March 2008
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Walk the Talk
We are delighted to give you our Voices of Women newsletter! We will be producing it on a quarterly basis and welcome your input. Many of you travel frequently to oppressed countries where you assist or observe NGOs who are helping women and children that live in dire circumstances. Please consider submitting an article so that we may add it to our newsletter. Our collective knowledge will strengthen and grow our opportunities to be of service.
The United Nations has designated 2008 as the year of Human Rights, and we believe it is imperative to broaden our global horizons by learning about people who are suffering because of war, famine, despotic leadership or neglect. In this first newsletter we have highlighted the Guatemala Human Rights Commission.
Thank you and welcome to "Walk the Talk"!
With warm regards and hopes for peace,
The Board of Directors
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Voices of Women will feature a non-profit in our quarterly newsletter that we believe deserves attention and support. VOW hopes that you will find this feature helpful and insightful in your decision of causes to support. We have chosen The Guatemala Human Rights Commission because of their work in fighting for the rights of women and children.
One of the ways to support this organization is to purchase trees in honor of someone. Each tree costs $15.00. The GHRC will send a card to the person that you choose. Not only would you be supporting human rights but also helping the reforestation project. Another way you can help is by purchasing their coffee as part of the fair trade agreement. You may visit their website at www.ghrc.org and learn more about their organization and products.
GHRC will be leading a delegation to Guatemala in June 2008 to learn more about the increasing violence against human rights defenders. The delegation will meet with leaders in the human rights community, women's advocates, and government officials to find out why human rights defenders are under fire. Contact GHRC our check out their website for more details.
VOW has several board members involved with GHRC who feel that not enough attention has been paid to the struggles in Guatemala.
In This Issue
The Guatemala Human Rights Commission
Meet our Board
Book Corner
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The Guatemala Human Rights Commission
by Stacey Blanchet, Voices of Women Board Member
The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA (GHRC) was founded amidst the turmoil
and fear of Guatemala's civil war in 1982. Alice Zachmann, SSND, first traveled
to Guatemala in 1975, and again in 1979, where she was not only struck by the beauty
of the country but also the levels of poverty and discrimination among its peoples.
Compelled to help, Alice resigned from her parish ministry in Saint Paul, Minnesota
and united with former Guatemala missionaries and Guatemalan refugees to begin their
work.
GHRC was founded to monitor, document, and report on the human rights situation
in Guatemala; to educate the United States public and government about the human
rights situation in Guatemala; to advocate in Washington, D.C. for better United
States policy decisions regarding Guatemala; and to support and advocate for the
victims of the repression. On September 20, 1982, GHRC received 501(c)3 status
as a fully functioning non-profit organization. From the very beginning, Alice determined
that non-violence would be a guiding principle and that no political ideology could
interfere with the work of GHRC in an effort to make it a credible human rights
organization.
The years 1982-1985 were the most critical. Massacres and death squads, disappearances
and fear-human rights violations were drastically increasing as GHRC received reports
via fax and phone. Despite attempts to influence Congress there was little interest
in the US as some remarked that the reports were too horrendous to believe.
With miraculous donations and support, GHRC expanded its board of directors and
added on a part-time fundraiser. Together they began producing Urgent Actions. This
same year, GHRC received a significant grant to continue its advocacy and created
the "Voiceless Speak" program that provides assistance for Guatemalans within the
United States who are working toward peace and respect for human rights in Guatemala.
Speaking tours and delegations to Guatemala began in the late-1980s and time was
spent campaigning for the release of Carmen Valenzuela, who was abducted in Guatemala
for her human rights work, as well as pressure investigations for others like Sister
Dianna Ortiz, Myrna Mack, Meredith Larson of Peace Brigades, and many others. In
1989, publication began of the bi-weekly Guatemala Human Rights UPDATE, which is
still produced today.
Alice's mantra, "Be not afraid," echoed in her head as GHRC added staff and expanded
its projects to reflect the needs of the Guatemalan people. In the early 1990s,
GHRC sponsored a conference on the use of torture in Guatemala followed by an advertisement
campaign to protest the continuing human rights violations. The Commission also
supported the efforts of Jennifer Harbury whose husband, a guerrilla commander,
had been captured in Guatemala in 1992 in violation of the Geneva Conventions regarding
prisoners of war. Through hunger strikes and persistence, Jennifer gained more support
and attention, formed Coalition Missing as a GHRC project, and joined together with
other organizations to push Congress and the State Department to declassify documents
pertaining to Guatemala after 1954 and finally won widespread interest when 60 Minutes
covered her story. The publicity of Jennifer's case led to the revelation that CIA
assets had tortured and murdered her husband, blowing the lid off a covert CIA program
that funneled millions of dollars a year to the worst elements of the Guatemalan
military, circumventing a congressional ban on military aid begun in 1990. Jennifer's
case exposed the program and led to it being shut down.
With increased involvement in controversial cases, GHRC began to receive messages
accusing the staff of being "Communist bastards," but stayed the course of monitoring
the situations in Guatemala and bringing awareness to the American people and government.
In 1995, the GHRC office was broken into after a member of Coalition Missing had
been threatened. Violence against Jennifer and her lawyer escalated in 1996. A
five-week vigil by torture victim Sister Dianna Ortiz was successful in declassifying
5,000 documents related to human rights violations in Guatemala, however most was
of little substance.
That same year, the Peace Accords were signed with great relief to GHRC and other
organizations. However, the battles now shifted to keeping Guatemala in the forefront
and the efforts for implementation continue today.
The Puentes de Paz project began in 1998 to support the needs of a women's group
in Guatemala by providing psychologist to help with issues of mental health. The
project Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition, also known as TASSC,
was founded by survivors of torture in Guatemala and became a new program at the
GHRC until earning its own non-profit organization status in 2002. Puentes de Paz
also earned its own non-profit status in Guatemala.
Also in 1998, Bishop Juan Gerardi was assassinated due to his extensive work on
the Recuperation of Historical Memory Report (REHMI), which attributed 87% of the
human rights violations during the war to the Guatemalan military. His legacy is
remembered at GHRC where the organization commemorates the yearly anniversary of
his death.
Post-Peace Accords, the Commission has focused on monitoring and reporting on the
situation in Guatemala. To the dismay of all members of the international community
that have worked so hard to stress human rights in Guatemala, the situation began
to deteriorate. Disappearances and death squads resumed their dominance in society
and the rates of violence and human rights abuse is growing to pre-1996 levels.
GHRC participated in a series of four delegations in 2003 and 2004 to monitor, prepare
for, and observe the 2003 elections. It has continued to keep heads turned toward
Guatemala with the bi-weekly UPDATE, speaking tours, a film series, and a campaign
to end violence against women in Guatemala as well as end impunity for the perpetrators
of the violence over the last few years. GHRC also led delegations focusing on violence
against women in Guatemala in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
Most recently, GHRC has worked with other organizations to present Congressional
resolutions regarding the escalation of violence against women in Guatemala. On
May 1, 2007, House Resolution 100, sponsored by Representative Hilda Solis, was
approved addressing the now over 3,000 killings of women in Guatemala since 2000.
Senate Resolution 178 urges the United States to condemn the killings of women and
is currently awaiting discussion.
GHRC's current programs include the For Women's Right to Live campaign, the Voiceless
Speak Fund, and the Information/Documentation program, which includes the UPDATE,
assistance to Guatemalans seeking asylum in the United States, Urgent Actions, and
semi-annual reports on the human rights situation and other topics. GHRC also launched
a Human Rights Defenders program in 2007. GHRC's full-time staff members are Co-Directors
Marty Jordan and Julie Suarez.
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Meet our Board
Jenni Prisk, Founder and President Voices of Women
by Stacey Blanchet, Voices of Women Board Member and
Virginia S. Loh, Voices of Women Supporter and PR Committee Member
My favorite thing about Jenni Prisk is her voice, commanding and lilting, which
makes sense since she is the founder of Voices of Women (VOW). Originally, I was
charmed by her New Zealand accent, which makes her sound even more intelligent
than she already is. But, as I get know her, I continue to be impressed.
Jenni is a successful businesswoman with a plethora of achievements and accolades.
She founded Prisk Communication in 1990 and is an award-winning, motivational speaker.
Her professional qualifications are in education and communications, and she also
has a Diploma in Speech and Drama from Trinity College of London, England. She is
a much sought-after communications coach and trainer for U.S. and international
corporations, and is a member of faculty of the University of San Diego's Non Profit
Leadership and Management Program. Jenni also designed and taught a public speaking
class for developmentally disabled adults in San Diego.
Jenni has received recognition from the San Diego Business Journal, Bank of America's
Enterprise Award program, Women Together, Working Woman magazine, and the Women's
International Center.
Jenni is a passionate advocate for the arts and she chairs the board of the Actors
Alliance of San Diego. For six years, she has been writing a weekly column for San
Diego Theater Scene. Jenni has received writing awards for freelance articles. She
co-authored Communication Skills Training published by ASTD, and was a contributing
author to the book Living a Life of Value.
Jenni is a change agent and a progressive humanitarian. She has volunteered for
many local charities and organizations including Mama's Kitchen, YWCA, Old Globe
Theater, County Mental Health Center, and KPBS TV where she is an on-camera host.
For nine years, she has been reading to first graders at Cadman Elementary in San
Diego.
The passion of Jenni's life is Voices of Women. She founded the organization soon
after 9/11, and was joined by several dedicated women who also wanted to make a
difference in our global community. VOW is a voice of peace and justice in our
conflicted times. The organization provides a gathering place for conversations
and education about international issues. It has become the intersection for intelligent
voices teaching audiences about global injustice and what we can do to make a difference.
Frequently VOW uses the eloquent elements of theatre to illustrate the loss and
destruction of war.
Jenni hopes that VOW will continue to educate and enlighten. She is generous in
spirit and strong in heart and truly is the voice of women everywhere
Question & Answer
VIRGINIA: What brought you to San Diego? Or more appropriately, why in the world
would you leave New Zealand?
JENNI: My husband Kim and I arrived in San Diego in 1983 because Kim was offered
a post-doctoral position at UCSD in the NASA lab. He is a respiratory physiologist
and has had 7 experiments fly on space shuttle flights. I didn't have a work permit,
so I volunteered in San Diego for 7 months and when I finally got a permit, I was
doing 40 hours of volunteer work in various areas of the community, which really
helped to assimilate me into my new environment. My first "real" job in San Diego
was as an executive secretary at the Union Tribune where I worked for five years.
While there I was given the opportunity to write columns for the paper, commentaries
for KPBS Radio, and eventually to become a TV host during the KPBS fundraising campaigns.
VIRGINIA: You will be going to New Zealand on February 17 for several weeks. What
is the purpose of your trip? Business? Pleasure? You mentioned other countries
that you'll be traveling to this year: Where and why?
JENNI: We are going to New Zealand for a vacation to visit family and friends.
Later this year, we will visit Iceland, and also make a return trip to Grenada in
the Caribbean where Kim lectures at the medical school. Travel is a passion of
mine because I believe it is vital to learning about cultures, challenges and the
peoples who make up our global community. Last year, we visited Vietnam and Cambodia
and in December 2007, I worked on post-earthquake relief in Pisco, Peru. I feel
enriched by these experiences.
VIRGINIA: Did you ever have a fear of public speaking or were you always gregarious...not
to mention eloquent and articulate? (What was little Jenni like?)
JENNI: As a child I talked constantly. I've never really stopped! I acted on stage
at school before I gave speeches, and that actually terrified me. Still does.
I used to write plays and perform them for my parents. I joined a youth theatre
in my teens and performed in several plays that to this day I still don't understand.
My passion for the power of the spoken word came when I completed an English Teaching
Diploma in Speech and Drama and subsequently started my business, Prisk Communication
in 1990 in San Diego. It thrills me to see people flourish in their communication,
as I believe it empowers us when we have a voice.
VIRGINIA: What are the top three issues that touch your heart? And why?
JENNI: Peace, our global community, relationships. First, Peace. I grew up in a
very peaceful nation. The events of the world didn't touch us as they do here
in the US. Our involvement in world affairs was small, yet very important. I believe
that we have the capacity to build peace if it starts in the home and then spreads
throughout our local communities, and into the larger global community. Second,
Global Community. I really do believe that we are one family. We all have bodies
that are constructed with the same physiology. We all have families, a desire for
security and education for ourselves and our children, and a need to be respected
by our fellow human beings. Third, Relationships. We have formed clans, neighborhoods
and communities since time began. Some have worked well because of respect and
division of leadership and resources. Our relationships with friends, family, colleagues
and the greater community are what give us stability and a sense of being.
VIRGINIA: Given your experiences and interview responses, one can speculate that
you have a love of theater and the arts. How was this love, or rather, passion
cultivated? What sparked your interests?
JENNI: Theatre has always fascinated me for its power to convey to others the secrets
and success of the human condition. The first show that I remember seeing was a
"Punch and Judy" show at junior school, where I became so involved in the story
that I started calling out suggestions to the puppets! My grandmother was a huge
influence in my life and from the age of 8 she would take me to the movies every
Friday. I was transfixed by the magic the actors could create. Nowadays I am
impressed that moviemakers and playwrights are becoming bolder in their choice of
topics as they can expose the truth of situations in one frame, or in one scene.
I believe that artists of every discipline are the documenters of history.
VIRGINIA: In regards to VOW, what are some challenges you have faced or are facing,
personally and/or as an organization?
JENNI: When I founded VOW in 2001, it was because of a strong desire to make a difference.
The exceptional women who joined the board in that first year also believed in
the same values. We would not be where we are without their commitment and dedication.
Our mission was, and still is, to educate others and ourselves in order to understand
the complexities of situations around the world. For the first six years of our
existence, VOW successfully presented 40 events that highlighted these situations.
In 2007 several original board members resigned, leaving huge gaps, which we are
beginning to fill. We established a relationship with the Afghanistan Women's Educational
Center and have raised in excess of $10,000 to help them educate street kids and
women. We enjoy a strong, inspiring relationship with the Joan B. Kroc Institute
for Peace & Justice at USD. Our needs are changing. In order to grow, it would
be ideal to have an Executive Director, more funds in the bank, and more publicity
and press to promote the events we stage that we know are important. Personally,
I constantly examine myself to see if I am the right leader for VOW and I check
on this with the board frequently. So far, so good!
VIRGINIA: You have won so many awards (Living Legacy, etc.) and are involved in
so many different things. What are you most proud of and why? Also, what has been
the most fun?
JENNI: While proud is a good word, I would rather use happy. I love San Diego and
am happy that Kim and I have created a good life here. We have a wide network of
friends and acquaintances. I love my relationship with the theatre community in
San Diego, emphasized by the weekly column I have been writing for five years.
I'm connected to the school community through the first graders I have been reading
to for 9 years at Cadman Elementary. I love the work I do with Prisk Communication
across the United States and always hope that individuals are growing in their accomplishments
as a result of being better communicators. And VOW is my life's passion.
VIRGINIA: You are admired as a coach and motivator. What message or advice would
you give to future leaders, especially female leaders?
JENNI: Women as Leaders are one of my favorite Prisk Communication programs. Women
lead with their hearts and while this promotes important emotional intelligence
in the workplace, it can produce challenges for some women. When a woman can balance
assertiveness with fairness, responsibility with accountability, and vision with
reality she is on the road to being successful. I really believe that this paradigm
serves both men and women equally well.
VIRGINIA: Who are your heroes and why?
JENNI: I don't really have heroes; instead I have people I admire. Shakespeare
is one, for the power and longevity of his words and descriptions of the human condition;
Gandhi is another for his compassion for humankind; Maya Angelou for the power of
her words and messages; Jane Goodall for her promotion of the vital importance of
chimpanzees and the environment; all mothers for their guidance of their children,
our future generations; and Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show" for his great sense
of humor and brilliant understanding of politics in America.
VIRGINIA: What is your favorite word of all time and why?
JENNI: Passion! It drives me and everything I care about and believe in. Passion
allows individuals to stand up for what they want to acquire or change. Passion
ignites teams to do work together. When we become lethargic we lose a lot of human
purpose. I believe that passion comes from the core of our beings and is our life
force.
VIRGINIA: What do you do when you are not saving the world? (What do you do for
fun, personal enjoyment?)
JENNI: I absolutely love gardening; I can be outside for a whole day and not even
notice the passage of time. I also love reading and when I get my teeth into a
great book I can become a recluse. Theatre is one of my greatest enjoyments; in
fact, I am passionate about it! Both Kim and I enjoy theatre and it brings great
pleasure to us. I love being with friends, outdoors, walking, talking, drinking
wine, eating, and being in the company of good human beings.
VIRGINIA: What is your favorite book and why?
JENNI: Whatever I have my teeth into at the moment. The book that absorbs me, teaches
me, opens my eyes and says, "look what I can help you discover."
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Book Corner
When the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
What is the What? by Dave Eggers
A Problem from Hell by Samantha Powers
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Other People's Children by Lisa Delpit
Rita Dove's poetry
A few books for Black History Month:
Non-fiction
Enough, Juan Williams
Rock My Soul, Bell Hooks
The Value in the Valley, Lyanla Vanzant
blink, Malcom Gladwell
Race Matters, Cornell West
The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou
Rosa Parks: My Story, with Jim Haskins
Fiction
All of Me, Venise Berry
Then There Was Iron, Ellen Barton
Love, Toni Morrison
Some People, Some Other Place, J. California Cooper
Recommendation by Board member Pamela Perkins:
All of Me: A Voluptuous Tale, Venise Berry
The Voices of Women Newsletter is very excited to be taking this next step in informing
and educating our fellow comrades about the concerns and needs of women and their
families around the globe. This year, we have rededicated ourselves to both the
international as well as domestic concerns of the nurturers of planet earth. As
a part of our information sharing, we are pleased to include the Book Corner to
share with you the books that have made a difference in our lives.
With our first review honoring both Black and Women's History Months, I have chosen
to introduce to you a fictional account light and engaging in its presentation,
but deeply moving and revealing of the self-image issues women face throughout the
world! Is there any mature or young female that has not dealt with the constant
onslaught of self-esteem and self-worth issues surrounding her weight? In U.S. American
culture, you will be very hard-pressed to find any female who not been adversely
affected by our culture's extreme preoccupation with body image. From the never
ending diet advertisements to the multi-billion dollar cosmetic surgery industry
to Oprah Winfrey's constant "weight diaries", we are reminded daily that our bodies
are not our own but belong to the spin doctors of prescribed beauty. We can also
attest to the pervasive cultural restrictions endured by women throughout the world
and their inability to define and own their bodies.
Venise Berry's, All of Me: A Voluptuous Tale (Penguin Books, 2000) is a wonderfully
written chronicle of one woman's battle with her weight and the self-worth issues
connected to it. As the story begins, our heroine "Serpentine Williamson woke up
on New Year's Day in a pale yellow hospital room with a plastic name band fastened
to her wrist..." Serpentine's story begins with a desperate attempt to end her
life. By anyone's standards, her life is a tale of professional glamour and success
as a TV news reporter, but there is just one hitch, she's not a size 2, 4, 6 or
8. She is not even the average 12 -14. And thus, her entire identity is tied to
the social comparisons constantly made by her and others concerning her weight.
Venise Berry does a wonderful job of taking us inside the heart and mind of a young
woman many will recognize as themselves. It is a familiar tale to all women whether
their issue is weight or some other matter of patriarchal categorization. We vicariously
experience Serpentine's relationship with her domineering mother, callous boyfriends
and well intentioned friends as well as the emotional demons that she alone must
conquer. All of Me is a story each of us can relate to and hopefully once again
be inspired to find the courage to write our own life script and speak with our
own voice - the Voices of Women!
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The quarterly newsletter is being sent to all who have expressed interest in Voices
of Women. All future newsletters will be sent only to supporters.
It is through your continued support that VOW is able to present high caliber programs.
We are very proud that we continue to present educational events which have covered
global issues. We truly couldn't do it without you! If you haven't yet renewed
your VOW supportership for 2008, now is the time to do so.
