The Sex Workers Millennium Milan Mela

[Guest guest]

The Sex Workers Millennium Milan Mela

Dear Friends,Greetings from Calcutta!

The Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee (DMSC), formally founded in

Calcutta, India in 1995, is a forum of 60,000 sex workers and their

children. The foundingmembers of DMSC had come together through their

active involvement as peer educators in a STD/HIV prevention

intervention programme, widely known as the Sonagachi Project, which

has been running since 1992. Since thenwe have been successfully

networking among sex workersin India and some other countries,

particularly in South and South-East Asia, to foreground the demands

for promotion and protection of our rights. Our political objectives

are decriminalisation of adult prostitution, securing social

recognition of sex workas a valid profession and establishing sex

workers'right to self-determination.

As part of our on-going programme to put sex workers'rights on the

global agenda in the new millennium, we at Durbar Mahila Samanwaya

Committee are organising a carnival, the Millennium Milan Mela, as a

meeting ground for all sex workers of the world, - of all class,

creed or gender, as well as organisations and individuals committed

to the rights of sex workers and their children, to gather together

and meet face to face.

At the Millennium Milan Mela we hope to celebrate our lives and our

struggle and exchange our stories as part of our unrelenting movement

to change histories.

We from DMSC are pleased to invite you to the Millennium Milan Mela,

which will be held in Salt Lake Stadium, Calcutta from 03 March to 06

March 2001. We hope to bring together 5000 or more delegates for

this seminal meet, probably the first of its kind in this part of the

world. Although, our resources are limited, our dreams are unbounded

and our enthusiasmis high and commitment unwavering.

With your support,we are determined to make this event a grand

success. While the detailed programme will be finalised as

weapproach the meet, tentatively the sub-events for theMillennium

Milan Mela will be the following:

An installation on history of sex work and sexworkers' movement in

India· A health fair focusing on sexual health· Seminars /

workshops / debates

· Skills building workshops

·Cultural performances by sex workers and otherfolk artistes from the

region. Mujras from various gharanas, Gazal and quwwali traditions,

nautanki and folk vaudville theatre will be featured

· A festival of Indian films with sex workers as protagonists·

Flexi fora for interactive discussions and creative statement

· Amusement arcades, food stalls and stalls selling handicrafts and

other collectables·

Interactive sessions with media personalities,social activists,

feminists, trade unionists·

Presentation of sex workers' testimonies on various issues to panels

of representatives from state and civil society institutions. In the

flexi forum, additional space and support will be provided to

organisations and individuals who attend the Millennium Milan Mela to

hold their own workshops/exhibitions/seminars etc.

In addition DMSC, which has in the past organised national

level conventions for sex workers, will co-ordinate the meet, provide

logistical and secretarial support for the Millennium Milan Mela.

Since our financial resources are limited, we hope delegates will be

able to arrange for their own travel, board and lodging.The

organising committee would be glad to make the necessary bookings for

the delegates on request. A food court will be set up at the venue

from where a variety of food and beverages will be available at

reasonable rates. We look forward to your valuable participation in

this gathering of fun and celebration.

Our friends and allies from various quarters will join us as

delegates, speakers, exhibitors, performers, workshopor sub-event

organisers or journalists and we urge you to block the dates right

away.

The organising committee will be pleased to provide all necessary

logistical support to make your presence and participation possible,

fruitful and comfortable.

To our media friends: we really need your support and solidarity at

this event. We look to you not only to raise the profile of our

unique movement and struggle to a national and international level,

but more importantly, to stand by us as allies and ensure that we are

represented not as deviants, beggars, suckersor losers but as normal

women and men like yourself,engaged in struggle for a life of

dignity, strengthand self determination.

Like many of you, we too have at various points in our lives faced

adverse circumstances and felt like victims. However today, we see

our selves as strong agents of change moving surely yet steadily to

redress the many wrongs heaped upon us by society and state alike,

including social stigma, marginalization and outright discrimination.

Counting us a `beggars' in the latest census is one such move to

deligitmize us and our lives. So we really really need your support

today and your solidarity in our struggle to live our lives

fully,without fear and with joy and dignity. We shall be grateful if

you can let us know at the earliest about your participation,

following which we shall keep updating you on further developments.

Please feel free to forward this invitation to others who you think

are committed to promoting sex workers'rights and would be interested

to participate. We look forward to hear from you soon. It would help

us a lot if you can send your postal and email addresses as well as

Fax and Telephone numbers.

Yours in solidarity, Putul SinghSecretary, Durbar Mahila Samanwaya

Committee (DMSC) (The DMSC welcomes voluntary contributions fromwell-

wishers and supporters of the cause)

N.B.: Please visit our website [www.calpeople.com] forall sorts of

information regarding participation of Millennium Milan Mela i.e.

registration,accommodation, fooding, transport, stall hiring etc.

________________

nandineeb@...