On 9th March 2015, Human Rights Now (HRN) hosts an event in New York under the title of ‘Truth and Justice for “Comfort Women”~Sexual Slavery in the Japanese Military during WWII~’.

This is a parallel event originally sponsored by the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

Taking this great opportunity, HRN will cooperate with other NGOs and take an action towards the end of negative impacts on comfort women and the protection of women’s rights.
———————————————————–
From March 9th to 20th, there will be “NGO CSW Forum Parallel Events” at UN Headquarters in New York held by the CSW. The primary theme of this year is “Beijing +20”.

□The Purpose of the Event
It has been almost 70 years passed since the end of WW II, however, the survivors of Japanese military sexual slavery, so called Comfort Women have been still fighting for truth, justice and reparation of grave violations of human rights. In this event, human rights expert/activist will report a current situation surrounding the We also learn from survivors’ speech and message.

□Time:
12:30~2:00pm on 9th March 2015
□Venue:
Armenian Convention Center, Grand Ballroom, 630 Second Ave, New York, NY 10016 (35th Street & Second Ave.)

□Program
-Message: Victims of “Comfort Women”
-Panel
Ms. Mina Watanabe (Women’s Active Museum on War　and Peace(WAM))
Ms. Kelli Muddell (International Center for Transitional Justice, Gender Justice Program)
Ms. Shu-Hua Kang (Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation)
Moderated by Ms. Kazuko Ito (Human Rights Now)
*Program is subject to change

◇Event poster(Comfort Women Poster):
http://hrn.or.jp/eng/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Comfort-Women-poster.pdf
◇Event HP:
http://hrn.or.jp/eng/news/2015/02/13/2015-csw-parallel-event-in-new-york-9th-march/

□Contact
HUMAN RIGHTS NOW:
-Human Rights Now, Tokyo headquarter
info@hrn.or.jp
HRN has office in NY and representative in Geneva. (http://hrn.or.jp/eng/)

□Registration
Registration is required to attend this event. Please go to below website and register “NGO CSW Forum”.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ngo-csw-forum-registration-13715889595

You will get a confirmation/ ticket via email. Please print and bring with you to this event.


□SPEAKERS & MODERATORS:
Ms. Kazuko Ito:
Esq., Secretary General of Human Rights Now (HRN), a Japan based international human rights NGO with ECOSOC status. She also serves as a member of the UN Women Regional Civil Society Advisory Group (Asia Pacific), and past chair of the Gender Equality Committee of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations. As a part of the HRN activity, she previously worked on women’s issue in Asia. In particularly, she organized education/empowering events for female students in Myanmar.

Ms. Mina Watanabe (Women’s Active Museum on War and Peace(WAM)):The secretary general of the Women’s Active Museum on War and Peace (WAM) based in Tokyo, which focuses on violence against women in conflict situations including military sexual slavery during the Second World War (the so-called “comfort women”). Ms. Watanabe has worked in women's NGOs and parliamentarians’offices with a focus on women's rights, and was actively involved in The Women’s International War Crimes Tribunal for the Trial of Japan’s Military Sexual Slavery held in Tokyo in 2000.

Women's Active Museum on War and Peace(WAM) AVACO Bldg2F, 2-3-18,Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-0051 Japan
t +81-(0)3-3202-4633
f +81-(0)3-3202-4634
wam@wam-peace.org
URL:http://wam-peace.org/en/

Ms. Kelli Muddell (International Center for Transitional Justice, Gender Justice Program):
Kelli Muddell is director of the Gender Justice Program with ICTJ. She has been with ICTJ since it opened its doors in March 2001. In addition to focusing on gender issues, she has also worked on ICTJ’s Sierra Leone country program.Muddell is currently conducting the first study to be done in the field on how transitional justice mechanisms have addressed, or failed to address, the targeting of sexual minorities during periods of conflict.

Ms. Shu-Hua Kang (Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation):
Shu-Hua Kang is the executive director of Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation, where she has been devoted to the care of and advocacy work for Taiwanese survivors of sexual slavery by the Japanese military during WWII. Ms. Kang, an experienced social worker, has focused on facilitating an integrated later life for these survivors and in utilizing multiple educational tools to engage the younger generations with the issue of sexual slavery and violence. She is the executive producer of the documentary Song of the Reed, which portrays the stories of four Taiwanese survivors in their later years. Ms. Kang is a recognized national leader in the arena of violence against women in Taiwan.

□CO-SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS:
HUMAN RIGHTS NOW:
Human Rights Now (HRN), an international NGO in consultative status with the ECOSOC, is based in Tokyo with several hundreds of members composed of lawyers, scholars, journalists and concerned citizens. In July 2011, on behalf of a coalition of civil society groups in Japan, Human Rights Now requested the Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for a Special Rapporteur to investigate the human rights situation after the disaster. In response to the request, Mr. Anand Grover, the Special Rapporteur on the right to health, visited Japan in November 2012. In December 2012, HRN submitted a joint statement, endorsed by more than 70 civil societies in Japan and worldwide, urging the IAEA and the Japanese government to take a rights-based approach in response to the nuclear disaster based on the preliminary findings and recommendations issued by Mr. Grover in November. To raise awareness of the situation in Fukushima after the nuclear accident, HRN NY has organized human rights seminars and a press conference to inform the international community about the ongoing crisis.
(http://hrn.or.jp/eng/)

PEACE BOAT:
Peace Boat is a civil society, non-profit organization working to promote peace, human rights, equitable and sustainable development, and respect for the environment throughout the United States and the world. These goals are pursued through peace education programs, including onboard conferences, workshops, face-to-face encounters and field studies. Peace Boat US upholds The Hague Agenda for Peace and Justice for the 21st Century, including the promotion of the non-violent prevention and resolution of conflict among nations and peoples, and the development of a culture of peace. (http://www.peaceboat.org/english/)

WOMEN’S ACTIVE MUSEUM ON WAR AND PEACE(WAM):
After the Women’s International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan’s Military Sexual Slavery was held in 2000, WAM began dreaming of a museum where all the Tribunal records and materials related to the so-called “comfort women” issue could be preserved and made available to future generations. The passion of the late Yayori Matsui, then chairperson of VAWW-NET Japan, was the driving force that led us to realize this dream. In June 2003, WAM a established the NPO “Women’s Fund for Peace and Human Rights” and launched our “Raise 100,000,000 Yen Campaign” for the museum with an initial support fund from Yayori’s legacy.
(http://wam-peace.org/en/)

TAIPEI WOMEN’S RESCUE FOUNDATION:
Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation (TWRF) was formally registered in September of 1987 to provide legal consultation and counseling to girls and women in the sex trade, and to help them return to their families and society.The foundation has been a pioneer in the effort to eliminate the trafficking of women in Taiwan and was established with a mission to eradicate child prostitution, which as recently as 1987 was a serious problem, most notably with economically disadvantaged parents selling their daughters into prostitution.(http://www.twrf.org.tw/eng/p1-about.asp)

Event Photos

Are you going to this event?

Yes No

Organizer

View Organizer Profile

Invite your friends to this event

View All Events In New York