Bits from here and
there
3/5/00
Medical Students Honor
Abortion Providers Across the
Country
On March 10th, the
anniversary of the death of Dr. David Gunn, the
first physician to be murdered by anti-choice
extremists, pro-choice medical students who are
part of Medical Students for Choice (MSFC) will
honor abortion providers in their local
communities as part of the fourth annual
National Day of Appreciation for Abortion
Providers (NDAAP). Begun in 1996, NDAAP's
purpose is to create a positive climate for
abortion providers and to thank all abortion
providers for their dedication to women and
their families.
MSFC President/Founder
Jody Steinauer, MD said, "By serving their
patients -- even in the face of terrorist acts
of violence and constant harassment -- abortion
providers truly are our heroes. Their example
enables us to stand behind our convictions and
become the next generation of abortion
providers."
MSFC Executive Director
Patricia Anderson, stated: "Providers will only
be safe from violence when there are thousands
of physicians willing and able to provide their
patients with the full range of reproductive
options and thousands of people are publicly
supporting their work."
Medical Students for
Choice (MSFC) is a student-led, grassroots
not-for-profit organization, founded in 1993 by
medical students concerned about the abortion
provider shortage, the lack of abortion
education, and escalating violence against
abortion providers. For more information, visit
the MSFC Web site at http://www.ms4c.org
.
SOURCE: Medical Students
for Choice, Company Press Release
______________________________________________
2/9/00
Poison
Perfume
University of Illinois
Professor of Environmental Medicine, Samuel S.
Epstein, M.D., and Amy Marsh, President of the
Environmental Health Network, and Chairman of
the Cancer Prevention Coalition, have completed
an analysis of Eternity, a popular Calvin Klein
perfume. The analysis revealed the presence of
ingredients known to be toxic to the skin,
respiratory tract, nervous, and reproductive
systems, and others known to be
carcinogens.
The fragrance industry
is virtually unregulated, and the FDA has
refused to require the industry to disclose
ingredients due to "trade secrecy
considerations."
The Environmental Health
Network (EHN) has filed a complaint with the
FDA, suggesting that they declare Eternity
"misbranded" or "adulterated." Similar to a host
of other cosmetic products that have toxic
ingredients, the product does not carry a
warning label, although there is an FDA
regulation (21CFR Sec. 740/10) that states:
"Each ingredient used in a cosmetic product and
each finished cosmetic product shall be
adequately substantiated for safety prior to
marketing. Any such ingredient or product whose
safety is not adequately substantiated prior to
marketing is misbranded unless it contains the
following conspicuous statement on the principal
display panel: Warning: the safety of this
product has not been determined."
The analysis was
recently commissioned by the EHN in response to
complaints of asthma, migraine, sensitization,
or multiple chemical sensitivity when exposed to
Eternity. Since May, over 700 consumers with
health problems from exposure to various
mainstream fragrances have written to the FDA
supporting EHN's petition. The petition is thus
still open for further public complaints and
endorsements.
For further information,
contact: Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., Professor of
Environmental Medicine, University of Illinois,
School of Public Health, Chicago, Illinois,
Chairman, the Cancer Prevention Coalition,
312-996-2297; or Barbara Wilkie of the
Environmental Health Network, P.O. Box 1155,
Larkspur, California 94977 510-527-3567.
http://users.lanminds.com/~wilworks/ehnindex.htm
SOURCE: Joint Press
Release Issued by the Cancer Prevention
Coalition and the Environmental Health
Network
Via:
ABIGAILS-L@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM
4/7/00
2000 ASIAN WOMEN'S
ELECTRONIC NETWORK TRAINING WORKSHOP (WENT2000)
Asian Women's Resource
Exchange 2000
Women's Electronic Network Training
Workshop, 19 - 24
June 2000, Sookmyung Women's University,
Seoul, South
Korea
Asian Women's Resource
Exchange (AWORC) is an Internet-based
women's information
network and service in Asia. AWORC develops
cooperative approaches and
partnerships in increasing access to and
exploring applications of new
information and
communication technologies (ICT) for women's
empowerment.
It also expands existing
regional networks in the women's
movement, promotes
electronic resource sharing and builds a
regional information service
to support women's advocacies, specifically
those critical for women
in Asia.
This year, AWORC will
again be holding the "Asian Women's Electronic
Network Training
Workshop" (WENT2000), in collaboration with the
United Nations Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
(ESCAP), to train participants
in running web-based information services, in
using online communication
tools to advance their networking and advocacy
work, and in developing
databases. The focus of the workshop is to
assist women's organizations
in building their capacities to develop and
sustain appropriate use
of new information and communication technology.
The training workshop
will be from June 19-25. A symposium on women
and information and communication technology is
scheduled on June 22, 2000. Deadline
for submission of application forms is April 30,
2000.
To apply via the WEB,
fill up application form at:
http//www.women.or.kr/~went2000/apply
AWORC's website address
is http.//www.jca.apc.org/aworc
Via:
ABIGAILS-L@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM
Source: WOMEN ENVISION,
women-envision@isiswomen.org, is a monthly
bulletin published by Isis International- Manila
since 1995.
2/16-20, 2000
African Women Speak Out
For Peace
Kampala - African women
lawyers who had been attending a two day
conference on Engendering the Peace Process in
Africa at the International Conference Center in
Kampala, wisely observed that although women and
their children are the first victims of
conflicts and war, they are often left out of
the peace making process altogether.
The conference, opened
by Ugandan first lady Janet Museveni, attracted
more than a hundred participants from all over
Africa. It was organized by FIDA in conjunction
with the African Women Lawyers' Association
(AWLA) and sponsored by USAID
"All peace negotiations
which exclude women should be considered null
and void", the lawyers recommended. The Director
of Makerere University Institute of Social
Research (MISR), Dr. Nakanyike Musisi, also
demanded that African governments publicize
their war budgets instead of keeping them as
classified matter.
"If they refuse to open
up we shall lobby foreign donors to cut off
Aid," she said. "We should shout when World
Bank/IMF comes here."
Excerpted from original
article in New Vision (Kampala) February
13, 2000
by Emmanuel Mulondo
Distributed via Africa
News Online: http://www.africanews.org
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