Today we celebrate the International Women’s Day. It is a worldwide event to honor women’s achievements while calling for gender equality in many countries around the world, a challenge still within reach. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions – whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.
In the past few years, several women’s movements have helped to make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women’s rights, and empowerment to participate in the political and economic arenas. However, this events not just about politics. Culture, politics and power are interlinked, as culture is as much critical as politics in informing and shaping our values, attitudes, identity and nationhood.
Gender equality is a fundamental component for the creation of a universal culture of peace. It is a task that belongs not only to a people or a culture, but to all of humanity.
It is under these assumptions that the Fondazione Adkins Chiti: Donne in Musica, in partnership with a number of international organizations and under the auspices of the HCHR, has programmed the Global Women in Music 4 Human Rights project (#GWIM4HR), celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The project focuses on the recognition of the fundamental role of women in the creation and transmission of cultural heritage. It also consists of a “Global Call for New Music”, in both its creation and practice. This event will involve women composers and creators of all ages, nationalities and music backgrounds.
Participants will compose either songs, choral or orchestral works, all with texts inspired by the struggle for Human Rights. The works – chosen by an International Reading Commission – will be presented in a Grand GALA in the historical Teatro Argentina, in Rome on the 5th November 2018 with international cultural activists as testimonials and representatives from UN, OHCHR, UNESCO and from the Italian Government.
By reaching out to and through women composers, this project can influence and set trends, change public opinion, modify behaviors and shape a universal culture of gender equality and women empowerment
This new music will emphasize the right of all women and girls to express themselves freely, develop their artistry, communicate through multiple media and obtain just recognition for their creativity. Empowering women composers by recognizing their ability and potential to create new works involving different cultures and musical fields worldwide is a bold goal. It celebrates and transforms into practice the values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (10th December 1948).
As the GWIM4HR project will undoubtedly help to the creation of a global culture of peace through music and with no boundaries, this initiative has been supported and promoted by United Voices 4 Peace – a cultural diplomacy initiative fostering cultural dialogue and mutual understanding among people of different and sometimes clashing backgrounds, through music and the arts.
UV4P’s founder is Veronica Sabbag – a cultured diplomat within the European Union for the last 20 years. She is a global citizen with a passion for music, a multicultural background and life-long international experience, for whom culture has no borders or restrictions. Her mission is to facilitate collaborative artistic projects and initiatives spreading the Culture of Peace through music and the arts, “a weapon of peace par excellence”. Today, these events continue to be an important step to enhance women’s talent and improve women’s participation and empowerment to address current global challenges, fight gender violence, and to promote more gender equality from any point of view. UV4P recognizes feminism as a driving force for progressive change, from its root in the struggle for gender parity to embrace a broader social-justice issues of tolerance, inclusion, and diversity.
