FAWCO Update June 2003

I am honored to be elected to the FAWCO representation of our AWCH and pleased to accept this position. I will use the opportunity to interface the awareness and needs of our club with the international and multinational projects of FAWCO.

My primary goal will be to pick up the activities and ideas Karen P started in the past two years and continue her excellent work. In addition, I will introduce new ideas based on the FAWCO Resolutions and Recommendations shown below. Please take some time to read through this and let yourself be inspired to join the FAWCO committee of our AWCH. With your proposals and ideas it will be fun to form a team to discuss the pros and cons of actions we want to support. Dear to my heart is to invest time and effort to provide information, support awareness of dangers and protection of women and children in abusive and conflict situations, by concentrating on Hamburg and surroundings. This task is too large for one person; however, a team can achieve cooperation with existing crime prevention groups in schools and police offices. With tools like small theater plays and music the topic becomes more pleasant and less difficult to discuss with mothers and children.

Let me provide you with an update on FAWCO:

Recognized by the United Nations as a non-governmental organization since 1995, FAWCO defined a platform at the FAWCO Conference in Nairobi which was defended at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in autumn 1995. Since 1997, FAWCO has been granted special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC).

The FAWCO Foundation, the philanthropic arm of FAWCO, was established in 1967 and has since developed an educational awards program for study in the United States and abroad. At each conference, it awards approximately $40,000 to members and children of members.

The work of FAWCO takes place among the member clubs through international committees. The FAWCO Board of Directors is elected biannually and consists of a president, three vice-presidents and a treasurer, who must be members of different clubs. Appointed are a secretary and parliamentarian. All board members, committee chairs and other representatives serve in a voluntary capacity.

The FAWCO 2003 Conference delegates approved the following Resolutions and Recommendations:

Resolves to promote the rights and welfare of women and children through education and awareness-raising efforts, and recommends:

Continuing to work through the UN to advocate women's rights and child rights with support for the CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women) and the CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child)

Disseminating basic information on legal and employment rights of foreign women in host countries

Supporting efforts to protect women and children in abusive and conflict situations

Promoting special programs for literacy training of women and children and supporting job training programs

Continuing to contribute to educational needs, especially for dual national children and for students who learn differently

Supporting health services and programs, including AIDS and sex education programs, aimed at preventing, controlling, and treating diseases, and promoting awareness of practices harmful to women

Raising awareness of the dangers and implications of substance abuse and providing information about available treatment resources

Publishing information on the control of breast cancer and other women's health issues

Promoting active aging and disseminating information on health, finance, care and security for the elderly

For more information, visit the FAWCO website at http://www.fawco.org.

Info and pictures from Stockholm conference are now also on the website: http://www.awc.nu. Click on AWC Photo Album.

Please feel free to contact me any time with your thoughts, ideas and offer to join the FAWCO committee. I'm looking forward to our teamwork.