International Women’s Day Study Guide
Introductory Letter:
September 21, 2014
Dear Friends,
The Interfaith Peace Project has been deeply involved in the pursuit of women’s dignity, respect, and human rights. For the past ten years, we have sponsored programs, home-based seminars, retreats, and opportunities for women’s voice to be heard and celebrated. In light of the violence and inhumanity that seems to be prevalent in our time, it is essential for us to hear the emerging voice of women throughout the World.
In every place, concerned with every issue, to the benefit of a humane humanity, women are speaking out and men are discovering their feminine potential. Despite the violence and chaos of the moment, we believe our time is a time of transition. The rise of women’s voice signals the rebirth of humankind in terms of compassion, justice, and humanness. The Interfaith Peace Project calls upon all people to discover anew the transformative wisdom of the women in their lives who invited them to the fullness of life.
The enclosed brochure (Click Here) is offered to you as a guide helping you to prepare for The International Women’s Day, March 8, 2015. We are asking you to gather in small meetings with other women throughout the months of October 2014 to February 2015. You may use the questions provided in the brochure to foster and enhance your conversations. Or, you may decide to be more free-spirited. What matters most is hearing the voices, wisdom, and insights of very real women.
The structure, duration, and frequency of these meetings is strictly up to you. All we ask, if you have the time, is to inform us of your meetings and report some of the highlights of your experience with us. We will edit the results and post them on our website. If you would like to be personally credited please let us know. No personal addresses or contact information will be shared or publicly displayed unless you so desire.
The brochure celebrates notable and famous women. We invite you to discern and celebrate the wisdom of the women you have encountered in your life. The rise of women’s voice in our time is a turning point in human history. Women are not merely seeking their full human dignity as they challenge all peoples to a higher standard of life. They are revealing that humaneness is the essential definition of what it means to be human.
Thanks to Melissa Granchi who took the lead in developing this program. Also, heartfelt gratitude to Peggy Magovern, Jan Stegner, Susan Batterton, Lauren Rettagliata, and June Kirk for their advice and guidance in developing this program. The Interfaith Peace Project expresses gratitude to the San Francisco Foundation whose generosity helps support this program.
Thank you for participating in this program. Please be aware the brochure has been designed to be a source of inspiration for you in the years to come. You may request printed copies by contacting us. We look forward to hearing from you.
Peacefully,
Thomas P. Bonacci, C.P.
The Board of Directors
The Advisory Board
The International Women’s Day Observance
Preparation Workbook
The observance of the International Women’s Day, March 8, provides for us an opportunity to celebrate the achievements women have made for the benefit of humankind. The day also brings attention to the continued inequality, injustice, and harm women face in the pursuit of their freedom and human dignity.
The Interfaith Peace Project recognizes and respects women’s voice in ancient times and contemporary society. We believe the rise of women’s voice in recent time is facilitating major change and development in human awareness and consciousness.
In observance of the International Women’s Day, we are extending an invitation to have your voices heard. We are encouraging women from all over the world to have significant, honest, and open conversations with other women concerning topics that are important to them and to the world. We are asking women to gather together in their homes, coffee shops, or houses of worship to raise their voices and lead the way toward a world free of poverty, violence and war. You voice is precious. Your wisdom is essential for the future of the World.
We encourage you to engage in these conversations whenever you can. Be attentive to your own wisdom. What have you always wanted to say but fear and / or lack of opportunity prevented you?
We invite men to discover their own experience of women’s voice: the wisdom of a mother or grandmother, the voice of compassion in the midst of conflict, or the voice in their own hearts they have feared to hear.
With the rise of Women’s Voice a new age is beginning to emerge. We trust it will be a time when compassion and mutual respect will bless the World as never before.
Structure for Your Conversation
With another person or in your gathering, discern and decide the frequency of your meetings and what topics you will consider. Claiming the credibility and dignity of your voice and wisdom is what matters most.
Possible Topics for Your Conversation
Self: Am I able to say no when necessary, to set firm and gentle boundaries? Do I believe my voice, my thoughts, and my wisdom are worthwhile? What is my experience of God? What is my response to hurting and impoverished women and children? For Women’s Biographies to consider related to Self Click Here.
Family: What does marriage mean in today’s world? What exactly are “family values”? What truly makes a family? Same sex marriage? How do I see myself, as a woman in the family? Is religion of any value? What are the pressures affecting family life? Abuse, addiction, divorce, poverty? What is the impact of social media? For Women’s Biographies to consider related to Family Click Here.
Community: What do I truly think about such issues as: environmental concerns, public education, voting rights restrictions, issues with police and public safety? Do racial issues impact me? Is there a human right to food, shelter, health care, clothing and security? For Women’s Biographies to consider related to Community Click Here.
Country: Do we have a responsibility in the World for the security and well-being of others? Is war ever justified? What constitutes “foreign relations” in our time? Are governmental programs (low income housing, food assistance, job training) part of the responsibility to care for the common good? For Women’s Biographies to consider related to Country Click Here.
Care of the Earth: Do we have a responsibility to care for the Earth? How do I understand environmental concerns and sustainability issues? What is the future of food: the GMO issue, processed products, equitable distribution? For Women’s Biographies to consider related to Care of the Earth Click Here.
We encourage you to begin these conversations by October 2014 and suggest you meet at least monthly from October through February culminating in the observance and celebration of International Women’s Day, March 8.
Feedback
After you have had the opportunity to participate in these conversations, we would like to hear from you so that we can use our resources to make your voices heard! Please send us a summary or complete our feedback form (Click Here) of what you’ve learned about yourselves, ideas, breakthroughs, etc. We will post these on our website and possibly find other avenues to make your voices heard as we move forward with this project.
Mailing Address:
Interfaith Peace Project
540 Bailey Road #301
Pittsburg, CA 94565
Click this link for printable Study Guide