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A Book To Tie Effective Feminism to Successful Elections

Written by Helen Popenoe, Editor |

South American feminism is different from the US model according to journalist Barbara Frechette. She also adds that in several ways, it is better and could serve as a lesson in unity for all US women today. Her book, Sharing Power, analyzes what was in recent years, a quick efficient and less contentious empowerment of women leaders in Columbia. It demonstrates how, by using their regional feminism, they avoided the US feminist pitfalls. It is proof that since it happened then, it could happen again.

First, Latin American and Caribbean women sought only to share their governing power as citizens in democracies. They never put men in an adversarial position. Nor did they make them feel defensive. By seeking men as working partners and mentors, they avoided “gender warfare.”

UN: Global Conference on Women in 2015

On International Women’s Day, Secretary-General, General Assembly President Propose Global Conference on Women in 2015, 20 Years after Beijing

Following is a joint announcement by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser:

The President of the United Nations General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz al?Nasser, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations would like to jointly propose the convening of a Global Conference on Women by the United Nations in 2015, 20 years after the last women’s summit in Beijing.

Given that women make up half of humanity and given the importance and relevance of women’s issues for global progress, it is high time that such a world conference is convened. It is all the more important because of the enormous changes the world is going through, with both positive and other implications for women.

The President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General feel confident the international community will welcome this joint initiative. They also hope that the Member States, who have the final authority to convene the proposed conference, could take the necessary steps during this sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly. They believe that the high point that the United Nations reached with the establishment of UN-Women in 2011 can be meaningfully substantiated with a global programme focusing on women that can be articulated at the Fifth Conference.

Continental UUW&R featured in One-and-One

Written by Gretchen Ohmann |

Our online retreats calendar and the Cakes class calendar on www.cakesforthequieenofheaven.org were both featured as "one useful tool" in a January 2012 issue of One and One, an e-newsletter from the Ministries and Faith Development Staff Group of the Unitarian Universalist Association. http://www.uua.org/documents/mpl/one/120125_issue38.pdf

Apply for the Dana Greeley Award

Written by UU-UNO office |

UU-UNO logo

All Unitarian Universalists are invited to submit a sermon (or address) to the UU-United Nations Office (UU-UNO). The topic this year should address “Empowering Women for a Better World.”

While all submissions will be considered, those highlighting the work of the United Nations and the UU-UNO will be given priority consideration. The winner will be awarded a cash prize of $1,000 and will have the opportunity to deliver the sermon or address at the next UUA General Assembly.

Send submissions by February 1, 2012 via email to greeleysermon@uu-uno.org. For more information, visit the UU-UNO's website.

Consensus Resources

Written by Nancy Irons, past W&R member from CMwD |

The following materials have been compiled to provide an overview of Consensus Decision Making, including definitions and suggested procedures. -- Nancy Irons, a past member of W&R in CMwD.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consensus_decision-making

Consensus decision-making is a group decision making process that not only seeks the agreement of most participants, but also the resolution or mitigation of minority objections. This strategy involves everyone playing a role in the decision making of the group. In order for this to be successful it is important to be open to compromise!

Consensus is usually defined as meaning both general agreement, and the process of getting to such agreement. Consensus decision-making is thus concerned primarily with that process.

While not as common as other decision-making procedures, such as the parliamentary procedure explained in Robert's Rules of Order, consensus is used by a wide variety of groups. Religious denominations such as the Quakers. . . .