WICO AFRICA

WICO International Women's Day, Somalia Africa, March 8 2009

President- Mrs. Safia axmed Qaylow

WICO Somalia- President Mrs. Safia Axmed Qaylow 2009

WICO Somalia.

International Women's Day March 8th 2009

President Mrs. Safia Axmed

Africa (click)

Dear Dalia:

This has come to our attention. Would you be willing to circulate this through your networks? Thanks so much! (See link and attachment)
Lynn

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5281501.ece

URGENT

10.12.2008

Dear Mr. Ban Ki-Moon,

On behalf of WICO - "Women's International Coalition for Culture of Peace, Non-Violence, and Empowerment of Women" NGO; we, the undersigned petition the goodness of your heart in a most pressing and disturbing matter.

It has come to our attention that Zimbabwean human rights activist, Jestina Mukoko was "seized" in Zimbabwe by President Mugabe's secret police, in a most high level abduction operation.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5281501.ece

Sir, as women of the world standing united, we not only find this disturbing, be we find this unacceptable and petition you to act immediately for the safe release of Jestina and return her to her home and to her family.

We find it inconsolable that in the 21st Century, individuals who are working for a better tomorrow still have to suffer through abduction by fifteen armed men. That this is the second serious kidnapping in over a month and that in the last kidnapping; a two-year old girl was also abducted! The 15, who were kidnapped in the last abduction, have not been seen alive since they were seized 36 days ago, and police have ignored court orders for them to be produced in court.

Sir, we implore you to act immediately to secure the safety of Mrs. Mukoko and the 15 others seized in the previous kidnapping, including the two-year old daughter of one of those kidnapped.

Mrs. Mukoko's work is critical and she must be allowed to resume the positive work she is doing in securing human rights for her fellow citizens, and bringing justice to acts of injustice, torture, murder, and more to those perpetrators of such acts.

As women of the world, we stand united in our insistence that you act accordingly and immediately in this matter.

We look forward to the positive news of Jestina's safe release and home coming.

With Greatest Regards,

Dr. Dalia Steiner WICO'S Founder and Int. President

WICO'S USA Founder Rev. Marilyn Kotulek
WICO'S President Scandinavia and Sweden,
Secretary General - Ms. Maria Linde
WICO'S President Australia Ms. Alida Fehily
WICO'S President Stockholm , Sweden and Europe
Dr. Sophia Lovgren
WICO'S President South America and Venezuela
Mrs. Zayra Belfort
WICO'S President England and UK
Mrs. Nina Knowland-Antal
WICO'S President Toronto and Canada

Ms. Prudence McNellis
WICO'S President USA, New York , NY
and Spokesman
Ms. Elizabeth Autumn, MBA
USA
WICO'S Presidant Maryland,USA- MS. Lucile Gordon Press
WICO'S President Virginia,USA - Ms. Sthepanie L. Bohanon
WICO'S President Washington DC- Mrs. Miryam A. Aspinwall (Regional)
WICO'S President Buffalo, NY - Ms. Kimberley Robinson
WICO'S President Illinois, USA-Mrs. Joanne (Shayna Bracha) Farber
WICO'S President Tulsa,OK. USA-Ms. Susan Barnes (Regional)
WICO's President Arizona, USA- Mrs. Leyla Hur
WICO'S President California, USA-Ms. Tess Cacciatore
WICO'S President LA, Ca, USA- Ms. Kitty Stirling
WICO'S President San Francisco, CA. USA - Ms. Fariba Faiz (Regional)
WICO'S President Florida, USA-Ms. Patricia Byron
WICO'S President Deland, Florida -Ms. Inez Bracy (Regional)
CANADA
WICO'S President Newfoundland, Canada-Ms. Kelly Rose Mahoney (Regional)
WICO'S President Nova Scotia,Canada-Ms. Mable A. Blanchard-Milbury (regional)
WICO'S President Quebec, Canada - Mrs. Nathalie Goguen
WICO'S President Surrey,B.C, Canada- Mrs. Sheilagh May Joseph (Regional)
SOUTH AMERICA
WICO'S President Colombia,SA.- Mrs. Jenny Patricia Carrillo
WICO'S President Maracaibo, Venezuela- Mrs. Erika Benavides Silva
WICO'S President Chile - Ms. Elizabeth Mandujano Alarcon
FAR EAST
WICO'S President Junagada, India-Dr.Sohiniben Shukla(Regional)
WICO'S President Bangalore, India - Ms. Rita Mathew Palamattom (Regional)
WICO'S President Pakistan- Ms. Shahzi Samad Khan
WICO'S President Srilanka - Mrs. Lakshmi Krishnakumar
WICO'S President Bangaladesh - Mrs. Sandhya Biswas
AUSTRALIA
WICO'S President Victoria, Australia - Ms. Susie Wilson
AFRICA
WICO'S "Ambassador for Peace" - AFRICA-Mrs. Rosemary Segero
WICO'S President Pietermaritzburg,South Africa-Mrs. Eve Lyn Armstrong (Regional)
WICO'S President Gauteng, South Africa-Mrs. Christine Scrooby (Regional)
WICO'S President Cape Town, South Africa - Ms. Dominique Dufrasne (Regional)
WICO'S President Cameroon, Africa- Ms. Ajomuzo Collette Bekaku
Head of the Nigerian Desk-Ms. Chinyere Offor-Ezenwokike - Nigeria (Regional)
WICO'S President Sierra Leone and CEO-Ms. Martina Manu Jan Kabba

WICO'S President Uganda - Ms. Suzan Nabujja
WICO'S President Kenya- Ms. Margaret N. Murutu
EUROPE
WICO'S President France - Ms. Nicole Guedj
WICO'S President Greece-Ms Rania Charalambides
WICO'S President Athens, Greece - Ms. Mirka Giannouli (Regional)
WICO'S President Crete, Greece - Ms. Eleni-Nelly Katsama
WICO'S President Serbia- Mrs. Ivana Vanja Nikovic
WICO'S President Luxembourg-Ms. Sonia Ctarina Tavares
WICO'S President Norway- Ms. Alizabeth Dallee
WICO'S President Trondheim, Norway- Mrs. Reidun Crastens(Regional)
WICO'S President Denmark- Ms. Heidi Elisabeth Hansen
WICO'S President Allerod,Denmark- Ms. Birgit Andersen(Regional)
WICO'S President Malmo,Sweden- Ms. Milana Arbs (Regional)
WICO'S President Finland- Ms. Rea Simola
WICO'S President Iceland- Ms. Linda Bjork Gudrunardottir
WICO'S President Munster, Germany- Mrs. Chleir Hajo(Regional)
WICO'S President Manchester, England -Ms. Breda Collins(Regional)
WICO'S President Isle of Wight, England-Mrs. Elena Colson (Regional)
WICO'S president Swansea, Wales - Ms. Lynn Marie Hughes(Regional)
WICO'S President Belgium-Ms. Elisabeth Zingerle - Vanduffel
WICO President Spain- Ms. Marcela-Paz Cantillana Del Rio
MIDDLE EAST
WICO'S Secretary General- Mrs. Rachel Glaubach
WICO'S Head of Publice Board_-Mrs. Ofra Yoav -Israel
WICO'S President UAE, Dubai - Ms. Sheena Ackrim
WICO'S President Jordan- Ms. Donna Qawasmi
WICO'S President Israel - Mrs. Rachel Fridman
Head of the Jerusalem Desk- Ms. Dvora Pearlman-Israel

And all WICO'S Members around the world.

10 Downing Street

London

SOUTH 1

RE: Jestina Mukoko

31st December 2008

Dear Prime Minister Brown

I am writing to ask you for your support to intervene in the name of humanity for the immediate release of the above named human rights activist. Mrs Mukoko was unlawfully arrested from her home in Norton Zimbabwe on the 4th of December 2008. I understand that this lady is an ambassador of peace. I also believe that many other women have gone missing without trace. I am asking you Mr. Brown to look into this matter for me and I would appreciate very much if you would forward a copy of this letter to the Zimbabwean Officials.

I am President/Pastor for the North Region of the United Kingdom (Cheshire) I am a Peace Ambassador for W.I.C.O.

''Women's International Coalition for Culture of Peace, Non- Violence and Empowerment of Women'' N.G.O ( Non Profit since 2003)

May I thank you sincerely in advance for taking the time to read my letter and I am look forward to your response so that I can inform all the other Presidents around the world that we are supporting this lady.

On behalf of WICO International

Your truly

Breda Collins Pastor. RGN. SRSCN. MBACP MBACBT

To whom it concerns.

Re: Jestina Mukoko who was seized by Zimbabwean Police on the 4th December 2008.

Dear Sir or Madam

I am President and Pastor representing the North region of the United Kingdom for WICO org. "Womens Int Coalition for Culture of peace, Non-violence and Empowerment of Women" NGO (non-profit) www.wicohome.org , www.wicointernational.org . I am a women of the world who stand united for peace and justice. I find this arrest unsettling and very unacceptable.On behalf of WICO Org, I am urging now to consider my petition and act immediately in order for the safe release of Jestina and return her safly to her family.

As we are in the 21st centary, I find this behaviour unnacceptable especially when women such as Jestina are working towards a brighter future and a better place to live in. This is proposterious that this lady has been violated and is suffering in this way as a result of this unlawful abduction. I am aware that this is the second kidnaping that has taken place over the past fifteen months which also resulted to the kidnap of a two years old baby. The other women have not been seen or heard for 37days to date and police have ignored all court orders for them to be produced in court.

Sir, as a fellow peace ambassador, I implore you to act immediately to secure the safe release of Mrs Mukoko and the fifteen other women along with the two year old baby of one of the kidnapped women. Mrs Mukoko's duties are critical and therefore she must be granted immediate freedom in order for her to resume the positive work that she has been undertaking in maintaining human rights for her fellow citizens and also for bringing justice to acts of injustice, torture, murder violation and more to those perpetrators of such cruel acts.

As a fellow peace ambassador of the world we stand united in oneness in our insistence that you will act accordingly and urgently on this matter.

I am positively looking forward to a very successful outcome to my plea.

CC

WICO'S HQ's

Dr.Dalia Steiner, WICO's Founder and Int. President

THE WICO AFRICA 2009-2019 ACTION PLAN

WICO Africa has set up several schmes and project as part of the Action Plan for 2009-2019 Program.

The Schmes include the following:

WICO AFRICA COMMUNICATION SCHEME

This scheme has been conceived to develop projects that would focus in training and mind and mass media communication, as a means to contribute to the achievement of the amis and objectives of WICO Africa Projects undet this scheme includes;

a) The Publication Project with the responsibility for the production of the Women's Combat (WC) Journal and the Gender Lens (GL) Magazine

b) The African Community Resource and Education (ACRE) Centre with the objective to build at an early stage of life the necessaryy tenets required to drive economic independence and finanical autonomy through education, job creation and income generation especially within rural areas of Africa.

WICO AFRICA INVESTMENT SCHEME:

The scheme has been conceived to develop projects that would focus on providing opportunities for members and the general public to build attitudes, valuses and virtues that would guarantee social and economic independence and financial autonomy. Projects under this scheme. These includes

:a) WICO Africa Recreational Centre. This project has been conceived to foster cross-cultural activities and promote recreation espcially in rural Africa as a means to contribute to social and economic development and finanxcial development of the community. It would also serve as a ground for trainees to gain hands-on experience in the various professional and vocational trainings

b) WICO Africa Credit Union. This project is designed to assist members and the general public especialy in the rural areas to realise investment through the saving and loans

MBANDO CULTURAL SCHEME

This scheme has been designed to organise activities that would help use our cutltural heritage and touristic capacity as a means to of promoting and bulding a culture of peace axross Africa, as its citizens work towards social and economic independence and financial autonomy. It shall include cross-cultural activities. Under this scheme is the MELODRAME (Melody, Drama and Arts Group a children and youth programme geared towards improving on their life style and discover their hidden talents.

WICO AFRICA SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL AND TOURISM AGENCY

This project has been thought out to orgnaise and promote sustainable tourism such as ecological, sports, cultural, education and other forms of tourism as a means to improve our cross-cultura; realtions and economic potential.

WICO AFRICA RURAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

This scheme has been designed to help realease the latent power in Africa Rural sector with special focus on women and youth development programmes as a means to create job and income generating opoetunities for the attaiment of social and economic independence and financial autonomy and curb rural-urban migration

WICO AFRICA ELITE HOUSING SCHEME

The scheme seeks to develop philosophies that would help provide sustainable and affordable housing to women, youths and other vulnerable groups especially for those in the rural areas and the urban poor as a means of attaining the amis and objectives of WICO Africa

WICO AFRICA PLUS PROJECTS:

COMMUNITY HEALTH EDUCATION AND SCHOOL SANITATION (CHESS) AFRICA PROJECT

This project has been designed to help schools and communities across Africa have access to clean and safe water and adequate sanitation as a means of preserving the health and promoting health environments acrss schools and communities in Africa

PAN AFRICA CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENT (PACE) CENTRE

This scheme geared towards education promotion, management, preservation and conservation of the total African environment

Under this project is the Water Education and Training (WET) Africa Project to promote water education across the continent of Africa in partnership with other stakeholders and the Society for Women Environmental Entrtepreneurs and Training (SWEET) Africa Project

The Women International Coalition Organisation (WICO) Africa

WICO Africa wishes to empower women in claiming the right to decision making at the legislative level so that their voices are heard both locally and in society at large. Until Afican women are fully represented at senior levels of public, professional and economic leadership, we shall neither enjoy equal rights nor have an equal voice. The undervaluing og African women’s contributions to development and the under representation in decision-making are the source of much of the maginalization. Our social and economic advancement has be promoted within the frameworks of our nationals plans. Rural development is primarily the responsiblity of each country’s government. Its civil society and peopledirectly involved and is predicted on an enabling national environment, which combines effective and coherent polmicies, good governance and accountable institutions.

At the 1995 United Nations Beijing Women’s Conference many African governments committed « to ensure our equal access to and full participation in structures and decision making and increase the capapcity to particpate in decision making and leadership.. With WICO our voice can promote accountability and combat neglect from our governments and donors. WICO encourages you to claim your rights to participate in implementing and evaluation development programs, patterns of international trade and the external investment are adjusted. Women play a very special role as users and managers of natural resources which derives from the primary responsibility women have for food security, water, fuel, and family welfare. In our households women therefore have the right to co-create with men the space in which we live and decide for the future of society to which we give birth.

With the vast majority of the poor living in rural areas (three-quaters of Africa’s poor), we are key to ensuring that our governments listens to our call to put in place the right policies and services without which no farmer, no entrepreneur or donor for that matter will be willing to invest. WICO therefore urges women to claim their rights to be part of the designing their development process and evaluate themselves, what women need and what they can contribute. Women must therefore be accorded the right to own and inherit land, and the system of land distribution must be transparent, protecting the rights of the poor and the weak in our societies.

WHAT CAN WE DO !    HOW CAN WE GET INVOLVED !

Join WICO in demanding and working in partnerships with our governments to

*Empower women by giving them a large voice in decision making process on resource allocation and in design, development and implementation of development strategies

*Keep its commitments in giving women an enhanced role in all aspects of development including agriculture, nutrition, food security and in ensuring that women’s work is recognised and valued

*Provide women equal access to education, skill training, health care, property, credit and inheritance and that local, national and international institutions advance women status and mainstram gender,

*Establish and strengthen financial institutions including microfinance, saving and insurance facilities and cooperative ventures for women’s development and the development of micro, small and medium sized enterprises

*Expand women’s access to safe drinking water nd to basic sanitation

*Accelerate the process and facilitate implementation of information and communication technologies to help women be informed of vital issues concerning

*Give priority attention to policies and legislation to achieve well defined and enforceable land and water use rights and the promotion of legal security of tenure and garantee women’s enhanced access to social services

*Strengthen health systems especially in the rural areas with particularattention to reducing maternal and infant mortality, infectious diseases and provision of family planning and

*Mainstream HIV/AIDS concern into development planning, including poverty eradication and food security strategies.

Hello sisters remember, women represent about two-thirds of Africa’s population. We produce an average more than half of all the food that is grown, up to 80 per cent in Africa therefore in Empwering the African Women we are accelerating the Engine for Africa’s development.

Updates from Africa

Environmental Journalism Key to Sustainable Development in Africa

Rosemary Olive Mbone Enie

WICO'S Africa CEO and President (between 2004-2008)

Catching the big scoop of the day has been the longstanding pinnacle of journalism – from war to financial crises the media has covered it. Now, as people and governments grapple with balancing urban growth, sustainability and preservation, the story of the day is shown again to be much more than an ephemeral headline. Environmental degradation and the depletion of vital resources are examples of the kind of complex topics that need to be incorporated in both the agenda's of politicians and the media.

Around the world, people are suffering and dying from lack of safe water and inadequate sanitation. In Africa, the situation is particularly grim: there are over 300 million people who do not have access to clean water, 313 million who lack adequate sanitation, and an average of 1.6 million African children who die each year as a result.

With this harrowing picture, the African media is faced with the pressing responsibility of being a watchdog for environmental issues. Unsafe water and poor sanitation standards are the results of a complex web of factors – from corrupt local politics to discordant geopolitics and from the affects of industrialization to the exponential increase in the continent's population – and the media should play a prominent role in telling this story. The media can indeed influence the direction environmental policy and growth will take in Africa. However, since these problems emerged coverage on water and sanitation in the African media has been insufficient.

In an attempt to highlight its importance, RAP 21 spoke to water and gender rights advocate Rosemary Enie. As President/CEO of Women International Coalition Organization (WICO) Africa, Gender Ambassador of Gender and Water Alliance (GWA) in the Netherlands and the founder of the Pan Africa Centre for the Environment (PACE), Enie is part of a movement to better water and sanitation conditions across Africa through utilising the power of the media.

"Visiting countries across the continent, I've had the opportunity to read through daily newspapers, magazines or watch major national channels. From a water professional point of view, water and sanitation issues have very low coverage when compared to other issues such as politics, sports be it through television, radio or print media," said Enie.

"South Africa is one of the countries that has done considerably well, though there is still room for improvement. The Kenyan media also publishes water and sanitation issues but I believe there is still much to be done generally in the continent," she continued. In Zambia, The Post can also be an example for such reporting where articles on water frequent the pages on a weekly basis. Still, a recent article in the paper said, "These issues often make some of our people uncomfortable. Even the media's coverage of these issues is relatively low."

In an attempt to improve the situation Enie said, "Every development issue such as agriculture, industrial development, maternal health, infant health, education, combating diseases such as HIV/AIDS, maleria etc, empowering women, eradicating poverty and hunger and ensuring environmental sustainability have a direct/indirect relation with the provision of water and sanitation within the households and communities across Africa."

"Over 60 shared river basins dominate the African landscape but weak regional cooperation has limited the benefits to the continent and reduced the effectiveness of water governance necessary for development," Enie explained.

Further, all of this, Enie continued is "compounded by steady environmental degradation, depletion, and contamination of water resources as well as related factors such as climate change, desertification, flooding and erosion." It is these phenomena that have resulted with new phrases such as 'Water wars' to enter our lexicon.

In response, two international targets commonly referred to as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for water and sanitation, have been set along with continental accords such as the African Water Vision. The goal is to halve the proportion of people without access to safe water and proper sanitation by 2015 and further improvements to be reached by 2025 with the latter.

In the case of Africa this is an especially arduous task to achieve. According to Enie, "Preliminary assessment has revealed that an investment of US $ 20 billion is required over 25 years (2000-2025) to attain the MDGs and African Water Vision targets." However, Enie said, "The pervasive poverty condition coupled with slow economic growth and high level of indebtedness in the continent inhibits investment in water resources development."

Consequently, Enie said: "It is necessary to bring water and sanitation issues in Africa into the media scene with more vigour. The media has a very important role in terms of public awareness raising and education on water and sanitation issues. It can also provide an enabling environment for public forum debates leading to Africa's water and food security and sustainable development." And at the crux, Enie said, "the challenge is to manage the people that depend on and make decisions about water resources management in the continent at all levels."

Across Africa, as people scramble for water, governments and the private sector often carry out poorly designed water and sanitation delivery projects to under-served people. "The problem of corruption within the water and sanitation sector in Africa is one of the major challenges. Coverage of these issues needs to be brought to the public debate to fight this evil and promote water security," said Enie.

Insufficient coverage results from a number factors including lack of scientific and environmental knowledge, little journalistic training on the subject, and pressures from powerful local interests and advertisers who support media outlets. To combat these barriers it is necessary to creat multilateral partnerships that extend from the local grassroots level to top policy makers. "The media should establish a strong partnership with other stakeholders such as Members of Parliaments (MPs), Government Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community Based Organisations (CBOs), for water and sanitation information dissemination, public awareness raising and education," said Enie.

In line with this, Enie is spearheading a movement across Africa to bring water and sanitation into the media's agenda. To begin, WICO Africa, Enie's organization, conducted a study on "how to enable the media to build upon the growing interest of the public in information dissemination, public awareness raising and education on water and sanitation issues."

Coined the "Blue Revolution African Campaign (BRAC)," WICO Africa, PACE and the African Water Information Desk (AFRICAWIDE) in collaboration with organisations based in Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Senegal, and Benin started a campaign in September 2008 to give impetus to change environmental policy. The goal is to establish relations between the media, MPs and other stakeholders to increase dialogue and awareness on water and sanitation issues.

AFRICAWIDE also set up the Water Education and Training (WET) Africa Fund, which includes financing for the media, to ensure that journalists acquire the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to treat water and sanitation issues appropriately in the public forum. "It is quite evident that nature cannot speak like humans.

There is therefore a need for journalists and the media to effectively understand this and play an important role to enable the society to think and speak for nature," said Enie.

RAP 21

The African Press Network for the 21st Century

Newsletter No 27/2008

17.09.08

Contents: This week's newsletter discusses the importance of environmental reporting in Africa, highlights key points that surfaced during the Highway Africa 2008 conference and addresses repressive laws hindering the private press in Senegal.

NEWS FROM THE MEDIA SCENE

- Environmental Journalism Key to Sustainable Development in Africa

- Newspapers Bridge Old and New Media: A Snapshot from Highway Africa 2008

- World's Press Opposes Yahoo-Google Advertising Deal

- Zambian Newspaper Goes Online

PRESS FREEDOM

- Private Press in Senegal Clouded By Repressive Laws

- Resolutions on Defamation of Religion Challenged

- Alerts from the Continent

AWARDS

- Journalists Invited to Submit Reports on the Future of Congo

------------

NEWS FROM THE MEDIA SCENE

- Environmental Journalism Key to Sustainable Development in Africa

- Newspapers Bridge Old and New Media: A Snapshot from Highway Africa 2008

- World's Press Opposes Yahoo-Google Advertising Deal

- Zambian Newspaper Goes Online

------------

- Environmental Journalism Key to Sustainable Development in Africa

Catching the big scoop of the day has been the longstanding pinnacle of journalism – from war to financial crises the media has covered it. Now, as people and governments grapple with balancing urban growth, sustainability and preservation, the story of the day is shown again to be much more than an ephemeral headline. Environmental degradation and the depletion of vital resources are examples of the kind of complex topics that need to be incorporated in both the agenda's of politicians and the media.

Around the world, people are suffering and dying from lack of safe water and inadequate sanitation. In Africa, the situation is particularly grim: there are over 300 million people who do not have access to clean water, 313 million who lack adequate sanitation, and an average of 1.6 million African children who die each year as a result.

With this harrowing picture, the African media is faced with the pressing responsibility of being a watchdog for environmental issues. Unsafe water and poor sanitation standards are the results of a complex web of factors – from corrupt local politics to discordant geopolitics and from the affects of industrialization to the exponential increase in the continent's population – and the media should play a prominent role in telling this story. The media can indeed influence the direction environmental policy and growth will take in Africa. However, since these problems emerged coverage on water and sanitation in the African media has been insufficient.

In an attempt to highlight its importance, RAP 21 spoke to water and gender rights advocate Rosemary Enie. As President/CEO of Women International Coalition Organization (WICO) Africa, Gender Ambassador of Gender and Water Alliance (GWA) in the Netherlands and the founder of the Pan Africa Centre for the Environment (PACE), Enie is part of a movement to better water and sanitation conditions across Africa through utilising the power of the media.

"Visiting countries across the continent, I've had the opportunity to read through daily newspapers, magazines or watch major national channels. From a water professional point of view, water and sanitation issues have very low coverage when compared to other issues such as politics, sports be it through television, radio or print media," said Enie.

"South Africa is one of the countries that has done considerably well, though there is still room for improvement. The Kenyan media also publishes water and sanitation issues but I believe there is still much to be done generally in the continent," she continued. In Zambia, The Post can also be an example for such reporting where articles on water frequent the pages on a weekly basis. Still, a recent article in the paper said, "These issues often make some of our people uncomfortable. Even the media's coverage of these issues is relatively low."

In an attempt to improve the situation Enie said, "Every development issue such as agriculture, industrial development, maternal health, infant health, education, combating diseases such as HIV/AIDS, maleria etc, empowering women, eradicating poverty and hunger and ensuring environmental sustainability have a direct/indirect relation with the provision of water and sanitation within the households and communities across Africa."

"Over 60 shared river basins dominate the African landscape but weak regional cooperation has limited the benefits to the continent and reduced the effectiveness of water governance necessary for development," Enie explained.

Further, all of this, Enie continued is "compounded by steady environmental degradation, depletion, and contamination of water resources as well as related factors such as climate change, desertification, flooding and erosion." It is these phenomena that have resulted with new phrases such as 'Water wars' to enter our lexicon.

In response, two international targets commonly referred to as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for water and sanitation, have been set along with continental accords such as the African Water Vision. The goal is to halve the proportion of people without access to safe water and proper sanitation by 2015 and further improvements to be reached by 2025 with the latter.

In the case of Africa this is an especially arduous task to achieve. According to Enie, "Preliminary assessment has revealed that an investment of US $ 20 billion is required over 25 years (2000-2025) to attain the MDGs and African Water Vision targets." However, Enie said, "The pervasive poverty condition coupled with slow economic growth and high level of indebtedness in the continent inhibits investment in water resources development."

Consequently, Enie said: "It is necessary to bring water and sanitation issues in Africa into the media scene with more vigour. The media has a very important role in terms of public awareness raising and education on water and sanitation issues. It can also provide an enabling environment for public forum debates leading to Africa's water and food security and sustainable development." And at the crux, Enie said, "the challenge is to manage the people that depend on and make decisions about water resources management in the continent at all levels."

Across Africa, as people scramble for water, governments and the private sector often carry out poorly designed water and sanitation delivery projects to under-served people. "The problem of corruption within the water and sanitation sector in Africa is one of the major challenges. Coverage of these issues needs to be brought to the public debate to fight this evil and promote water security," said Enie.

Insufficient coverage results from a number factors including lack of scientific and environmental knowledge, little journalistic training on the subject, and pressures from powerful local interests and advertisers who support media outlets. To combat these barriers it is necessary to creat multilateral partnerships that extend from the local grassroots level to top policy makers. "The media should establish a strong partnership with other stakeholders such as Members of Parliaments (MPs), Government Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community Based Organisations (CBOs), for water and sanitation information dissemination, public awareness raising and education," said Enie.

In line with this, Enie is spearheading a movement across Africa to bring water and sanitation into the media's agenda. To begin, WICO Africa, Enie's organization, conducted a study on "how to enable the media to build upon the growing interest of the public in information dissemination, public awareness raising and education on water and sanitation issues."

Coined the "Blue Revolution African Campaign (BRAC)," WICO Africa, PACE and the African Water Information Desk (AFRICAWIDE) in collaboration with organisations based in Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Senegal, and Benin started a campaign in September 2008 to give impetus to change environmental policy. The goal is to establish relations between the media, MPs and other stakeholders to increase dialogue and awareness on water and sanitation issues.

AFRICAWIDE also set up the Water Education and Training (WET) Africa Fund, which includes financing for the media, to ensure that journalists acquire the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to treat water and sanitation issues appropriately in the public forum. "It is quite evident that nature cannot speak like humans.

There is therefore a need for journalists and the media to effectively understand this and play an important role to enable the society to think and speak for nature," said Enie.

- Newspapers Bridge Old and New Media: A Snapshot from Highway Africa 2008

Across the world the media landscape is widening to include voices from outside the newsroom by dint of evolving information and communication technologies, from blogs to mobile phones.

At the 12th annual Highway Africa conference, held in Grahamstown, South Africa, from 8 to 10 September under the banner of 'Citizen Journalism, Journalism for Citizens,' more than 700 media professionals from 42 African countries gathered to discuss these changes through a democratic and sustainable lens.

"Ordinary people doing journalism. Journalism actually serving its citizens. That is the crux of the debates and discussions at Highway Africa 2008…how information and communication technologies can be deployed in African development and democracy projects," said Chris Kabwato, director of Highway Africa, in his welcoming address.

Guy Berger, a leading figure during the conference and head of Rhode's University's School of Journalism and Media Studies discussed with RAP 21 of what is ahead for the African media.

"The conference not only sensitised African journalists to the changing information universe and competition from amateur content producers, but that they also need to compete on the field of "citizenship," said Berger. He continued to speak about the positive potential this shift has for the entirety of the African media: "A great deal of African journalism is politically controlled, and will be sidelined if it does not become more citizen-oriented in terms of who it serves."

In the case of the African media, Berger said to RAP 21, "Much of the African media is state- or donor-sponsored, and in the case of print – financed by cover price. Except for the major players, advertising has not been the predominant basis of paying for news in many media operations. In turn, that reflects weak African economies and the lack of reliable market-research information into audiences and media consumption."

Burgeoning online content could also have benefits for the African media, albeit manifesting at a slower pace than in other parts of the world with higher internet access. Berger agreed: "Audiences shifting to online is slow in African conditions, but it does make for more measurable traffic and could assist media houses. New Vision in Uganda told me at the conference that their website is now a significant contributor to the paper's revenues. That's without factoring in citizen journalism in the sense of reportage that adds to the news – such a development in Africa could increase web content and also web traffic." This is especially relevant in light of this week's announcement of Google's ambitious plans to bring internet access to three billion people in Africa.

Currently, cell phones carry the most potential in connecting Africans to the media scene. Over the past five years cell phone use has skyrocketed. There are now 282 million cell phone users with an annual growth rate of 33 percent. "The cell phone model is the way to go. It can combine subscription and ad revenues, and it can be used for interactive journalism in a way that provides access and a platform for the African citizenry," Berger said.

"In a few years, there will be more consumption of internet news content by Africans through cell phones, than by other internet access or by the press. Broadcast will still reach more people, but it will need to converge a lot more with web and cellular platforms for maximum effect (including audio and video contributions and disseminations)," Berger continued.

With this pot-pourri of media sources and outlets Berger sees a potential for the traditional media to exploit new media. To smoothly segue into this new age Berger concluded: "Newspapers can lead the way in terms of new media via cell phone in Africa."

- World's Press Opposes Yahoo-Google Advertising Deal

The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) called on competition authorities, on 15 September, in Europe and North America to bar an advertising agreement between Google and Yahoo that would diminish competition. WAN has taken this stand on the grounds that the deal would adversely affect advertising revenues that the two search giants provide to newspapers and other websites and cut costs on paid search ads.

To find out more about WAN's position please follow this link: http://www.wan-

Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development and Aid Effectiveness, Kenya, Nairobi, 26-28 August 2008

Engaging parliamentarians in the debate surrounding the 2005 Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Accra Agenda for Action (AAA) is essential to the betterment of the current aid delivery system. As the overseers of the public purse, and as representatives of the people for whom this aid is intended to reach, parliamentarians have an integral mandate to fulfill in this regard.

Not only an important end in and of itself, the effective delivery of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) is a prerequisite for the attainment of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The "Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development and Aid Effectiveness" each of these topics and explored this link with a focus on MDG 7, "ensure environmental sustainability" and 1, "eradicate extreme poverty and hunger."

Global warming currently constitutes one of the biggest challenges for humanity. The developed countries of the world are the main contributors to the problem while developing regions, not least of which, those in Africa, seem destined to suffer most. Additionally, food scarcity and security, an issue with complex links to climate related issues, needs to be addressed as a very serious issue of concern for the world community.

In response to these complex issues, AWEPA launched the African-European Parliamentary Dialogue on Sustainable Development and Climate Change. Partners in the dialogue have and will continue to include African parliamentarians, UN agencies, and global and regional parliamentary networks.

This new initiative was launched at the "Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development and Aid Effectiveness" in Nairobi from 26-28 August 2008. The dialogue will continue through sub-regional seminars and national workshops throughout Africa and Europe, leading up to the Copenhagen Summit at the end of 2009.

The overall objective of the Forum was to reinforce dialogue between parliamentarians and increase parliamentary action related to the global responsibilities of sustainable development, poverty reduction and aid effectiveness.

The seminar focussed on four key areas of parliamentary responsibility:

Climate Change
Economic Development and Food Security
Human Livelihood - Perspective of the Poor in Rural and Urban Environments
Parliamentary oversight of ODA in line with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the AAA.

During the seminar, parliamentarians evaluated progress and measures taken in relation to the above-mentioned themes. Parliamentarians from 14 African countries, joined by colleagues from 14 European countries and Japan, concluded the seminar by launching the African-European Parliamentary Action Plan on Climate Change.

Additionally, the Parliamentarians drafted a final Parliamentary Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, which was presented in the name of parliamentarians across the world at the Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, Ghana from 2-4 September 2008.

Please click here for speeches, presentations and extra resources.

Key seminar documents:

Press Release: Parliamentary Action for Climate Change 2008

Final Parliamentary Recommendations on Aid Effectiveness

Recommandations parlementaires sur l'efficacité de l'aide

Final Action Plan on Climate Change and Food Security

Plan d'action parlementaire africain-européen sur le changement climatique

Final Programme: Parliamentary Forum on Climate Change and Aid Effectiveness

Programmme finale: Forum parlementaire sur le Développement durable et l'Efficacité de l'aide

Press Coverage:

The Daily Nation, Kenya, August 27 2008

The Daily Nation, Kenya, August 28 2008

The Daily Nation, Kenya, August 29 2008

(DEEP)

Disability Education and Empowerment Programs (DEEP)

Inform, Involve and Inspire

The Disability Education and Empowerment Programs (DEEP) is an initiative of Cameroon Vision Trust, Women International Coalition Organization (WICO) Africa and World Pulse dedicated to serving men, women, and children with disabilities. We provide services and support for people with all forms of disability and their families. Currently the projects we support are in Ekona-Cameroon, Nairobi-Kenya, Kumasi-Ghana, Freetown, Sierra Leone etc.

Mission

DEEP‘s mission is to inform, involve and inspire people living with disabilities in Africa, and for those who care about them.

Get Informed!

At DEEP, we believe that Knowledge is Power. And the more you know, the more you can help. Below you will find links to presentations that will help you get informed. We hope these will help you understand the situation of people who live with disabilities in Africa. We will add more presentations periodically, so please check back!

Get Involved!

Donate:

The easiest and quickest way for you to get involved and support our work is to make a donation. DEEP has made it easy for you by accepting donations in many forms! Please visit our website and learn how you can make donations.

Volunteer Online

DEEP hopes to benefit greatly from the support and involvement of wonderful online volunteers from all over the world. As our online volunteers you have the opportunity to conduct research, write grant proposals, develop programmes, assist in fundraising, develop and carry out marketing and PR campaigns, and much more! They have even created the web site you are visiting right now!
If you would like to find out more about online volunteering, and are interested in joining the team of dedicated and talented Online Volunteers, Please visit our website to learn more.

Volunteer Onsite

We are currently not accepting applications for onsite volunteers. Make sure you sign up for email updates – volunteer opportunities will be posted as they become available. Visit our website for more

Advocate:

We are calling upon persons to act as advocate for DEEP.

Get Inspired:

At DEEP, we believe that inspiration is vital. We seek to provide inspiration to the people we serve, but we also hope we can inspire YOU!

We believe the best way to get inspired is to see the impact our work has had, both for the people we serve, and our volunteers!

Please visit our website to read the inspirational stories!

Camroon, Africa - NEWS

Here are photos we took today and yesterday during my visit to Ekona Village South West province Cameroon to meet up with Disable Persons, Orphans and Widows. The first two photo we were working with the widows in the farm to produce maize. The second photo we were with some members of a garden owned by disabled persons. the last photos we were with a group of disable persons.
Rosemary.

The Ekona Village Community, Cameroon Vision Trust, WICO Africa and World Pulse (group) celebrating the Cameroon Vision Trust 10 anniversary, is seeking professionals/volunteers/sponsors for a goodwill event mission to Ekona Village, Cameroon.

The Ekona Village Community, Cameroon Vision Trust, WICO Africa and the World Pulse Group hereby announces plans to host a goodwill event to Ekona Village, Cameroon, in Central Africa for Nov. 26- Dec 5 and is looking for professionals/volunteers/sponsors to go along and facilitate workshops, volunteers and sponsor activities in their fields of their expertise/interest.
Workshop topics will include special education, nutrition, craft, the arts, Development Education -- AIDS/STD awareness, farming, irrigation, and the ecosystem.
Ekona Village and the surrounding communities, in the South West Province of Cameroon, at the Foot of Mount Cameroon and has a population of mostly poor farm workers.

Participants to the event shall have the chance to visit local/rural schools that cater to thousands of children. The group is holding a drive for donations of school supplies such as pens, pencils, paper, notebooks and crayons.
Also on the itinerary are the opportunity to work with widows, disabled persons, orphans, street children and farmers.

The list of places to visit and donations are being sought for supplies such as Band-Aids, first aid kits and books shall be pasted on the website. They include the Centre for Agronomic Research, Centre for Geologic Research, The Chief Palace, the only Health Centre in the Area and other projects by the community.

Some of the outcome of the events includes helping Disabled Persons to set up the Disability Empowerment Centre (DEC), the Disable Workers Cooperative (DWC), a Community Farm for Widows, a centre for Orphans and Street Children and an Ecological Village to promote sustainable development in the area
Members will stay with host families, getting a chance to live with and experience life among the people of Cameroon.

You shall have the chance to taste the tantalizing Cameroonian Cuisines by local women such as Kwacoco and Mbanga Soup, Kwacoco Bible, Koki and Plantains, Roasted Plaintains/Moyondo and Roasted Fish, Achu (Pounded Cocoyams) and Yellow Soup. Ndole (Vegetables) and Plaintains/yams/cocoyams, Coconut Rice, Jollof Rice, Koki Corn, Corn Chaff, Pap, Akara Beans, Akara Banana etc.

Traditional Dances from across Cameroon, Pop Music from across Cameroon. Local Brew drinks and Cameroonian Beers produced by local breweries, Pala Pala the local African Wrestling, Football Matches by local schools, sports competition by persons with disability, Agro pastoral show by local farmers, arts and craft show by members of the community and many more.

On request we shall be happy to organize trip to other parts of Cameroon.

Please note Cameroon is called Africa in Miniature hence a visit to Cameroon is like visiting the whole of Africa in one go.

Local Organizing Committee- 1) The Chief of Ekona, HRH Chief Findi, 2) Ms Rosemary Olive Mbone Enie-CEO/President WICO Africa, Executive Director-Cameroon Vision Trust, 3) Mrs Ruth Fese (Mah Fese) Chairperson Cameroon Vision Trust/Director MELODRAAG, 4) Mrs Folefack Mary-Director Community Education and Action Centre (CEAC) Ekona, 5) Mr Elvis Amik- President of the Handicap Association, 6) Mr Bah Galus- Coordinator of the Handicap Association, 6) Ms Catherine Ebie Lysongo- Coordinator of Catering.

Rosemary Olive Mbone Enie

CEO/President WICO Africa (between 2004-2008)

P O Box 1075, Limbe, Cameroon

www.wicointernational.org

www.wicohome.org

www.watervoices.com

www.womensearthalliances.org

Cameroon Training and Enterprise Center

Cameroon Training and Enterprise Centre (CAMTEC)

Introducing the Cameroon Vision (CAMVISION) Trust /Women International Coalition Organisation (WICO) Africa New Project, the Cameroon Training and Enterprise Centre (CAMTEC)

The Cameroon Training and Enterprise Centre (CAMTEC) is an Initiative of the Cameroon Vision (CAMVISION) Trust and the Women International Coalition Organisation (WICO) Africa. The aim of the project is to train competent and highly skilled staff to run the Cameroon Construction Inudstry.

Strong working partnerships, a community based ethos and a commitment to addressing the skills shortage faced by the building industry, are some of the attributes the Cameroon Training and Enterprise Centre (CAMTEC) hopes to use to become a leader in the world of Construction Training across Cameroon.

Working with communities, Government agencies, colleges, NGOs and other local agencies we hope to provide a vast range of courses in construction, information technology and Skills for Life, CAMTEC would provide a comprehensive approach to construction and basic skills training.

Programmes range from skills-based courses geared to a vocational qualification, through to courses tailored to disadvantaged groups. Within the next 5 years we hope to train over 2,000 trainees take part in CAMTEC courses, with more than 400 on courses each year..

CAMTEC has developed new approaches to funding opportunities and has helped launch a wide variety of training initiatives in connection with urban regeneration and rural development schemes, to the direct benefit of unemployed people in the locality, those looking to learn new skills and local businesses.

With top calibre teaching and assessment personnel, all of whom are qualified in their trades and have accreditation from CITB and City and Guilds, courses are delivered within first class facilities in the form of dedicated CAMTEC training centres, whcih would be located across Cameroon, which are NVQ accredited and provide nationally recognised qualifications. The construction industry demands a well trained, motivated workforce which is aware of its responsibilities to the community at large and CAMTEC sets out to deliver just this.

To find out more about CAMTEC activities and courses, visit the website: www.wicohome.org

WELCOME WICO - SIERRA LEONE, AFRICA

WICO-SIERRA LEONE, AFRICA

Women’s International Coalition Organization Sierra Leone

(WICOSL)

CONSTITUTION

159 Circular Road, Freetown

Sierra Leone

Phone: +232 22 223136/ +232 33 425 797

Email: wicosierraleone@yahoo.com

BACKGROUND

Women International Coalition Organization Sierra Leone (WICO Sierra Leone) is local non-profitable organization (NGO) founded in Sierra Leone by Martina Manu Jan Kabba, while applying as a volunteer to work in the WICO youth office on a youth programme in August 2006. WICO Sierra Leone is a branch of Women International Coalition Organization founded in Jerusalem - Israel by Dr. DALIA STEINER "Ambassador for Peace", and in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.A, by Rev. MARILYN KOTULEK - "International White Eagle Ministries", INC.

GOALS

WICO Sierra Leone shall promote the International organization's goals, which include among other things to:

· Work for the benefit of men, women, children and the physically challenged in Sierra Leone and all over the world with no preference towards ethnicity or religion, in the protection of their rights and providing them opportunities to a better quality of life;

· Advance them in different fields such as: (Professional) Education, Culture: for peace and mainly prevent violence, injustice evolving from discrimination and social inequality.

· Encourage democratic thoughts and actions through a collaborative environment to positively impact the community especially the women;

· Encourage entrepreneurship and promotion among women through participatory approaches;

· Provide a unified voice in the affairs of leadership, business, justice, human rights, democracy and health care;

· Develop leadership skills, capacity and experience necessary for women empowerment;

· Promote or conduct business development practices pertinent to promoting equal opportunities for all people to reduce poverty.

· To promote tolerance, integrity, understanding, and peace, for effective change in the
lives of all people in the community

We, the founding members of "WICO Sierra Leone" as listed below do hereby establish this Constitution on 1^st October 2007 in order that our purpose be realized to its fullest extent.

1. Martina Manu Jan Kabba

2. Andrew Jeneke Kromah

3. Edith Squire

4. Eila Turay

ARTICLE I

THE SUPREMACY OF THE CONSTITUTION

This constitution shall be the supreme and binding authority of the organization and any resolution, policy or action inconsistent with this constitution, this constitution shall prevail and the resolution, decision, policy or action shall be to the extent of such inconsistent null and void.

ARTICLE II

NAME OF THE ASSOCIATION

1 The name of association shall be Women’s International Coalition Sierra Leone, herein also refer to as ‘WICO Sierra Leone’’ and shall be located and operate in Sierra Leone.

ARTICLE III

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To establish common understanding, awareness no discrimination amongst it’s members.
To boost members morally and economically in times of need.
To embark on developmental programme.
To foster the interest of members and promote tolerance, peace, integrity, and understanding for effective change in the welfare of individual lives of all people in the community.
To promote gender, children and disabled rights and empower them to access and enjoy equal and sustainable social, political and economic opportunities without any discrimination.
To develop leadership capacity, promote alternative dispute resolution, democracy and human rights, business development and promoting awareness of responsibility to participate in public affairs by the community.
To advance peace and resolve conflicts for mutual exchange of social, cultural and historical understandings and good will along with educational and technological ties on one hand, and to foster close and strong ties with other compatriots and development partners.

ARTICLE IV

MEMBERSHIP

Affidavit of Eligibility is a required informational form filed by any member or organization, which identifies the organization or members interested in being general members of WICO Sierra Leone and must include all pertinent information.
WICO Sierra Leone shall bestow associate and honorary membership, as he/she may deem necessary.
Eligible to vote shall refer to any member unless otherwise prohibited within this constitution.
The board is a joint committee of all sub-committee responsible for various activities of the organization, as they will from time to time be constituted in accordance with this constitution.
‘WICO Sierra Leone’’ is an affiliate Organization of WICO International.
Quorum shall be understood as the presence in meetings of representatives of 50 % of entire committee or organization’s member plus one additional member, also known as a majority.
Any individual wishing to join the organization can do so by applying to join and agree to abide by the constitution of the Organization on signing an affidavit of eligibility. No one shall be discriminated on basis of race, religion, nationality, color or creed of the individual.
The following are the types of membership:

I. General members: All women who will express willingness by applying for membership and pay an annual subscription fee of Le20, 000 (6.50US Dollar) on signing an affidavit.

II. Associate members: All Individuals joining the organization but unwilling to sign an affidavit of eligibility. There shall not be any subscription fee for association members of the Organization and they will not be eligible to vote or stand for election into an office but can attend assembly meetings and participate in discussions i.e. the Men.

III. Founding members: Individuals who had been involved in the establishment of this organization from the very beginning up to the end shall be called the ‘Founding members’’ of the organization. The rights and privileges of the founding members are the same as that of the member for as long as the organization exists.

IV. Life member: Any member wishing to be a member for life of the organization can do so by paying a one-time donation determined by the executive body. She shall be called ‘Life Member’’ of the organization.

V. Honorary Member: WICO Sierra Leone shall award honorary membership to those individuals whose contributions are essential to attain the main objectives of the organization. Honorary members are not eligible to vote; however they can participate in general council meetings. The executive committee nominate individuals or organizations for honorary membership i.e. members of WICO in other countries.

VI. Youth Member: Individual below the age of 18 (eighteen) who join the organization shall be termed as ‘Youth members’’ as a youth member they can learn from members as mentors of the organization and acquire valuable knowledge and experience. As future members of the organization leadership qualities shall be encouraged and developed so that they could assume future leadership role in the organization. Youth members are not allowed to vote. No member or representative may hold more than one seat.

ARTICLE V:

REGISTRATION AND SUBSCRIPTION

To become a full–fledge member, individual shall pay an annual subscription fee of Le50, 000 and affiliate organization will pay Le100, 000 i.e. District branches.
Any committee or assembly member exceeding two absences without justifiable reasons will be declared inactive, and shall be suspended from voting privileges until reactivated.
An inactive member may request reactivation from the assembly at any regular meeting after demonstrating regular attendance. A simple majority vote of the whole Assembly is sufficient to reactivate a delinquent individual organization.

ARTICLE VI:

THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:

The organization structure of the WICO Sierra Leone will comprise of the following bodies:
1. The Founding members
2. The Assembly
3. Executive Body
4. The District Committees
5. Headquarters
6. The Advisory Body
The Assembly shall consist of all members of the organization. It is the main body of the organization and will elect the members of the Executive body.
The Executive is a body of elected members who will carry on the business of the organization and are accountable for planning, managing, monitoring and implementing the function of the organization.
The Executive body shall be of 7 elected members from the active members of the assembly.
The headquarters shall be the main administrative and coordinating center for the activities of WICO Sierra Leone. The executive will deem however the organization will establish offices and branches as necessary.
The Chief Executive Officer in consultation with the Executive Body shall nominate the Advisory Body of not more than 3 members. Nominated members of the Advisory Body shall remain in office as long as the term of office of the Executive Body. All past Chief Executive Officers shall become honorary members of the Advisory body and remains to be so as long as she desires.

ARTICLE VII:

OFFICERS

A. WICO Sierra Leone executive body shall be composed of the following to be elected by the assembly in accordance with this constitution:

· Chief Executive Officer

· Program Coordinator

· Secretary–general

· Assistant Secretary – general

· Financial Secretary

· Public Relations Officer

· Member/Administrative Assistant

B. The Organization shall have a Speaker of the Assembly who:

1. Shall be elected according to requirements in Article VII of this Constitution.

2. Shall preside over all regular and special meetings of the Assembly.

3. Shall obtain copies of all resolutions to be introduced in the Assembly and ensure they are
correctly formatted before being presented to the Assembly.

4. Shall be responsible for keeping an up-to-date list of members and will advise them on the Assembly seating

5. Shall serve as an ex-officio member of all standing and adhoc Assembly committees, with the exception of the Elections Committee when the Speaker is running for reelection or any other committee where the Speaker may have a conflict of interests.

6. Shall vote in the Assembly only in the case of a tie.

7. Shall supervise the Assembly Recorder of proceedings.

8. Shall be an ex-official member of the Executive Board, and shall preside over the Executive Board meeting in the absence of the Chief Executive Officer and the Program Coordinator.

C. The assembly recorder:
1. Shall be elected from the Assembly
2. Documents attendance and verifies Quorum
3. Takes minutes during the meeting
4. Records all meetings and turn the minutes over to the General Secretary so that minutes may be disseminated.
5. Shall serve at the leisure of the Organization. Removal from office will be set by the guidelines of the executive

ARTICLE VIII:

RIGHTS & DUTIES:

A. Rights and duties of the members of the executive and other office bearers:

i. The Chief Executive Officer:

1. The chief executive officer shall be responsible for overall operation of the organization.

2. She shall use every effort to achieve the aims and objectives of the organization.

3. She shall chair the Executive body meeting.

4. She may nominate members on the District committee.

5. She shall form and dissolve special assignment committees for various activities as needed for the development of the organization's program.

6. She must see that all the decisions made in the committees are made by the majority vote. In case of a tie, she shall be called on to cast the deciding vote except in the assembly.

7. She shall see that the records of all activities are kept in proper order according to the constitution and the law of the land and the founder WICO International.

ii. Program Coordinator:

1. She shall assist and help the Chief Executive Officer in all manners possible.

2. She will be responsible for developing annual programs in coordination with the Chief executive Officer and other members of the Executive Body.

3. In case of absence of the Chief Executive Officer, she shall assume the role of the acting Chief Executive Officer with full power and responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer.

4. By order of the Chief Executive Officer she shall chair various meetings and activities and represent the organization at various venues.

iii. Secretary- general:

1. She will be responsible for all administrative activities of the organization and
must work in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer and the Program coordinator.

2. She shall keep track of all records/reports of all organization's activities and paper trail at District, National and International levels.

3. She shall keep the meeting minutes and circulate them within a week to the meeting.

4. She will call all General and Executive meetings as and when advised by the Chief Executive Officer.

5. She will be responsible for preparing the annual report and present it in the annual general meeting.

6. She shall see that the organization and its branches are properly registered
and keep it up-to-date.

iv. Financial Secretary:

1. She shall be undertaking all activities in relation to the financial and monetary aspect of the organization.

2. She shall keep track of all revenue and expenditure records, donations and dues etc.

3. She shall present the annual income and expenditures report at the annual assembly meeting of the organization.

4. She will be responsible for conducting an annual audit and keep books of accounts accordance with the Public Financial and Accounting Regulations and will be responsible for fund raising activities of the organization.

v. Members of Executive Body:

1. All members should attend the executive meeting and participate in the decision making process of the organization, be active and provide intellectual and creative ideas and thoughts to enhance and advance the organization.

B. Rights and Duties of the members of WICO Sierra Leone.

1. The General members who form the assembly of the organization have the right to cast vote for electing the members of the Executive Body.

2. They will be called upon to vote for other issues like constitution amendments and other issues. They must try their best to participate in person.

3. Voting is the basic right of the members. Each member must exercise this right according to her conscience.

4. Members elected or nominated to an office of the organization must make it their responsibility and duty to participate in the meetings and activities of the Organization as called upon by the Executive body for the development of the organization.

5. In order for any member to run for an elected office she must have participated actively in the
organization in various capacities and must have been a member of one working committee. Her candidacy shall be proposed by one member, seconded by another and endorsed by one of the founding members. The endorsement of a founding member shall be required for the first two elections only. Then-after endorsement of founding members is not required. No one founding member shall endorse two candidates for the same post.

6. Associate members of the organization can participate in all activities of the organization but
do not have the right to vote or run for elections. However, they may be appointed or nominated by the Chief Executive Officer in consultation with the Executive Body to serve in any of the committees formed by the Executive Body.

7. The assembly shall be the guiding body of the organization to see that the various activities of the Organization are in conformance with the constitution of the Organization. It is the duty of all members in all categories to bring to the notice of all if any article of the Constitution has been violated so that immediate remedial step can be undertaken to rectify the mistake.

C. Vote of No Confidence.

1. A voting member can floor the Vote of No Confidence to remove the Executive committee or a member of the Executive committee, or any other committee or individual of office by submitting written petition with signature of at least 40% of the voting members to the general meeting.

2. The Vote of No confidence has to be approved by 66% of the voting members of the organization in order to be implemented.

D. Rights and Duties of Members of the Advisory Board:

1. Members of the Advisory Board shall be a source of advice, experience and information for the Chief Executive Officer, the Executive Body and all other members of the Organization.

2. They are only a consultative body and shall not do anything to influence any activities of the
organization such as elections or other policy matters in a direct or an indirect way.

ARTICLE IX:

ELECTIONS

1. Elections shall be held in accordance with this constitution.

2. The Founding Members shall constitute a fully independent Electoral Commission three months prior to elections. Founding members are free to co-opt associate and honorary members for this exercise.

3. The assembly shall elect from its body the Executive Committee, a Speaker and a Recorder in accordance with the simple majority rule.

4. Each member shall cast only one vote.

5. Electoral commission shall be responsible for conducting free and fair elections as an important part of the democratic practice. The election process should be transparent and fully disclosed and explained to all members of the organization.

6. The Electoral Commission shall formulate all rules and regulations to conduct this fair and democratic election.

7. The registered voting members to exercise their basic rights. In case of the contested election the candidates will have to obtain at-least 50% of the vote cast to win the election.

8. All officers shall be elected by a simple majority of eligible members of "WICO Sierra Leone." All elections will be held every five years.

9. The speaker will take nominations from the floor. The nomination process must be closed and the motion seconded. The nominated parties will be allowed to vote if they are eligible voting members.

10. All voting shall be done by secret ballot and the detailed result announced by the Election commission, to be collected and tabulated by the recorder and one voting member of "WICO Sierra Leone," appointed by the founding members.

11. All office bearers will have a Five-year term in office starting the 1st of June.

12. Newly elected officers will assume office on 1st July of every election year, except in the case of midterm elections. Officers elected midterm will assume office immediately after their election.

ARTICLE X:

District Committee Members

1. The Chief Executive Officer shall nominate members to the District Committee as will be guided by       the executive and founding members in accordance with this constitution.
2. District Committee Members must be Active Members of good standing.
3. Members are responsible to attend all meetings of both the District and the National Assembly.
4. Members may be removed in accordance with the procedures in this constitution.
5. Vacancies must be filled in accordance with this constitution.

ARTICLE XI:

DISTRICT COMMITTEES

1. There will be twelve District Committees

2. Each committee is required to convene and select a committee leader.
3. The twelve committees (12) shall have subcommittees i.e.:
i. Leadership development committee
ii. Business development committee
iii. Democracy and Human Rights committee
iv. Alternative dispute resolution Committee
v. Finance committee
vi. Arts and Edutainment committee
4. Other committees may be proposed by the Chief Executive Officer and approved by the executive in accordance with this constitution. The above Committees may be merged/removed or reinstated as and when the Executive deems it necessary.
5. Business in these committees must be conducted in a timely manner, and regular reports must be given to the Secretary General on the progress of the committee.
6. The District committees must present activities and recommendations for all proposals to the Assembly for approval.

ARTICLE XII:

GOOD STANDING ON COMMITTEES

1. Members, who have exceed four (4) unexcused absences meetings, will be removed from that committee and another member shall fill the seat from the assembly within one month upon endorsement by the Executive.
2. If it is the District committee chairperson that has exceeded four (4) unexcused absences in meetings, then the committee shall appoint a new chair by majority vote, and that new member shall be selected from the current members of the district committee.

ARTICLE XIII:

MEETINGS QUORUM/VOTING

1. Annual General Meeting: The Executive body shalall mandatory call one general meeting for all its members every year. The organization shall also conduct regularly scheduled meetings during all months except November and December and shall establish regular meeting times, which shall be published.

Executive Body Meeting: Executive Body must call to order at least four quarterly meeting of its body.

3. Emergency Assembly Meeting: The Executive body can call an Emergency meeting of the assembly as deemed necessary by the Executive body reflecting the need and urgency of the matter in hand to be discussed for the defense and upkeep of the organization.

4. District meetings: The district meetings of WICO Sierra Leone shall sit at least once every three months and will be presided over by the Committee leader and copies of minutes shall be passed on to the General Secretary.

5. Quorum (50%) must be present in order for voting to take place in all meetings. In the case of the
executive, if the Quorum is not reached for the validity of the meeting a second call for the meeting
shall be made and at least 33% of the executive members must be present in person to validate the
meeting.

6. Resolutions shall pass with a simple majority vote as specified in this Constitution.

7. Amendments to this Constitution shall be added upon passage with a 2/3 vote of the voting membership.

8. Minutes and other documents will be made available no later than one week after any meeting, and paper copies will be available at the next meeting.

9. Members are responsible to review the agenda and minutes for the previous meeting before the meeting at which they will be accepted.

10. All members are required to bring a copy of the current agenda and the minutes of the previous meeting to all meetings.

11.Any member who is in arrears of his /her financial obligation to WICO Sierra Leone shall have no vote if such arrears exceed three months. Only paid up members shall be entitled to vote.

12.Attendance on a procedure at meetings. It is mandatory that all members attend general meetings; Absentees must submit valid excuses prior to the commencement of the meeting.

ARTICLE XIV:

REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

Any officer of "WICO Sierra Leone" in violation of the organization's purpose or constitution may be removed from office by the following process:

1. A written request by at least 30 members of the assembly.

2. Written notification to the officer of the request and asking the officer to be present at the next
appropriate meeting prepared to speak in their own defense.

3. Written notification to the membership. 75% of the voting membership must be in attendance to vote on removal of an officer. A two-thirds (2/3) majority of those present is necessary to remove an officer.

ARTICLE XV:

REPLACEMENT

Should an officer resign or be removed, a special election will be held two weeks after written
notification to all voting members but not later than one month.

ARTICLE XVI:

THE FUND

i. A "WICO Sierra Leone Fund" for the organization shall be created to fund various activities of the
organization.

ii. The fund shall be generated from subscriptions and donations received from various members, well wishers and benefactors of the organization and income from various activities and program undertaken by the organization.

iii. Donations and grants shall be voluntary though solicited and donation drives will be conducted from time to time to meet the basic needs of the organization.

iv. "WICO Sierra Leone" will conduct all financial activities in accordance with procedures to be
developed by the executive, in accordance with the laws of Sierra Leone.

v. A current bank account shall be opened under the name "WICO Sierra Leone" with a reputable bank and shall have three principal signatories including the chief executive officer.

vi. The organization is authorized to enter into ventures to increase its operational income through
loan acquisition and partnerships with the approval of the founder members in accordance with the laws of the land

.
vii. An external auditor will be contracted to audit WICO Sierra Leone's books of accounts annually.

ARTICLE XVII:

AMENDMENTS

This constitution is binding to all members of "WICO Sierra Leone," but the constitution is not binding unto itself.

1. Amendments to the constitution may be proposed in writing by any voting member of "WICO Sierra Leone" at any meeting in which two-third (2/3) of the voting member are present.

2. These amendments will be placed on the agenda for the next regular assembly meeting.

3. Proposed amendments will become effective following approval of two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of voting assembly members.

ARTICLE XVIII:

DISSOLUTION

The organization may be dissolved, proposed in writing by any thirty (30) voting member of "WICO Sierra Leone" at any meeting in which two-third (2/3) of the voting members are present.
The proposal will then be placed on the agenda for the next regular general assembly meeting for discussion and debate.
Proposed dissolution will become effective following approval of two-thirds (2/3) majority vote
of voting assembly members.
The Secretary of the NGO Board and Registrar of Companies will be officially informed of this decision.
The property of WICO Sierra Leone will then be passed on to organizations with similar objectives to be identified by the seating executive and the Founder members.

Adopted and signed on this 5th Day of November 2007.

SIGNATURE: …M.Kabba…………………..

Chief Executive Officer

……E.Turay…………………….

Financial Secretary

WICO'S PARTNERS IN NIGERIA - AFRICA

"Tomorrows Women Development Organization" (NGO)

www.tomorrowswomendevelopment.org

Welcome Ms. Chinyere Offor-Ezenwokike - Head of WICO Nigeria.

WICO-"WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL COALITION"

( NGO)