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About the Forum
Introduction | International Planning Committee | Forum Testimonials
Forum Testimonials
From the 2005 forum in Bangkok, Thailand.
"It was an overwhelming sight. We knew it was big, but to be in the midst of genuine solidarity is an exhilarating experience." (Southeast Asia)
"The experience of the AWID forum has been extraordinary, and now we are preparing to replicate sessions attended at the forum, and to share these learning's with women from our community. We want to share with them this renewed spirit and continue to struggle to change out ways of life and create a better future for our children. We have never had the opportunity to participate in any international conference or forum before. The experience of the trip itself has been a great life lesson for us." (Guatemala)
"There were many more stories, all of which were stored deep in the hearts and minds of all those who attended. As a group, it was hard for us to abruptly end the session."(Global)
"For me as a student, I realized that I have to continually take my education outside of the classroom and the walls of the university, because sometimes what the professors teach is not the whole truth. I have started by forming an alliance with my fellow classmates and other feminists. I shared with them the materials and knowledge I gained at the forum. I have now found my voice, and I am using it to ask all the questions I have, and I am in search of the answers. But the one thing I know for sure is that I am definitely committed to being a positive change agent." (Canada)
"For me, what stood out was the power of personal story-telling- the power of personal stories from the ground."(Global) "I am so happy there is such a diversity of people here, including women, men and transgender. This is part of becoming a movement based not on who we are but on what we want."(Global)
"The AWID forum was about meeting and inspiration. It was amazing how many different people could talk to each other, known and unknown. I learned about local and international activities, sharing ideas and experiences. It was a forum of hope, too, where you heard about things that have made a change somewhere around the world and felt inspired that this change can spread and reach as many people as possible." (Bulgaria)
"To meet women from everywhere, sharing the same dream for a better world, working on it every day- even in places I never thought I'd meet people from- was a special experience. It gave us all courage for the days ahead."(Congo)
"I am Quchua from Peru. I'm an indigenous woman that for the first time has come to the AWID forum. I'm very happy to have recovered the hope that inclusive diversity such as this enriches us, and to have rediscovered the dream that we can together build a world where we can all live with respect. Thank you so much for this opportunity."(Peru)
"For me, change happens through exchanges between women around the world. Today is the end of the forum, but for me, it's just the beginning." (Global)