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BALI News
and Events
Upcoming
events
BALI Summer Fundraiser
June 2008 at the New York Arts Club located on Gramercy Park
BALI’s
first major fundraiser will be held in on June 17th from 6:30-8:30 at the
New York Arts Club. A night of delicious dinner and intergenerational
dialogue will culminate in a celebration to honor Councilperson David Weprin,
Chair of the Council's finance committee and Erica Forman, Partner at Bryan
Cave LLP and Co-Chair of the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute Board of
Directors for their outstanding work in the community and their strong
commitment and ongoing work in support of BALI.
Please check back for more details soon!
BALI High School Summer
2008 Debate Training Program and Citywide BALI Leaders of Tomorrow Debate
Competition
June 2008 in New York City
In Partnership with Impact Coalition, Inc.
Our BALI trainees will be participating in a Citywide Leaders of Tomorrow
Debate competition this coming June. All-girl debate teams from several
different New York City public high schools will be participating in this
competition.
BALI’s annual debate training and competition will be offered for two weeks
in August. BALI will be recruiting students from many different public high
schools throughout New York City. In conjunction with our expert training
partner, the Impact Coalition Inc., BALI is developing a new curriculum for
this summer’s training. We are also recruiting volunteer professionals to
serve as judges and facilitators for the "Demonstration of Learning and
Leadership" sections of the training program.
Please contact us if you are interested in volunteering as one of our debate
judges in this exciting competition and program and check back for more
details soon!
In The News
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Liz Abzug Named One Of The 21 Leaders For The 21st Century 2008
By Women's E-News |
Run Date: 12/24/07
By Sarah Seltzer
WeNews correspondent
Liz Abzug decided that a
monument was not enough to honor her mother, pioneering feminist and
beloved New York City Congresswoman Bella Abzug, who died in 1998. She
wanted a living tribute to continue her work and "pass it on to the next
generation."
With a colleague Abzug
designed a leadership training institute to give young women and girls
from disadvantaged backgrounds the tools "to achieve the dynamic
leadership skills of my mother."
Abzug felt there was a
lack of outspoken, courageous female voices in the public sector, so the
first program of the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute was a two-week
session for New York City high school girls to learn about political and
issue advocacy, debating skills, researching and how to deliver a
speech, and not-for-profit management. After two weeks of training, the
trainee participants from several different New York City public high
schools compete in a city-wide high school debate competition.
The Institute's intense
focus on giving back sets it apart from other enrichment and leadership
programs and is the first aimed specifically at female teens, Abzug
says. Young women return to their schools and communities to hold forums
on everything from housing to education policy. "We want to see them
follow through as emerging leaders in their own communities as well as
in society at large."
The Institute recently
launched a mentoring system for the trainees and is developing paid
internships for them to build on their new skills.
Many of the young women
who enter the Institute know there is something unfair or un-equitable
about their lives, Abzug says. Their experiences provide "a concrete
idea of what gender discrimination is and that there's triple
discrimination against women of color."
In November 2007, Abzug
hosted the Freedom on Our Terms conference in New York to mark the 30th
anniversary of the original National Women's Conference in 1977. More
than 650 women and girls of all ages from 8 to 90 years old, and from
all races, religions and backgrounds from 21 different states, attended
the two-day conference. Abzug says it was deeply moving to watch young
women become inspired and realize how important it is for them to pick
up the mantle of leadership as well as to watch older women get excited
about reigniting the fight for true gender equality.
"Young women need to assume their roles as the
next generation of 21st century leaders," Abzug says. "They should never
be afraid to ask for a seat at the table."
Original article |
Recent Events
Freedom Conference
Summary
The Freedom on Our Terms, National Women and Girls Conference
was held on November 10th and 11th, 2007 at Hunter College. BALI served
as the lead organizer and host of this truly intergenerational conference. By
the accounts of many of the participants and attendees'
evaluations, the two day conference and the pop rock Freedom
concert, was a terrific success. Many of the young high school
and college girls who participated said it had a "life
altering impact" on them.
 Over 625 women and girls of all races, ages, (from 8 years old
to 90), religions and backgrounds coming from 21 States attended.
More than 70 national and local women's and girls' organizations endorsed our
conference. The older feminists who attended said that the conference
re-ignited their faith and spirit to fight for and achieve full equal rights
for women in the 21st century. Many Conference attendees and other
observers suggested and hoped that the National Women and
Girls Freedom conference, be held annually or bi-annually. Stay tuned!
"The
National Plan of Action: Then and Now" document
which was created at the request of the Bella Abzug Leadership
Institute and other conference organizers, and was written by BALI
Board member Lala Wu and Columbia University graduate student Kate Collier, outlines the progress or lack
thereof of the 26 planks plan of action which constituted a
National action agenda for women, that came out of the Houston '77
conference. The report contains comparative and up to date data on
Economic Justice, Education, Women in Elective and Appointive Office,
The Equal Rights Amendment, Media, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and
Expression, and Violence Against Women. A copy of this report is downloadable
on our Web site.
 Also, in
the final Open Forum
session of the National
Women's and
Girls conference,
attendees suggested that we communicate our major concerns regarding the lack
of progress for women and girls in a number of areas to all of the
Presidential candidates. Below you will see the specific concerns raised
with respect to women and girls full equality in the 21st century.
Summary
of Conference Priority Issues for Achieving Full Equality for Women
and Girls
On
November 10th and 11th, the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute
(BALI) sponsored an intergenerational Conference entitled Freedom on Our
Terms to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the National
Women's Conference (Houston '77) and create a 21st Century Agenda
for Action for Women and Girls. We are pleased to say that over 600
people from 21 states attended the Freedom on Our Terms Conference and over
70 women's and girls' organizations endorsed it. Attached you will find
a document distributed at the Conference as an overview of the status of
American women in 1977 and in 2007, The National Plan of Action: Then and
Now, co-authored by Lala Wu and Kate Collier. Sadly, it confirms
the lack of fundamental progress in achieving full
equality and justice for
American women and girls. The facts clearly show that:
· One in four women will experience domestic violence during her
lifetime and one in six women will be the victim of sexual assault;
· Women today earn only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes;
· Among the world's parliaments, the United States ranks number
68 with only 16.3% women members;
· 185 countries have ratified the Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; the United States is NOT one of
them;
· The United States has failed to ratify the Equal Rights
Amendment which would ensure full equality for women under the Constitution;
· In 2007, the United States Supreme Court reversed 30 years of
precedent to eliminate protection for women's health in abortion procedures;
and
· The poorest group in this nation is older women.
 These are
only a few powerful examples of the continuing discrimination that limits the
potential and possibilities of over half this Nation's population. Those
attending the Freedom on Our Terms Conference demand full equality for women
and girls in our lifetimes and we ask what specific steps you will take as
President to end sex discrimination on every level and under every category?
What will you do to see that the Equal Rights Amendment finally
becomes part of the United States Constitution? What will you do
to ensure that the United States ratifies the Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women? What will you do
to protect reproductive freedom rights for all women? What will you
do to provide fully affordable and accessible health care for every
person in this country? What will you do to support Caregivers,
the overwhelming majority of whom are women, as they take care of the
frailest among us? What will you do to end the terrorism of
rape, incest and domestic violence against women and girls? What
will you do to make equal pay for equal work real?  What will you
do to expand nontraditional work opportunities for women as well as help blast
through the glass ceiling that limits women's advancement? What will
you do to preserve and expand Title IX? What will you do to
help the nation understand the interconnections of oppression, so that
sexism, racism, homophobia, ageism and all the other forms of discrimination
are part of the same fight? What will you do to see that every
little girl born in this nation has the same chance of fulfilling her dreams
and potential as does every little boy? We look forward to receiving
your answers to these important questions which reflect the concerns of the
majority of the electorate. Signed by The Freedom Conference Organizers.
Freedom
on Our Terms: A New Agenda for Women and Girls 30 Years after the National
Women's Conference
(held
on November 10-11, 2007 in New York City)
We guarantee that you have
never attended a Conference quite like this one. Because we start from an
historical base that includes lessons learned from Seneca Falls in 1848,
Mexico City in 1975, Houston in 1977, Copenhagen in 1980, Nairobi in
1985, and Beijing in 1995, we have traveled far beyond the
necessity of discussing if Women's Equality will occur because we know
it must if this world is to survive. We start from an activist's perspective
that refuses to be diverted by those interested in promoting and
prolonging discrimination against women and girls. In the words of the
National Women's Conference, we are here to "move history
forward" and we will do so at breathtaking speed. Fasten your seatbelts
because when we say "Freedom on Our Terms," we mean just that.
When Elizabeth Cady Stanton proposed at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention
"that it is the duty of the women of this country to secure to
themselves their sacred right to elective franchise," how could she have
guessed that it would take seventy-two more years of fierce struggle before
women won the right to vote? When Alice Paul unveiled the Equal Rights
Amendment in 1923, how could she have guessed that eight and a half decades
were destined to pass without adoption of the ERA and its constitutional
guarantee of full equality for women? When women from across the
country, led by Bella Abzug, met at the 1977 National Women's Conference in
Houston, how could we foresee that thirty years later so many of the
resolutions in the National Plan of Action would still be unfulfilled?
When the United States still refuses to ratify the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women adopted by the
United Nations General Assembly in 1979, what does that say to the
international community about how serious this country views sex
discrimination? When women today still earn only 77 cents for
every dollar a man makes, how much longer will it take to achieve equal
pay for equal work? When 1 in 4 women will experience domestic
violence during her lifetime and one in six women will be
the victim of sexual assault, how long will that terror
continue? When a recent report on women in the world's
parliaments ranks the United States as number 68 with 16.3% women
members, it's clear how many nations are far ahead of us
in recognizing women's leadership. When in 2007 the United States
Supreme Count reverses 30 years of precedent to eliminate protection for
women's health in abortion procedures, how much longer will it be until Roe
v. Wade is totally overturned? How many more generations of women
will have to keep fighting for equality on these and other issues? The
time is now. We demand full equality for women in our lifetimes and on our
terms. We must fight back with a new 21st Century Agenda for Action for
women and girls.
For those unaware of the lessons of history or the statistics of present
oppression, let us refer you to the groundbreaking work of women historians
who show us how to rethink the past and reshape the future. Let us also
urge you to read the never-ending series of reports and studies
stacking up on shelves all over the world that document the oppression of
women and girls. Recent reports like "The World's Women 2005:
Progress in Statistics" by the United Nations Statistics Division,
"Women, Work and Poverty" by the United Nations Development Fund
for Women, "Women and Health Coverage: The Affordability Gap" by
the National Women's Law Center and the information from the
"Because I Am a Girl" Campaign in Britain (which estimates
that nearly 100 million girls die each year because males are more
valued in their countries) are especially relevant.
We have studied such documents all our lives. Now it's time to ACT. Since
this is the first National Conference for women and girls, we offer a
truly intergenerational approach. Since this is one of the only Conferences
to ask each participant to submit a questionnaire along with her
registration, we have a head start in formulating recommendations for action.
Since in the span of little more than two days, we will offer roundtable
discussions, plenary sessions, videos, oral histories, interactive
components, workshops, issue caucuses, music and receptions—this
Conference will require all the stamina and spirit the attendees can muster.
In return, we offer you, as Jill Ruckelshaus said at the 1977 National
Women's Conference: "Your pride in being a woman...your future and a
certain knowledge that at the end of your days you will be able to look back
and say that once in your life you gave everything you had for justice."
Some of our major conference endorsers include:
American Association of University Women-New York Chapter
Asian Americans for Equality
Barnard Center for Research on Women
Center for Advancement of Women
Center for Law and Social Justice, Medgar Evers College
Center for Women Policy Studies
Code Pink
Feminist.com
Girls Learn International Inc.
Hunter Women's Center
Legal Momentum
Living Beyond Belief
Minnesota Women’s Consortium
Ms. Foundation for Women
National Conference of Puerto Rican Women
National Council for Research on Women
National Organization for Women
NewYorkStateNOW
The Elizabeth Cady Stanton Trust
The Feminist Majority
The National Women’s History Project
The Transition Network
The Third Wave Foundation
The White House Project
The Women’s Media Center
Veteran Feminists of America
WE ACT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Women in Learning and Leadership (Will Program) at the College of New Jersey
Women's City Club of NY
Women’s Environmental and Development Organization (WEDO)
Carole Artigiani, Founder and President Global Kids Inc.
Carol Bellamy
Captain Brenda Berkman, (ret.) Fire Department New York
Gale Brewer, New York City Council Member
Karen Burstein
Ellen Chesler
Gracia Molina Pick
Barbara Ehrenreich
Gloria Feldt
Kamala Harris, District Attorney, San Francisco
Mary Lynn W. Hopps, Director, Women in Learning and Leadership-
College of New Jersey
Robin Morgan
Letty Cottin Pogrebin
Anna Quindlen
Ms. Attallah Shabazz
Gloria Steinem
Looking Forward to 2008
We look forward to a busy year of organizing and collaboration with our
partners to build on the success of the Freedom on Our Terms Conference of
November 2007 as well as our past High School Debate Trainings and
Competitions. We are also hard at work to create an innovative leadership
training program for college age young women. We are also exploring
collaborations with corporations, not for profit organizations and
government in terms of mentorship and peer counseling programs as well as
international linkages with girls and women around the world.
We are driven forward by the belief that,
as former Representative Bella Abzug used to say, “women will change the
nature of power rather than power changing the nature of women” and that “it
will be the young women who will lead the way in the 21st century.”
As an adjunct professor at Barnard College/Columbia University, BALI
President Liz Abzug developed and taught a new undergraduate level course
offered to Barnard and Columbia students for the first time last fall,
entitled "Women and Leadership," which concentrated on the 20th and 21st
centuries. This "case studies" course studied significant women leaders in
politics, business, media, journalism and the military, in both the United
States and internationally. Liz will be teaching this course again in fall
2008 to Barnard College and Columbia University students, and encourages
BALI high school debate trainees to come up to Barnard College to meet with
students in the course to forge on-going peer relationships.
Help Change a Young Gal’s Life
We are always interested in recruiting dynamo interns and
mentors/career sponsors to inspire and engage our young dynamic BALI
“leaders of tomorrow.” If you would like to take on this challenge, one that
will have a life-altering effect on a young woman’s life as well as your
own, please contact Liz Abzug, President and Director of BALI, at
www.abzuginstitute.org or 212-650-3071. Please encourage others who may
be interested to contact us as well. Talented professionals have offered to
be involved as trainers and mentors but we are always like to expand our
network and talent pool to reach all of our trainees.
Prior BALI Programs
BALI
Leaders of Tomorrow Debate Competition
In August of 2006, BALI debate program graduates participated
in a citywide high school debate competition. Students from numerous New York
City high schools debated complex issues such as the right to reproductive
choice, rap music’s portrayal of women, women in combat roles, and community
service as a requirement for high school students. Volunteer judges — professionals representing politics, government, academia and
advocacy — evaluated
the team’s arguments and assessed their advocacy and tactical skills.
Please check back for updated information about the next Citywide high school
debate competition in 2007-2008, and please contact us for more information
about debate trainings.
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