Just the Facts (Digest Later)

by Keji Fatunde, Diocese of Michigan

Today and yesterday, I got to meet with each one of the delegates on their own terms. And it was amazing!!! It was really fulfilling and it is interesting to evaluate whether people are making a conscious effort to make you feel uncomfortable or take advantage of your vulnerability and I’m happy to say I was able to let my guard down significantly without getting punched in the face.

But first, my UN Experience for the day.

Since we spent the entire night last night prepping for the rap session at the side event today, Garrett and I were late to the sessions this morning and it kinda sucked as we were still a bit tired.

Well, we spent some time sharing flyers and finalizing plans then we departed for the Salvation Army Building for the event at 1pm.

A Rabbi, A Rapper, and a Radio Show Host was an event focused around the contextual use of media in a cultural context and challenging us to think critically about the stereotypical roles of certain professions in our immediate society.

The rap session by G-Quinn (Garrett Braaf) was kickin as he told his story of how he decided to get into positive rap music and then did a rap about “Transforming Lives”. Video to come!

It was the most amazing thing ever and Facia Harris (the radio show host) was awesome with her vivid portrayal of the plight of women in Liberia and how she organized her programming to further educate and bring awareness to said plight.

The Rabbi was female and gave examples of ways in which she was expected to fulfill her role as a rabbi the same way as a man would and what challenges she faced as one who wasnt the conventional face of a Jewish religious leader.

We also attended the debriefing of the CSW women and the ladies requested that he give them a rap to round up their session and it was very well received again! Sold out CDs. I am still impressed!

I apologize if I’m not re-analyzing a lot of the ideas and concepts learned in these sessions so far, but my goal is to gather all the facts here and then go home and digest all this info to the best of my ability. I am a philosophical person at heart, but the worst kind of analysis is that which is rushed both in processing and delivery. Alrighty!…

To meet the other delegates through Keji's eyes, visit his blog.

Go Out and Set the World on Fire

As I’m writing this, I’m listening to Peter Gabriel’s song “Biko”. The lyrics describe my feelings about the UN CSW well: “You can blow out the candle, but you can’t blow out the fire. Once the flames begin to catch, the wind just blows them higher.” I love these words because they emphasize the importance of working together to combat injustice. Individual women can face enormous barriers, but when they share their stories with others, they share their passion and determination too. Everyone from our delegation has felt the emotional intensity of addressing the barriers that women face globally. These emotions can seem like a burden, but they connect us to the people we’ve met and to their causes. Even if society oppresses one woman (metaphorically blowing out the candle), other women can maintain her spirit and goals (keeping the fire going).

Today I was very moved by the speech of a lesbian activist from Uganda. The most striking thing about her was her response to the recent bill against homosexuality; rather than retreating in the face of possible imprisonment or death, she is working to increase the visibility of the LGBT rights movement in Uganda. When the government attempts to outlaw her identity, she asserts herself even more strongly. I have no idea what will happen to her, but her sharing of her story at the CSW (to an absolutely packed room of people, nonetheless) ignited a fire that reaches well beyond her own flame of resistance. This example is one of many. During every minute of this Commission, women are sharing their stories and lighting fires of solidarity. As important as institutional action is, this solidarity gives me hope where institutions fail.
Peace,
Brede Eschliman, Diocese of Connecticut

A Prayerful Week of Learning

My favorite encounter each day is the interaction with other people from other countries. Sometimes good and sometimes maybe not so good. But the encounters in and of themselves is what teaches us, as a group, so much about ourselves as individuals and also Americans. As an episcopal young adult delegate from Alabama the favorite thing I hear everyday is how hilarious my accent is. I think I pride myself in my accent because it represents who I am. Another way in which many delegates at the CSW represent themselves is in terms of what they wear. This in and of itself is often a story screaming to be heard. Are we willing to listen? A member of our delegation likes to spend an hour getting dressed and picking out the right outfit...matching jewlery, clothes, and even eye glasses...but what does this mean? I think it shows preparedness, organization, and thoughtfulness. So how do we see each other in terms of our own culture let alone people from other countries? Coming from a small town, being able to interact with people from so many different cultures, backgrounds, races, and ethnicities has provided me with a golden opportunity to examine who I am and where I come from.

I feel as though I have become so close with our group so very quickly. Not only the chance to spend time with other young adults, but other young adults that share a common belief as Episcopalians but also a goal and vision in terms of gender quality. No matter where we come from and how different our lives are on a daily basis, the opportunity to come together as a group has meant so much to me.

I am so thankful and prayerful for this week and I hope you all can be too. Not only for ourselves, but for the work that will continue to grow long after this experience.

Christ's Peace,
Lauren Wainwright, Diocese of Alabama

My Cup Overflows

by Hanna Kang-Brown, Diocese of Los Angeles

In NYC, I am surrounded by a cacophony of noise and movement. Buildings filled with people rise on all sides of the street. People rush to and fro. Cars are merging, and trucks are honking. I am surrounded by people with countless agendas, and it feels easy to feel insignificant. Yet my heart is burning and alive with the pain of women around the world, and I do not feel alone or insignificant. I'm learning that this is what social action with faith looks like. It is dynamic and ever present, painful yet hopeful, healing and renewing.

Today, I went to the opening plenary session at the UN and although I was in the overflow room next door, I was in awe that I got the opportunity to sit in that familiar room with chairs and microphones and desks lined in semi-circles. I saw African female deputies and delegates speaking with passion and conviction about ending violence towards women. I experienced what it's like to be a part of an international body, and I committed to having a global perspective and not just an American one. Even though we were in the overflow room, there were men and women lined up along the walls until there was nowhere else to stand or sit. I myself was sitting on a stairwell next to African sisters. We were packed in and you could sense the desperate delight of women willing to stake their lives on fighting for women's rights. I was reminded of the story of the lame man who was lifted down through the roof of a house where Jesus was teaching because there was no other way to get inside the packed house. The building could not contain all who wanted to sit and listen, and I yearned for all my brothers and sisters out there who want to be a part of the conversation to be allowed inside.

I never imagined that I would come to the UN as a delegate with a church. But I would not have it any other way. The faith community here is articulate and strong. I see now how faith can work with social action to breathe life into it, to give it resources and values, to provide courage, strength, and healing. I'm seeing a new way of strong female leadership here--one that is clear and present, assertive and persistent. My cup overflows.

Equality Re-imagined

by Karen Longenecker, Diocese of San Diego

Coming back to UNCSW this year has already proved to be a profound and moving experience, and its only Monday. I was here last year and while I keep trying not to compare, it is rather inevitable and I find myself being so delighted with different opportunities this year that make things very rich and heavy and I also miss having the new eyes to find events fascinating and moving, instead of slightly tedious and tiring at times.

Still the same, this year brings with it a weight that I don't recall feeling last year. I spent this afternoon in an event around organizing the North American Network of Religions for Peace, a movement of women of faith that advocate to eliminate violence against women across the world. The panel was amazing, fabulous, incredible, all of the above, and while I won't go into detail, I will mention a quote that really made me think.

It was: "One day equality will be an erotic experience."
All the women in the room chuckled a naughty, almost bedroom-ish chuckle, perfect.

It is my style to push the edge a bit, and I like this quote mainly because it makes you (and me) a little uncomfortable. Also though, our sexuality, as women AND men, is so intrinsically tied to all that we are learning here. The Beijing Platform covers a myriad of problems in all of our societies, most of which we can't even get our minds around. Being so overwhelmed makes me want to come back to what I do know, and what I do know, as Anne Lamott has said, is that the issue of being issued a body is just very strange. While I am here and while my mind is insanely busy with a million things, I miss the conversation that teaches me about my body as a woman, what it means to exist in a body and how our bodies can no longer be silent and passive.

Now I return to the quote. Equality, as much as it is thrown around, just might be much more powerful than we have given it credit for. This week, I am thinking of equality as something new, refreshing, something passionate, something sexual, something in our body that we urge towards. I am trying to fit equality into this business of living in a body and for right now, it feels like a good fit. Perhaps that makes you uncomfortable, and it should, but it is also how it should be.

Quickly I want to mention another thought I have to give credit to here. This delegation really amazes me. Having the privilege of being here a second time makes me constantly try to figure out what they are thinking, how they are processing, what they like, what they don't and on and on. And then when I get myself to be quiet, I realize how brave they are, how strong they are. I am thankful for them. They make me remember to be hurt, disappointed, angry, tearful, joyous, full of hope and openness and somehow that feels like going back to a person in me that I enjoy more, I certainly enjoy more fully. I give thanks for their faithfulness.

Know My Heart

by Jasmine Bostock, Diocese of Hawaii

Starting the day this morning, I was filled with anticipation of what the day would bring. Will I hear stories? Will I tell them? Will I be brave enough to introduce myself to someone and start a conversation? Will I be overcome with information? Our day started at 5AM, early enough to wake and dress, and get Starbucks from down the street, and pray with another woman from our delegation, who invited the group to join her in centering prayer (silent) for 15 minutes before we left every morning. This prayer was exactly what I needed, before I even knew how I needed it. My day would become such a mix of emotions and events, I needed to have the center that it gave me. We all met at 6:30 to go to the UN Church Center and run through the worship we created yesterday. I had a part in the message, about an obstacle I had overcome. I get really nervous public speaking, and I didn't want to cry, as I wanted the message to be one of strength (we were celebrating Miriam's leadership). The rest of my day was a mix of things--boring, scary, overwhelming, at moment incredibly touching with their honesty, exciting, resting, and most of all unexpected. I have more of a clear idea of what the sessions are like now, and I know a little bit about how to tell when an organization will push speaking points on you. I feel comfortable getting up and leaving a room, and walking into a new one. Through all of this, God kept me centered and He took care of me when I couldn't--even by forcing me into an unintentional nap! He knows me inside and outside, He knows my comings and my goings before I do, and He knows my heart. He knows how it breaks anew for each woman carrying the hurt of her country and her mother, and sister, and grandmother, and friends, and cousins, with her to this place called the United Nations. And His heart breaks alongside mine, as He gently takes the burden from my shoulders and from theirs, and turns it into friendship, sisterhood, solidarity, and advocacy. How amazing is our God!

Song Of Miriam

Today, young adults from around the world led morning worship for the Ecumenical Women delegations. We took as our text the Song of Miriam and led the diverse delegations in song, prayer, art and conversation. This song was composed by young adults as part of our Sunday gathering specifically for this worship. Here it is re-created by the young adult delegation at our daily worship.