Approved at the 38 th Biennial Conference, Lyon March 7-11, 2007
Good morning. I would like to introduce my Committee members: Linda Rishel, AWG Paris, Beth Arena, Eastern Province Saudi Arabia, Becky Tan, AWC Hamburg, Cynthia Smith Ayed, AIWC Casablanca and Lesley whiting Barbasetti from AWA of Rome. (Slide 1) The President of AIWC Casablanca this New Year encouraged her members to make simple resolutions our goals and our good deeds should touch our hearts, lighten our days and inspire our behavior Let s all be inspired and make FAWCO Resolutions & Recommendations a framework from which together we can implement. I am presenting them in a power point format using a photograph to capture the energy of each Resolution and Recommendation. I shall read the R&R leaving you time for the photograph and caption. I hope this catalogue of images will interest you, become important to you and make it easier to understand how each Resolution and Recommendation can be implemented. Our verbs are important: FAWCO will encourage, promote, support and guide, but it is our Member Clubs who: Raise and donate funds; Give generously of their time to the people our R&Rs are keen to help; Visit and hold local meetings for Americans abroad; Initiate projects to promote human rights and welfare, and Through their presence in host countries help encourage mutual respect and international goodwill. Kathleen Simon - Chair - Resolutions & Recommendations
FAWCO MISSION STATEMENT The Federation of American Women s Clubs Overseas is an international network of independent organizations whose mission is: To serve as a resource and channel of information among its members; To provide a voice for American women abroad; To support the rights of all Americans worldwide; To contribute actively to the global community with a specific focus on education the natural and human environment multicultural understanding, and international goodwill Adopted Athens 1998 and revised Stockholm 2003
1 Resolves to work to improve conditions for Americans living, working and retiring overseas Here are a few of those Americans!!
1.a Encouraging member clubs to organize informative and dynamic overseas voting campaigns Polli Brunelli, Director of Federal Voting Assistance Program trains volunteers to register absentee voters from their Clubs from abroad
1.b Working for easier and more secure procedures for voting from abroad, particularly by actively promoting and assisting the rapid implementation of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 Lucy Laederich helps two Americans living in Spain to register for their 2006 absentee ballots using the Overseas Vote Foundation online system RAVA
1.c Working on means of generating reliable statistics on the civilian overseas American population
1.d Exploring means by which overseas U.S. citizens can be effectively represented in Washington including, but not limited to, working with Congress to promote and assist the bi-partisan, bi-cameral Americans Abroad Caucus in Washington
1.e Continuing to champion U.S. citizenship rights by monitoring changes in laws, to protect against possible loss of American nationality, and other citizenship issues including inequalities in the rights of children born abroad of U.S. citizen parents and those adopted abroad by U.S. citizen parents Dorothy Stage, Citizenship Chair, keeps FAWCOites up to date on their rights Nan de Laubadere highlighting citizenship rights to members of AAWE, Paris
1.f Continuing to support the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, in particular Article 36 on the right to consular information, notification and access Vienna Convention on Consular Relations Article 36
1.g Promoting spousal employment rights for Americans living abroad and disseminating information on legal and employment rights of foreign spouses in host countries Americans enjoy working in London
1.h Working towards the abolition of the double taxation liability for overseas US citizens
2. Resolves to encourage and support FAWCO members to promote human rights and welfare with a special focus on the most vulnerable women and children through education and awareness-raising AWC Hamburg support Amnesty for Women FAWCO Foundation Development Grant Recipient - Ostrov Shelter-Social Patrol, St Petersburg
2.a Continuing to work through the UN and to advocate for children s rights with support of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC); and women s rights with support of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Bibi Angelina & Angel, Bibi (Grandma) Jann Children s Care Trust Salama, Bibi Jann Children s Care Trust
2.b Addressing the global challenge for reducing poverty and improving lives by promoting the UN Millennium Development Goals in particular with support for the FAWCO Foundation s Global Concerns Fund and by encouraging our members to focus on malaria, the single largest killer of children, with a commitment to world wide malaria prevention Leading Malaria Scout, Lydia, instructs local population on how to fight malaria. All Scouts are trained with FAWCO financial support
2.b Cont. FAWCO malaria nets bring a promise of hope
2.c Affirming a person s right to accurate information about reproductive and sexual health, including HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases; supporting health education programs aimed at preventing, controlling and treating diseases, as well as publishing information on cardiovascular disease, cancer and other health issues AWC Thailand holds a seminar on women s health
Health Issues are given top priority by our Member Clubs
Women and Heart Disease Go Red for Women Dr. Jane Flint MD FRCP FAWCO Birmingham 19 March 2005
2.d Supporting efforts to protect women and children in abusive and conflict situations as well as promoting awareness of practices harmful to women FAWCO Foundation 2005 DG recipient Obstetric Fistula in Mali Foundation 2006 DG recipient for Effects of Violence The SOMA Home for Girls, India
2.e Continuing to contribute to educational needs, especially for dual national children and for students who learn differently, by, among other things, supporting universal primary school education and the education of women Students who learn differently First Graders, Bibi Jann Children s Care Trust
2.f Promoting active ageing and disseminating information on health, finance, care and security for the elderly Norma Fisher, Chair of Ageing Today promotes an active lifestyle AWC of The Taunus members hiking for their health
2.g Raising awareness of the dangers and implications of substance abuse and providing information about available treatment resources Thanks to UK Re-Solv charity for providing photos
2.h Encouraging and assisting member clubs in projects to benefit the environment, with special attention to global warming and practical guidance on how individuals can contribute Let s make Lyon our 4th Carbon Neutral Conference FAWCO grove of 50 trees planted near Birmingham, UK USWC Fyn, Denmark clean up the beach in support of a UN project
3. Resolves to promote mutual respect, understanding and international goodwill between the U.S. and other countries The Baroness Uddin, supporter of career opportunities for ethnic minorities, meets with FAWCO women and Carlana Stone at The House of Lords, London The AC of Lyon celebrate Presidents Day
3.a Endorsing the United Nations as a forum for the peaceful resolution of conflicts
3.b Encouraging respect for international perspectives on current issues and cultural differences by reaching out to other international organizations through local events, workshops and speakers at Conferences and Regional Meetings Dr Elisabeth Rehn keynote speaker at the 2003 Biennial Conference in Stockholm on impact of armed conflict on women and their role in peacebuilding.
3.b Cont. Panel Discussion Women, War & Peace, The Hague Conference 2004
3.c Disseminating information about current situations which infringe on basic human rights, including refugees seeking safety or those living in life threatening conditions FAWCO activated the Emergency Relief Fund in order to build FAWCO House in Sri Lanka for families tragically affected by the tsunami of 2004.