Women's roundtable conference, Luanda, People's Republic of Angola, 1978 April 29-30, Tape 1, Side 1
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{Unknown Speaker} organization.
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[[tape shuts off and on]] {Unknown Speaker 1} In welcoming guests, I, I am confident
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{Unknown Speaker} that your participation, your contributions,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} your resolutions, and the deliberations
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{Unknown Speaker 1} will reflect this important,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} this revolutionary spirit which has,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} which has, which has been seen
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{Unknown Speaker 1} in the whole battle of the people of Angola.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} Secondly, we visited a military hospital.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} This was a very great significance because in that hospital
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{Unknown Speaker 1} we found young men - gallant young men -
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{Unknown Speaker 1} who had participated and who have found to be wounded when
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{Unknown Speaker 1} they lost the island, and they are there because of
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{Unknown Speaker 1} the fight for their motherland.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} Thirdly, we visited a very important township.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} That is, it is now called Nova Lisboa.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} That some of us had the opportunity
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{Unknown Speaker 1} with the, the, the, the land
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{Unknown Speaker 1} to see that place where the Portuguese were still in Angola
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{Unknown Speaker 1} at the time of the, the, the first transitional government.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} And we know that even at that time
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{Unknown Speaker 1} that was a stronghold of the revolutionary MPLA.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} When we visited this place, we were taken to a tree,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} a tree of life, of the--
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{Unknown Speaker 1} --the life of the peoples of Angola.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} This tree we were told bore the first flag of, of MPLA in war.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} This tree is riddled with bullets.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} It had got- It is just covered with bullets,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} but despite this, it stands firm.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} And it, it seems to radiate strength. To us women who visited that--
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{Unknown Speaker 1} who visited [[?]] [[cooperate?]]
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{Unknown Speaker 1} we saw it as reflecting the strength
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{Unknown Speaker 1} of the people of Angola.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} And that is why I have every confidence
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{Unknown Speaker 1} that our deliberations will also reflect that strength,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} the strength of a people who are prepared to be riddled with bullets,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} to die for their liberation.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} In conclusion, my remarks, friends,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} I would like to welcome you all once more, and to tell you
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{Unknown Speaker 1} that this roundtable discussion
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{Unknown Speaker 1} is being attended by women from all over the world;
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{Unknown Speaker 1} women representing 123 organizations of the world,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} and women represent coming from 109 countries.
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{Unknown Speaker 2} [[softly speaking from audience near a mic]] One hundred and nineteen! {Unknown Speaker 1} So here in this hall today sits, and will participate
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{Unknown Speaker 1} the, the-- a whole family of women
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{Unknown Speaker 1} of the whole world.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} These women come from Angola.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} They come from the African National Congress of South Africa.
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[[applause]].
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[[applause]] {Unknown Speaker 1} They come from Toronto.
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[[applause]]
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{Unknown Speaker 1} They come from the Southern-- the Free Liberation Movement, South Africa.
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[[applause]].
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{Unknown Speaker 1} They come from the People's Republic of Congo.
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[[applause]]
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{Unknown Speaker 1} They come from Zambia.
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[[applause]] {Unknown Speaker 1} Algeria, [[applause]]
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{Unknown Speaker 1} People's Republic of Mozambique, [[applause]]
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{Unknown Speaker 1} Czechoslovakia, [[applause]]
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{Unknown Speaker 1} German Democratic Republic, [[applause]]
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{Unknown Speaker 1} the Soviet Union, [[applause]]
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{Unknown Speaker 1} the Federal Republic of Germany,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} France, [[applause]]
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{Unknown Speaker 1} Britain, [[applause]]
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{Unknown Speaker 1} Portugal, [[applause]]
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{Unknown Speaker 1} Sweden, [[applause]]
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{Unknown Speaker 1} Cuba, [[applause]]
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{Unknown Speaker 1} United States of America. [[applause]
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{Unknown Speaker 1} Friends, from the composition of our delegation,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} you can see our broad diplo-relations of women;
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{Unknown Speaker 1} women from liberated country organizations;
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{Unknown Speaker 1} women from front-line countries; women--
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] Women from the young republics in Africa,
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] women from independent African states, women from the socialist countries, and women from those imperialist countries
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] representing the progressive forces which support the struggles of the women of Southern Africa,
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] the women of Africa, the women who are fighting against oppression,
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] against exploitation, against uh imperialism, neocolonialism,
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] and women who are fighting for equality as women,
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] for equality as citizens, for equality as workers.
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] and uh uh women who are carrying out the oath that was taken in 1945,
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] when the Women’s International Democratic Federation was founded,
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[[Unknown Speaker]] when women took an oath that there shall never be another war.
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] That together they will fight for the happiness of their children.
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] Thank you for coming. [[applause]]
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[[silence]]
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[[applause]]
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[[SPEAKER name="Pearl Bowser"]] Angola. [[Person recording speaks during applause into own mic to identify subject of speech.]]
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[[applause]]
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] Let's now offer a relative comment from the [[woman??]] in charge of foreign relations, Comrade [[??]]
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] [[Unknown Speaker 3]] Comrades, members of committee central, [[? ?]], leaders of leaders, [[Portuguese being spoken]]
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] [[speaking in non-English language]]
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] [[speaking in English]] I think that progress there, I'm not following. You switch on.
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[[silence]]
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] You switch it on the side, I think, or rather top and you make it loud.
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[[silence]]
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] There are only two translations. It shouldn't be difficult.
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[[speaking in non-English language]] [[Unknown Speaker 1]]
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[[Unknown Speaker 1]] [[speaking in Portuguese]]
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[[Unknown Speaker 2]] What you have said will be reflected in our deliberations
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[[Unknown Speaker 2]] in this hall today and tomorrow.
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[[Unknown Speaker 2]] Comrades, I now have the great honor,
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[[Unknown Speaker 2]] to call upon Comrade Lúcio Lara.
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[[Unknown Speaker 2]] Comrade Lúcio Lara is a member of the Polit-- Politburo of MPLA [[Hagii?]]
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[[Unknown Speaker 2]] Comrade Lara is not only that, but he is --
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{Unknown Speaker 1} is also a freedom fighter.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} One of the comrades who participated from the beginning
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{Unknown Speaker 1} up to the very end, in the struggle for the liberation,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} of the freedom of Angola.
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[[applause]]
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[[silence]]
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{Lúcio Lara} [[speaking in Portuguese]]
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Lúcio Lara: [[speaking in Portuguese]]
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{Unknown Speaker 1} The basis of our discussions and our conclusions is this roundtable discussion.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} I would like to say, to our comrades of Angola, [[Cross Talk]]
Pearl Bowser: [[talking into the recorder]] Contributions by the MPLA
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{Unknown Speaker 1} and to Comrade Lúcio Lara, also to
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{Unknown Speaker 1} our dear Comrade President, Comrade Neto,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} that one of the, the reasons of the women of the world,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} having come to hold this roundtable meeting in Angola
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{Unknown Speaker 1} is because we, as women, have understood
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Freda Brown: the maneuvers and the plots of imperialists.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} And we came here although propaganda against
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{Unknown Speaker 1} Angola and aimed at [[[??]] that informs
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{Unknown Speaker 1} the world that there's fighting in the streets, that people are free,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} and that's a fact, a fact that we are afraid of war every day.
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{Unknown Speaker 1} And the women came here to give the lie to the statement,
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{Unknown Speaker 1} so that we are -- we have confidence in the revolution of the Angolan people.
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[[applause]]
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Speaker 1: Maybe this work will go away because since we came,
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Speaker 1: one of the questions we've had to answer is why we choose Angola,
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Speaker 1: from our friends, and from people who are really interested.
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Speaker 1: And I think that my president Comrade Freda Brown.
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Speaker 1: give on behalf of our leadership will have given even a much broader reply to this question.
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Speaker 1: Comrades, at this stage, I now have the honor to call upon Freda Brown,
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Speaker 1: the president of the Women’s International Democratic Federation to address you.
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[[applause]]
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Freda Brown: Dear Comrade Lara, Comrade Maria Cavo, Comrade Ruth Mitchell.
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Freda Brown: Firstly, let me thank Ruth for a very warm and
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Freda Brown: sisterly greetings and welcome tours.
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Freda Brown: I'd also to thank Comrade Lara for the clear and the militant analysis
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Freda Brown: of the problems that we are to discuss.
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Freda Brown: I'm asking to him to convey to the MPLA and to President Neto
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Freda Brown: our love and our greetings.
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Freda Brown: Dear friends, on behalf of the WIPA,
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Freda Brown: I bring warm greetings to the representatives of all the national,
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Freda Brown: and the regional, and the international organizations
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Freda Brown: attending this roundtable discussion
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Freda Brown: organized by the Angolan Women's Organization,
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the Women's International Democratic Federation,
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Freda Brown: and the Pan-African Women's Organization. You know, --
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Freda Brown: it was only last year that Bruce [[?]] and I proposed the idea of this speech.
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Freda Brown: And it was as recently as February,
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Freda Brown: at the meeting of the WIPA Bureau in Berlin,
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Freda Brown: that we asked Ruth Mitchell,
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Freda Brown: would it be possible for Angola to host the meeting.
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Freda Brown: As always, OPA responded,
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Freda Brown: with the help of the Party, the people, the government of Angola,
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Freda Brown: the virtuous countries, to help us get tickets,
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Freda Brown: this roundtable is a reality.
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Freda Brown: As we believe, it will be a powerful contribution,
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Freda Brown: to the anti-apartheid year.
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Freda Brown: Over the next two days, we will discuss
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Freda Brown: how we can step up solidarity, with the children, the women,
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Freda Brown: and the people of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia,
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Freda Brown: in their struggle for national liberation,
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Freda Brown: for the consolidation of national independence of the free African states,
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Freda Brown: the democracy, progressive development and peace in Africa.
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Freda Brown: It is significant that we are meeting during the United Nations
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Freda Brown: International Anti-Apartheid year.
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Freda Brown: For, in common, with all who struggle for freedom,
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Freda Brown: progress, and peace in the world,
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Freda Brown: we have an obligation to intensify the struggle against Apartheid,
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Freda Brown: and for its complete and final eradication.
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Freda Brown: We also see this meeting as part of the preparation
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Freda Brown: -- for the International Year of the Child.
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Freda Brown: It is necessary that we intensify our solidarity
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Freda Brown: with the children of Southern Africa.
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Freda Brown: An essential part of this struggle
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Freda Brown: is also increased solidarity with the children,
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Freda Brown: the women, and the people of the front line states:
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Freda Brown: Angola, Mozambique, Zambia,
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Freda Brown: Botswana, and Tanzania.
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Freda Brown: If their struggle can consolidate the independence,
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Freda Brown: national sovereignty, democracy, and progressive development
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Freda Brown: of their country, it is significant and fitting
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Freda Brown: that we hold this roundtable meeting in liberated Angola.
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Freda Brown: And it is with deep and sincere affection and appreciation,
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Freda Brown: that we greet and thank our dear friends of Angola,
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Freda Brown: and their militant organization, OMA, MPLA,
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Freda Brown: the government, and President Neto,
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Freda Brown: for their generous hospitality,
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Freda Brown: and for all that they have done to make it possible to hold this meeting in Luanda.
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Freda Brown: Let me repeat the words of the OMA delegate
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Freda Brown: at the seminar the WIDF organized last year in Guinea.
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Freda Brown: She said with great confidence,
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Freda Brown: "Today, we Angolans are the masters of our country."
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Freda Brown: "We are the owners of our rituals, the controllers of our destiny,
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Freda Brown: and we shall rebuild everything.
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Freda Brown: We shall make progress in all fields." [[applause]]
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[[applause]]
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Freda Brown: The experience of Angola is one of the important lessons of our times.
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Freda Brown: That the united and resolute people,
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Freda Brown: fighting for their freedom, led by a revolutionary vanguard,
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Freda Brown: such as the UFDR, and acting in close cooperation
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Freda Brown: with all democratic and progressive forces in the world,
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Freda Brown: can defeat the forces of imperialism and world reaction.
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Freda Brown: The courage, and the patriotism of the Angolan women,
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Freda Brown: who shared with their menfolk, the hardship of
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Freda Brown: the struggle for the liberation of their country,
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Freda Brown: is a source of inspiration to all of us.
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Freda Brown: They were to be found, in the ranks of the gorilla detachments,
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Freda Brown: supplying food, delivering ammunition, as well as nursing the wounded,
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Freda Brown: and at the same time, learning and teaching literacy.
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Freda Brown: We will never forget the five leading members of all that -
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Freda Brown: the first pioneer fighters in the ranks of the military struggle
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Freda Brown: in the tiny detachment: Deolinda, Lucrécia, Engrácia, Irene, and Teresa.
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Freda Brown: In 1967, they were captured when they were returning to Angola.
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Freda Brown: They were reprisoned in the Kokusu prison in Zaire,
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Freda Brown: and they were murdered at the UPA and the FNLA.
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Freda Brown: These heroines will always be remembered and honored in Angola,
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Freda Brown: and in the heart of every women of the world who struggled
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Freda Brown: calls for the freedom of her people, the peace, and for humanity.
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Friends, the WIDF, and the National Organizations
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Freda Brown: affiliated to it, have clearly and consistently shown
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Freda Brown: the relationship between the problems of peace and disarmament,
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Freda Brown: and the struggle to improve the economic and social position of
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Freda Brown: women and their families, their level of education and culture,
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Freda Brown: and their participation in social and political life.
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Freda Brown: Today we are particularly concerned over
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Freda Brown: the actions of the imperialist countries in accelerating the arms race,
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Freda Brown: and threatening to develop more sophisticated weapons
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Freda Brown: of mass extermination such as the neutron bomb,
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Freda Brown: and increasing the support, for reactionary regimes in Africa,
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Freda Brown: the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
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Freda Brown: Thus, hindering the process of relaxation and expectation
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Freda Brown: throughout the world.
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Freda Brown: In the period between our 7th Congress and today's meeting,
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Freda Brown: the WIDF and its national organizations
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Freda Brown: have intensified their work,
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Freda Brown: seeking to vocalize world public opinion,
00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:33.000
Freda Brown: the complete and general disarmament,
00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:37.000
Freda Brown: and the holding of a world disarmament conference.
00:25:37.000 --> 00:25:42.000
Freda Brown: We are proud of the contribution of our national organizations
00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:47.000
Freda Brown: in mobilizing women against the neutron bomb.
00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:52.000
But we must not rest until the US government agrees
00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:55.000
Freda Brown: to completely cease the manufacture
00:25:55.000 --> 00:26:00.000
Freda Brown: of this hideous and inhuman weapon.
00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:06.000
Freda Brown: The WIDF delegation has just participated in a seminar
00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:10.000
Freda Brown: on women and disarmament in Vienna.
00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:15.000
Freda Brown: This seminar brought together women from 33 organizations,
00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:19.000
Freda Brown: from 23 countries.
00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:25.000
Freda Brown: They were a widely different ideological and political outlook.
00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:30.000
Freda Brown: Many represented organizations with whom we had never worked
00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:33.000
Freda Brown: or even met before.
00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:38.000
Freda Brown: There were such organizations as the International Council of Women,
00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:41.000
Freda Brown: the World Lutheran Federation,
00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:45.000
Freda Brown: the Young Women's Christian Association,
00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:50.000
Freda Brown: Catholic women and Pax Christi.
00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:54.000
Freda Brown: One of the WIDF delegates was Monty [[??]]
00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:58.000
Freda Brown: from the woman's section of the ANC South Africa.
00:26:58.000 --> 00:27:03.000
Freda Brown: She deeply moved the participants by her speech.
00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:08.000
Freda Brown: Telling of the suffering and the struggle of the people of Southern Africa,
00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:12.000
Freda Brown: and she was able to have the demands of the liberation
00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:18.000
Freda Brown: movement included in the final report.
00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:23.000
Freda Brown: Dear friends, the aim of our meeting is in the first place,
00:27:23.000 --> 00:27:29.000
Freda Brown: to intensify solidarity with the women and the people of South Africa,
00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:34.000
Freda Brown: Zimbabwe, Namibia, their liberation movements,
00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:41.000
Freda Brown: the ANC, the Patriotic Front of Zimbabwe and ZAPU.
00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:45.000
Freda Brown: We salute their heroic struggle and we reaffirm our solidarity.
00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:52.000
Freda Brown: International support for the liberation struggle of southern Africa
00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:57.000
Freda Brown: at the same time implies building a vast movement
00:27:57.000 --> 00:28:00.000
Freda Brown: of solidarity with the frontline states.
00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:05.000
Freda Brown: We therefore declare from the beginning of this meeting
00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:08.000
Freda Brown: as solid stand to the frontline states
00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:13.000
Freda Brown: in their [[?]] to defeat the imperialist conspiracy
00:28:13.000 --> 00:28:17.000
Freda Brown: directed against them. I would also like to say
00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:22.000
Freda Brown: that some days ago, the women and the people of Portugal
00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:28.000
Freda Brown: celebrated the 4th anniversary of the 25th of April movement.
00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:33.000
Freda Brown: And we would like here to salute their successful struggle
00:28:33.000 --> 00:28:37.000
Freda Brown: against fascism and their contribution
00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:41.000
Freda Brown: to the liberation of the African people.
00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:44.000
Freda Brown: We stress that all solidarity with their struggle
00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:48.000
Freda Brown: to consolidate democracy and progressive achievements,
00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:54.000
Freda Brown: and we ask our dear Luisa to convey to them our love
00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:56.000
Freda Brown: and our appreciation.
00:28:56.000 --> 00:29:01.000
Freda Brown: The independence of Angola and Mozambique
00:29:01.000 --> 00:29:06.000
Freda Brown: broke the chain of colonialism and racism in southern Africa,
00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:10.000
Freda Brown: and emergence of the balance of forces
00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:15.000
Freda Brown: decisively in favor of the liberation movements of Zimbabwe,
00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:18.000
Freda Brown: Namibia, and South Africa.
00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:21.000
Freda Brown: The proclamation of 1978,
00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:26.000
Freda Brown: as International Anti-Apartheid Year, by the United Nations,
00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:32.000
Freda Brown: undermines the universal abhorrence of Apartheid
00:29:32.000 --> 00:29:35.000
Freda Brown: and racism in all its forms,
00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:40.000
Freda Brown: and the determination of the international community
00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:43.000
Freda Brown: to secure its final elimination.
00:29:43.000 --> 00:29:48.000
Freda Brown: The WIDF has endorsed the resolutions
00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:54.000
Freda Brown: adopted by the United Nations against the racist regimes of southern Africa,
00:29:54.000 --> 00:30:00.000
Freda Brown: and welcomes the proclamation of '78 as International
00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:03.000
Freda Brown: Anti-Apartheid Year.
00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:07.000
Freda Brown: This decision, of the highest international forum,
00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:13.000
Freda Brown: will come to mobilize world public opinion against the racist dictatorship
00:30:13.000 --> 00:30:19.000
Freda Brown: which denies the people the most elementary human rights,
00:30:19.000 --> 00:30:25.000
Freda Brown: and constitutes a permanent threat to the independent states of Africa,
00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:28.000
Freda Brown: and the maintenance of peace in the world.
00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:34.000
Freda Brown: In 1977, WIDF sent a delegation
00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:40.000
Freda Brown: of two British members of parliament to South Africa and Namibia.
00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:48.000
Freda Brown: They gave a report to the United Nations' Human Rights Commission in February this year.
00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:54.000
Freda Brown: That delegation to the 27th session of the Commission on the Status of Women,
00:30:54.000 --> 00:31:02.000
Freda Brown: held last April, submitted their testament on the situation of women under Apartheid.
00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:07.000
Freda Brown: It was also reported in the seminar on the preparation
00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:10.000
Freda Brown: for International Children's Year in France,
00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:16.000
Freda Brown: at the World Conference Against Apartheid, Racism, and Colonialism,
00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:20.000
Freda Brown: Southern Africa in Lisbon,
00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:26.000
Freda Brown: {Unknown Speaker 1} and at the World Conference for Action Against Apartheid organized by the United Nations in Lagos.
00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:32.000
Freda Brown: The United Nations program of Action Against Apartheid,
00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:35.000
Freda Brown: together with the documents of those two conferences,
00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:42.000
Freda Brown: contain concrete proposals for action by world public opinion,
00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:48.000
Freda Brown: and the woman's movement to strengthen the campaign against Apartheid
00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:51.000
Freda Brown: and colonialism in Southern Africa.
00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:55.000
Freda Brown: Speaking of our national organizations,
00:31:55.000 --> 00:32:00.000
Freda Brown: they have taken initiatives for this Year Against Apartheid
00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:05.000
Freda Brown: The Democratic Women's League of Germany has published a pamphlet on
00:32:05.000 --> 00:32:10.000
Freda Brown: two-fold oppression of women in South Africa.
00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:13.000
Freda Brown: A French Women's Union invited a delegation
00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:16.000
Freda Brown: of the ANC Women's Section --
00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:18.888
[[silence]]
