Women's Development Association Invites Essays for $1000 Award
Sisters, there's no need to re-invent the wheel. As women's movements and organizations around the world, we can learn from each other and create new ways to become stronger. AWID is gathering insights into feminist organizational strengthening and movement building that we intend to share with AWID members and others around the world. What processes make a strong women's organization? How can we move beyond our fragmented feminist and women's movements? This is a call to acknowledge the diversity and wealth within women's organizations and movements and to share our hard-won experiences, our knowledge and our best practices. We are seeking essays and case studies from all regions of the world. Those that are selected will receive an honorarium of $1000 USD to be used towards organizational strengthening activities. Selected contributions will also be published by AWID and highlighted at the 10th International AWID Forum on Women's Rights in Development, October 27-30, 2005, in Bangkok, Thailand.
Two ways to participate
- SUBMIT AN ESSAY: Send us an essay on a particular issue related to movement building and/or strengthening women's organizations. Essays should critically evaluate past efforts and focus on new ways of thinking and organization around these issues.
- SEND US A CASE STUDY: A case study would describe and analyse a specific example of how women's organizations and movements are carrying out initiatives to promote organizational strengthening and build women's movements. We are seeking cases that illustrate how the results were achieved and what important lessons were learned, and that make strategic suggestions for future action by women's groups globally.
Both essays and case studies should focus on one or more of the following issues:
- Power dynamics and leadership in organizations and movements;
- Broadening participation / mechanisms of inclusion;
- Overcoming fragmentation in the movements;
- Re-politicizing the work and movements;
- Feminist principles in action regarding relationships among people and organizations and within the organizations and movements;
- Fundraising, resource mobilization and sustainability;
- Sustaining the work of women's organizations and movements in conflict situations; and
- Building alliances and partnerships with other organizations or movements.
Who can participate?
Participation is open to individuals, women's groups, organizations or networks that are part of women's movements or define themselves as feminist, whether or not they are members of AWID. We encourage participation by people from diverse backgrounds, of different ages, areas of work, sexualities, identities, ethnicities, religions, regions, etc. We particularly encourage active participation of women from the Global South and Eastern and Central Europe.
How to participate?
- Contributions will be accepted in English, Spanish or French only.
- Essays should be no longer than 15-18 DOUBLESPACED pages, Times New Roman, 12 point.
- Case studies should be no longer than 10-15 DOUBLE-SPACED pages, Times New Roman, 12 point.
- Case studies should also include general information about the group / organization /network / collective / coalition / etc., that the Case Study refers to, including its name, specific location, date established, number of members or staff, its reach (local, national, regional, international) and finally its intended beneficiaries. The case study should also explain who were the main players/actors that led, facilitated and were involved in the process described.
- All contributions must include a completed summary page form (see below).
- Send relevant background information, if you wish, such as relevant dissemination materials, publications, videos, etc.
Contributions should be sent no later than January31st, 2005 to AWID by email to: femo-call@awid.org or by postal mail to the following address:
Feminist Movements and Organizations (FEMO) Programme,
Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID)
Córdoba 234, Int. 7
Colonia Roma Sur
México DF, CP 06700
MEXICO
Conditions
Submission of the application form and the case study or essay implies acceptance of the following conditions:
- Your contributions may be published by AWID.
- AWID will not return any materials included or attached to the submissions and such materials may be included as part of the AWID's Feminist Movements and Organizations Documentation Centre and AWID's Feminist e-Library.
- Case studies or essays that do not follow the specified format will be excluded from the selection process.
The selection process
All essays or case studies will be initially reviewed by AWID staff to verify that they fulfill the requirements mentioned above. Completed submissions will then be classified by region and issue of focus. After the deadline, the Selection Committee will meet to review and select the essays and case studies. A total of approximately 15 essays and 15 case studies will be selected. Approximately five contributions will be selected from each geographic region (namely, Africa, Asia and Pacific, Eastern and Central Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East, and finally North America and Western Europe).
The Selection Committee is made up of women with knowledge and experience in strengthening and building women's organizations and movements. The members of the Selection Committee are:
- Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, African Women's Development Fund, Nigeria/UK
- Filiz Bikmen, Third Sector Foundation, Turkey
- Geetanjali Misra, Creating Resources for Empowerment in Action (CREA), India
- Sanja Sarnavka, Be Active Be Emancipated (B.a.B.e), Croatia
- Indai Sajor, Human Rights Adviser, Philippines
- Virginia Vargas, Centro de la Mujer Peruana Flora Tristan, Peru
- Barbara Williams, Diversity and Management Consultant, Canada
Awards and recognition
Every essay or case study selected will receive an honorarium of $1,000 USD. The awards are intended to serve as seed money to support Feminist Organizations and Movements related work already in progress by the organization or individual. In addition, all essays and case studies selected will be published in a book and on AWID's website. Finally, all case studies and essays selected will be presented at AWID's next International Forum to be held in Thailand, in October of 2005. AWID intends to provide funding to support winners' participation in Forum. The Selection Committee will consider issuing Honourable Mentions, at its discretion.
Should you have any questions or comments about this Call please contact Lydia Alpízar at lalpizar@awid.org or at the mailing address above.
Thanks for passing on this call and for taking part!
This Call is available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian in AWID's web site at www.awid.org
Contribution Summary
Complete and send this summary when submitting your contribution
1) The submission is:
An Essay or a Case Study
2) Title:
3) Author:
4) Job Title:
5) Organization:
6) Address:
7) Tel No:
8) Fax No:
9) E-mail address:
10) Summary [max 100 words]:
11) Country/Region:
12) Issue focus:
Association for Women's Rights in Development
AWID
215 Spadina Ave., Suite 150
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5T 2C7
T: 416.594.3773
F: 416.594.033
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