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International Women’s Day Observed in Argentina
Written by Miguel Werner, secretary general of UPF-Argentina
Friday, March 8, 2019
Para leer en español, haga clic aquí.
Buenos Aires, Argentina—Five distinguished Argentinian women were recognized for their accomplishments during a celebration of UN International Women’s Day 2019 held on March 8 at El Templete in Buenos Aires city co-organized by the Argentina chapters of UPF and the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of Parque de los Patricios–RSE. The theme of this year’s Day was “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change.” (1)
The award certificates were given by the Argentinian Federation of Collectivities (FAC), Rotary Club of Parque de los Patricios, Cultural and Social Arab League, and Communal Center 4. The honorees were Juana del Carmen Astrada, Adelina Carrión, Ofelia Fernández, Anita Mieres, and Graciela Rodríguez. (2)
Mrs. Gladys Carolina Romero Cristaldo, president of Communal Center 4, gave the welcoming remarks. Ambassador for Peace Mr. Horacio Daboul, president of Corporate Social Responsibility of the Chamber of Commerce of Parque de los Patricios, and president of Institutional Relations of Rotary Club District 4895, thanked the representatives from various organizations who attended the event. Mrs. Nelly Duarte, secretary of culture of the Chamber of Commerce of Parque de los Patricios, explained the tragic circumstances women experienced that gave rise to this important day.
Mrs. Rosetta Conti, president of WFWP-Argentina, spoke about the work of two women who were awarded the Sunhak Peace Prize: human rights activist Waris Dirie and Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, founder of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL). Mrs. Dirie, a laureate of the 2019 Prize, has led campaigns to end female genital mutilation, a practice that is still being carried out in many countries, and Dr. Yacoobi, a laureate of the 2017 Prize, developed an innovative educational method that has contributed to improving the human rights of refugee women and girls.
“The fact that the nature of men and women are different does not raise an issue. Such differences are factors that contribute to the stimulation of love. …A man and a woman, united in the true love of God, are created as completely equal beings in value,” said Mrs. Conti, quoting Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, co-founder of UPF and WFWP.
The program featured musical performances by Dora Aguirre, from the Homero Manzi Cultural Center, who sang two tangos; Ofelia Fernández, who sang the famous song, “Honrar la vida;” and singer Valentín Delauro, who performed “Quanto é bella, quanto é cara” from the opera The Elixir of Love by Gaetano Donizetti, and “No puede ser,” from the Spanish zarzuela “La tabernera del Puerto.”
The event was sponsored by the president of Institutional Relations of Rotary Club District 4895; the Argentinian Federation of Collectivities (FAC), and the Rotary Club of Parque de los Patricios. It was supported by the nonprofit Acercando Naciones, Radio TV FM Diamante, Buenos Aires Writers Society of Mar del Plata, the Latin American Female Forum, the Center of Argentinian and Latin American Writers, and the Naciones Unidas de las Letras y Semillas de Juventud Siglo XXI.
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(1) Excerpt on International Women’s Day 2019 from the UN Women’s website: “The achievement of the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires transformative shifts, integrated approaches and new solutions, particularly when it comes to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. Based on current trajectories, existing interventions will not suffice to achieve a Planet 50-50 by 2030. Innovative approaches that disrupt “business as usual” are central to removing structural barriers and ensuring that no woman and no girl is left behind.”
(2) Juana del Carmen Astrada: “For her service work volunteering for various organizations in Parque de los Patricios and other communities. She is a pastor’s representative of the Buenos Aires Archdioceses; works together with the churches Virgen de Luján, Caacupé and Divina Providencia de la Obra de Don Orione; is the founder of the San Francis Explorers (Pompeya); and is a wife and mother of three children.”
Adelina Carrión: “For her work as a plastic artist, recreating material to reflect the themes of freedom, family and world peace that has been exhibited in cultural centers and has won various awards both locally and globally. For her inspiring work Unidos por la fe, which expresses the ideal of universal brotherhood through spirituality, transcending ethnicities, cultures and religions. For her values of family life.”
Ofelia Fernández: “For her deep commitment to carrying out her work as a social worker and therapist for young people with addictions or who have been deprived of their liberty. For offering her music talent in her singing therapy workshops, which support social inclusion.”
Anita Mieres: “For her dedication to promoting peace through the arts, culture and spirituality in a place created with the Expo Arte y Ser. For upholding inclusion, unity, and fraternity in multifaceted artistic activities and interreligious meetings.”
Graciela Rodríguez: “For her educational work of 30 years and her 20 years of work as a lawyer dedicated to the defense of children and adolescents. For her service work promoting the spiritual, material, and bio-psycho-social growth of children and adolescents who are socially vulnerable, giving them opportunities to find their place in the world through the nonprofit Lingüen.”
The following is a poem UPF-Argentina received for the occasion:
Mujer
Mujer es mi ciudad
Mujer es mi provincia
Mujer es mi país
¡Mujer es la pasión
que inunda el corazón
cuando se es feliz!
Qué bueno es ser mujer
¡Qué bueno es el nacer!
¡Qué bueno es el parir!
Y de una vez por todas
¡Qué bueno es sentir!
que se es arco de luz
en este devenir!
Mujer es la estación que llama al corazón
Y nutre la emoción, de amar y sólo amar
sin dar explicación.
Mujer es la ciudad que acuna mi sentir
Mujer es mi país.
¡Qué bueno es ser mujer!
¡Qué bueno es el parir, que bueno es el nacer!
Y de una vez por todas...
¡Qué bueno que es sentir
que se es arco de luz, en este devenir!
María Alicia Gómez de Balbuena
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