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In Black Worldwide
Women in Black Belgrade were founded
following the tradition of the Women in Black in Israel. The urge
of feminists in 1991 in Serbia was to protest against totalitarian
regime which started the war in homeland, and the mode of vigils
of Women in Black was a perfect instrument to transform the political
need into political public action. This is how the group started,
with the deep decision for opposing the Serbian regime. The weekly
vigils went on in Belgrade from 9th of October 1991 until October
1995 when the Dayton Peace Agreement was made, which ended the war
in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After that, the vigils continued on the
monthly basis or on particular dates.
Women in Black Belgrade were active in the resistance movement of
students and citizens opposing the fascist regime of Milosevic demonstrating
in the streets throughout of the years 1996-2000. The Milosevic
regime was overthrown on October 5, 2000. After that Belgrade group
continued to oppose neo-nationalism and neo-fascism, as well as
militarism and wars in the world. From 2000 the group in Belgrade
is engaged on the project “Women’s Traveling Peace Workshops”
working on the consciousness raising of women in Serbia and Vojvodina
on political issues analyzed from the feminist peace perspective.
The new Women in Black network in twelve towns in the region is
created. The second line of activities of the group are initiatives
of reconciliation and women’s solidarity among women in the
states of Ex Yugoslavia, especially with women of Srebrenica (Bosnia
and Herzegovina).Women in Black Belgrade has started
actions with three main goals:
- protest against the regime of Milosevic and his wars in Balkans,
- protest against militarism of all kinds, fascism, wars and
male violence against women,
- spreading politics of women’s solidarity, especially
across the borders of Former Yugoslavia and war lines.
The forms of work of Women in Black
Belgrade in the first ten years:
- regular vigils: standing one hour in black and silence on Wednesdays,
- vigils for special days: during the wartime on the New Year
Eve together with international activists, on the 10th of December,
the 8th of March, and other dates,
- annual international meetings Women’s Solidarity Against
War; ten meetings,
- regular public statements; more then 200.
- publishing: annual books Women for Peace in Serbian, English,
Italian and sometimes Spanish or French: 20.000 copies altogether;
as well as peace calendars, leaflets, booklets, stickers,
- work with refugee women in the refugee camps (1994-1995),
- women’s peace workshops in the region (1998 – 2003),
- creating network of Women in Black groups in Montengro, Vojvodina
and Serbia (2003),
- many other public manifestations, street theater, crossing
borders, vigils in other cities in the world: Johannesburg, Seville,
Vienna, etc; joint actions with other peace or women’s groups.
Website
http://www.zeneucrnom.org.yu/
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