U.S. Columban JPIC Newsletter

Women

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In This Issue

• Reflection from Pakistan - Remembering Benazir Bhutto
• Declaration of the III Assembly of the Women of the Via Campesina
• Action Update

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JPIC Newsletter November 2008

Recently I was on a late night flight to my home in Maryland.  The day was long and I was grateful for the quiet on the plane.  As I allowed myself to drift in and out of alertness, a baby's shrill cry jolted me into the moment.  Seemingly for no reason, this little baby became distressed and there was no consoling her.  The parents, haggard themselves, tried desperately to soothe their daughter, to no avail.  My heart went out to the parents as much as it did for the baby.  As a mother of two, I know well the anxiety those screams can provoke, especially on a plane!

My instinct was to reach out to them, offer to help.  But my sense of cultural boundaries took hold and I stayed in my seat.  Fortunately, the woman across the aisle from me ignored social norms and reached over to the young couple and offered a loving hand.  She took the baby and began to pace her up and down the aisle.  Within a few minutes the baby was calm and even fell asleep.  The parents got a break.  The other passengers could relax.  All was well.

The gentleness and compassion of the moment spoke to me.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was a Gospel moment.  This woman, a complete stranger to this young family, responded to her reality.  She saw suffering and gave of herself.  As simple as that, isn't that what we are called to do?  Is that not what our Christian vocation calls us to?  To see with compassion and to respond with love.  Whether this woman was a Christian I'll never know, but clearly she was a woman of faith.  She was a good reminder.

This month our newsletter focuses on women.  How many women in our lives do we know that have given so generously and wholly of themselves in the face of pain?  How many women do we know that have tossed the "laws" of the day to the roadside so as to meet their suffering neighbor in a loving embrace?

We know that so often it is women who bear the burden of social, economic and environmental injustices and yet they are sustained by the Spirit. They do not let the darkness keep them from being Christ's light.  Their lives are models of radical discipleship.

As we approach the holidays, a time of family, friends and community, I am reminded in a special way how women are the threads that hold our tapestry together. I am thankful for the women in my life; grateful to those on whose shoulders I stand, and I am humbled by those who will come after me.  Let us celebrate the women in our lives and indeed in our world who have by their very presence made the Kingdom a reality.

In Peace,

Amy Woolam Echeverria

Reflection from Pakistan - Remembering Benazir Bhutto

Background

It was a year ago this month that Pakistan was thrown into turmoil when President General Pervez Musharraf imposed martial law and suspended the 1973 Constitution. As a result of the suspension of the Constitution, Pakistani citizens lost their rights to movement, free speech, assembly, association, and security. Since Musharraf's announcement, fifty-five of the ninety-seven judges of the Supreme Court and the Higher Courts refused to take the new oath of the PCO, and hundreds of lawyers, judges, and political and human rights activists were jailed or placed under house arrest for their protests. Musharraf also imposed the Pakistan Electronic Regulatory Media Authority (PERMA) Ordinance which forbids the media from criticizing the government and shuts down all privately owned and operated television news stations.

Musharraf's declaration came at a time when the Supreme Court was ruling on the validity of his presidential victory and was hearing cases about missing persons which some believe can be traced back to the government. Musharraf maintained that he instituted emergency rule because the judges have overstepped their boundaries, hindered the actions of government agencies, and embarrassed government officials in court. He also claimed "attacks on state infrastructure and security" as major reasons for his emergency rule.

Update

Since January of this year, the political situation in Pakistan has shifted dramatically. National elections were held in February to elect a new Parliament. Two parties-the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), led by Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari, and the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), led by former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif -dominated the election and agreed to form a coalition government. Throughout the year, suicide bombings and other attacks from radical militant groups continued, and civilians grew increasingly frustrated with Musharraf in power.

In early August, leaders of both parties in the coalition government began moving to impeach President Musharraf. He resigned in an immunity agreement, thus avoiding impeachment and other charges that would have been brought against him. Shortly afterwards, Nawaz pulled the PML-N out of the coalition government, accusing the PPP of breaking its promise to reinstate judges that had been removed by Musharraf's term. At the beginning of September, Zardari was elected as the new President by the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies around the country. While many are hopeful about the new administration, questions and doubts linger, as suicide bombings by militant groups continue throughout the country. The Marriott Hotel bombing in late September, which killed dozens and wounded hundreds, heightened these concerns internationally.

In response to the continuing attacks, the Pakistani Parliament passed a special resolution calling upon the government to resume dialogue as the highest priority in stopping militant groups. The measure also encourages the government to work with civilian law enforcement groups and local tribal councils.

 Columban Reflection

On December 27, 2007 Benazir Bhutto was killed after speaking at a campaign rally. At the time of her assassination, she was the leading candidate for the upcoming Pakistani Presidential elections. She represented the Pakistan People's Party, and she advocated strongly for women's rights. Just a few days after Bhutto's death, one of our Columban Lay Missionaries in Pakistan, wrote the following reflection. While her thoughts were written in January, they are still a relevant reminder of the ongoing attacks and instability in the region.

A happy and hope-filled New Year's greeting to everyone. May we start 2008 with new hope and renewed energy in our life and mission wherever we are.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. All of us really appreciate and need your support to continue our presence here. Pakistan has been in continuous turmoil in 2007 with the increase in suicide bomber attacks. Before 12/27, there were already more than 40 suicide attacks in Pakistan with the Peshawar area in the north badly hit.

The morning edition of the newspaper printed on 12/27 had a quote on the front page from one of the leading politicians of the government saying "Musharraf has successfully taken on suicide bombers and insurgents everywhere." At around 5 pm that day, Benazir Bhutto was killed along with 20 other people by a sniper and suicide bomber.

Her murder was very sad and very tragic not only for her family and party but for many people in Pakistan, for the whole country.  The whole of Pakistan and other parts of the world were in shock. There were spontaneous outpourings of grief with people crying and wailing openly and also comforting each other.

There is no question of Benazir's courage and bravery. Her opponents respected her even though they were threatened by her courage and commitment. She was larger than life. I first read her autobiography Daughter of the East in 1990 when I was preparing to start my journey in Pakistan. She had her failings and shortcomings, but she has become a symbol, even an icon of a woman empowered in highly male-dominant and feudal society. She gave hope and inspiration to many women in Pakistan where we are seen as weak, second class citizen (Christian women would be 4th class!). The grief and sadness of her death crossed boundaries of cultures and religion. Many described her as a politician par excellence and a very decent person at heart, a daughter, wife and mother. Many felt that they lost a sister, a mother, a daughter in Benazir. There are already newly-born children named after her.

But what happened after her death is also shocking. The killing triggered violence throughout Pakistan but there was no fresh rioting reported Sunday. Since Thursday, unrest has killed at least 44 people and caused tens of millions of dollars of damage. Rioters have destroyed 176 banks, 34 gas stations, 72 train cars, 18 rail stations, and hundreds of cars and shops, the government says.

For us Columbans, we stayed together in Lahore at the Columban house without going out for 3 days. At this time, I would have liked to sit with the people, with the women as they offer prayers for Benazir and share stories and experiences about her. This is also a time when we really felt we are foreigners and in this country as foreigners it is prudent for our security to keep our heads down.

As I thank God for all of 2007, it dawned on me that Pakistan is lucky and blessed to have a daughter like Benazir. With all the negative images, Pakistan has many Benazirs too... women with the belief, courage and commitment for true democracy in the country and standing against the extremists and those in the corrupt and unjust system. There are other images not shown on TV, images of peace and unity like people gathering in prayer, lighting candles for Benazir. To them and with them I give thanks to God and start the New Year with faith and hope. God has been with us in the past; God will continue to be with us and guide us this year too.

Again, thank you and happy and grace-filled New Year.

Declaration of the III Assembly of the Women of the Via Campesina 

Via Campesina, the international movement of peasants, small- and medium-sized producers, landless, rural women, indigenous people, rural youth and agricultural workers, held their fifth annual international conference Oct. 16 - 23, 2008. The third Assembly of Women produced a declaration which is excerpted below. The full text is available here: http://www.viacampesina.org/main_en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=620&Itemid=68

Wednesday, 22 October 2008 

We are women with a history and common struggles for life, land and territory, food sovereignty, justice and dignity:  we are women who share knowledge and experiences, convinced that ideas, like seeds, grow and reproduce when they are exchanged.   We are women who have struggled against violence across history, fighters who continue to defend our territories and cultures from pillage, devastation and death perpetrated by those who have imposed their power since the time of colonialism, and today continue trying to colonize not only our territories but also our minds and our lives.

We denounce the fact that the process of migration, especially for women, is strongly related to impoverishment and social and gender violence in the countryside. Displacements of women toward centers of corporate production, the trafficking of women to support entertainment industries, and the expulsions of women from productive lands conspire against the permanence and maintenance of rural communities and against food sovereignty.

The struggle against violence toward women begins in our hearts and consciences.  Let us unify our wills to build a rural world without violence, starting with the creation of a new woman and man.

The women of the VC will continue to build a rural world that is full of life, and is just, equitable and in solidarity, on the way to food sovereignty.  In this 3rd International Assembly of the women of VC we urge all members, from all parts of the world, both men and women, to join in this struggle.  For life and food sovereignty, stop the violence against rural women now!

Action Update: 

Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation

The Jubilee Act would provide debt cancellation to 67 countries to enable them to address their own poverty. Women are particularly impacted by the debt burdens of their countries. Funds for education, health care, and employment programs that benefit women would be more available with debt cancellation. The act would also provide guidelines for responsible lending and a U.S. audit of illegitimate loans.

The bill (HR 2634/S 2166) has passed the House and is awaiting passage in the Senate. The House voted 285 - 132 to support it on April 16, 2008. The legislation was next heard before the Senate Foreign Relations committee and was passed on June 24, 2008. Thank you for your successful efforts to win passage of this important bill.

Now it must come before the full Senate and will be considered through a consensus vote. Jubilee USA reports that Senator Coburn of Oklahoma is currently blocking the vote. Advocates are asking him to drop his block and the bill can then be voted on during a lame duck session. If the session is held in the Senate, we should contact our Senators and urge them to vote for the passage of the Jubilee Act. If it is not heard in the lame duck session, it will be submitted again for consideration by the next Congress.

Action Idea:  Watch "Sisters on the Planet"