News and Announcements

On Thursday November 16^th 2023, CFUW-Ottawa was awarded the 2023 AFP Outstanding Philanthropic Group Award at the National Arts Centre.  At a Gala event attended by 300 people, the members of the Scholarship Trust Fund and our President were featured and feted, along with 7 other recipients of AFP awards.  CFUW-Ottawa was nominated by Carleton University and our award was sponsored by the University of Ottawa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spNuf_9ME-8

At the 2022-2023 CFUW National AGM in July our club received two awards. 

We received a CFUW National - International Relations Award for the work of University Women Helping Afghan Women (UWHAW).

We also received a New Members Award from CFUW National. Clubs qualify if they have ‘10% New Members But Not 10% Membership Increase’. We had 20% new members!

Congratulations to all who played a role in us receiving each of the awards! Bravo!

 

We have wonderful news to share with our members! 

The Ottawa Chapter of The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has awarded CFUW-Ottawa the Outstanding Philanthropic Group Award for 2023.  We are deeply honoured to have been selected for this prestigious award from what we are sure was a powerful list of potential candidates.  So much good work is being done here in Ottawa by so many! 

As Helen Keller wisely observed, “alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Nowhere is this more true than with the success of our Scholarship Trust Fund (STF).  Over the past four decades, so many members of our club have donated to this fund, while others have further made it their mandate to endow special scholarships.  When we add to this the many successful fundraising events that have been held for the STF over the years, what we have managed to build together is a very strong and enduring foundation to help students pursue their dreams of higher education.  We want to recognize all of the contributions made, and work done, by our members over many, many years, that have culminated in this award.  To borrow from Sir Isaac Newton, if the STF sees further and accomplishes more today, it is because we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your donations, for your attendance at a fundraising event, for your participation in a silent auction, for your donation of a door prize, buying a ticket for a grab bag or a gift basket, and for buying a book or a treat at a bake sale.  It is because of your generosity and unwavering support that our club is being recognized today!  And of course a very special thank you and a hearty round of congratulations must go to Patricia Duffey and the STF Trustees, both past and present. Their dedication and thoughtful stewardship have ensured that the fund has thrived and grown over the years, and the reward for all of us is that the STF now has significant impact within our local institutions of higher education. 

Finally, we would also like to take this opportunity to thank Erin Pickering for nominating CFUW-Ottawa for this award.  We are both humbled and honoured by her desire to see us recognized in this way.  Her support and enthusiasm for our program means a great deal to us, and the fact that both the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College also wrote on behalf of this nomination is deeply appreciated. 

Congratulations to all and here’s to many more years of the STF helping deserving students reach their full potential through access to higher education!

In anticipation of Earth Day on April 22, the environmental interest groups of CFUW-Nepean, CFUW-Ottawa and CFUW-Kanata jointly hosted webinars on three successive Wednesday evenings in April, welcoming famous authors as guest-speakers:

• Rebecca Prince-Ruiz on reducing single-use plastics (April 6 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqBUyCOKeNM );  
• Diana Beresford-Kroeger in conversation with Bill Steer of the Canada Ecology Centre on the key role of trees (April 13 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErPwncR17oI&t=1208s ) and   
• Seth Klein on mobilizing Canada for the climate crisis, who introduced Sabah Ibrahim speaking about the Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign (April 20 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAdgNwpY2BY)

Click on the links above to watch the recordings of these events.

The large number of registrants for the three-part series (568 different people, including guests from the USA, Australia and the Philippines) and the growing interest in the YouTube videos are evidence that there is an appetite for positive, action-oriented information. As a result of our project, CFUW-National, Ontario Council and BC Council joined the list of signatories publicly supporting the Ontario Climate Emergency Campaign. Individuals may sign up to participate in this as well.

The local CFUW organizing committee is hoping to build on the momentum of this webinar series and to move forward with additional constructive events in the future.

On March 11, 2022 CFUW-Ottawa and CFUW-Nepean co-hosted a Peer-to-Peer Conversation in honour of International Women's Day. Graduate Women International (GWI) members from around the world were invited  to take part in a peer-to-peer conversation on the nature of celebrations across cultures. Here is a summary of this event.

It’s a Celebration!  Sharing Traditions of How Women Celebrate

March 11, 2022 GWI & CFUW Peer – to – Peer Conversation

To Commemorate International Women’s Day

Attended by 57 participants

International Participants From:  Bolivia, Egypt, India, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Pakistan, Romania, Switzerland, USA

CFUW and UWC Participants From:  Abbottsford, Edmonton, Milton, Nepean, North Bay, Orillia, Ottawa, St. Catharines, Stratford, Strathcona County, North Vancouver, Vancouver

Significance of Symbolism within GWI   The Introduction is available here:     

 The original IFUW Logo, lamp of friendship, presented by Stacy Dry Lara, GWI Executive Director

(info copied from GWI website, formerly known as IFUW)

“The lamp logo was designed by members of the Norwegian Federation for the Third Conference in Oslo in 1924. The delegates at that meeting adopted it as the permanent badge of IFUW. The original showed an antique lamp representing the light of learning on a blue background broken with the letters of IFUW. Around the central disc was an interlinked chain symbolising the bonds of friendship linking IFUW members throughout the world. Eventually the lamp came to be known as the lamp of friendship. It was later modernised and the chain was dropped.” Stacy Dry Lara.

Topics/Items Shared

• Importance of family and the experiences when getting together to celebrate (Music, Singing and Dancing))
• Importance of celebrating special days eg. Valentines, birthdays, national holidays/historic moments, the seasons
• Concerns regarding women’s reproductive rights major issue in 60’s and 70’s in England (not as much in Canada and now at risk of rollbacks in the USA)
• World Water Day – projects/activities to reduce water usage eg. Tie Dye (Bandhai)
• Celebration of International Women’s Day in Pakistan seen as a good sign – more gender equality particularly with finances

Reasons for Celebrations

• Increasing self-control for women
• Transmitting cultural links across generations and celebrating cultural identity
• Paying tribute to the past, the present and promoting hope for the future
• To bring attention to the global community (reason to belong and celebrate GWI)
• • Eg. Important enough for a young girl to make herself available to translate so her mother could participate
• To bring attention to the global need of environmental protection
• To pass on or encourage income-generating skills
• To acknowledge and celebrate friendship and contribute to the “common good”
• To acknowledge mothers and their strong influence on us
• To provide an opportunity for social connections, networking, and activism

Perceptions related to Celebrations

• Women’s role in planning and facilitating celebrations not always given the  acknowledgement it should – they are the weavers of social fabric
• Many celebrations involved food (that while in the past it was usually the women who were in the kitchen together preparing food there has been a shift (at least in Canada) with the preparation of food now being more of a shared experience)
• Potential of “lip service” celebrations of International Women’s Day. Eg. Celebrate the day and women’s achievements but pay women less than men for equivalent work
• While Israel is currently celebrating Independence Day and women in Israel participate fully in the life of the country, they are still fighting to be equal. Some of the Orthodox religious groups are more restrictive of women. Mother's Day has been replaced by Family Day. 
• Celebrations bringing us closer together by making us feel part of a group and special. .
• Symbols like the lamp are meaningful for us, showing that we are part of a group and honouring the group. Colours, crests and logo can be used to impart special meaning.
• Light (candles, lamps, fireworks) play an important role in many celebrations. 

Potential Actions

• Encourage participants to wear their “symbols” of membership in CFUW, GWI and NFA’s to future Peer to Peer Conversations
• Explore options to breach language barriers through IT translation programs, and use of family and friends for international webinars.

Thank you for supporting CFUWs WALK TO KABUL Advocacy Campaign.

Since Canada and its allies can influence the present peace negotiations, your concern for Afghan women should be directed to the government. To do so, send this Postcard to parliamentarians listed in the instructions. To show you are Canadian, fill in your full name and address. Send as many postcards as you like, even one from each city the Walk reaches!

The postcard can be sent by mail or electronically. Press Instructions for further information.  

GRADUATE WOMEN INTERNATIONAL (GWI)

NFA2NFA PARTNERSHIP PROJECT 2021

Afghan Peace Negotiations: Their Perilous Significance for Women in Afghanistan

WALKING TO KABUL

TO SUPPORT WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN AFGHAN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

March 8 to April 24, 2021

STAND ON THE BRIDGE 

Suggested Launch of Walk: International Women’s Day, March 8th 

Click here for background and more information.

it is suggested two-five members stand on a local bridge with appropriate signs and have a picture taken for local press and our newsletter.

Walking to Kabul - 

for anyone or group who counts kilometers on foot, skis, or skates.

Starting on March 8, you can sign up for the Walk and we will track your group or your own kilometres travelled to make up a total on this Virtual Walk.  The Netherlands NFA will also be participating, along with current and past members of our diplomatic conversation groups.

Note: 1 kilometre is approximately equal to 1,250 walking steps...Ü...Ü...Ü

The end of the Walk is April 24 when everyone is invited to a Webinar where Afghan women with close ties to the Afghan peace table will talk.  Speakers are Dr. Sima Samar, activist and physician, former head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, Habiba Sarabi, one of only four women on the 42 member peace negotiating team, and Mary Akrima, Afghan Women’s Network.

Travel with members from around the world as we combine our kilometres on our way to Kabul from Ottawa. Travel routes, photos and  reports will be shared regularly.

For General Information:

cfuwwalk@gmail.com  (CFUW-Ottawa) 

We have created a members only Facebook Page just for this event.

Please join us and feel free to post photos and add your comments of encouragement.

 

Feel free to use the following hashtags in your social media:

#WalkToKabul   

#ChooseToChallenge   #AfghanWomensRights   #AfghanPeaceTalks

 

Here is the link to the Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/Walk-To-Kabul-105297578297560

Click here for a compilation of the 13 travelogues prepared along our journey. 

Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation, GWI 201 from International Women's Day March 8, 2021.

Click here to view the Globe & Mail video - Robin Doolittle - The Power Gap between Men and Women.

The recording of the presentation is available to members in the Member Only section under the Presentations on GWI in relation to CFUW.

Click here to view an updated version of the PowerPoint presentation developed by CFUW-Ottawa to help inform CFUW members about GWI and our relationship to it. The original version was used in a CFUW-Ottawa ZOOM meeting on January 26, 2021.

Click here to view GWI - 2020 Year at a Glance.

Club Action Newsletter View this email in your browser

Post GWI Up Close Town Hall Documentation from May 25, 2020 This publication contains time-sensitive information generally directed to Club Executives and pertains to CFUW activities and events. Please send relevant pieces to all Club Members.                        The documentation included in this Club Action News is a record of the presentations of May 25th, 2020 plus information on issues requested by the membership since then. To summarize the seven documents:   1. CFUW Power Point Slides of the Town Hall; This is the CFUW section of the May 25th Town Hall and the agenda including the Bios of GWI speakers.. The GWI presentations are listed only as an agenda item. 2. GWI Up Close Post CFUW Town Hall documentation. This includes a Q and A. 3. GWI Up Close General Information has the GWI presentations given at the Town Hall.   4. Advocacy. This includes Bina Roy, fundraising, fellowships and grants, Hegg Hoffat, Teachers for Rural Development and major achievements since 2016.   5 Bina Roy Partners in Development: Includes selected projects to empower women and girls through education and leadership development with details of the 2019 winning projects in The Congo, El Salvador, Ghana, India, Mexico and Turkey.   6. Circular 8 GWI Executive Board job descriptions.   7.  A  listing of GWI webinars. GWI Gender and Art Webinar: Prejudices and Satisfactions in a Woman’s Artistic Creation  See the message below for information on the GWI Gender and Art Webinar: "Dear Canadian friends, I hope you are well and healthy. I am sending you this mail, to  let you know that I was asked by GWI to participate in the series  of webinars 2020. So, I am glad to invite you to join me in the adventure of my art jorney.  I hope to count with your presence on June 11 4-5pm CEST, in which I will talk about the satisfactions and chalenges I have had during these past 40 years.  The link to register is: https://graduatewomen.org/register-for-webinar/" Regards. Glenda Hecksher CIR Vicepresidenta de Asuntos Internacionales CFUW Mediation Virtual Town Hall Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. EDT Please note that the Mediation Working Group has asked for some additional time to complete its deliberations. In view of this development, the Mediation Town Hall will now take place on Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. EDT. Dr. Rebecca Bromwich and members of the Working Group will present the report and there will be a question and answer session following their presentation. The meeting will be one hour in length. To register for the Town Hall, please do so using the information below. If you require any assistance please e-mail Rachel at cfuwgen@rogers.com   “You are invited to a Zoom meeting. When: Jun 11, 2020 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)   Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZclf-qrqjgrH9S-A3-F67OCPBWKg420eXNs   After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.”