Women For Justice

In Argentina, a YWAMer--and 4,000 other ladies--hit the streets

Women of Faith, Mujeres de Fe as they are called in Argentina, is more than a ministry. It is a movement—a movement marked by multiplication. Four years ago when YWAMer Rosana Liste founded the group, it had four members. Today, they have grown to more than 4,000.

The group began as a response to the situation that was transpiring in Argentina at the time. It was December, 2001 and Argentineans were experiencing the greatest economic and political crisis in their nation's recent history. Day and night, people filled the Plaza Mayo, a key courtyard in front of the main government buildings, demanding action.

"The people began to spontaneously take to the streets to demand action. They went with pots and pans to make as much noise as possible ... they stole from the supermarkets, burned cars, stopped traffic .... .They did whatever they could to get the attention of the authorities," remembers Estela Paulini, one of the original Women of Faith members.

There came a time when the police began to return the violence of the protestors with violence of their own. Rosana Liste was sitting in her home watching these events as they transpired on TV. Horrified by what she saw, she asked God, "What's happening? Where are your people?"

The answer she received in return was, "Where are you?" Seeing the problem, she asked God for His solution. His response was revealed through what she was watching on the news. She noticed a group of women who, while present in the plaza, went untouched by the violence and even appeared to be protected by the police.

The group was the Madres de Mayo (Mothers of May), a well-known protest group who for the past 29 years has been present in the Plaza every Thursday picketing and protesting the disappearance of their sons during the military dictatorship of the 1970s. In many ways, Liste realized, this group had taken the place of petitioning for justice that the evangelical church had abandoned.

It was at this moment the Women of Faith, as they would soon be called, realized that God was calling them to take back this territory. "The only thing we understood was that He was sending us to the streets," remembers Paulini." So they went. This small group of women, identified by their blue scarves, started going to where the people were.

The first time they took to the streets they were shocked by the anger and violence they witnessed. When the people realized that this group of women was there to help them, however, they handed them the microphone.

"I thought, dear God what do I tell them?" remembers Paulini. The message they received from God to share, however, was always the same. "We encouraged them as we shared the love of God and talked to them about reconciliation and forgiveness."

It was through this activity in the streets that the group began to grow and gain the respect of others—word spread about this small group of women. Soon other women sought them out. "They would come to us and say, `This is exactly what I feel the Lord is calling me to do. How can I start something like this in my church?'" Little by little the group began to grow.

As these Women of Faith began to become more widely recognized in the streets they also began to see other doors open before them. Over the past four years, they have had the opportunity to talk to or pray for many prominent leaders; senators, diplomats and even the president of the nation, Nestor Kitchener.

Paulini explained that, "by being with the people we became experts on the needs of the people. This, logically, took us to the government, because the people had situations that only the government could change." What they didn't expect was to have access to the government authorities.

Many times the doors have been inexplicably opened before them. They have been able to share with leaders of the National Women's Council and the National Children's Organization. Other times, however, the doors remained closed.

In several situations these Women of Faith had to put into practice their belief in the power of prayer. "Many times we went to have meetings and it turned out that in the end we couldn't have the meeting ... so we would sit in the doorways or stand in the streets outside of the buildings and simply pray for those inside and the decisions which were being made," remembers Paulini.

One of the elements that expanded the group's influence was its willingness to use the established channels, like government programs and other social organizations. Two of their areas of focus are women and children. Through their interactions and contacts, they have been able to partner with the National Women's Council as well as the National Council for Children. These strategic alliances have enabled them not only to minister to authorities working in these fields but also to enter schools and extracurricular programs.

One initiative, started in November of 2004, was a panel of Christian experts; doctors, lawyers and psychologists who, on the international day set apart to stop violence against women, came together to share Biblical principles behind the elimination of violence before anyone who wanted to come to the event. When over 400 people attended, they knew the idea had to be multiplied. "This last year, we dedicated a lot of time and effort to sharing the project with churches and other Christian groups, telling them to go to their city governments and ask them for permission to do the same thing," said Paulini.

They did. In 2005 similar events were held in five different Argentinean provinces, which were attended by thousands of people.

Days of international observance are crucial, said Paulini, because many politicians already "want to do something ....they want to show the public they are involved—that they care." So the Women of Faith provide them with the opportunity.

This is the idea behind a breakfast they held on March 8, International Women's Day. Women of Faith invited 300 strategic individuals, government and NGO authorities, to come, have breakfast and listen to guest speakers. "These people want to help, and what they do is good... .what they lack in what they do is the truth and the word of God," said Paulini. That's where the Women of Faith come in. Instead of creating new institutions, organizations, practices and procedures they work to transform those that already exist.

The purpose of the group is simple and international: "be a movement of Christian women who through their presence in the places and things which are occurring in the community and the country, through their participation, their intercession, and their denouncing of injustices, declare Godly principles and complete their prophetic role."

This group, which began six years ago with four members, is being adopted by groups in other countries as well. Women of Faith groups already exist in England and Switzerland as well as Brazil, each with their own individual focus and activities in order to reach to the needs of the specific context in which they find themselves.

The Women of Faith initiative comprises one of the many ways God has used YWAM Argentina to impact their nation. Their Integrity Initiative provides teaching and counseling to nearly 50 Christians who work in government and political service. In 2005, members of the ministry were able to speak and pray with several politicians as well as host a seminar. The seminar, "A New Argentina: A New Economic, Political and Pastoral Perspective of Argentina," was held in the congress building and attended by more than 350 individuals who work in the government or political arena. The interest in the event was so encouraging that in 2006 YWAM plans to present three similar events in Buenos Aires. They also hope to take advantage of invitations to travel to different provinces to provide the same teaching.

In addition, the media ministry run by YWAMer Veronica Schaab has undertaken several publicity campaigns in partnership with the government that all proclaim biblical truth. In a 2005 campaign, called "Together for Easter," the YWAMers designed posters, and the government printed 90,000 and displayed them across Buenos Aires. Also, YWAM Argentina runs a National Prayer Center on the fourth floor of a building that borders the Plaza de Mayo, the main square in front of the Casa Rosada, the main governmental building in Buenos Aires. The prayer center was born in the midst of the same unrest in 2001 that birthed the Women of Faith.

If you would like more information or an idea about how you can form your own Women of Faith chapter, contact mujeresdefe@hotmail.com.

--by Heidi Hansen

International YWAMer, June-Sept 2006. Topics: