Erin and Pimm,I'd be interested in joining in, but now I see we are in week 8 whereas I am just moving around in week 4. Do you know if we can go beyond the time frame of the course, which is probably not infinite. I am getting a lot out of it, but just can't seem to keep up. I'd still like to join in a group also though!Iris

Thanks, Rebecca. Glad to know others are figuring some of this stuff out :)

Hi, Sabine,Thank you for focusing on this organization. I went to Boston University from 1968 to 1972, and the book, "Our Bodies, Our Selves" was where we learned about IT!I am so glad to learn that it is still going strong. P.S. I may want to join a group since we are well into the course. Can you share if you have a group, and how I may access it? I have problem with the sharing aspects of this course, but otherwise am learning so much.Have a great week,Iris

Hi, Melissa,I agree on the content of the course materials. I find though it is hard to keep up with it all. Also, some of the materials are repetitive (the UNICEF portion of 3A-3 for example).I haven't even begun to explore group discussions and Community, two parts that are required for the Stanford Completion Certificate. In fact, I can only guess that "community" is the Talkabout, about which no one has had anything positive to say.Somewhere along the length of the class I hope some of the glitches are attended to. In another course I took, there was plenty of response from Stanford, and now it's sorely lacking.I'm glad to see how you are determined to play a role in the change we are starting to see with Women's Rights.P>S> Are you in a Discussion Group?From the city of Albuquerque in New Mexico,Iris

I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I grew up in the Shawangunks, New York and hungered for bigger places. My journeys took me to Boston for college and the Sugar Shack, Paul’s Mall, Durgin Park. My brother Bill invited me to northern NM where I lived on a commune and learned survival love and tribe. Winters were colder then, and so I moved closer to my mom in Florida where I got an MFA from FIU. Next journey landed me in Korinthos Greece living with a “mad” Greek, hunting octopus, and harvesting olives. This relationship opened my eyes personally to domestic abuse and living in a foreign country, far away from some of my basic identities, including being a free woman. Eight years later in 2005, I moved to Albuquerque. How different than Lama Mountain of the seventies. It is a wonderful place to breathe the high desert air, walk in the bosque, commune with nature, and write poetry and short stories.I share a space with my Mainekoon, Chico Chiconi Cheek-Cheeks. I am involved with saving the Rio Grande bosque, and I sign a lot of petitions, and want to work in grassroots organizations. I am here for the IWHHR class since being a woman is the most important self-identification. I want to learn about struggles of women all over the world and about their experiences. Reading our text and sharing our stories and our responses in this class, and in groups, is something I look forward to. I hope that I will be able to accomplish this.

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          One of the commitments in the Declaration that interests me is: “Ensure the full implementation of the human rights of women and of the girl child as an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms;” It is because of its all encompassing statement of putting human rights of women and girl children into the big mix of the world’s human rights and then equating this with freedom that makes me hopeful when reading it. And yet it makes me wonder about the meaning of fundamental freedoms. Perhaps further along in the document there is allusion to those freedoms.          “Equal rights, opportunities and access to resources, equal sharing of responsibilities for the family by men and women, and a harmonious partnership between them are critical to their well-being and that of their families as well as to the consolidation of democracy;” gives me pause. While “equal” may be the word the writers wanted, how realistic is this commitment as far as sharing the raising of a family? Even now we see where there is often one breadwinner who brings in more income than his or her partner. I find this interesting because the Declaration addresses family life. I have no quarrel with the first part; again I do wonder how something in the discussion of harmony in families can be “guaranteed”.          “Local, national, regional and global peace is attainable and is inextricably linked with the advancement of women, who are a fundamental force for leadership, conflict resolution and the promotion of lasting peace at all levels;” yes, how often do my friends and I say, well, if there were women leading the world, we would have a more peaceful world. It is true that in the United States, women are still far from achieving leadership positions. What is hopeful that there are so many countries that are advancing agendas for women taking charge of their own lives.          What surprises me is: “Encourage men to participate fully in all actions towards equality;” I do not think encouragement is a strong enough action here. I wonder how that could come about in patriarchal societies for example. Also, what about societies that have religions that discourage women from seeking equal status in their worlds?          Although I may sound a little dubious about the declarations and commitments, I honor the message the Beijing Declaration sends out to those who read it. I know there are lots of way of interpreting language, and I admire the full intent of Annex I.           

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