8 February 2001

Dear Sisters and Friends,

We are writing to invite you to participate in Global Women’s Strike events – women’s response to globalisation – before and on International Women’s Day, Thursday 8 March 2001. In London, there will be a children’s exhibition, a caravan in Whitehall and an evening speak-out and entertainment with live performances.

In the run-up to 8 March, we are speaking at a number of towns and cities, and we hope you will be able to come. Please bring your friends, colleagues, partners, sisters, mothers, aunts . . . whether they live in London, Brighton, Canterbury, Egham, Newcastle, Oxford, Sheffield, invite them to take part in the events listed below, or call an event of your own which we will be glad to send a speaker to. Everyone is welcome. The Payday Men’s Network is co-ordinating men’s support for the Strike worldwide.

So far, we have heard from women in  over 50 countries. Many more are likely to be organising events which we haven’t heard about yet.
_______________________________________________________

Latest news in the UK

* * * Labi Siffre, internationally famous singer, will link his Website to the Strike’s. Also, Rage Against the Machine, an activist rock band, has put the Global women's Stirke top of their webpage.

* * * SHEFFIELD Students involved in national shut down of higher education on 1 March, connecting it to the Strike. Today launched a university-community newsletter focussing on Strike and 'Debt is Fraud' Campaign, invited to speak about Strike at lectures, showing Strike video all day in students' union foyer with Strike materials, and more.

* * * EDINBURGH autonomous Centre circulating Strike info.

* * * DUDLEY hospital workers striking against privatisation since August sent £50 donation and support for Strike and invited the GWS to speak at their mass meeting.

* * * MANCHESTER Tamil Centre for Human Rights are informing their members, contacts and individuals. They raise how much the Sri Lankan government spends on war against Tamil people ($860 million a year) killing 70,000 people since 1983, mostly women and children, and that rape is used as a weapon of war against Tamil women.

* * * LIVERPOOL "Mad Women" group including women in the mental health system and People Not Profit invited Strike speakers and distributing info

* * * LONDON National and international co-ordination centre of the Strike Asylum seekers and other immigrants, pensioners, students, rape survivors, women with disabilities, lesbian women, prostitute women, artists and performers, mental health survivors, and others of different ages, many with children, have been attending Strike meetings and helping out with the work. Sex workers in Soho joining the Caravan to protest against evictions and deportations
* * * North of England: woman mental health worker organising event with women in psychiatric hospital.

Events in England so far:

12 February Canterbury

  • 2pm Canterbury Women’s Resource Centre, 56a Dover St, Canterbury.
  • 6.30-8pm Lecture Theatre 3, Keynes College, Univ. of Canterbury.

15 February Newcastle (call for details)

23 February London

  • 6pm Women & Children First. Opening of "LI SBON MAX" (The Painted Monkey ) an exhibition of paintings by Indigenous children in Chiapas, Mexico. Followed by video of women & children confronting the army occupying a refugee camp. In support of the Zapatista demands for Indigenous people’s autonomy and self-determination. Will run till 16 March. (See enclosed leaflet for details.)

23 February Sheffield

  • 2.30pm "The Peaks", Sheffield University Students Union, Western Bank

24 February Sheffield

  • 2pm Public Meeting IMF and World Bank wanted for Fraud – Women Strike Globally against Global Robbery, SADACCA, 48 The Wicker, Sheffield.

27 February Surrey

  • 6pm Lecture Block B, Royal Holloway University, Egham.

2 March Oxford (call for details)

3 March Brighton

  • Speak and stall at Brighton Women’s Centre, Brighthelm Centre, North Street. All day International Women’s Day event.

8 March London

  • 12-1pm Caravan in Whitehall
  • 6.30pm - midnight Union Chapel, Compton Ave, Highbury & Islington. Stop the world, Change the tune! An evening of news, views, booze & live music. Speakout followed by live performances with Songlines International Choir, Frank Chickens, Redjen and Raya crew. Full wheelchair access. Sign language interpreting to be confirmed. Creche till 8pm. Entrance: before 8pm £3; after 8pm unwaged £5 waged £7. No one turned away for lack of funds.

If you would like to be involved at this exciting time – in the run-up to 8 March and beyond – there are plenty of ways you can participate, including:

  • Taking leaflets around your local area/to your women’s or community organisation.
  • Coming along with us on Strike speaking engagements.
  • Helping finish preparations for the Caravan in London including puppet-making etc.
  • Volunteering at the Centre (days, evenings or weekends).
  • Coming to Strike planning meetings (every other Thursday evening).

With best wishes and hoping to hear from you.

Power to the sisters to stop the world and change it,

 

Niki Adams (Wages for Housework Campaign)
Sara Callaway (Black Women for Wages for Housework)

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