"What attracts women from throughout the world to travel to the IFUW
conference every three years?" wondered a young member and first-time
attendee at the International Federation of University Women Conference in
Ottawa, Canada in August. Two days later she said the "attraction is
networking and friendship." Seeing women from 70 countries working
together, laughing together and voting together and planning future
communications strategies is what it is all about.
The friendships and caring through IFUW are very real to me on this day as
I write this piece, because my e-mail has a message from Roberta Brooks,
the President of the Canadian Federation of University Women, offering
condolences and best wishes to us in AAUW for the horrible tragedy of Sept.
11. The 959 people who were at IFUW each now have a more personal view of
each of the countries represented there. Now we have faces and friends to
identify with a country.
Globalization: Connections Through Education, the conference theme, was
addressed through workshops, academic papers, excellent speeches, an
interfaith service featuring the diversity of the city of Ottawa, and most
especially through human interactions. It was exciting to see many young
women participating. I had dinner with a graduate student from Germany and
had my picture taken with a young person from Taiwan. Even I, with very
limited ability in French, participated in a seminar about the results of
academic research on the role of women in peace education, conflict
prevention, and resolution in the Congo.
An all-day discussion, "The Adolescent Girl - Strategies for Empowerment,
"included papers from Cameroon, Belgium, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria,
Argentina, and South Africa. To hear different approaches to this topic in
other countries gave an important world outlook to how we in AAUW deal with it.
Members of AAUW were frequently made aware of the importance of UNESCO in
the educational works of IFUW members and regret that our country is not
part of this organization which plays such an important role for our fellow
members. We have a project to do. Over 100 AAUW members and many spouses
and daughters attended the conference. AAUW had 17 votes, but in the
interest of economy there were only 9 voting delegates so we were able to
cast our full voting strength. Reiko Aoki of Japan was elected IFUW
president. Two AAUW members were also elected to significant offices.
Kathleen Laurila of Minnesota is the new second vice-president and Yvonne
Condell, also of Minnesota, will serve on the Finance Committee.
Although the next conference will be far away in Adelaide, Australia, if
that country has been on your list of "go see," plan now for August 2004.
Board Meeting Report - International
IFUW Creates, Sustains Global Connections
Shirley Quisenberry
AAUW NC International Affairs Director