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Women as Leaders of Change for a Just Peace. Dr. Ruchama Marton Founder &President Physicians for Human Rights-Israel. Physicians for Human Rights-Israel.
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Women as Leaders of Change for a Just Peace Dr. Ruchama Marton Founder &President Physicians for Human Rights-Israel
Physicians for Human Rights-Israel • PHRI is a non-profit organization that struggles to end the occupation in order to halt human right violations in the Occupied Territory and for the realization of the right to health for all. • PHRI introduced the term and concept of human rights in general and in the OPT in particular where it was not present before.
Feminism and the Struggle for Peace • PHRI - a model of women who move beyond the narrow sector of the struggle for women’s rights and engage in broad-based action for human rights, against the occupation, and in favor of social justice and equality. • In PHRI women are leaders rather than laborers in men-led organizations, stating that the whole world is within women’s interest.
International Women’s Peace Day - Demonstration to End the Occupation, Jerusalem, 2000
Struggle Within • Some men in the organization were unable to accept a woman leader who refused to submit to male hegemony. • Hag or Nag – things were said that would never be said about a man in the same position.
Struggle Outside • With time, achieving more strength, more members and influence – the Israeli establishment replaced their ignoring attitude not with respect, but with a cruel fight against PHRI. • “The activities of PHR-Israel constitute fertile ground for anti-Israeli and anti-Zionist anti-Semitism”.(21 July 2009, The chairman of IMA)
Among Our Achievements • Women empowerment – Hadas Ziv, CEO. • Organizational culture that embodies a real spirit of sisterhood for women and men that has endured for many years and has managed to resist the dominant militaristic power-based nature of Israeli society.
Beyond Hegemony & Hierarchy • We believe in the possibility of moving beyond the structured system of hegemonic order. • Those who want to act to mend the worst wrongs and heal the greatest pain do not have a sacred hierarchical order.
Thank you Asia Pacific Women’s Conference Women, Peace and Security: VISIONS FOR A NEW WORLD 8-10 September 2009 : Philippine Normal University (PNU) Manila, Philippines