Seeds of Movements

Seeds of Movements by Farida Akhter; Published by Narigrantha Prabartana. Dhaka. First Edition: 7 July, 2007. Page 312. Price:400/= 

CONTENTS The Millennum is Ours. Yasmeen: Rape by Police That Shook Bangladesh. Yasmeen and Taramon: Two Symbols of the Women's Movement. History of Women's Demand for Direct Election. Constitutution, Reserve Seats and Women's Equality. Reflections on Empowerment. Sultana's Dream and Masculine Modernisation. Development and Development Walahs:It is time to say Sorry. Development, Democracy and Demography: the Three d's of Domination and Destruction. Trade in the Lives of People in Bangladesh. WTO and Injustice. Japan Oda: Cause of River Erosion, Displacement and Environmental Destruction. Micro-Credit: The Development Devastation for the Poor. Reflecting on Education Questions. Health is Happiness: Shasthya Shokol Shuker Mul. Activism and Media For Good Governance. Women, Rice and Livelihood in Bangladesh. Nayakrishi Andolon: A Farmers Movement Against Globalisation. Seeds in Women's Hands: The Fundamental Issue of Food Security.

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

The first edition of Seeds of Movement: On women's issues in Bangladesh has been well received by the readers as this book presented some important dimensions that are important for the women's movement of Bangladesh. Although the contents of the book are very specific to Bangladesh but such issues are common in South Asia a well as in other developing countries.

The woman's movement has many dimensions as women's lives are affected by so many national and global policies. Patriarchy is manifested not only in the familial relationship but in overall society, politics and economy. Therefore, women's movement cannot narrowly focus only on violence against women as a domestic issue but also as a creation of the socio-economic and political realities that are prevalent in the country and also because of global forces. Such explanations are sometimes absent or ignored in the mainstream women's movement and particularly those supported by international organizations. This book is an effort to bring into focus all different dimensions that women in any country are facing and are struggling in their daily lives. Women at the grass root levels are victims but they are also finding ways to overcome these oppressions in their lives. The inspiration of the book comes from the strength of the grass root movements. The seeds of the movements are sown at the grassroots, with the hope that it will move upwards to become a tree and be in the mainstream.

The first edition has been translated into German language "Samenkoner Sozialer Frauenbewegungen und Bewegungen: andere Bewegungen in Bangladesh und weltweit" published by Centaurus Verlag in 2011. I am grateful to Prof. Maria Mies who has taken initiative and relentless efforts to publish the German version and also for organizing the launching of the German version of the book in Cologne as well as in her village Eifel. She has done this to show that we cannot save the world unless we save the countryside and the villages. Whether these are in Bangladesh or in Germany, we must do that. This was an extra ordinary experience of sharing different but yet common issues in two different context of the world. Maria informed me that they have started the movement successfully in the Eifel to save their volcanic mountains. The connection that could be built with women in Germany (for example) and those in Bangladesh was possible through sharing of issues which affect all of us. Hope this book will connect more women's groups around the world.

Farida Akhter
1 December 2011 

CONTENTS 

CHAPTER I 13
THE MILLENNIUM IS OURS!! 15
YASMEEN: RAPE BY POLICE THAT SHOOK BANGLADESH 23
YASMEEN AND TARAMON: TWO SYMBOLS OF THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT 27
HISTORY OF WOMEN'S DEMAND FOR DIRECT ELECTION 33
CONSTITUTION, RESERVE SEATS AND WOMEN'S EQUALITY 39
REFLECTIONS ON 'EMPOWERMENT' 47
SULTANA'S DREAM AND MASCULINE "MODERNISATION" 59
CHAPTER II 71
DEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOPMENT WALAHS: IT IS TIME TO SAY 'SORRY' 73
DEVELOPMENT, DEMOCRACY AND DEMOGRAPHY: THE THREE D'S OF DOMINATION
AND DESTRUCTION 84
TRADE IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN BANGLADESH 95
WTO AND INJUSTICE 125
JAPAN ODA: CAUSE OF RIVER EROSION, DISPLACEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL
DESTRUCTION 130
MICRO-CREDIT: THE DEVELOPMENT DEVASTATION FOR THE POOR 145
REFLECTING ON 'EDUCATION' QUESTIONS 154
HEALTH IS HAPPINESS: "SHASTHYA SHOKOL SHUKER MUL" 165
"ACTIVISM" AND MEDIA FOR "GOOD GOVERNANCE" 175
CHAPTER III 186
ON DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTIONS AND LIVELIHOODS 188
WOMEN MANAGE PLANTS FOR FOOD AND HEALTH 211
WOMEN, RICE AND LIVELIHOOD IN BANGLADESH 243
NAYAKRISHI ANDOLON: A FARMERS MOVEMENT AGAINST GLOBALISATION 268
DEFENDING THE INTEGRITY OF LIFE AND DIVERSITY 276
WOMAN FEEDS THE WORLD, BUT WHAT DOES SHE EAT? 290
SEEDS IN WOMEN'S HANDS: THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE OF FOOD SECURITY 298
CHAPTER IV 320
DIGNITY: SECURITY OF MOVEMENT, SECURITY OF LIVELIHOOD 322
REFLECTIONS ON FIRST NATIONAL PUBLIC HEARING ON TRAFFICKED WOMEN IN
NEPAL 355
THE SOUTH ASIA COURT OF WOMEN: FEELINGS AND REALISATIONS 359
SALMA SOBHAN: THE KAMRANGA TREE SPEAKS OUT FOR HER 369
CHAPTER V 374
"WE DO NOT WANT TEARS, WE WANT SOLIDARITY" 376
IRAQ WAR WAS A GRAND "MISTAKE" 383
ALL FORMS OF AGGRESSION AND WAR IS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN 389
HUNGTINTON'S 'CLASH' THESIS & POPULATION CONTROL 393
REFERENCES 399 

 

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