News

Books for Namibia

In addition to producing regular radio shows and writing workshops for women, the Women’s Resource Center in Namibia publishes the 28-page magazine Sister Namibia (in English, Afrikaans and local languages) six times a year. Begun in 1989, the collective is committed to the elimination of sexism, racism, homophobia and other issues that oppress and divide women.

“Our office,” they write, “is situated in Capital Centre, room 806, Windhoek, and has a small library with books, magazines, and studies by and about women. Any woman who is interested to develop her writing skills, or who wants to be part of an independent, non-party affiliated and dynamic women’s group is welcome to join our team on a voluntary basis.”

They look at issues like parental preference for boys, violence against women, non-traditional work for women and AIDS (subscriptions are N440 inside Africa and US $30—or pound sterling or German mark equivalent—elsewhere). Send subscriptions to Sister Collective, P. O. Box 40092, Windhoek, Namibia. Tel. +26461 230618123 0757; fax +264 6136371.They are also interested in donations of feminist and lesbian books. Donations maybe sent to the Women’s Resource Center, c/o __E. Khaxas, P.O. Box3723, Windhoek, Namibia.

New group in Brazil needs support

A group called Estacão Mulher (Woman Season), with an office in São Paulo, has been established. “We decided to form such a group because lesbians throughout the world, mainly in the so-called Third World, are completely ignored in statistics and in any research carried out by governmental or nongovernmental health departments. This leaves lesbians unassisted with HIV / AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, drugs and many other problems due to the prejudice against homosexuals in our society. This is even more serious because Brazilian health policy is not that organized. It is difficult for anyone to get medical assistance and even more difficult for those who do not feel free to express their sexual option. Estacão Mulher intends to gather multidisciplinary professionals such as psychologists, lawyers, sociologists and medical doctors to provide women, especially lesbians, for the complete assistance they need, in a way that they can feel free to express their own problems without being afraid of the sexual stigma of Brazil’s homophobic society.

“We need financial support as well as information. It is unreasonable to expect financial support from the Brazilian government, so we would like information about both funding and publications your group may issue…” Contact: Estacão Mulher, Caixa Postal 62 631, CEP 01295-970, São Paulo-SP, Brazil.

Latina Lesbian publications

Las Buenas Amigas began in November 1986 when a group of Latina lesbians in the New York area, some US born, others immigrants from Latin America, met. Open to any Latina lesbian, the group meets the first and third Sunday of every month, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Gay and Lesbian Center, 208 13th Street, New York, New York 10011. The Las Buenas Amigas newsletter (in Spanish and English) reaches over 300 Latina lesbians and includes essays, fiction, poetry and reports of activities. The group has conducted workshops on lesbian mothers, legal rights, internalized racism, safe sex and more. “Within the last year, Las Buenas Amigas have undertaken the challenge of expanding their operations both within the gay and lesbian community and the Hispanic community. For this purpose we have organized an educational retreat, a photography project, and an expanded version of our newsletter. While these activities have been greatly successful, we find that the only way to continue our work is by increasing our funds.” If you have ideas about possible financial support, please contact Las Buenas Amigas, c/o The Center, 208 13th Street, New York, New York 10011, USA, or call Carmen +1 201 8687816.

Conmoción: revista y red revolucionaria de lesbianas latinas is a new publication and network for Latina lesbians. Conmocion accepts writings and graphics in Spanish and English and costs US $13 a year (for three issues) for individuals inside the US, $23 for those outside (airmail). They would also appreciate more information on funding. agencies for their projects: Conmoción, 1521 Alton Road #336, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, USA. Tel. +1305’751 8385.

Send a girl to school

To attend a school in Nicaragua costs about $50 per year, which is too much for many families. Friends of Canter a is looking for sponsors (individuals, families or schools) who are willing to put a child through a year of school. Contact Friends of Cantera, Niño a Niño program, 918 Benton, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, USA. Tel. +14158511730.