Sponsored by: Societies of Peace: Matriarchies Past Present Future
Please sign the Matriarchal Manifesta, which was created by an international group of scholars of past and present matriarchal societies.
Signatures from men are welcome too!
The text of the Manifesta is below the fold.
We, the women of the world, who are mothers and have mothers, proclaim the following:
The values we formulate here are maternal values which are the basis of matriarchal societies around the world: caring, nurturing, need-orientation, gift giving, peace keeping, gender-equality, respect for all living beings, holiness of our Mother Earth.
1. Life is precious. Women are precious and must be honored and respected. Every girl has a right to be educated. Children, animals and plant life are precious. Killing, enslaving, raping, or torturing human beings, and torturing of animals by any individual, community, state, army, society, or country is no longer tolerated. All killing must stop.
2. We vow to overturn all systemic patterns of violence, force, and oppression, replacing them with respect, freedom, safety and love.
3. Mother Earth is precious. Pouring toxic chemicals or radioactive essences in our environment is no longer tolerated. Violators will be required to clean up their mess.
4. The ocean is the womb of all life. Our water is being killed through acidification by CO2, chemical dumps, floating garbage and is now infected with high doses of radioactivity. We demand that our oceans, and the lifeforms which live there, be protected from further pollution and devastation.
5. Beginning immediately, we call upon all nations to re-mediate their nuclear waste issues and revamp their energy requirements using non-toxic renewable resources. It is urgent that the forests, rivers, and mountains be protected, and the rights of indigenous peoples to their historic lands be respected.
6. Mother Earth shares her resources with us freely. Those of us who have an abundance will begin sharing with those who have less.
7. We value the worth of all physical labor and call on all peoples to give fair pay to all labor and equal pay for equal work.
8. We confirm that it is an offense against humanity and a threat to Mother Earth to interfere with the normal function of the planetary system, be it for civil or military use.
9. We will award the Matriarchal Medal of Honor, our highest award, to the individual or group, who, on an annual basis, brings the most positive social change to our planet, as chosen by our panel of matriarchs.
10. Culture created by women is precious. We respect the diversity of cultures, especially those of existing matriarchal peoples across the globe. We object to the destruction of their age-old egalitarian societal and cultural patterns, which can give us excellent examples of balanced and intentionally peace building societies. We respect the spiritual heritage which has come to us from past matriarchal cultures and what they teach us about the interconnectedness of all life on earth and in the universe.
The word "matriarchal" may be upsetting to some -- who might have visions of a society ruled by some H. Rider Haggard "She Who Must Be Obeyed" :-)
But "matriarchal" is actually an old anthropological word. None of the past or living matriarchal societies are mere reversals of patriarchal society. They are egalitarian consensus societies usually practicing matrilineality and matrilocality, and some form of gift economics, at least within the group.
Here are a few links for further information.
Second World Conference on Matriarchal Studles
Max Dashu's The Suppressed Histories Archive
The Gift Economy
Hagia
Matriarchal Studies on Facebook