YWCA News current

Tuesday August 31, 2010 the staff of the World Office had the pleasure of meeting with Marie Assaad, a remarkable woman and long-time member of the YWCA, who has been involved in the women’s movement for many decades and continues to rally on to this day.

The city of Leon, Guanajuato, in Mexico, was the host of the World Youth Conference 2010 from August 23 to 27, 2010. The conference organised by the Government of Mexico through the Mexican Youth Institute (IMJUVE) was divided into two forums, the social forum, which included the NGO meeting, and the Global interactive forum and the Government forum. The international meeting brought together young people from over 153 countries. The main goal was to provide a space for analysis and exchange to strengthen ties of cooperation between government agencies and NGOs and to establish priorities for action on the issue of youth. Andrea Núñez Argote, President of the YWCA Naucalpan, Mexico represented the World YWCA at the event and was the young voice of the movement for the five-day conference. She gives her report:

The first ever women owned radio station was introduced in Liberia. Liberian Women Democracy Radio (LWDR FM 91.1), which was launched on August 5, 2010 by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia, in the Mudhole community, is the second women’s radio station in Africa and the fourth in the world. Welcoming the initiative is the YWCA of Liberia as one of the implementing agencies together with the Liberia Women Media Action Committee. Recognised as one of the oldest women's organisations in the country, the YWCA of Liberia is happy with this new development in women advancement.

Ann Drummond, World YWCA volunteer and member of the YWCA of Australia, recently had the opportunity to visit the YWCA of China, namely the associations in Beijing and Shanghai. During her visit she had the chance to learn about the association and their work and she shares with us what she has learnt.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) hosted the 11^th  Triennial Conference of Pacific Women in Noumea, New Caledonia, from August 16 - 20, 2010. 22 countries of the Pacific participated and the theme of the conference was “Progress and prospects: National level implementation of the Pacific and Beijing Platforms for Action”. 140 Government Ministers and representatives, development partners and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) attended the meeting. The Triennial called for a regional strategy on women’s health and provided the Pacific Island region with the opportunity to take a closer look at the progress they have made on implementing the Beijing Platform of Action (BPA) as well as the Pacific Platform for Action (PPA), which is a regional gender commitment.

“The way to a world without nuclear weapons is a tough one, but with the help and understanding by the people all over the world, we will be able to lead the way to world peace.” Those were the words of Koharu Usui a young woman who was part of the 15-member group of Nagasaki Peace Messengers that visited the World YWCA on Wednesday August 18, 2010.

The World YWCA stands in solidarity with the people of Pakistan as they cope with the mass flooding that has afflicted their country since July 2010.

World YWCA volunteer, Ann Drummond, recently visited an emerging group of women in Mongolia who are interested in establishing a YWCA. Located in the heart of the Asian landscape, Mongolia is a country where people live a Nomadic lifestyle. The purpose of Ann’s visit however, was not to enjoy the Nomadic way of life but rather to deepen her understanding of the Mongolian culture, the current issues confronting the country, and the possibility and challenges of setting up a YWCA in Mongolia.

An important and symbolic milestone has been reached for people with visual impairments in Jordan, allowing them to have a better understanding of how the legislation affects their daily lives.