The Robertson Building

Congratulations to the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID, Suite150) who produced a pioneering collection of essays by young feminists exploring how to shape a better future in the current world order. Defending Our Dreams "presents key issues arising out of the experiences of young women living in both North and South, the challenges confronting young feminists, and the agenda for a new era of feminist leadership and activism."

The book was co-edited by AWID's Young Women and Leadership Programme Manager Shamillah Wilson with Anasuya Sengupta (UNICEF), and Kristy Evans, a recent Young Women and Leadership intern at AWID. There are also chapters contributed by fellow AWID colleagues Alison Symington and Ann Elisabeth Samson.

Defending Our Dreams, published late last year, has already received very positive feedback from readers. Sisonke Msimang says: "This book represents the most powerful, eloquent and thought-provoking collection I've seen in a long time. It brings together a poetic, jarring, often painful chorus of voices together. These are not naïve, headstrong young women with blinders on; they are experienced, committed and thoughtful activists whose challenges are complex. Each of the writers in this book brings a rare and sparkling truth to the table - what we, who read, choose to do with this truth is our choice; these young women have done their job."

If creating a groundbreaking collection of essays wasn't keeping AWID busy enough, they also hosted their 10th Annual International Forum in Thailand in October 2005. The forum titled How Does Change Happen attracted 1,800 women for a series of thought provoking panels and discussions about how women are making change happen. Development Journal has dedicated their March 2006 issue to women's rights a development continuing the conversations started at AWID's Forum. For more information about AWID, or to order a copy of either publication mentioned in this article visit: www.awid.org