The Global Women's History Project was created by Dr. Elise G. Young, Middle East historian, as a unique educational model within the History Department, combining research, activism, and international education and cooperation.

HISTORY
The Global Women’s History Project grew out of a conference that was organized in April of 1999 by Dr. Elise G. Young, Middle East historian, History Department, and Dr. Catherine Shannon, History Department, specializing in women's history in Northern Ireland and the Republic of
Ireland.

We were concerned about the absence of venues to support and publicize women’s involvement in and responses to the Belfast Agreement (Ireland) and the Oslo Agreements (Israel-Palestine).

In both of these situations women’s organizations emerged to ensure that women would not be left out of the political processes that held the possibility for bringing peace to their war torn societies. There was no information in the mainstream media about the efforts of women to make connections between nationalist agendas and women’s rights.

We saw an opportunity to provide a venue both for women within the regions who had difficulty reaching one another, and for women within the United States, to learn from one another and to develop strategies to
support the rights of women world-wide.

The impact of our first conference on the delegates and on the College community and on the general public inspired Dr. Young to continue this work.

The Global Women's History Project focuses on the Middle East, Africa, Asia, in order to illuminate the often misunderstood and misrepresented histories and contributions of women in these regions.

As a result of our accomplishments to date, we offer to students, researchers, activists, educators, historians and others, an archives of primary source documents of women's history, and of women's current struggles, visions, and contributions, from the regions represented. In addition, we offer links to women's organizations represented and links to on-going connection to and information about our delegates.

The Goals of the Global Women's History Project are the following:

• To educate the general public about the histories and current struggles of women in war torn regions of the world.
• To archive women's history and to make primary source materials presented at conferences available to researchers, activists, and others.
• To offer an environment conducive to communication and constructuve interaction between and among women across national, religious, ethnic-racial, and class divisions.
• To provide an opportunity for the public to engage with women from around the world as they learn about one another's histories, visions, achievements, and concerns.
• To develop and coordinate projects in the areas of community based preventive health care, education, and politics.
• To network with grassroots organizations, schools, and universities, in order to share research and create avenues for support and interaction.

The Global Women’s History Project invites women from around the globe involved in bringing peace to their regions through political structures and through grassroots organizations to meet with one another and with women from the United States in order to learn about and develop common strategies for peace and for justice.

Acknowledging that the destinies of women in the United States are linked with those of women globally, The Global Women’s History Project exists to create and support international networking in order that women may have a venue for addressing issues of common concern, and in order that women may have a venue for advocating for one another across nationalist boundaries.

Women from a range of backgrounds in the U.S. struggle daily with life threatening concerns, including poverty, racism, domestic violence, and health related issues. The Global Women's History Project seeks to educate students, faculty, and our communities about the histories and current struggles occupying women in many regions of the world, and about common strategies of women facing similar issues in the U.S.

Our conferences are designed to highlight and to document the visions, strategies, challenges, and triumphs of women. These programs provide important insights and critical information for activists, scholars in all disciplines, students, women from a range of backgrounds in the United States, and policy makers from electoral politics to grassroots organizations.

Since its inception in 1999, The Global Women's History Project has hosted the following conferences:

April 15-18, 1999
"Women from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and from Palestine and Israel Envisioning Peace"
Directors: Dr. Elise G. Young, Dr. Catherine Shannon
Hadas Ziv- Physicians for Human Rights (Israel)
Sahar Francis, Attorney from Upper Galille, BADIL Resource Centre (Israeli-Palestinian)
Amira Hass, Journalist, Ha'aretz (Israel-Palestine)
Islah Jad, Women's Studies Program Bir Zeit University (Palestine)
Reem Wishah, Al-Bureij Refugee Camp, Gaza, Ministry of Detainees (Palestine)
Ya'ala Cohen, Bat Shalom (Israel)
Dr. Sumaya Farhat-Naser, Marcaz al Quds Al Nisa (Jerusalem Center for Women)(Palestine)
Commentators: Dr. Joy James, Dr. Janice Raymond

April 27-30th, 2000
"South African and African American Women: Journey to Freedom"
Directors: Dr. Elise G. Young, Dr. Zengie Mangaliso
Administrative Assistant: Elena Wilson
Sindiwe Magona, Novelist (South African)
Roslyn Mathuray, Women's Empowerment Program, Democracy Development Program (South African-Indian)
Christine Motlalepule Moroeng, Agisanang Domestic Abuse Prevention and Training (South Africa)
Nonhlanhla Jordan, University of Transkei (South Africa)
Thandi Ngubane, Community Health Nurse, (South Africa)
Safiya Bandele, Center for Women's Deelopment, Medgar Evers College (U.S.)
Judith Rollins, Wellesley College (U.S.)
Brenda Stokely, President Local 215, Social Service Employees (U.S.)
Dora Robinson, Director, Martin Luther King Center (U.S.)
Pamela Brooks, Historian (U.S.)

April 25-28,2002
Women of Pakistan and India Speak on Rights, Ecology, Economy, and Nuclear Disarmament
Director: Dr. Elise G. Young
Additional Assistance at Westfield State College: Dr. Usha Zacharias
Urvashi Butalia, Kali Publishing (India)
Nuzhat Kidwai, War on Rape (Pakistan)
Kalpana Sharma, The Hindu (India)
Beena Sarwar, The News, (Pakistan)
Ruchia Gupta, Apne Aap (India)
Bhairavi Desai, Immigrant South Asian Workers and Labor Rights in New York City (India/U.S.)
Anis Haroon,Aurat Foundation (Pakistan)
Zubeida Mustafa, DAWN (Pakistan)

October 30-November 1, 2003
Poets Creating Peace Zones: Linking global and local Arts activism in service of world peace.
Directors: Dr. Elise G. Young, Magdalena Gomez
Magalena Glomez, Poet and playwrite
Elise Young, historian and poet
Sandra Maria Esteves, Poet
Nise Malange, Poet and Community Organizer
Votelwa Beatrice Gwiji, Poet and Community OrganizersJoy Harjo, Poet
Busra Fouz, Poet
Hind Mari reading poetry of Palestinians unable to leave Gaza.

April 14-17, 2005
Women of Iraq and Iran, Visionaries for Peace in the Twenty-first Century
Directors: Dr. Elise G. Young, Dr. Shahla Haeri
Administrative Assistant: Dr. Margo Hennessy
Yanar Mohammad, Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq (Iraq)
Shahla Haeri, Boston University (Iran)
Zeinab Istrabadi, Indiana University (Iraq)
Manijeh Hekmat, Film Producer and Director (Iran)
Yvette Rabi'a (Iraq)
Nazanin Ali-Sharif- Kurdistan Women's Movement, Iran

May 2, 2005
Organized by: Dr. Elise G. Young and Dr. Shahla Haeri
Translation by Dr. Shahla Haeri
Dr. Shirin Ebadi, 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner from Iran

Dr. Ebadi spoke in Dever Auditorium at Westfield State College. The
lawyer, judge and human rights activist spoke about her work for women and
children’s rights and freedom of speech.