The Twelve Points Campaign Continues: Stop the War, Rebuild a Just Society
in Afghanistan, and Support Women's Human Rights!

In response to the first air strikes in Afghanistan, a group of women's
human rights activists from New York, Asia and Latin America came together
to discuss ways to generate greater public discussion of alternative
responses to the September 11th attacks - other than military action and
further violence. They formulated a powerful anti-war, justice-seeking
agenda that also keeps the spotlight on women's human
rights. Implementation of the 12 Points: Stop the War, Rebuild a Just
Society in Afghanistan, and Support Women's Human Rights is more urgent
than ever.

On October 25, in an effort to support this extremely important and welcome
initiative, WHRnet posted the 12 Points in English, French and Spanish (at
http://www.whrnet.org) and launched an online endorsement campaign to
gather support for the 12 Points from NGOs and concerned individuals
worldwide.

We are pleased to report that the response to the endorsement campaign has
been very strong. To date, WHRnet had recorded almost 1200
endorsements. This includes more than 400 organizational endorsements and
over 700 signatures from concerned individuals. Supporters of the 12
Points are from every region of the globe, representing 56
countries! (Please visit to view the endorsement
lists.)

Initially, a deadline of October 30 was suggested for the collection of
endorsements. The date coincided with plans by women's human rights groups
in the New York area to present the 12 Points to members of the UN Security
Council during a "Arria Formula" meeting with a wider
gathering of women's NGOs. (The Arria Formula allows for informal meetings
between the members of the Security Council and is named after the
Venezuelan ambassador to the UN who introduced the mechanism).

Some of the groups involved in planning the 12 Points initiative were the
ICC Caucus for Gender Justice, the Center for Women's Global Leadership,
MADRE, the International Human Rights Clinic NYU, and the International
Women's Human Rights Law Clinic, CUNY. Acting on behalf of these and other
women's human rights groups, the ICC Gender Caucus handed the 12 Points
petition in person to 13 members of the UN Security Council during the
Arria Formula meeting. Importantly, the meeting was held on the occasion of
the one-year anniversary of the adoption of Security Council 1325 on Women,
Peace and Security. In addition, the 12 Points petition was faxed and
emailed to all UN Permanent Missions, the Secretary-General, Angela King as
the Special Advisor on Gender and Advancement of Women and Mary Robinson,
High Commissioner for Human Rights.

At that time, the petition had been circulating for only a few days and
already there were over 600 signatures from all regions.

Women's human rights groups are continuing to distribute the petition to
media, as well as to government representatives. We urge you to do the
same. There are further plans in New York to use the 12 Points to continue
raising awareness about alternatives to the mainstream discourse around
military action and the current global crisis. In particular, women's NGOs
will take further action on December 10th, the 53rd anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is also significant that
December 10 falls during the 16 Days of Action Against Gender Violence
(Nov. 25 - Dec. 10), which aims to highlight all forms of violence against
women as violations of human rights. (For more information visit
).

Toward this end, WHRnet will continue to gather 12 Points endorsements
online until December 7. If you have not already done so, please sign up
to the 12 Points. Also please continue circulating the 12 Points petition,
and encourage others to sign up and to use the statement in whatever ways
are helpful.

Also, if you are organizing any events or actions locally using the 12
Points, please let WHRnet know (at [email protected]) and we will be happy
to post news of your actions online.

You can view (and cut/paste/print) the 12 Points and the signatures
gathered to date, and/or sign up at . Alternatively
send a message of support to [email protected] giving your name, country,
and email address.

WHRnet is an international network of women's NGOs dedicated to the
effective utilization of Information and Communication Technology in
support of women's human rights advocacy.