Hello! I am searching for information about any conferences / workshops / trainings for a woman in Sri Lanka who already has some funding to come to the U.S. in 1998. She works primarily with political prisoners, and especially with women and issues of sexual assault and other forms of violence.

I am looking for conferences or other gatherings which relate to the following areas of focus: 1) political prisoners or prisoner rights, 2) women and sexual assault, 3) women, children and family intervention, 4) "third world" organizing, 5) women and development, or 6) issues of recovery and healing.

I realize that this is quite a broad list, but I would appreciate any information that you could send to me. Also feel free to forward this request to others. I appreciate your help. Thanks, Kris

Thanks for your note and for helping to build alliances across cultures and countries. For starters for your friend, I would suggest that you contact Equality Now. They work to make women's rights a part of human rights, which sounds similar to the work that your friend is doing. There is also the Sisterhood is Global Foundation, which does similar work to Equality NOW.

Also, you should contact the Asia Society here in New York City (on Park Avenue at 70th Street). They are planning an April 1998 conference on feminism in India, Pakistan and including other parts of Asia, too. If your friend's trip overlaps with this conference it might be a nice combination.

I have also forwarded your note to a friend of mine who is from Sri Lanka and very active in feminist issues in the U.S. She may know of groups that I don't. If that is the case either she or I will be in touch about further suggestions. Thanks again and good luck to you and your friend.

—Amy