Document sans nom

December 2005 IEP M2 JPI

Feature
Women In Black

Photographs by Pierre-Yves GINET

By Martin Perrin, Barbara Szerer, Alexander and Paul Théodor Vodenitcharov

The 13 th International Conference of the Women in Black (WIB) took place in Jerusalem between the 12 th and the 16 th of August 2005. The conference was held under the title “women resist occupation and war” and was organised as a demonstration of their opposition to the occupation of the Occupied territories.

Not only did it focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but it also attempted to deal with other issues like women, war and peace-making.

The event was a success despite the difficulties caused by the Israeli authorities, who denied some activists the possibility of entering the Israeli territory because of their Human Rights work in Palestine.

Nevertheless, the women were able to get together and the travel costs for some of them, who came from third world countries, was even sponsored by women living in wealthier parts of the world. This showed how strong solidarity can be between the women in this organisation throughout the world.

However, the Women in Black don't see themselves as a structured organisation with a hierarchy of its own but they rather intend to promote a new way of being a part of the public debate around the planet.

Thanks to their creativity and tenacity a new concept of non-violent demonstrations has been born. These actions mainly consist in a variety of happenings, such as standing in public places in silence, carrying placards and hanging out leaflets. They also block roads, enter military or forbidden zones and refuse to obey to the injunctions of the army.

Since the very beginning of their action, wearing black, the traditional colour of mourning, appeared to them to be the best way of symbolising their mourning for peace and to manifest their refusal of any kind of bellicosity, while many conflicts are going on everyday all over the world.

The movement actually began in 1988, right after the first Intifada broke out, when a group of Israeli and Palestinian women decided to get together and stand in protest every Friday night at the same place.

Other women's movements who wore black were their models, like the Black Sash in South Africa and the “Madres de la Plaza de Mayo” seeking the “disappeared” people in Argentina.

Rapidly, other “Women In Black” groups have been founded in several countries, especially Western countries. Their second big action took place during the Yugoslavian conflict, when women from many countries used to meet on a regular basis in Belgrade to take part in the same kind of demonstration.

Since then, international conferences have been frequently organised in many different countries and the movement has been constant ly developing.

The link between all these women wearing black is certainly the way they all insist on their feminist point of view, because they declare that they have a feminine understanding that male violence against women in domestic life and in war are related . It is for them obvious that most of the violence in society is engendered by masculine cultures. Their goal is to make the women's role ever greater in our societies, which is a reason to hope for a more peaceful issue to future conflicts.

Women in Black: pictures commentaries (with English translation)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. Pacifistes israéliennes

30 mai 2003 - Tel Aviv - Israël.
"Femmes en noir" devant une "table des commandements de la paix", lors de la manifestation nationale des femmes pacifistes, le vendredi 30 mai 2003, devant la cinémathèque.
La "Coalition des femmes pour la paix", collectif rassemblant des femmes juives et palestiniennes, à titre individuel ou appartenant à diverses associations qui travaillent ensemble à une paix juste en Israël et Palestine (Bat Shalom, NELED, New Profile, NOGA, Machsom Watch,TANDI, The 5th mother, WILPF, Women in Black) organisait ce rassemblement pour marquer la 36e année de l'occupation par Israël des territoires palestiniens.
Seulement 500 personnes s'étaient mobilisées, contre parfois plus de 5000 par le passé.

Israeli pacifists

May 30 2003 – Tel Aviv - Israel
“Women in black “standing in front of a “table of commandments of peace”, during the national pacifist women's demonstration, which took place on May the 30, in front of the cinema center. The “women for peace coalition”, a collective assembling Jewish and Palestinian women, organised this gathering to mark the 36 th year of occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel. This coalition assembles women who came individually or women belonging to different organisations, working together for a fair peace in Israel and Palestine (Bat Shalom, NELED, New Profile, NOGA, Machsom Watch,TANDI, The 5th mother, WILPF, Women in Black). Only 500 people where present, contrary to the some 5000 people mobilized in the past.

8. Pacifistes israéliennes

30 mai 2003 - Tel Aviv - Israël.
Les actions des « Women in Black » ne regroupent en général que des femmes, et prend la forme de regroupement de femmes habillées en noir, sur des places publics et en silence. Nous voyons ici, les ballons noirs, symbole parlant, de l'espoir transformé en deuil de la paix. Mis à part ces réunions à intervalles réguliers, le collectif organise des conférences. La 13 e conférence internationale s'est déroulée à Jérusalem du 12 au 16 août 2005, sous le titre « Les femmes résistent à l'occupation et à la guerre ». La majorité des conférences se sont tenues à Jérusalem. Et une partie du programme de conférences comprenait des visites de solidarité en Palestine et des manifestations de leur opposition à l'occupation. La conférence n'a pas seulement traité du conflit israélo-palestinien, mais plus largement des femmes, de la guerre et la pacification.

May 30 2003 – Tel Aviv - Israel

Women in Black actions are generally undertaken by women only, and often take the form of women wearing black, standing in a public place in silence. Here we see the black balloons, a strong symbol of this hope that turned out in mourning for peace. Beside these regular meetings, the collective organizes conferences. The 13th International Conference of Women in Black took place in Jerusalem on the12-16 August 2005 under the title "Women Resist Occupation and War". Most of the conference sessions were held in Jerusalem. Part of the conference program included solidarity site visits in Palestine and a demonstration of their opposition to the occupation. The conference dealt not only with the Israeli-Palestine conflict, but with the broader issues of women, war, and peace-making.

9. Pacifistes israeliennes

30 novembre 2001 - Jérusalem - Israël.
"Femmes en noir", portant le deuil de la paix, lors de leur manifestation hebdomadaire, Place de France à Jérusalem.
Les "Women in black" de Jérusalem sont apparues lors de la première Intifada, en 1988. Tous les vendredis, sans interruption depuis, elles exhibent leurs pancartes " End of occupation ", disant clairement en anglais, en hébreu et en arabe leur refus de la politique d'occupation des territoires, qu'il n'y a pas de paix possible sans que les territoires occupés soient rendus et leur appel pour un Etat palestinien. Comme les "Mères de la place de Mai" qui les ont inspirées, leur ténacité a payé ; elles sont devenues emblématiques de la résistance non-violente des femmes à une situation d'injustice. D'autres groupes de "femmes en noir" se sont créés de par le monde.

Israeli pacifists

November 30th 2001 – Jerusalem – Israel
The “Women in Black” of Jerusalem, bearing the mourning for peace, appeared during the first Intifada, in 1988. Every Friday, with no exception, they display their placards “End occupation”, clearly expressing in English, Hebrew and Arabic their refusal of the occupation politics' in the territories. According to them, peace is impossible without giving back the occupied territories, and they appeal for a Palestinian state. Like the “Madres de la Plaza de Mayo” who inspired them, their tenacity has paid, they became emblematic of women's non-violent resistance to an unfair situation. Other groups of “women in black” have been created in the world.

10. Pacifistes israeliennes

30 novembre 2001 - Jérusalem - Israël.
"Femmes en noir", lors de leur manifestation hebdomadaire, Place de France à Jérusalem, en discussion avec un passant. Cas rare, l'échange portant sur leurs divergences de vue, est courtois et prendra quelques minutes.

Souvent, les agressions verbales et même parfois physiques des passants ne leur sont pas épargnées. Raison pour laquelle deux policiers veillent désormais chaque semaine à leur sécurité. Que des femmes anonymes brisent le tabou et osent dire publiquement qu'il n'y a pas de paix possible sans que les territoires occupés soient rendus et constituent un Etat palestinien - "pas de paix sans justice" comme elles le rappellent toujours quand on les rencontre - est toujours difficile à supporter pour l'opinion publique israélienne. Cette trahison des femmes, comme elle est perçue par certains, fait se déchaîner un sexisme virulent à leur égard.

Israeli pacifists

November 30th 2001 – Jerusalem – Israel
“Women in Black”, during their weekly demonstration, France Square, in Jerusalem, discussing with a passer-by. In an uncommon situation, the discussion about their differing points of view is polite and will take a few minutes.

Often, verbal and even sometimes physical aggressions of the passers aren't spared to them. That is why two policemen watch over them every week, to ensure their security.

For Israeli opinion, it's difficult to accept that anonymous women should break the taboo and dare publicly express that there's no peace possible without giving back the territories and setting up a Palestinian state, “no peace without justice”, as they always recall when they meet someone. The betrayal of these women, as perceived by some people, can provoke virulent manifestations of sexism towards them.

10. Pacifistes israeliennes

Israeli pacifists

Often, verbal and even sometimes physical aggressions of passers-by aren't spared to them. That's why two policemen watch over them every week, to ensure their security.

For Israeli opinion, it's difficult to accept anonymous women breaking the taboo and daring to publicly express that there's no peace possible without giving back the territories and setting up a Palestinian state. “No peace without justice” as they always recall when they meet someone. The betrayal of these women, as perceived by some people, can provoke virulent manifestations of sexism towards them.