Beijing Circles: Deepening Awareness of Global Issues and Women and Children
Monday, October 27, 2008
Location: The Episcopal Church Center, Chicago, IL
Contact: Canon Vicki Garvey or the Rev. Joanne Skidmore
Call: Canon Garvey: (312) 751-4204; Rev. Skidmore: (262)-763-7482
Email: garvey@episcopalchicago.org
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Event Description: An introduction to Beijing Circles will be presented by Kim Robey, program officer for the Episcopal Church’s Women’s Ministries and Leadership Development on Monday, October 27 at the Episcopal Church Center in Chicago. The learning event begins at 9:30 am in Burrill Hall on the lower level of the Episcopal Church Center, and concludes at 4 pm.
The Beijing Circles movement began in 2005 when, at the annual United Nations Commission on the Status of Women meeting in New York, an assessment was done to determine if progress was being made toward resolving 12 critical areas of concern regarding the status of women -- areas identified in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women, sponsored by the United Nations and held in Beijing, China. The areas identified ranged from the increasing burden of poverty on women, violence against women, stereotyping and gender inequalities, and lack of respect for the human rights of women. The 12 areas were then adopted into the Beijing Platform for Action. While the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women noted some progress in 2005, it was clear that there was still a long way to go.
These events inspired a small group of women from the Episcopal Church to dedicate themselves to finding a way to stay focused on addressing these issues. They began inviting their U.S. sisters to gather, with the sole purpose of educating themselves, and others about the Beijing Platform for Action. They called their gathering a Beijing Circle and from that, and their subsequent commitment, the Beijing Circles were born. Beijing Circles seek to empower women to work to resolve some of the problems by offering a variety of plans for action and advocacy.
Beijing Circles are now being formed across the U.S. by women who want to learn how other women around the world can work together to address issues of poverty, education, health, and gender inequality faced by their global sisters. The Circle provides a unique faith-based opportunity to raise awareness, both individually and collectively, of the possibility of change for all women. It seeks to empower women to pursue the implementation of positive outcomes by offering a variety of plans for action and advocacy. The conference will serve to show others how to begin their own Beijing circle while reflecting on the progress made by the movement thus far. Note: while most circles are only women, some circles do include men.
Here is what the planners have to say about Beijing Circles:
“Oh my,” you might ask – “What on earth is a Beijing Circle?”
Funny name! One of the easiest ways to think about it might be to think “process” and “content.” The CIRCLE is the process. BEIJING is
the content. What we’ve done is take the “Beijing Platform for Action,” created in 1995 at a special UN gathering of women from around
the world and set it in the context of our faith.
We’ve connected scripture and prayer with the twelve issues of the Platform. Those issues reflect women’s experience in our world.
Many congregations and dioceses are working hard on the Millennium Development Goals. The Circle work is directly related. Anyone
who is interested in working on Goal #3, “Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women,” will find this especially helpful. In addition,
some circles have gathered using the MDGs for reflection instead of the Beijing Platform Planks. Others have used specific planks such
as violence again women to create a circle.
The Beijing Circles Resource Booklet is written from a perspective that reminds us that all the issues that face women around the world
also face women in our own communities. We believe that women everywhere are resourceful and able to assess both issues and
assets in their own communities and, with God’s help, decide on a direction or action.
The Episcopal Church Center is located at 65 East Huron Street, one block west of North Michigan Avenue at Rush and Huron Streets. Registration and lunch is $15 per person.
Register online at: https://www.episcopalchicago.org/formbuilder/index.cfm?fuseaction=form.displayForm&form_id=12
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