AFRICA
KENYA
The Environmental Liaison Centre (ELC), Nairobi
ELC, PO BOX 72461, Nairobi, Kenya. Tel. 24770 / 340849
This centre was established in Nairobi in 1974 by NGOS concerned about environment and development. It aims to strengthen communications and cooperation between NGOs and to act as a link with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) based in Nairobi.
The ELC wishes to become more involved with women's networks and asks for exchanges of materials and ideas. Material is also sought for their journal, ECOFORUM.
ASIA
PAKISTAN
Simorgh. Women's Resource and Publication Centre, Pakistan.
An educational collective run by a group of five women, Simorgh is in the process of setting up a Resource and Documentation Centre for women. It plans to publish women's fiction, poetry, research studies and any information or ideas that help raise women's issues and women's consciousness.
Simorgh plans to undertake and co-ordinate short and especially long-term research on the status and conceptualization of women in society. Networking and information channeling, providing advisory services to women activists and women's organizations, and conducting women's studies courses with and for women's organizations and women development workers are conceived as other major areas of work.
For more information, contact:
SIMORGH Women's Resource and Publication Centre
19-B White House Lane, Sunderdas Road, Lahore, Pakistan
BANGLADESH
UBINIG - Policy Research for Development Alternative
"Real development means changes in the unequal relationships between the rich and poor countries and between the powerful and powerless within countries. UBINIG is based on the belief that it is possible to eradicate poverty and reverse underdevelopment; and that people are capable of setting up new ways of life which helps them control their conditions of life."
UBINIG is an organization carrying out action oriented research aimed at grasping the concrete realities of the situation in Bangladesh. Women's issues have been a central concern of the organization, and they have studied the role of women in farm-production, the condition of women workers in export-oriented textile industries, to mention only a few. The ideology and practice of population control has been another important area of research, along with studies on the social, political and economic consequences of Bangladesh's revolutionary National Drug Policy. It is worth noting that the findings of all such research carried out by UBINIG is disseminated to policy-makers, planners and implementors of governmental or non-governmental projects, to international donors and all concerned groups.
For more information, contact:
Farida Akhter, UBINIG, 8/1 Lalmatia, B-Block Road 30, Dhaka - 7, Bangladesh.
NEPAL
The Centre for Women and Development
The growing number of women's groups and organizations that aim at research and information dissemination is a hopeful sign of the fact that we are in the process of creating our own body of knowledge about women's .conditions to challenge the existing distorted picture.
The Centre for Women and Development in Nepal is one such women's organization formed by a group of professional Nepalese women. It is involved in research with and for women, including the collection and dissemination of information. It also networks with both women and men to provide national and international support for women's studies and development and conducts educational and training programmes.
For more information, contact:
Centre for Women and Development, Battisputali, Baneshwar, Kathmandu, Nepal.
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
WEST INDIES
Union de Muhe Antlano, U.M.A.
Through the different activities that have been organized since October 1975, the women of the U.M.A. promote the emancipation of women in the West Indies and their participation in the struggle for a country free from all types of discrimination, exploitation and domination. They are also interested in encouraging cooperation between women's groups. Some of their activities include a weekly radio programme, the publication of a newspaper and organizing workshops, seminars and meetings.
They are very interested in receiving information about other women's groups.
For more information contact: Gladys do Rego, Esperanzaweg 51, Curacao, Dutch West Indies.
BOLIVIA
Centro de Promocion de la Mujer "Gregorla Apaza"
There is no social liberation without women's liberation" is the slogan of the Centro de Promocion de la Mujer "Gregoria Apaza". The centre's objectives are to help women participate actively in the country's social processes through personal and social development; stimulate a reassessment of women's value within the family and society; carry out participatory research on the reality of Bolivian women; and help women organize.
Their activities include organizing workshops and some small income generating projects and publishing the bulletin "Madrugada".
For more information contact:
Centro de Promocion de la Mujer" Gregoria Apaza", Casilla 21170, La Paz, Bolivia.
MEXICO
Cuarto Cresciente
At their cafe-theatre women have their own space to talk and get to know each other. The group defines themselves "as a place to analyse our daily life and transform it". Besides the cafe-theatre they have a library and reading room with materials on the international women's movement, the ecologist movement, alternative technology, etc.
For more information contact:
Cuarto Creciente, Lic. Verdad 11-8 Centro CP. 06060 Mexico D.F.
SEDEPAC
(Service, Development and Peace), Apartado Postal 61-024, Colonia Juarez, 06600 Mexico D.F., Mexico. Tel. (905)546-7384.
Health and Safety issues facing women workers and community members along the US-Mexico Border is a special priority of the Women's Project of SEDEPAC. They have developed some educational materials and seek further exchange with those who have produced such resources, especially items in Spanish which are easily reproducible.
NORTH AMERICA
CANADA
Saskatchewan Rural Women's Project
This consists of a small cross-organizational group in Canada that has been doing groundwork on rural women. The project, in its own words, "is not trying to become a new organization for women, ... but trying to develop interesting and practical tools which can be used by many people to help rural women get together." The project began with archival research on a women's farm organization - the Women Grain Grower's Association in 1913-14, sparked off by the suffrage issue. Based on this kind of historical research, the project hopes to develop simple program packages on different topics that individuals and organizations in particular may be able to use. Women's groups in particular may be able to use the debates on women's position and role and their particular approach to organization as part of current debates on the same topic. The group sees endless potential for media interviews and articles to bring rural women's history and present concerns before the public.
Along with historical research, the project is also looking at modern organizations for rural women both in Canada and in less developed countries.
The group would love to hear from anyone who wishes to comment on this project or talk about rural women's issues and attempts at organization in her own country. To reach them, contact:
Liz Willick (Project co-ordinator)
BOX 127, Oxbow, SK SOC 2BO Canada.