SI Helena – Member Report from Convention

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I always have a bit of a problem when I’m asked for an article about a large meeting such as the Federation Conference or the Commission on the Status of Women – what  do I talk about, what to leave out? I had the same dilemma when considering the 19^th Soroptimist International Convention in Montreal.

So here goes – my major highlights. The theme of the convention was ‘Women: Leaders in Civil Society’ and we were privileged to hear some wonderful Canadian women leaders. The first of these was Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, former Governor General of Canada, who spoke to us on the topic of ‘Civil Society and Pluralism’. From her early life as a refugee from Hong Kong, Ms Clarkson has scaled the heights of Civil Society and as a champion of multiculturalism is often called the ‘Grandmother of many nations’.  In her speech she quoted a frightening statistic about the use of rape as an instrument of war – In the Congo conflict a violent rape occurs every 47secs.

Violence against women in conflict arenas was a common thread through the presentations of other speakers, notably Dr Samantha Nutt from the ‘War Child ‘Organisation. Dr Nutt told several horrific tales of violent attacks on women and girls. She also urged participants to be aware of a major cause of the Congo conflict – that being the reserves of a mineral called coltan, a key component in the manufacture of mobile phones. 64% of the world’s reserves are found in the Dem Rep of Congo. Several videos on the bloody consequences of the battle for control of this resource are available on ‘You Tube’.

Another outstanding speaker was Senator Mobina Jaffer, the first Muslim woman elected to the Canadian Parliament, who also spoke of violence against women in conflict and the effect on families in war-torn countries. The plight of ‘Commuter Children’ in Uganda was particularly poignant. To avoid being abducted from their homes to serve as child soldiers or sex-slaves, the children moved into the refugee camps and public buildings each night to gain some semblance of security.  These examples are evidence of why we as Soroptimists and members of international civil society need to advocate strongly for UN resolution 1325.

We heard also from Maude Barlow, founder of ‘Blue Planet’ about the future dire predictions for the world’s water supplies. It is predicted that within 50 years 4,000 cities in China will be deserts. Maude reminded us that “Access to clean water and sanitation is a basic human right”.

I co-presented a film workshop called ‘Fight for Life – Making Pregnancy Safer’

Fight for Life chronicles the difficulties experienced in the lives of women giving birth in developing countries and illustrates best practices that can reduce the high rates of maternal and infant mortality. Each programme in the series was filmed in a different country including Bolivia, Moldova, Uganda and Bangladesh.

Along with the invited speakers we learned about the new Programme Focus for 2011-2015 from new IPD Hilary Ratcliffe and new AIPD Anusha Santhirasthipam, the International Best Practice Awards and the Global Impact Report. This is a great publication which records the work done by all clubs in the Soroptimist world and will be a useful tool for lobbying and/or sponsorship.

The fun parts included

• A ‘Canadian Experience’ Friendship Night with Mounties, a Lumberjack and Maple Toffee rolled in snow!
• A fabulous concert by four-man Canadian Group Tocadéo in the Notre Dame Basilica
• A Dinner Cruise – we enjoyed the company of some very friendly Brazilian and West Indian Soroptimists
• The Chatline Lunch where I met people from around the world with whom I have exchanged emails.
• The wonderful Gala Banquet where we enjoyed a fabulous circus display.

But all such events come to an end and so did the 19^th SI Convention in Montreal – we meet again in 2015 in Istanbul, Turkey. I’m planning to be there – are YOU??

Robyn Cain