Dear Readers,

let us start with the bad news first: this is the third electronic edition of LOLApress and most likely also our last LOL@. The financing for the LOLApress project, the international feminist magazine, which we have produced since 1994 will end in December this year. Until this moment in time we do not know if we can continue with LOLA.

And now for the good news: before this happens we will bring out the printed LOLA 18 in November 2002. In it and with it - we would like to create a resume together with our readers. Therefore we would like you to send us comments, ideas, anecdotes and photos that are related to LOLA. We will publish extracts thereof in the November issue. And so in order to be able to carry on with good news and the good LOLAs, we would also like to get advice with regard to promotional possibilities and financial sources.

In any case we want to maintain our website after 2002 under http://www.lolapress.org and if possible also regularly update it - so that we can continue to remain present and available, at least electronically. By the way as far as contact is concerned: LOLApress Europe can be contacted on a new e-mail address: lola-europe@lolapress.org.

Now with regard to what is to be published in LOL@ 3: Analyses of the roles of women in different world wars have already often been subjects in LOLA. This time we will mainly concentrate on women's peace activities and political theories and practices, - in other words Peace and Politics.

Peace activities understood as a communication attempt between conflicting parties - even if they have already reached for weapons - this is the framework for several contributions. Sumaya Farhat-Naser speaks in her book "Rooted in the land of olive trees" (from which we have summarised a chapter) about the beginnings and developments of the "Jerusalem Link", a Palestinian-Israeli organisation of both of the women's centres in Jerusalem, "Jerusalem Centre for Women" and "Bat Shalom". Scheherazade, the woman, who kept the Sultan in check with her stories, is the patron name of the organisation Scheherazade, whose activities are described by Ute Scheub. Since 11 September 2001 women are working more intensively on the realisation of their dream of an International Women's Security Council. "Women's Voices against war" is a Czech initiative of Sasa Lienau and other women, who via an Internet newspaper report on peace activities and want to initiate new ones. An overview of Women's Peace activities worldwide is given by the link list compiled by Regina Michalik. Within the Palestine / Israel subject area - not only from the peace aspect - Christiane Jungblut gathered together a number of sources, which facilitate contact with female Israeli and Palestinian writers, producers, politicians, journalists, NGOs and peace initiatives and offer numerous sources of information from and on the region.

Djurdja Knezevic's report is rooted in Eastern Europe: the discussions and subjects of this year's International Seminar on Women and Politics in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and the development there since 1996 are subjects of her article. Somewhat further East is based a talk with Eren Keskin conducted by Christiane Jungblut and Jutta Hermann in the Berlin Women's Rights Bureau: on the political and legal activities of the Istanbul Project "Legal assistance for women, who have been raped or sexually abused in another manner by security forces". Furthermore Eren describes the experiences of women who - after having been sexually tortured at Turkish police stations and in prisons - began to speak about these experiences and to demand the prosecution of the perpetrators.

There is also a political background to Siba Shakib's book "Afghanistan, Where God Only Comes to Weep", presented by Wera Reusch as well as Sheila Meintjes' presentation of the return of Saartjie Baartman: after having been taken into slavery she was dragged to Europe where she died. Her body was then exhibited in a Parisian Museum and has finally been brought back to South Africa.

We look forward to your comments and suggestions - with regard to this LOL@, on all previous LOLAs and also for future LOLAs, even if we can unfortunately no longer promise to make use of them all. This is if we cannot find the money to continue with LOLA.

Your LOLAs from Europe

Translated from German to English by Heather Batchelor