WOMEN RECOLLECTING MEMORIES: GENDER DIMENSION
With the inception of the wars in former Yugoslavia, women victims of war rapes became incarnated symbols and national metaphors: Raped Bosnian woman (Croat woman, Albanian woman, Serb woman…) symbolized the “raped” Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosovo… At the same time, the media started presenting images of sexy young women in military uniforms. Women were constructed as symbols on whose bodies all nationalisms of the region inscribed their state-funding projects and their “thousand years old dreams”. Individual women and feminist groups that did not conform to state orchestrated nationalism were declared traitors and un-feminine.
Women were the victims of ethnic conflicts, but women also played an active role in resisting to war and nationalisms. Immediately after the wars stopped, women’s suffering and sexual war violence upon them disappeared from public memory. Although peace is valued today, women’s resistance to armed conflicts and nationalisms has been erased from collective memory.
Women’s project of reconstructing memories starts from the premise that dealing with the past and memories strongly influences the processes of transitional justice, facing the past, reconciliation, seeking the truth and, inasmuch, creating conditions for stability, democratic development and lasting peace in the region. This cannot be achieved without active participation of women. If for no other reasons, then because women and women’s groups are the bearers of memories about continuous peace building activities.
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Program
CONFERENCE WOMEN RECOLLECTING MEMORIES
On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of The Centre for Women War Victims 9-11 May, 2003, Zagreb
Friday, 9. 5.
Hotel “Palace”, Strossmayerov trg 10
9:30—10:00
Gathering and registration of participants
10:00—11:00
Opening
Introduction and meeting of participants
Slavica Kušić: Centre for Women War Victims today
Vesna Kesić and Aida Bagić: About the conference
Women Recollecting Memories
Biljana Bijelić and Vesna Janković: Introducing the new edition of The Collected Papers
“Women Recollecting Memories”
11:00—11:15
Break
11:15—12:30
Expectations of the conference: Why should we recollect women’s memories?
12:30—14:00
Lunch
14:00—16:00
Remembering: Personal chronologies and chronologies of war (small working groups)
16:00—16:30
Break
16:30—18:00
Continuation: Personal chronologies and chronologies of war (small working groups)
18:00—18:30
Final discussion of day one
19:30
Dinner
Saturday, 10.5.
Hotel “Palace”, Strossmayerov trg 10
9:30—11:30
I. Group: Feminist approach to psychosocial work in war situations
II. Group: Cooperation across state and national boundaries
III. Group: Women’s peace policies and resistance to war and nationalism
11:30—12:00
Break
12:00—13:00
Continuation in three plenary groups
13:00—15:00
Lunch
15:00—16:30
Group reports and discussion
16:30—17:00
Break
17:00—17:30
Final discussion
19:30
Reception in the City Palace Dverce under the auspices of Ms. Morana Paliković Gruden, Chairwoman of the Zagreb City Council
Sunday, 11. 5.
Zagreb, Old Town Hall, Ulica sv. Ćirila i Metoda 5/I
9:30—11:00
Public forum on the importance of women’s memories
Slavica Kušić, Centre for Women War Victims
Morana Paliković Gruden, Chairwoman of the Zagreb City Council
Vesna Kesić: Gender Dimension of Memory – Gender Dimension of Conflict and Reconciliation
Vesna Janković and Biljana Bijelić: Introducing the new edition of The Collected Papers “Women Recollecting Memories”
Aida Bagić: Summary of the two days meeting of activists and supporters of the Centre for Women War Victims
11:00—11:30
Break
11:30—13:00
Reana Senjković and Renata Jambrešić Kirin: Gender Images of War
Orly Lubin: Creating Oblivion: Israel/Palestine, engendered memory
13:00—14:30
Lunch
14:30—16:00
Women’s Recollections of the War (panel)
Moderator: Biljana Bijelić
Panellists: Tea Škokić, Duška Andrić-Ružičić, Mojca Urek, Lepa Mlađenović, Igbala Rogova
16:00—16:30
Break
16:30—18:00
Remembering Women’s Organizing Activities (panel)
Moderator: Vesna Teršelič
Panellists: Mojca Dobnikar, Nadežda Radović, Slavica Stojanović, Vesna Barilar, Eva Zillen
18:00—18:30
Closing of the Conference
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These pages are dedicated to women’s memories of resistance to war and nationalisms in the countries of former Yugoslavia, but also to the activities of all women in the world who, in the context of transitional processes, raise their voice against war violence and discrimination.
