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Kosovar
Albanian refugee woman and child during 1999 crisis
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europe
desk & eastern europe office
Ecumenical
Women's Solidarity Fund (EWSF) 1993-2003
The
World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical
Women’s Solidarity Fund (WCC EWSF) is a project
fund used by women for women in the countries of former Yugoslavia.
It seeks to restore hope, promote reconciliation and human dignity,
and enable people, regardless of their ethnicity, religion or origin,
to rebuild their lives and communities affected by the devastating
wars and their consequences in this region. In 2003, the WCC EWSF
is celebrating its 10th anniversary in the service of victims of
war.
a
decade of conflict
Former Yugoslavia has been profoundly affected by a series of conflicts
during the last decade. From 1991-1995 the region was devastated
in a war, which began in Slovenia and Croatia as they sought secession
from Yugoslavia, and then rapidly spread to the neighbouring Republic
of Bosnia-Herzegovina. As well as severe damage to homes, the region’s
infrastructure was destroyed and much of its population was exiled.
In 1999 a new conflict ignited in the province of Kosovo, followed
by international military intervention, and later erupting in the
Republic of Macedonia. In all, over 200,000 people were killed in
these conflicts, and over a million were displaced, in the worst
fighting in Europe since World War II. |
Portrait of Carolyn Boyd
by Lorna Hill
The
Cost of War by
Lorna Hill
for
further information please contact
WCC Ecumenical Women's Solidarity Fund
WCC
Programme coordinator Ms Carolyn Boyd
Ul. Svetog Roka 7, HR-21310 Omis, Croatia
Tel: +384 21 862599
Fax: +385 21 757 085
Email: carolyn.boyd@zg.htnet.hr |
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what
is the role of the world council of churches?
Throughout the conflicts in former Yugoslavia, the WCC, working
with its member churches and in collaboration with the Conference
of European Churches, sought to find adequate ways of responding
to the unfolding tragedy. The efforts of the WCC focused on three
areas. Firstly, the WCC, after 1996 through its specialized structure
ACT-Action by Churches Together, assisted churches, ecumenical organizations
and agencies to carry out humanitarian relief to the populations
most in need. Secondly, the WCC sought to maintain close contact
with churches in the region, keeping them within the broader ecumenical
fellowship, and to find ways of strengthening their advocacy for
a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Thirdly, the WCC promoted
a series of inter-religious encounters and dialogues in an attempt
to promote tolerance and prepare the ground for reconciliation.
Following the Kosovo crisis in 1999, the WCC launched its South-East
Europe Ecumenical Partnership with the aim of strengthening cooperation,
peace and reconciliation in the region.
A
woman prays for her missing husband,
Serbia |
what
is the role of the religious communities?
The role of churches and religious communities during the conflicts
was diverse and complex. Historically, religious communities
became very identified with particular national communities
in the Balkans, and differences of faith became a central factor
of identity. Under Ottoman domination, the Muslim minority enjoyed
significant privileges. Following independence, the various
states which would later form Yugoslavia gave advantages to
their traditional churches. During the communist period, all
churches and religious communities suffered degrees of marginalization
and, at times, persecution. In the most recent conflicts, religious
affiliation and symbolism was instrumentalized by all parties.
Churches and mosques were deliberately destroyed. Nevertheless,
Christians on all sides were also involved in peace initiatives,
bringing relief to those in most need, and planting the seeds
of hope. The WCC believes that churches and religious communities
have a unique potential for the healing of societies and the
building of a lasting peace in the region. |
crimes
against women and against humanity
In the midst of the atrocities and ‘ethnic cleansing’ carried out
by all sides in the fighting, WCC gave particular attention to the
most vulnerable and innocent groups in the conflict. In the harsh
winter of 1992, the World Council of Churches decided to send an
ecumenical team to Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia to investigate
reports about the abuse of women in the conflict. On their return,
they published a report on ‘The Rape of Women in War’. The report
exposed the organized and systematic abuse and rape of women by
all sides in the wars. Later, the European Community’s (EC) report
of 3 February 1993, based on two missions to the former Yugoslavia,
found estimates ranging from 10,000 to 60,000 victims of rape, from
all sides of the conflict, although the majority were Muslim women
and children. The EC report concluded that there were over 20,000
victims, although some dispute these figures. Regardless of the
precise number, the use of systematic rape in war left a horrific
and indelible scar on many women and their families, from all communities.
Women victims of this horror who managed to survive felt afraid,
confused, isolated and in pain. Acting on the importance of the
ecumenical team’s findings, the WCC urged the broader ecumenical
family to respond, and in 1993 established the WCC Ecumenical Women’s
Solidarity Fund, to enable concrete, flexible and sensitive responses
to needs defined by local women in many differing situations and
contexts throughout the former Yugoslavia. In response to these
crimes, the War Crimes Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia was established
in 1993 by the U.N. Security Council, and a special legal adviser
for gender-related crimes was appointed to investigate sexual assault
crimes. The Tribunal has prosecuted sexual crimes against women
as crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The
EWSF medical programme assists villagers, Central Bosnia
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practical
solidarity
The Ecumenical Women’s Solidarity Fund was set up to be a fast-acting
and tangible instrument of assistance to women and communities
in need, and was supported by individual churches, ecumenical
councils and related donor agencies of the World Council of
Churches throughout Europe and North America. Since its creation,
the EWSF has supported over 320 projects throughout former Yugoslavia.
Women from all ethnic groups have been included in a wide range
of self-help initiatives ranging from income-generation and
skills training to health programmes and psycho-social counseling.
From the outset, the Fund was to be used by women for women
to enable the most vulnerable to restore their self-esteem,
dignity and basic human rights, and to offer support and solidarity
without imposing culturally inappropriate or insensitive ideas
or approaches. |
In the
experience gained in working with women at grassroots level, the EWSF
has succeeded in building up a network founded on trust and mutual
respect and, in an environment scarred by division, has continued
to support women victims of war and their families regardless of nationality,
religious or ethnic background.
how
is WCC EWSF organized?
The fund is managed by the WCC EWSF registered programme office
in Croatia. The Programme Coordinator is a WCC staff member and
maintains close administrative links with the WCC Diakonia &
Solidarity Team/Europe Desk in Geneva.
where
does WCC EWSF work?
The EWSF operates throughout the territories of the former Yugoslavia:
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia, and Serbia &
Montenegro (including Kosovo).
who
benefits from the WCC EWSF programme?
The EWSF considers that the female population has specific needs
and a specific role to play in the process of reconciliation. The
combattants intentionally targeted women in the conflict and women
were particularly victimised. During the war women remained with
their families, and in many cases took on the role of decision-maker
and income-generator for the family unit. As the force most often
behind the restoration of the family unit, they are also integral
to the rehabilitation of their communities. It has been the EWSF’s
experience that women at grassroots level have been instrumental
in making the first reconciliatory steps towards women of other
ethnic and religious groups, and renewing real dialogue.
The
people and groups involved in EWSF are made up primarily of women,
children and youth. The EWSF pays particular attention to marginalized
groups such as those with special needs, the elderly, Roma women
and IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons).
what
are WCC EWSF’s sectors of activity?
1. Counselling and Advocacy
2. Psycho-Social Support
3. Capacity Building
4. Peace and Reconciliation
5. Education and Training
6. Health
7. Legal and Justice Issues
8. Income Generation
9. Youth
what
are WCC EWSF’s strategic objectives?
• To encourage, strengthen and empower women in the healing process
within themselves and their communities
• To encourage self-determination for women victims of war
• To promote dialogue and reconciliation (with particular emphasis
on cross-border/inter-ethnic initiatives)
• To support training and education for employment
• To support and promote women’s health care
• To increase women’s access to information and networking
• To encourage legal support work with an accent on justice and
women’s rights
• To raise awareness and nurture an understanding of ecumenism in
the region and to encourage dialogue within communities
who
are WCC EWSF’s partners?
The EWSF works through a wide range of local partners working at
grassroots level to reach those most in need in the region. These
include churches, church groups, local NGOs, women’s organizations,
youth organizations, and peace groups.
new
challenges in the post-war context
International media attention has moved away from the former Yugoslavia
to other zones of conflict. Following years of international military
presence in the Balkans, and efforts for reconstruction and stabilization,
the attention of the international community seems to be waning.
However, the situation in the region continues to suffer from political
turmoil, economic instability and social uncertainty. Unemployment,
lack of investment and poor infrastructure undermine efforts to
stabilize the societies. Hundreds of thousands of people remain
displaced within the region, mainly from Bosnia and Kosovo, unable
to return to their homes for fear of reprisals or lack of employment
opportunities.
The
most vulnerable section of the population continues to be women
and children. Many women remain as the primary breadwinner of the
family, often without any formal training or appropriate skills.
Severe health problems can be attributed to the war, including those
related to long-term exposure to stress. People continue to carry
deep wounds from the trauma, particularly in areas that experienced
direct military conflict. Many of them have returned to abandoned
homes, and have had to face the past, awakening painful memories.
There is often lack of trust in neighbours with different religious
and ethnic identities; in many cases there is animosity and an absence
of any communication. In all these situations, a pair of helping
hands like WCC EWSF can be a major force of change and healing.
looking
to the future
The 10th anniversary of the WCC EWSF programme is a time of celebration,
but also of reflection about the future direction of the programme.
The EWSF will also continue to assist local partners to address
the sustainability of their programmes and organizations through
capacity building in their fields of expertise. EWSF will increase
activities in the fields of peace-building, conflict resolution
and reconciliation, and seek to address prejudice, injustice and
unemployment, the main concerns of women, who seek to regain control
over their lives and build for their future. The times have changed,
but the needs remain, and the ecumenical family, and the many churches
and donors which have supported EWSF over the years, can still offer
quiet and caring hands of solidarity.
ewsf
information brochure
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