Arise, then, women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be that of water or tears!

Say firmly: “We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have taught them of charity, mercy and patience. We women of one country will be too tender of those of another to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”

From the bosom of the devastated earth, a voice goes up with our own. It says, “Disarm, Disarm!”

The sword of murder is not the balance of justice. Blood not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women, to bewail & commemorate the dead. Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesars but of God.

In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.

–Julia Ward Howe

Mother’s Day cards that won’t make you cringe:

• From Mom’s Rising and
• via Colorlines:

The International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflictis the first ever global collaboration between Nobel Peace Laureates, international advocacy organizations, and groups working at the regional and community levels in conflict areas.

The Campaign is led by the women Peace Laureates of the Nobel Women’s Initiative and an Advisory Committee comprised of 25 organizations. These groups have worked tirelessly on the frontlines to defend women’s rights, amplify voices of rape survivors, and stop rape. They include organizations working at the international, regional, and community levels.

The Campaign unites the organizations and individuals that have tirelessly worked to amplify the voices of survivors and stop rape, into a powerful and coordinated effort for change.

The Campaign will demand urgent and bold political leadership to prevent rape in conflict, to protect civilians and rape survivors, and call for justice for all—including effective prosecution of those responsible.

Our three pillars—prevention, protection, prosecution—signal a comprehensive effort to stop rape in conflict. We need the political will and resources to prevent and protect, while also ensuring that those who are survivors of rape find the justice and support they deserve.

Our four focus countries—the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Colombia, and Burma—are places where immediate, coordinated action is needed. Within these four countries we know that our united efforts can make the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time.

Rape in conflict is not a new occurrence, but with more data and increased media visibility we are now able to demonstrate the widespread nature of gender violence around the world. Rape is a strategic weapon to destroy people, used by state security forces and armed groups around the world.

The Campaign brings men and women together. Rape is not just a woman’s issue—men are also victims of rape in conflict. The only way we will achieve our goal is by engaging all sides, including men, and bringing people from all sectors together.

Take the Pledge: you can join the Campaign online at www.stoprapeinconflict.org by signing a pledge of support. You can also make a “personal pledge” to take an action in your community in support of the Campaign. Everyone is an active member of this Campaign and every action counts—whether it’s committing to blog and raise awareness, volunteering at a local organization, organizing a film screening or simply lending your voice if you are a public figure. Every action and every person counts.

The Feminist Peace Network endorses this national action and urges you to get out in the street on Saturday.  We all need to be there because quite simply our lives depend on it and it is time to take back the political commons and put an end to this dangerous insanity.  Go to the Unite Women website to find the event nearest you, we cannot put it more succinctly than Susan Sarandon does:

One of the key things that I discussed is why the issues that feminists routinely prioritize are so important to the Occupy movement. Those issues include:

• Equal pay and ending other forms of economic discrimination
• Childcare
• Paid maternity and paternity leave
• Zero tolerance of violence against women, sexism, sexual harassment and other misogynist behavior
• Ending sexual exploitation and trafficking
• Getting the Equal Rights Amendment ratified
• Implementation of the National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security
• Funding the Violence Against Women Act
• Ratification of CEDAW the Convention on All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
• Reproductive justice (including the right not to have a child, the right to have a child and the right to raise children
• Zero tolerance on the assault on women’s reproductive health
• Valuing unpaid work such as childcare, eldercare and housework

Nat'l Young Feminist Leadership Panel on Occupy and Feminism

For any real substantive change for the better to occur, it is critical that these issues be considered an integral part of the Occupy discussion because institutions such as Wall Street are manifestation of the far deeper and greater problem of patriarchy, which depends in large measure on the exploitation, dis-empowerment and subjugation of women.

As the Occupy movement continues, I think that there is a real opportunity to develop a broader commitment to addressing these issues. But that opportunity will not be easily realized and must be predicated on the understanding that Wall Street is a manifestation of the problems we face, not the root cause, and real change must also include confronting misogyny in the movement itself.

It is not sufficient to say that we have to come together as the 99% against the 1%. The needs of the 99% are not homogenous and it is not acceptable to say that it is divisive when we point this out.

While the Occupy movement has been developing, the war on women has become a nightmare of hateful, ignorant, daily attacks on women’s human rights. It is urgent that this be stopped and presents an opportunity for the Occupy movement as a whole to stand up for women’s lives and say that this war must stop. On April 28th there will be rallies in all 50 states and in Washington, DC calling for an end to the war on women.

Occupy Patriarchy calls on the Occupy movement everywhere to support and attend these rallies because an attack on the 52% is an attack on the 99% and if we want to confront Wall Street, then we MUST confront patriarchy.

(Cross-posted from Occupy Patriarchy.  Feminist Peace Network endorses the April 28th action to end the war on women and calls on everybody, men included to get out on the street and demand an end to the systemic assault on women’s lives.)

They responded with this:

No not intended.  These things never are.  But they are still offensive, regardless of the fabulous cause that is supported by the fundraising.

Today Oxfam tweeted this:

Seriously?  Aside from objectifying Ms. Moss, no offense but I’m quite happy looking just like myself, thank you very much.  The whole notion that people should buy things for a cause is revolting–why not just give money so that your donation goes for the work, not more stuff you don’t need, but this goes beyond that and is unacceptable.

It is time for Oxfam to review its fundraising and merchandising policy.