FAWCO BIENNAL CONFERENCE ROME 2015 SLIDE 2 It was with great pleasure that after receiving ballots from 53 of 64 Member Clubs, we announced Free The Girls: Providing Economic Opportunity for Survivors of Human Trafficking as the Target Project for our 2013-2016 Program. SLIDE 3 Through the early efforts of a few clubs, regions, FAUSA and individuals, the Backing Women Campaign was launched with a balance of over $4500 before the official fundraising period even started and by the end of 2014, club and individual donations were just under $37,000. Keep in mind, this figure still does not include monies raised by the Backing Women team of The FAWCO Foundation. Also, we have received
several donations so far this year; however, I am not going to steal any of Maire- Benedicte’s thunder so you will have to wait for her presentation to hear more about the money. SLIDE 4 Target Education and Awareness continued throughout this second year of the Target Program. Presentations were made at all of the regional conferences in 2014 and early 2015. Clubs incorporated the subject into their monthly meetings and newsletters or magazines. In addition, many clubs participated in the “One Billion Rising” and “16 Days Campaign” with marches, movie viewings, book reviews and supporting the ORANGE cause, while other clubs held special awareness meetings/ luncheons/ conferences with guest speakers. Enthusiastically, I can now report
that although we do not yet 100% club participation, we have reached 100% regional participation of some form for the Target Program. SLIDE 5 With Human Rights for Women was our overarching goal, the Human Rights Task Force is a great supporter with their monthly bulletins covering ending all forms of violence against women, economic empowerment, political participation and peace and security. Chair of Women in Peace and Security, Therese Hartwell partnered with region 9 to host their fall regional in Amman, Jordan, where they had a panel discussion on the plight of Syrian refugees, in addition to volunteering at a refugee community center. In addition to
the awareness sessions, attendees also raised funds for Collateral Repair Project for additional space and much needed supplies. Therese is also organizing The Strength of a Woman Tour: Rwanda so that members can witness first hand the positive outcome of women exercising their human rights. SLIDE 6 While we are on the topic of Education and Awareness, I would like to take a moment to discuss Human Trafficking and just ensure that everyone is clear on what Human Trafficking is. We had the pleasure of having David Ellero, Europol Project Manager for the Human Trafficking Task Force, speak to Region 4 and he gave us a very clear definition of Human Trafficking:
WHAT: recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, HOW: by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, WHY: for the purpose of exploitation. Please be clear that Trafficking is not an immigration issue. Do not confuse trafficking with illegal transport between counties. The bottom line is that Human Trafficking is Modern Day Slavery.
SLIDE 7 And then there were bras - hundreds, then thousands of bras. I lost count somewhere around the 1600 mark but I know that there SLIDE 8 have been many, many suitcases of bras shuttled between Europe, Asia and Chesterton, Indiana. There have any been creative clubs who have come up with ways to pay for their shipping – for example, London AWC sold lingerie wash bags sale. SLIDE 9 What has this meant to Free The Girls? As reported by Executive Director Kimba Langas , “ having the financial breathing room afforded by the FAWCO Target Program support has provided FTG’s with professional staff dedicated to creating and improving operating systems with their
organization for long-term sustainability and expansion.” In turn, this has allowed Kimba to be focused on vision, strategy and planning. Although this new organization was only in place a few months of the year, FTG’s has been more effective in their income development with higher donations, been able to recruit key high level volunteers, both with professional experience in donor database development and management, as well as launch an in house educational component in their flagship program in Mozambique. FAWCO is pleased to have both Dave Terpstra (Global Director/Co-Founder) and Melissa Watson (National Director) here with us, sharing more about Free The Girls
and their work in Mozambique, Uganda and El Salvador. SLIDE 10 Free The Girls plan for 2015 is one which I believe mirrors everything that FAWCO stands for – to continue to build an organization that puts people first – from the women served who inspire us, to the financial and in-kind supporters who sustain us, to our volunteers who keep us moving upward. And now, Marie-Benedicte Luxem will give you an update on the Backing Women Fundraising Campaign.
Recommend
More recommend
