'Making Connections' conference slated

Native Women urged to join

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Calling Making Connections, an organization formed by women from groups such as the Edmonton Learner Centre, Alberta Nurses for Nuclear Responsibility, Voice for Women, and Tools for Peace was organized to increase understanding of issues connecting disarmament, economics and development from the women's perspective.

Past president of the Alberta Native Women's Association, Loro Carmen, a representative for the group, says she would like to see Native women participate with other ethnic groups to discuss these critical issues.

Making Connections deals with such issues as the impact of the arms race on women, nationally and internationally; women's opportunities at home and abroad; the women's perspective on peace and development and why are they important; what

women can bring to the process of disarmament and peace, which leads to opportunities for development for women, etc.

The organization's intent is to help make the interconnections between these critical issues.

A free public forum and a workshop for women will be held to better inform and to understand the issues of women, disarmament, economics and development.

On Friday, October 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Education Room, 2-115 at the University of Alberta campus, an open forum for everyone will be held. At the forum, a film entitled "Speaking Our Peace," a film by the National Film Board of Canada, will be shown. It is on Canadian women working for peace. Solanges Vincent, a political and economic analyst from Montreal will be available following the film to make a presentation. Vincent will also be featured in the film.

A workshop for women will be held on Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19, beginning Saturday at 9:00 a.m. at the Humanities Centre of the U of A campus.

This workshop for women will provide them with the opportunity to come together to receive additional information, to expand their analysis, to share their experiences, to feel empowered, to gain support and to strategize for change. Included in the workshop are presentations, small group work, individual assimilation, large group sharing and planning, films, a resource fair, singing and dances of peace.

"We strongly urge all Native women who are interested in the development of women to attend," says Loro Carmen, a representative of the organization on behalf of the Women's Free Spirit Chapter of the Alberta Native Women's Association.

A fee of $30 maximum is requested. But no women will be prevented from attending for financial reasons.

For more information, contact the Faculty of Extension, Women's Program at the University of Alberta, or phone 432-3093 for registration in the workshop.