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WHO
WE ARE
The
genesis of the Womens Intercultural Network -WIN was
the International Women's Action Council (IWAC), created as
an advisory group to a Ford Foundation grant in 1988: Involving
Women And Ethnic Minorities In Foreign Policy. WIN CEO,
formed IWAC to involve women from the many diverse cultures
in San Diego in the project. This collaboration of women became
the inspiration and prototype for WIN, which was incorporated
in late 1994 in San Francisco, California. WIN and CAWA loyalists and partners held a 12th Anniversary Gala and Fundraiser in San Francisco on November 2nd, 2007.
As
a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with consultative Status
to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, WIN has
participated at several global conferences of women, foremost
being the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing,
China September 1995. WIN continues working to advance the
UN goals of equality, development and peace for women and
girls in the interest of all humanity.
Participation
at the Beijing Conference was a natural venue for WIN. 40,000
women and girls joined together from 189 countries and agreed
on the Platform for Action, a progressive document
that was an imperative to advancing their status.
WIN
brought the Platform home to the California grassroots
for implementation.by creating
CAWA: the CAlifornia Women's Agenda.
CAWA is a growing
state action alliance of over 500 diverse organizations who
adapted and published the Beijing Platform as a Plan of Action
for California. CAWA's objective is to link one million women
in collective action through real and "virtual" networks.
CAWA is a network that is organizing - not an organization
that is networking.
ACTIONS
AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
WIN has accomplished a variety of other organizing opportunities
and settings for women and girls to come together and collaborate
on achieving mutual goals. Some samples are:
CREATING
A WEB SITE where women and girls can speak on issues of mutual
concern and connect with their counterparts in other cultures
and countries. It includes video documentation of CALLING
THE CIRCLES.
CALLING
THE CIRCLE of women: first, from the US, Uganda and Afghanistan
in partnership with the US Department of State, Educational
and Cultural Exchange. WIN is planning CIRCLES with women
of other countries in the near future.
CONVENING
a CIRCLE for 70 Japanese women at the Japan Forum during the
UN Beijing+5 Conference, New York, 2000 and recently the Afghan
CIRCLE in Kabul, Afghanistan.
HOSTING
GATHERINGS of small groups of women leaders from all over
the world and their counterparts in the San Francisco Bay
Area - including women from China, Japan, Equador, India,
South Korea, Australia, Columbia, Brazil, Finland, Croatia,
South Africa and Northern Ireland.
ACTIVATING
a CAWA Legislators' Council for collaboration on public policy
initiatives. WIN received the Leading Change Award from the
Bay Area Women's Communicators' Network, May 2000.
WIN'S
VISION AND PRINCIPLES
LINKING
WOMEN AND GIRLS across national boundaries and cultures
CREATING
EXCHANGES of ideas and skills in professional, economic and
political leadership
DESIGNING
a new model for women's global communication and joint advocacy
of solutions to mutual concerns by adapting information technology
and new media systems for access to all women and girls.
DEVELOPING
a common language of activism in addressing global issues.
HOSTING
women and girls in leadership from all countries and positions
in society
INITIATING
NETWORKS for women and girls - both virtual and physical
PROVIDING
SPACE, settings and opportunities for women and girls to come
together
AMPLIFYING
VOICES of women and girls to be heard around the world
BUILDING
ACTION NETWORKS, such as CAWA,
as a prototype for women's mobilization and action
CALLING
THE CIRCLE of women leaders around the world for collaboration
on social, political and economic change for women and girls.
It
is the girl who shapes the woman. Our
vision is that of women and girls building bridges across
cultures, classes, ages, religions, life-styles and abilities.
WIN is seeking funds to expand our effective network for the
benefit of girls and women globally without hope, homes or
resources. Our long range goal is to create a global women's
network that can function on the ground and electronically
across cultural and digital divides for collaboration on mutual
concerns. WIN
is CALLING THE CIRCLE globally using the CAWA organizing model
as a prototype.
EXPANDING
THE CIRCLE OF WOMEN'S AND GIRL'S LEADERSHIP FOR COLLECTIVE
ACTION
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