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>VOICE OF WOMEN FOR PEACE
>BEIJING COMMITTEE - LEAD GROUP FOR PEACE
>National Office: 736 Bathurst St. Toronto ON M5S 2R4
>tel. (416) 537-9343 - fax (416) 531-6214
>contact person: Bruna Nota, 143 Deforest Road, Toronto, ON. 
>M6S 1J7
>tel/fax: (416) 760-8200 - E-mail: bruna@web.apc.org
>
>7 November, 1995
>
>Dear Peace Friend,
>
>You are probably among the group of people we had contacted last 
>spring and again in the summer to work with us on the NGO input into 
>the Platform For Action for the 4th UN World Conference on Women 
>(WCW). Or maybe you are one of the people who will receive this 
>letter and had not been part of the previous process. Either way, we 
>need to work together.
>
>The conference is over but the work for all of us is beginning in 
>earnest. We are contacting you to ask you and your group to join your 
>efforts with ours and many other across the country to ensure that the 
>work started in Beijing will bear fruit.
>
>The Canadian Beijing Facilitating Committee (CBFC) is planning to 
>publish a summary of the Platform For Action (PFA) in time for the 
>International Women's Day (8 March 1996). This summary will be the 
>compilation of the priorities as seen by each lead group for each area 
>of concern. As the lead group for the "PEACE" area of concern, we 
>are asked to coordinate the input of as many peace oriented groups and 
>individuals.
>
>PURPOSE
>The purpose is to provide a simple, accessible document for 
>individuals and groups to use for their own education and for lobbying 
>and advocacy. It will be an instrument to help us all to keep our 
>governments accountable to honour the moral commitments they have 
>undertaken, and implement concrete actions.
>
>EXPECTATIONS
>Specifically, we are inviting you to join with us in reviewing the whole 
>PFA, from the Final Declaration to the Financial Arrangements, with 
>the perspective of PEACE. We are expected to: 
>  >from the PFA pull out the five to ten actions that we retain to be 
>most relevant to the issue of peace;
>  >make explicit reference to the PFA's text, clarify it and interpret 
>it if necessary, identify what is missing and make relevant what is 
>already there;
>  >recommend action steps as concrete as possible without unduly 
>narrowing the options;
>  >enrich the commitments made with what is most needed; 
>
>
>TIME LINE:
>We have some very tight dead-lines: the first priority (as a sample of 
>how we are treating the subject) is to be delivered to the BCFC by 
>Nov. 20. The final product, not to exceed 10 pages must be received in 
>Ottawa not later than Dec. 15. Preferably by Dec. 10. This means that 
>we, at Voice of Women, need to receive all this at least four days in 
>advance to be able to coordinate all the inputs, which we hope will be 
>as thoughtful and numerous as in the spring.
>
>RESOURCES
>It would be useful to cross-reference other documents (e.g. the 
>unedited PFA -the final version will not be ready before the end of 
>November-, Canada's opening speech in Beijing; the Status of 
>Women's document on Canada's facts and commitments published 
>just prior to the WCW).
>
>You can receive any and all these documents from: 
>"Status of Women Canada", 1995 World Conference Secretariat, 
>360 Albert St. # 700, Ottawa K1A 1C3
>Tel. (613) 947-8477 - Fax (613) 957-3359
>
>The PFA is also available on the electronic APC network: 
>"un.wcw.doc.eng" or "un.wcw.doc.fra".
>  
>The CBFC has provided funding to reimburse you for telephone, 
>postage or photocopy expenses, if necessary. Your contribution can be 
>in French, if you prefer.
>
>Please, join us and feel free to invite others to join. 
>It is our chance to carry the WCW message and commitments forward. 
>Give me a call. We can talk about all of this in more detail. 
>
>Thank you in advance for your collaboration. In peace, 
>
>Bruna Nota 
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