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30 June 2004, Mahidol University, Salaya, Thailand

Reaffirming commitments, welcoming new feminists and the sparking of human rights protest opened the Asia-Pacific NGO Forum on Beijing +10 on 30 June 2004.

The Forum is taking place in Thailand at Mahidol University in Nakorn Pathom, a few kilometers west of the capital Bangkok. It will run until 03 July. The goals of the Forum aim to assess as well as analyze the efforts done over the years regarding the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA): to celebrate the gains made over the years by women actively working on having the full implementation of the BPFA, identify remaining gaps that need to be worked on, and to confront emerging issues that concern or pertain to women directly. Mainly, it is clear, though, that the women here do not want to re-open BPFA for re-negotiation but rather they want to see its full implementation.

The opening ceremonies featured welcome remarks from Thailand's Privy Councillor to the King, Tanin Kraivixien, who expressed the "gratitude of the King for being chosen as the host country of this significant conference for the benefit of the world's women." Pornchai Matangkasombut, president of Mahidol University, also expressed his gratefulness at having Mahidol the host venue. The Forum's host committee report was delivered by Pawadee Thonguthai, the Vice-chairperson of the AP NGO Forum in behalf of the Chairperson of the host committee, Thanpuying Sumalee Chartikavanij of Thai Women Watch, who was reportedly ill. The report reiterated that gatherings such as this one are the "true product of regional convergence." While the commitment of earlier women's groups have waned over the years since The Fourth World Conference of Women in Beijing, China 1995 and the succeeding NGO regional conferences, the report noted that new groups and a new generation of feminists have committed themselves to continue on the work and the advocacy. Thus, this Forum is also seen as a "convergence of the old and new generation with the same commitment." Dr. Patricia Licuanan, chairperson of the AP NGO Forum, also welcomed the participants, saying that this forum is way of "looking back" at the achievements done, and at the same time it is also a "leap forward" in terms of continuing the advocacy for the women of the world. She also said that the Asia-Pacific region set the standards for other regions in terms of organizing such collaborative efforts around the BPFA, thus the region should also "take the lead in keeping Beijing alive."

After the opening ceremonies, a small protest was held in front of the President's Office building where the secretariat and main plenaries are located. The protest is a rally for women human rights defenders who themselves become the targets of human rights abuse. This is part of a global mobilization regarding the international campaign to "defend the women's rights defenders." The action was organized by the Asia Pacific Women in Law and Development (APWLD).

The Forum will feature different plenary sessions in the mornings and seminars or workshops in the afternoons to discuss issues relating to the BPFA's 12 Critical Areas of Concern. The afternoon events and workshops will transpire simultaneously as there are also some special forums as well as skills training workshops to be held. Testimonials from women will be heard after the workshops, and film and video productions about women and made by women will also be seen.

During this first day, special workshops were already conducted simultaneously, namely the "Lobbying and the Beijing +10 Process" by the Asia Pacific Women Watch (APWW), "Gender Mainstreaming: The True Story" by South East Asia Watch (SEAWATCH), and "Ensuring Young People's Meaningful Participation and Incorporating Their Perspectives in the Cairo and Beijing ++ Processes" by the Network of Asia Pacific Youth (NAPY).

The mini-film festival was opened in Mahidol University by the Iranian feature-length film Zendan-e Zanan (Women in Prison) written and directed by Manijeh Hekmat and the Bangladesh production When We Walk The Streets made by the women of the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW). Filmmakers present during the filmfest will be given the chance to talk about their films and discuss with the audience in an open forum after their respective screenings. The festival will then be continued during the night until 02 July in Viengtai Hotel in Bangkok.

To tune in on the events and happenings of the Forum, a special web broadcast is being presented by the World Association of Community Broadcasters or AMARC. To listen in, please visit this link: <http://www.amarc.org:8000/apngo>. The broadcast is also available as downloadable files at the Isis International-Manila website at <http://www.isiswomen.org/radio/ap-webcast.html>.


Onsite report from Libay Linsangan Cantor, Isis International Manila

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