Great Stuff from Eve Purdew

Hi Everyone,

Conversation Leader Eve Purdew wrote in on international Women's Day to say:

"I’ve just watched a TED talk called Courtney Martin: Reinventing feminism which you may enjoyl"

Eve also shared that on International Women's Day, she used an excerpt from Riane's book The Power of Partnership called "The World Around Us" in her classes at the Sorbonne.  The piece offers a list of things we can do to shift the world in the direction of Partnership:

The World Around Us

Starving children are not a statistic. The women’s condition -What would life be like for you if you could not let a square inch of your skin be seen in public, could not attend school or have a job, could not drive a car or even travel in one without a male member of your family.

Re-examine fundamentalist teachings in terms of core dominator configuration of rigid male dominance. Condoned use of violence in families, communities and the world which themselves violate the core of religious teachings: caring, nonviolence, and empathy. Consider poor families worldwide. Imagine a society where the work of caring and care giving is highly rewarded and imagine how this would affect your life and that of your children.

Buy products from socially and environmentally responsible companies. Contact international human rights organisations and government agencies urging them to work actively for human rights in both private and public spheres. Speak up against prejudice and hate in radio talk shows and letters to the editor. Raise the awareness of your family, friends, and business associates to global partnership as a necessity in our age of instant technologies of destruction

Help move political discussions past old categories such as right versus left, East versus West, capitalism versus communism, etc etc to the underlying issue of attitudes and policies that support domination or partnership. Introduce and support partnership education in schools and universities

Work for political candidates who support a national and international politics of partnership or run for office yourself.

- Riane Eisler