World Congress on Matriarchal Studies opens at Texas State

SAN MARCOS—The Second World Congress on Matriarchal Studies will be held Sept. 29-Oct. 2 at the Texas State University-San Marcos Performing Arts Centre.

The conference is supported by the cooperation and sponsorship of Genevieve Vaughn and the Center for the Study of the Gift Economy in Austin, International Academy HAGIA and the Center for Multicultural and Gender Studies at Texas State.

The social order of matriarchal societies is non-violent. The matriarchal form of society, which has been shaped mainly by women, has generally been misunderstood. Contrary to the common prejudice, which sees matriarchies as "women_s rule," these societies have real gender-egalitarian, consensus-based and peaceful traditions, win which all living creatures are respected. Although they have not been explored objectively and impartially until recently and have not been adequately represented in Western social sciences, matriarchal forms of society still exist in various areas of the world and have had a long and interesting history. It is our intention now to present and publicize a clearer and more accurate view.

At the beginning of this new millennium, there is a lively interest in this new social science. It makes visible a form of society that is peaceful and balanced--not only in regard to gender, but also in regard to the generations--it demonstrates an ecologically appropriate way of life. At the same time, this new discipline makes it clear that women have always been creators of societies and cultures although their important history has been made invisible.

This ground-breaking congress will bring together speakers from Europe and the USA with a special invitation to indigenous women and men from matriarchal societies. The speakers will discuss both the theoretical and the cultural/political aspects of matriarchal societies.

For more information, contact the Center for the Study of the Gift Economy at (512) 444-1672 or via email at ISMS@onr.com , the International ACADEMY HAGIA at 449 (0) 8545-1254 or via email at AkademieHagia@aol.com , or the Center for Multicultural and Gender Studies at Texas State at (512) 245-2361 or via email at MCGS@TxState.edu .