FORUM 2008: THE POWER OF MOVEMENTS
Background
The International Forum on Women's Rights and Development is both a conference and a call to action. The largest recurring event of its kind, the AWID Forum brings together women's rights leaders and activists from around the world every three years to strategize, network, celebrate, and learn in a highly charged atmosphere that fosters deep discussions and sustained personal and professional growth.
The first AWID forum was held in 1983 in Washington DC, the overwhelming response to which convinced the then-new AWID that it was fulfilling an important niche. To date AWID has organized 10 international forums, held every 2-3 years, initially in DC, then moving to different countries. The 9th Forum was held in Guadalajara, Mexico and the 10th Forum in Bangkok, Thailand.
Forum 2008: The Power of Movements
When people struggle together, what was once unimaginable suddenly becomes possible.
From November 14-17, 2008, over 1,500 women's rights leaders and activists from around the world converged at the11th AWID International Forum to be held in Cape Town, South Africa to discuss the power of movements.
At the Forum, delegates participate in four days of plenary speeches, interactive sessions, workshops, debates, and creative sessions geared to powerful thinking on gender equality and women's human rights. Delegates also participate in informal caucuses, gala events, cultural activities, and social and political events geared to global and regional networking and alliance-building.
Delegates who participate fully in the Forum not only empower themselves with new tools and resources, but they also, collectively, re-politicize the gender and development community, strengthen alliances between women, and engage in work and thinking that is truly transformative rather than simply palliative.
NOTE: The Forum 08 section of www.awid.org is a dedicated online space which provides up-to-date Forum coverage during the event. The newly created web pages include daily reports on plenary sessions, breakout sessions, an image gallery and more. In contrast, the Forum 08 website contains all the logistical and practical information relating to the event.
