News and Announcements

Please take a moment to read the information below . After, please vote for Dr. Samar.
1. Dr. Sima Samar has just been nominated for the Human Rights Tulip, an award of 100,000E offered by the Dutch Government. Not only does the award bring money but also recognition of the work being done.
2. She is one of several competing for the award.
3. Voting opened yesterday and continues to October 10.
4. Dr. Samar would like to win the prize to pay for the land for her school, Gawharshad Institute of Higher Education in Kabul.
5. Gawharshad is co-ed! Its academic programme and its many other campus activities have been designed to train a future generation of leaders and professionals that are committed to the fundamental principles of human rights, womens' rights and democracy. It strives to deliver education relevant to the socio-economic needs of the country.
6. Gawharshad started in 2010 with 120 students and this year has 1564. The first graduates this fall include ten of "our girls".
7. The survival and expansion of Gawharshad are reflections of the society's positive response to the vision of Gawharshad.
How can you help?
1. Please take a moment and right now scroll down below to vote.
2. Take another minute to think about 5 people you could send this on to asking the same things - to vote themselves and to send on to their networks.
Yesterday, Dr. Samar had 192 votes. Today, she has 476 votes. People are voting and we thank everyone.
Vote now at /www.humanrightstulip.nl.  Follow the leads and click on Dr. Samar's name and picture in the list. Once you've voted, you'll receive a verification email with a link to confirm your vote. If you don't receive this email, please check your junk .

Speaker: Dr. Andrew Frank, Director of the Memory Loss Clinic, Bruyère Hospital, in conjunction with the Alzheimer's Society  of Eastern Ontario

Location: Rideau Park United Church , 2203 Alta Vista Drive k1H 7L9
(at the corner of Cunningham Ave.)

Please contact Sheila McKay at 613-680-5657, if you wish to attend. An RSVP is needed for the purpose of planning seating.

This article appeared in the Ottawa Citizen " The Upbeat" July 5th.
By Dianne Rummery and Alison Hobbs ( members of UWHAW)

Physician and human rights activist Dr. Sima Samar was the guest of honour at “Voices of Afghanistan,” a reception held June 18 at the home of Hugh and Hally Siddons to raise scholarship funds for the Gawharshad Institute for Higher Education in Kabul. Hally leads a study group of the Canadian Federation of University Women in Ottawa that has been contributing to these essential scholarships for four years, organizing a Musical Lunch each April at the NAC as well as this annual garden party.
Dr. Sima Samar, left, with former foreign affairs minister Flora MacDonald and Afghan Ambassador Sham Lall Bathija at garden party fundraiser.
Gawharshad prepares young men and women, studying as equals in a spirit of tolerance and dedication, to take a leadership role in a future Afghanistan.
Dr. Samar’s long term vision is one of equality for all. She told her audience at the reception that every child has the right to live with dignity, explaining that empowerment means having the right to decide one’s destiny, to have control over what to wear, what to do, what to be and how many children to have.
Gawharshad’s Empowerment Centre chooses girls from deprived backgrounds and gives them an opportunity for further education in political science, law, engineering or economics. These girls are highly motivated because they have surmounted enormous cultural and financial barriers to complete their high school education. As a result, more than 30 per cent of Gawharshad students are women. Students from all regions and ethnic groups attend the institute and, unusually, the classes are coed.
Dr. Samar not only founded the Gawharshad Institute but is also chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. She spent many years developing schools and clinics in Pakistani camps where so many Afghans sought refuge, and in Afghanistan itself. She longs for Afghan women to know and demand their rights, to take a role in the running of the country and to be at the peace table. Among many honours and awards, Dr. Samar is an Honorary Officer of the Order of Canada, holds an honorary doctorate from Carleton University and has been a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The participation at the reception of Sham Lall Bathija, the recently appointed Afghanistan ambassador to Canada, along with Laila Ayan, first secretary at the embassy, Flora MacDonald, former minister for Foreign Affairs, who continues to work for humanitarian causes in Afghanistan, and William Crosbie, former Canadian ambassador to Afghanistan, was warmly appreciated by Dr. Samar and her Canadian friends and supporters. Several young Afghans or students with connections to Afghanistan attended as well.
Besides wine and gourmet treats among the roses, guests bid for a weekend at the Claremount Inn and Spa in Prince Edward County and an Afghan inspired print in a silent auction. Afghan girls learn exquisite embroidery and examples of their work were also for sale. Guests were treated to henna hand painting by two Ridgemont High School students who had collected funds to present to Dr. Samar.
Born in Canada, these girls share an Afghan heritage and know the barriers to education for Afghan girls. Freshta Mohseni and Sahar Amedi have baked and sold cupcakes, painted hands for donations and prepared an Afghan meal for 80 teachers, all to raise funds for their counterparts in Afghanistan.
Although this was a brief private visit, Dr. Samar also met with staff at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development and spoke at the University of Ottawa

The CFUW-Ottawa Board recently approved a new Summer Social Club proposed by Clea Derwent. She is looking for like-minded members who feel stranded when CFUW-Ottawa and just about everything else closes down for the summer. Activities would depend on the interests of those involved, but could include a book club, a weekly coffee get together, walking, National Gallery visits, outdoor cinema, etc., etc.

If you’d like to join such a group or know more about this idea, contact Clea at clderwent@gmail.com.  She will send you the full proposal approved by the CFUW-Ottawa Board of Directors.

UNCSW - the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) is scheduled from March 10 - 24th in New York City. We will have a CFUW delegation of about fourteen attendees, both CFUW members and several members of Women Graduates-USA who will join us. The theme for this 58th Session of the CSW is "Challenges and achievements in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls." CFUW will be presenting a workshop or parallel session with Women Graduates-USA, titled "Universal Primary Education by 2020: In Peril for Afghan Girls?" led by Hally Siddons and Leila Metcalf of CFUW Ottawa. CFUW is also preparing to submit an oral statement on the theme to read into the record at UNCSW. The delegate team will be working with other Canadian women's groups, the IFUW delegation, and others, on the advocacy front, attending as many formal sessions, side events, and parallel sessions as possible, and we will be reporting back to Clubs on the experience.

      Susan Murphy, CFUW National Newsletter, Jan.30 2014

       

        

 Information is now available about the June 19-22 AGM in Kitchener-Waterloo, 2014. Click on the coloured date.

To read all about the IFUW Conference in Istanbul, please see the special edition newsletter put out by CFUW National.

Expedia Cruise Lines is proud to offer an unique travel opportunity for CFUW members: the CFUW Literary Legends Cruise. In May of 2014, those of our members who wish to, can embark on a trans-Atlantic crossing from New York to Southampton, UK aboard the Cunard ship the Queen Mary 2. Upon arrival in England, a guest speaker will take you to explore the most famous sites of England's rich literary history. For further information click here.

CFUW-Ottawa and UWHAW member Dianne Rummery has written an excellent article for Diplomat and International Canada entitled "Helping Afghan Women find their place in Civil Society".  It appears in the Spring Edition.

Proposed changes to the membership sections of the CFUW-Ottawa Constitution and Bylaws to bring them into conformity with recent changes to the Articles and Bylaws of CFUW were approved by the CFUW-Ottawa board in January.  These proposed amendments were presented to the membership for information purposes at the February General Meeting.  These amendments will be on the agenda at the AGM in May.

To see more details about these changes, please see theMarch issue of the Carillon.