Mia farrow to attend thai seminar

Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams will lead prominent women activists from different parts of the world at the symposium on July 21.

The event, co-organised by Nobel Women's Initiative (NWI), will include Professor Jody Williams, American actress and Unicef goodwill ambassador Mia Farrow, labour rights activist Qing Zhang from China and Dr Sima Samar from Afghanistan.

They will discuss and witness testimonies, including video testimony by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace Laureate who has been under house arrest in Burma.

"We don't have such a special event very often in Thailand, let alone Chiang Mai, so I do hope that it will create interest, more understanding and support for women's causes," said Virada Somswasdi, president of the Foundation for Women, Law and Rural Development.

"The efforts of NWI members and other women involved in the delegation to Thailand are not only to keep alive the issues of peace with justice and equality, which include violence against women and the crises of political rights, but also to highlight the importance of a just and peaceful global community for women."

Charm Tong of Shan Women's Action Network hopes that the dialogue will allow the delegation to hear the voices of women from Burma on the systematic violations of women's rights, crackdowns on democracy activists and other ongoing violence.

"We hope the dialogue will highlight the situation of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, whose house arrest has just been extended for another year, the regime's criminal blockage of aid to those affected by Cyclone Nargis and the situation of refugees on Burma's borders who continue to flee from persecution," she said.

Charm Tong will present the background situation in Burma and bring two testimonies from women. Two testimonies from ethnic women in Thailand will also be presented.

Women's rights scholar Kritaya Archavanitkul hopes the dialogue will promote the voices and unseen works of women to local governments.

NWI was established in 2006 by Nobel Peace Laureates Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, Wangari Maathai, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan Maguire.

Only 12 women in its more than 100-year history have been recognised with the Nobel Peace Prize.