ASA to hold SEA Women Training Camp in Malaysia

ANNOUNCEMENT: We in the regional secretariat of the Asian Students Association are pleased to inform you that we are going to hold the Southeast Asia Women Training Camp: Women Empowerment and Emancipation in Malaysia the end of this March.

Slated this 27 March to 2 April, 2005, the Training Camp will present an array of discussions, trainings, sharing and testimonials and exposures that will further familiarize us with issues of terrorism, liberation movements, occupation and oppression as well as laws, protocols and the realities of war and conflicts. Malaysia, the country that comprised with the multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural country, shall be the venue for this significant activity.

We aim to gather 30-50 people from different countries in the sub-region to discuss these pressing concerns as the women are always the easiest target of war and conflict. In addition to the discussions are skills training which we will provide to the young women for their organizing works in their respective country.

Through this Training Camp, we hope to paint a more concrete picture of the Asia-Pacific women’s angle to these international affairs as well as approve a specific plan of action that shall involve not only members of the ASA but our allied organizations in our respective countries and neighbor country regions as well.

There is possibility of sponsorship for member organizations attending the Training Camp, the rates of which we and the Executive Council will determine. With this, we pose some points for your consideration:

1) Sponsorship priority is given to delegates/representatives coming from countries with issues of conflict and repression. Repressive laws, militarization, direct fascism and oppression and even existence of armed movements, whether terrorist or not, are key points to be accounted. Please provide us with a brief abstract/description of the women and young women’s situation in your country for this consideration.

2) The Women’s Training Camp will prioritize women delegates. We hope more women delegates can participate.

3) We request the more affluent organizations to sponsor our more financially constrained members.

We would like you to focus as well on the following:

1) Program: We attached a draft program here that includes issue discussions, workshops and exposures. We would like to solicit your comments about the content and flow. We will finalize the program, together with brief discussions of each, on February 28.

2) Application Form: Please fill out the application form attached to this letter and send to us via email, facsimile or post. Deadline of submission is on February 28.

3) Country Report/Situationer: Helpful to the Training Camp is a written presentation of the present situation particularly on women in your country, with special focus on issues of conflict, peacekeeping measures, war, influx of refugees, repressive laws and their impacts on women and children. Deadline of submission is on February 28.

We look forward to hearing from you.