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Mobilizing Faith for Womenwomen. In itself, this would be a good result, and it isalready being accomplished with this conference.Also, I think it is good for us to be reminded of theincompatibility between certain religious practiceson the one hand — as espoused by religious leaderswho try to convince their own fellow worshipers thatwomen are inferior in the eyes of God — and humanrights on the other. Many great religious traditionshold an ordination by men that women are not fit toserve God on an equal basis. They are precluded frombeing priests, pastors, and chaplains, while men areconsidered to be worthy to hold those positions in theservice of God. In some cases, there are even moregross abuses of religious scripture and texts, from theQur’an and the Bible, including the Old Testamentand the New Testament. Singular verses can beextracted and distorted to justify the dominanceof men.“Article 16 says, ‘Men andwomen of full age, without anylimitation due to race … havethe right to marry and to founda family.’ What is the keyphrase there? Of full age! Weknow that girls of 8 or 10 yearsold in many countries, withthe approval of religious ortraditional leaders, are forced tomarry against their will with nocontrol over their lives at all.”— President CarterI have here a copy of the Universal Declarationof Human Rights, and I would hope that all of youwould get a copy and carry it with you. It spells outa commitment that was made back in 1948 by theIn his opening remarks, former U.S. President JimmyCarter emphasized the promises made by the internationalcommunity in the 1948 Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights.countries of the world, led by the wife of our formerpresident, Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the preamble,it points out the equal and inalienable rights of allmembers of the human family and the foundation forfreedom, justice, and peace in the world. It goes onto say: “Whereas the people of the United Nationshave in the charter reaffirmed to regain faith infundamental human rights, in the dignity and worthof the human person, in the equal rights of menand women,” and have determined “to promotesocial progress and better standards of life in largerfreedom …”It goes on to point out in Article 2 that “everyoneis entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forthin this declaration, without distinction of any kind,such as race, color, sex, language, religion, politicalor other opinion, national or social origin, property,birth, or other status.”Article 4 says, “No one shall be held in slaveryor servitude,” and we know there are millions ofpeople in this world who, in effect, are slaves soldby trafficking and that 80 percent of those slavesare women. Of the women sold into slavery, about80 percent are sold for sexual abuse by men. ThereTom EnglandThe Carter Center 17