News

EUROPEAN AREA NEWLETTER April 2008

Extracts from ACWW Area President's Newsletter:

I wish you and your fellow members have been able to enjoy springtime with interesting activities in your respective organisations. I am very happy that you have contacted me so actively, someone informing about new perspectives regarding our global worry about clean water supplies in the future, another one presenting new ideas for improving the everyday life in her own active society. Thank you for all these contacts and the plentiful regards and good wishes.

The challenge of area presidency has been very positive, with so many of you supporting. Especially the cooperation with the ladies of the Hampshire Women's Institute has been interesting. They have done marvellous work and I really hope that many of you could participate in the Area Conference in Southampton.

European Area Conference, Southampton University, September 1-5, 2008

The very relevant theme is Women Winning for Planet Earth. Please let us know if your association has had a project or made any initiative to fight climate change. It would make up proud to be able to present examples and practical work and ecological projects. At the end of this newsletter you will find the e-mail address for information.

Keynote speakers will be Helen Browning, organic farmer, chairman of the Soil Association, and a Government advisor on farming issues, and Dr Denise Smythe Wright, a scientist from the National Oceanographic Centre, Southampton.

Resolutions & recommendations: We should know of these by May 30, so that time can be reserved for discussion and voting.

Sponsorship fund: I am happy to tell you that, as of writing this letter, 17 sponsorship applications have been approved and there are still a couple of more to be decided upon.

For additional information, please visit the web site

Area President's Travels
The ladies from Preili Women's Club in Latvia have promised to introduce me in June to their ACWW project, Training of Socially Excluded Women of Latgale Region in Household Economics and Business.

Later that month, I participate in a summer conference of Nordic Women's NGOs in Iceland.

Best wishes,

Merja Siltanen, ACWW Europe Area President.

April 2008