The second DAWN Training Institute, held in Montevideo, Uruguay ran for 20 days, from November 6 to 26, 2005. A total of 26 women from 16 different countries participated in the training.

The primary objectives were to share DAWN’s analysis and wealth of experience in global advocacy for gender justice; to impart an understanding of the changing terrain of this struggle and of the interplay of new agendas around gender and development; and to contribute to the emergence of a new generation of global feminist advocates in order to strengthen furture global and regional advocacies and campaigns.

The training programme was divided into three parts: introduction of the DAWN Research Themes and background analyses of issues under each theme; discussion of inter-theme and global/regional linkages, highlighting DAWN’s on-going linkages work and the challenges it presents; and dialogue on advocacy and activism surrounding the 4 thematic areas at all levels.

Participants were encouraged to begin each day with entries in personal journals to assess the previous day’s discussion and to prepare for the next sessions. Most ended the day with exercises that energized them for evening activities. After the training, the participants warmly expressed their appreciation to DAWN, especially to the trainers who include Cecilia Ng, Anita Nayar, Francoise Girard and Zo Randrimaro, for sharing their expertise to them.

The training has promised mutual benefits for DAWN and the young feminists from the South. The training equally made it possible to effectively share DAWN’s considerable experience over the past 20 years in feminist advocacy at the global level with the young feminists.