan Seva and Khadi work started there under her leadership. In the year 1942, she participated in the independence movement and went to Jail. The work of Gandhi s Nayee Talim Basic Education, in Odisha was initiated by her. During any disaster, be it natural or man made, she would jump in to action immediately. She was well versed in several languages and wrote her autobiography Amruta Anubhaba which is a collection of her memories. Regarding MSS, She suggested MSS to take initiative for construction of toilets for each and every family. At the end Dillip Kumar Mohanty, Jayagaon thanked guests, participants, coordinator Sudarsan Das, supporters and organizers for successfully organizing the convention in his village. 8