Omega Institute and V-Day present...

Women, Power & Peace

Feminist.com's archive of features from the Women, Power & Peace Conference

Feminist.com was proud to be a media partner of the Women, Power & Peace Conference, which took place on September 14-16, 2007, organized by Omega Institute, V-Day, and the Nobel Women's Institute. For more about the conference theme and a complete list of all the featured speakers at Women, Power & Peace, click here. To order the DVDs or audio recordings of the speeches from this event or to purchase recordings from past Women and Power conferences [2003-2005], please click here.

From the press release:
All over the globe, women are forging new paths to peace and sustainability, using new strategies, partnerships, and power structures. For three historic days in September, The Omega Institute and V-Day will host a gathering of visionary leaders, authors, actors, and members of the public to examine the relationship between women, power, and peace.

The forward-looking conversations and inspiring presentations will be shaped and guided by four women Nobel Peace winners, V-Day founder and award-winning author of The Vagina Monologues Eve Ensler, Omega's co-founder Elizabeth Lesser, Jane Fonda, Natalie Merchant and a host of other activists and celebrities in attendance, and will seek answers to the questions: how do women redefine power, create peace in their daily lives and make change in the world?

"In order to achieve peace in the world—and in our families, communities, and businesses—we need the voices and values of women. In order for this to happen, women need to trust what they already know: that humankind is not doomed to greed and violence; that war is a lack of imagination; and that our time has come. At this conference you will meet many women who are doing this. Let their courage, their stories, and their experiences teach and inspire you," said Elizabeth Lesser.

More from and about Women, Power & Peace:
Nobel Laureates, Sally Field, and Other Muzzled Peace Voices (By Feminist.com Founder Marianne Schnall - The Huffington Post)

Quotes from Women, Power & Peace Speakers Featuring selected quotes from Majora Carter, Kimberly Williams Crenshaw, Riane Eisler, Eve Ensler, Jane Fonda, Carol Gilligan, Elizabeth Lesser, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Pat Mitchell, Kerry Washington, Betty Williams, and Jody Williams.

• Exclusive Interviews from Women, Power & Peace:
  • Conversation with Betty Williams
  • Conversation with Carol Gilligan
  • Conversation with Kerry Washingon
  • Speeches from the 2004 Omega & V-Day "Women & Power" Conference (featuring keynote talks with Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem, Sister Joan Chittister, Johnnetta Cole, Iyanla Vanzant and Marion Woodman)

• Women, Power & Peace Conference Sponsors:
  The Women's Institute at Omega, a dynamic new component of Omega, is dedicated to empowering women around the world. It has grown out of the momentum created by the annual Women and Power conferences that Omega has presented in partnership with V-Day since 2002. It seeks to sustain throughout the year the community and inspiration generated at the conferences through trainings, workshops, and scholarship programs. www.eomega.org

  V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. Founded by Eve Ensler, V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), and sexual slavery. To learn about V-Day's exciting and important work, visit www.vday.org.

  The Nobel Women's Initiative The Nobel Women's Initiative was established in 2006 by sister Nobel Peace Prize laureates Shirin Ebadi, Wangari Maathai, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Betty Williams, and Jody Williams. These women—representing North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa-bring together their extraordinary experiences in a united effort for peace with justice and equality. Their goal is to meaningfully contribute to building peace by working together with women around the world. Please visit them online to learn more about their work. www.nobelwomensinitiative.org.