Y WILPF

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Y WILPF
Y WILPF ? Why not?!
From thought to action!
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What is Y WILPF?

• Started in Geneva at the last IEC.
• Goals to
• Find one contact person in each section
• Start up a home page
• Plan the next Gertrude Baer meeting

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Gertrude Baer seminar

• Young women from Albania, Belarus, UK, Sri
  Lanka, Serbia, Sweden, Colombia, Costa Rica,
  Austrailia, Germany, Norway, Denmark, New Zeeland
  and the Netherlands.
• Exchanging experiences and ideas, learning about
  WILPF, building bridges and.

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Building Y WILPF!

• Core principles
• Work plan
• Structure of the network
• The relationship of the network to WILPF
• Activities and comunication in the network

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Core principles

• Y WLIPF is a network for the members of WILPF
• A network is defined as a platform for members
  for exchange of experience and ideas on an
  international and cross-cultural arena.
• The goal of the network is to provide an arena
  for communication and inspiration.
• GB seminar is the annual meeting place for the
  network, held in relation to the IEC meeting.

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Core principles

• The network ensures continuity between the
  meetings.
• General guidelines for participation in the GB
  seminar and the network is that you are a new
  member of WILPF and/ or self selecting.
• The steering group is responsible for
  facilitating the GB seminar and maintaining the
  website.

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The Workplan - Relationship to WILPF

• Y WILPF is an integral part of WILPF.
• The activities of the network should be part of
• WILPF and its sections at all levels.

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The Workplan

• International level
• Goal One young person from every section should
  attend the Gertrude Baer seminar. We recommend
  the sections to nominate younger members to be
  IEC-members and /or alternates. If a delegation
  to an IEC meeting or congress includes more than
  one member we recommend that at least one person
  in the delegation is a young member.
• Goal Sections and young members should together
  develop mentorship functions so that the young
  and/or new members can learn from the more
  experienced members.

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The Workplan

• Goal Encourage representation of Y-WILPF in all
  the international committees and working groups.
• Goal Building relationships with other sections
  and learning from each other through exchanging
  experiences with other sections.
• National Level
• Goal There should be at the least one young
  WILPF member represented as a national
  coordinator and/or board member in each section.
  The national contact person for Y-WILPF should be
  on the national board. This person could be
  co-opted onto the board until the congress or
  longer
• Goal Y WILPF and WILPF activities should be
  complementary

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The Workplan - Structure of the network

• International level
• Steering group, 4-6 people, elected, in addition
  to one or two web maintainers is coordinating the
  network.
• One member of the steering committee is
  fundraising coordinator.
• One person from the host country (of the next GB
  seminar) should be a member of the steering
  group.
• Group should prepare the next meeting,
  nominations and elections.

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The Workplan

• 2 year commitment for the people in the steering
  committee. Half of the group step down, and
  replaced by new ones. Working together with the
  old group.
• Members get informed about activities in other
  countries and get inspired.
• Members, together with the national contact
  persons give input to the web maintainer on what
  the sections are up to/ activities/ articles or
  other things that should be published on the Y
  WILPF website.

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The Workplan

• National level
• A contact person will be the link between the
  national members and the steering committee.
• Tasks could include forwarding mail to the local
  members that the international web maintainer has
  sent out,coordination fundraising initiatives
  that might be undertaken.
• The national contact person should also make sure
  that text/ content for the web site is made
  available for the web maintainer. Depending on
  the functions on the web site, the national
  contact or the web maintainer publishes it.
• Could use the GB seminar and the network as a way
  of recruiting members.

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The Workplan

• Local level
• Members, together with the national contact
  persons give input to the web maintainer on what
  the sections are up to/ activities/ articles or
  other things that should be published on the Y
  WILPF website.

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The Workplan - activities and communication

• Website (both internationally and nationally)
• Clear structure on the website and Y-WILPF site.
• On the website there should be links to all
  section websites and the different branches if
  there is such.
• List of contact persons for both Y-WILPF and
  WILPF in all the sections. On the national
  website there should at the least be a link for
  the local contact person. On the international
  site for every contact person in all sections.
• A calendar showing the activities in each country
  gt that way you will be able to join different
  activities when going to other WILPF sections.
• Information forum on how to do stuff.

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The Workplan

• Hot issues. gt E.g. we have this problem, can
  anyone help us figure out what to do?
• All websites should have the same look gt The
  same colour, logo etc.
• Make it as inviting as possible gt Pictures,
  drawings
• Open discussion fora for both members and non
  members
• Other ways on the Internet
• Yahoo groups/mailing lists
• News group

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The Workplan

• Advertising (nationally and internationally)
• Free postcards gt to put in cafés, schools,
  universities.
• Flyers gt every WILPFer should have a bunch of
  those in their bag to handout when meeting
  interested people
• IPU
• Bookmarks
• Freshers packs gt introduction to WILPF in
  universities
• T-shirts
• Bags
• Create films, small documentaries at
  international meetings
• Campaigning/get articles published
• Create a WILPF e-card

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The Workplan

• Activities (nationally and internationally)
• Regular demonstrations
• Social events gt parties, picnics
• Seminars (GB), conferences
• Exhibitions
• Street theatre
• To be present at festivals, be at the right place
  at the right time
• Link to feminist fora gt bridge between peace
  scene and feminist scene
• Be more active in urgent actions (letter
  writing, petitions)

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The Workplan

• Short-term goals (before Bolivia)
• To get a website up and running
• To create a news group among ourselves
• Send regular updates to the website
• Arrange seminars/workshop/social events on a
  national level dealing with WILPF topics
• Coordinate activities in all sections gt organize
  something on the same day e.g. human rights day
  (10th of December)

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What now?

• Take the document home and use it as a working
  plan and inspiration!