CONFERENCES

WOMEN IN HIGHER EDUCATION TO MEET

The 9th Annual International Conference on Women in Higher Education will be held on January 4-7, 1996 at Camino Real Paso del Norte Hotel, El Paso, Texas. The conference is hosted by the Women's Studies Program and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education, the University of Texas at El Paso. The conference will focus on women in their various roles in higher education. Previous conferences were attended by participants from Australia, Canada, Greece, Mexico, Arqentina, Turkey and Bahrain. The conference will provide an opportunity for networking and discussing possible collaborative research ventures. Paper abstracts on women in international education, multicultural women's studies issues, equity issues, women in their disciplines, women's roles in higher education, career mobility, minority women in higher education, and support systems for women in higher education.

Contact: Office of Women n international Development, University of Illinois at Urbana, 320 International Studies Building, 910 South Fifth St., Illinois.

BRAZIL: FIRST CONFERENCE OF WOMEN PAJES (SHAMANS)

In 1994, GRUMlN's President, Eliane Potiquara, was honored by PEN CLUB INTERNATIONAL, both as author of the book "A Terra e a Mae do Indio" (The Land is Mother to the Indian), a teaching aid published by GRUMIN with support from the World Council of Churches' Anti-Racism Program, and for her dedication to the struggle for indigenous rights. The award to Eliane Potiguara was supported by the Committee of Writers in Prison during its 58th International Congress, which voted unrestricted political support for indigenous writers. Potiguara was appointed an honorary member of FEN CLUB WET (USA).

Before Brazil was "discovered", it held more than 5 million Indians. Today they number 250,000. In the past, indigenous women used to have the final say in Assemblies. They could qo against the word of their fathers, brothers or husbands. The invasion, sexual violence and the psychology imposed on some women have led them to shelter themselves in the rear guard of our men. Old women in some tribes still have the last word and are venerated as great sages. For 10 years, GRUMIN has been fighting to restore respect for indigenous women in the home, in the community and in the country.

The National Seminar "Indigenous Women's Health: Our Right" voted and approved a proposal to hold a First Conference of Women Pajes (Shamans). This decision was taken because, in some communities where colonial and neocolonial influences are strong, women have no effective participation in spiritual activities and little recognition for their spiritual gifts. Preparatory stages to this conference involve the creation of four community herb gardens in four different states, to recuperate and preserve a variety of herbs that have fallen into discredit since the arrival of allopathic medicine, which has also served to undermine the status of the pajes and women herbal doctors, as well as traditional methods of childbirth and curing. For all these reasons, the Seminar also discussed Indigenous Women's Reproductive Rights at length.

Contact: GRUMIN: Namello Soares (240-9294). Rua Ambrosina 82 - Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; tel/fax 55-21-207-6798.

REPORT

IS POVERTY FEMALE? A NEW BRIDGE REPORT

It has become common in development circles to talk of the 'feminisation of poverty'. The phrase implies that poverty is becoming a female phenomenon, or that women are becoming poorer relative to men. This trend is often linked to an increase in the number of female-headed household, to the informalisation of labour markets and, generally, to the economic crises and adjustments of the 1980s in Latin America and Africa.

because many studies in poverty do not look inside the household, evidence is lacking to show a feminisation of poverty. Moreover, the evidence we do have does not always show that more women than men are poor, or that their proportion among the poor, relative to men, is increasing.

Certain groups of women - including some but by no means all female heads of household may be particularly vulnerable to poverty. Women are discriminated against within the household, in legal and property rights, in access to financial resources, in labour markets and by public sector institutions. But not all women are poor and not all poor people are women. It does not advance attempts to combat gender discrimination, or assist in poverty alleviation efforts, if women and the poor are treated as synonymous. A new BRIDGE Report explores the relationship between gender discrimination and poverty.

For more details of the report write to: Development and Gender in Brief, BRIDGE, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton, BNF 9RE, U.K.; tel no.01273 678491.

FELLOWSHIPS

HARVARD UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES A NEW JUNIOR FELLOWS PROGRAM

The Society of Fellows, Harvard University announces The Junior Fellows program for three years beginning July 1, 19967 Junior fellows receive no credit for the courses, need not be working towards an advanced degree other than for the Ph.D.; and are not required to make reports. They are free to devote their work to productive scholarship. They may undertake sustained projects of research or other original work or they may devote their time to the acquisition of accessory disciplines, so as to prepare themselves for the investigation of problems lying between conventional fields. Students should have demonstrated their capacity for independent work. Eligibility: Persons of exceptional ability, original and resourcefulness; fellow must be at an early stage of his or her career; they are ordinarily college graduates; men and women from any field of study; recent recipient of or are candidates for the Ph.D. Candidates are nominated by those under whom they have studied. A letter of nomination should include an assessment of the candidate's work and promise, the address of the candidate, the names and addresses of three people who have agreed to write additional letters of recommendation by early October. Deadline: September 18, 1995.

Send nominations to: Society of Fellows, Harvard University, 78 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, Mass. 02138

INTERNATIONAL PEACE RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION

Dorothy Marchus Senesh Fellowship in Peace and Development Studies for Third World Women. Awarded every other year at IPRA annual meeting. The next award will be given in Spring 1996. The prize ($5,000) is available for third world women who have been accepted into a graduate programme and whose graduate work is to be focused on issues related to the focus of IPRA.

Contact: Elise Boulding, International Peace Research Association Foundation, c/o Conflict Resolution Consortium, Campus Box 327, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0327 USA, Tel: +1 303 449 1617, Fax: -t-1 303 492 6388

MACARTHUR FOUNDATION

Program on Peace and International Cooperation Grants for Individuals and two-person teams, including scholars, journalists, policy-analysts and others who have a proven ability to do creative work. Projects should address the relationship between peace, security, violence, or co-operation. Grant periods may be as long as 18 months. Grants range from US$10,000 to US$65,000 for an individual applicant, with US$100,000 the maximum for a two-person project. Deadlines are February 1 and August 1, 1995

Contact: Grants for Research and Writing in Peace and International Cooperation The John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation 140 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60603, USA

JENNINGS RANDOLPH PROGRAM FELLOWSHIPS

Annual fellowship competition for professionals and scholars to conduct research projects on the sources of violent international conflict and ways to sustain peace. Deadline: October 15, 1995

Contact: Jennings Randolph Program US Institute for Peace, 1550 M SI NW, Suite 700 J, Washington DC 20005, USA Ten ACAFESS Fellowships

THE ACAFESS COMMUNITY TRUST (ACT)

The Trust is supporting up to 10 fellowships, for part-time study leading to the award of a higher degree MPhil (Ed), sponsored by City of Birmingham Education Department, Birmingham. The fellowships are for part-time students only.

Contact: The Admissions Office, The Faculty of Education and Conflict Training Studies Division, The University of Birmingham Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 27T Tel:+44 1 21 414 4887

Conflict Resolution Courses And Training Programmes

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

In the past they have offered a one-month course on "Educating for Global; Citizenship", designed for school teachers.

Contact: Ms. N. Castarphan, School of International Service, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20016 USA, Tel: +202 885 1622

UNIVERSITY OF BRADFORD

Offers a one year advanced certificate course in Conflict Management and Conflict Resolution. It is designed as an open access course to suit the needs of specific professional groups.

Contact: Dr. Nick Lewer, Centre for Conflict Resolution, Department of Peace Studies, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, Tel:+44 1 274 733 466 ext 4192, Fax:+44 1 274 305 340

Peace And World Security Studies (PAWSS)

Five College Program in Peace and World Security Studies (PAWSS) offers as annual summer course.

Contact: Linda Harris, PAWSS, Box 55, Hampshire College, Amherst MA 01002 USA, Tel: +1 413 549 4600

ANTIOCH UNIVERSITY

Offers a Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution Course where the second part of the course is designed for students to work in their home communities.

800 Uvermore Street Yellow Springs, OH 45387, USA, Tel:+1513

PRIO UNIVERSITY OF OSLO INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL

PRIO runs an annual graduate course in Peace Studies from late June to early August.

For more information contact: The International Summer School, University of Oslo, PO Box 3, Blindern, N-0313 Oslo, Norway

AWARDS

International Rescue Committee - Annual Freedom Award: For more information contact: IRC, 386 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016, USA; Tel: + 1 212 679 0010, Fax:+ 1 212 689 34

Martin Ennals Foundation - Martin Ennals Award: For more information contact: The Martin Ennals Foundation, c/o HURIDOCS, 2 rue Jean-Jacquet, 201 Geneva, Switzerland, Tel:+41 22 741 1767, Fax:+41 22 741 1768

Reebok Human Rights Award: For more information contact: The Reebok Human Rights Award, 100 Technology Center Drive, Stoughton.MA 02072, Tel: + 1 617 341 7430. Fax: + 1 617 297 4806

UNESCO Prize for Peace Education: For more information contact: UNESCO, 7 Place de Fontenoy, 74700 Paris, France, Tel:+ 33 1 4568 1000, Fax:+33 1 4567 1690

Martin Luther King Award and The Pfeffer Peace Prize: Fellowship of Reconciliation: For more information contact: Box 271, Nyack, New York 10960, Tel: + 1 914 358 4601, Fax: + 1 914 358 4924

The Gleitsman Foundation Award: For more information contact: Alan L Gleitsman, 2017 Pacific Avenue, Venice, CA 90291, Tel: + 1 213 305 8010; Fax: + 1 213 306 4514

The Goldman Environmental Prize: For more information contact:The Goldman Environmental Foundation, 1160 Battery Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94111, Tel: + 1 415 788 1090, Fax: + 1 415 986 4779

The Olof Palme Memorial Fund: For more information contact the: The Olof Palme Memorial Fund, S 10560 Stockholm, Sweden, Tel:+46 140 300

Source: International Alert Update Issue No 4; Nov 1994.