St. James on the Parkway selected to host October Beijing Circle Conference

The Episcopal Church Center’s Office of Women’s Ministries has selected St. James on the Parkway as its site for its first Beijing Circle Conference. The conference will be held October 12-13. The Rev. Susanne Watson-Epting and Kim Robey from the Office of Women’s Ministries will conduct the program, which will commence Friday night and conclude Saturday afternoon. Watch the diocesan web site for registration information.

What is a Beijing Circle?
In 1995, Beijing was the site of the UN sponsored Fourth World Conference of Women. The conference produced a landmark document known as the “Beijing Platform,” which is similar to the Millennium Development Goals, but with a particular focus on women and children, who are disproportionately affected by poverty, violence, war, and inadequate access to healthcare and education. The Platform includes:

* The persistent and increasing burden of poverty on women
* Inequalities and inadequacies in and unequal access to education and training
* Inequalities and inadequacies in and unequal access to health care and related services
* Violence against women
* The effects of armed or other kinds of conflict on women, including those living under foreign occupation
* Inequality in economic structures and policies, in all forms of productive activities and in access to resources
* Inequality between men and women in the sharing of power and decision-making at all levels
* Insufficient mechanisms at all levels to promote the advancement of women
* Lack of respect for and inadequate promotion and protection of the human rights of women
* Stereotyping of women and inequality in women’s access to and participation in all communication systems, especially in the media
* Gender inequalities in the management of natural resources and in the safeguarding of the environment
* Persistent discrimination against and violation of the rights of the girl child

The Millionth Circle
Shortly after the Beijing Conference, Jean Shinoda Bolen wrote The Millionth Circle, in which she outlined a suggested roadmap for a more peaceful and just world. Her idea is based on the “hundredth monkey” theory.

Over fifty years ago scientists studying the behavior of monkeys on islands off Japan observed a young monkey washing her sweet potato before she ate it. Soon, her family, as well as all the monkeys on the island and the surrounding islands also began washing their sweet potatoes. Based on their observations, scientists concluded that there is a “tipping point” at which if only one more person tunes-in to a new awareness it becomes part of group consciousness.

Bolen contends that the world could become more peaceful and just if enough people started focusing on these behaviors and she suggested forming circles of women to begin this process.

Beijing Circles
Recently, Episcopal Women have started forming “Beijing Circles,” around the issues in the Beijing Platform. The Beijing Circle offers a tool to learn more about Platform issues which affect women globally and also provides a mechanism to connect us with our sisters around the globe to bring about change. St. James on the Parkway organized a Beijing Circle in 2006.