Soroptimist International Midwestern Region The Vision April 2018 Edition 2018 A message from Governor Vivian Walczesky April Dates to Soroptimist International. All four federations were Remember As I write this message to all of represented. As SI Director of Advocacy, our own you, Easter is just about here. I Beverly Bucur informed us of the happenings and April 27-29 am getting ready to color Easter events surrounding the issues of water. The ses- 2018 eggs---yes I still do that--and a sions, parallel events, and meetings are without Spring Conference big Sunday dinner for my fami- question the best anywhere. You learn something – Sheraton Confer- ly. Wishing you and yours a from every session or parallel event. Education is ence Center – Lisle, wonderful Easter celebration. the key. The CSW is held in March each year. If IL anyone is ever interested in attending the CSW, Our spring conference is right around the corner in please contact me since notification goes out gener- Soroptimist Pledge Lisle, Illinois. The entire Midwestern Region Board is ally in October or November each year. getting together all the things necessary before all of I pledge allegiance you show up. I am looking forward to seeing all of you By now, we have all had our LYD and Wagner award to Soroptimist and again and meeting new members for the first winners named. We are ready to distribute funds to to the ideals for time. We have a full slate of officers for you and it will these winners. This is the exciting part for all of which it stands: soon be time for me to pass on my Governor’s pin to us. Women helping women to be their best. Each Governor Elect Kris Armstrong. When anyone says time you fundraise, each time you hold a raffle, each The sincerity of “Time flies,” it really has flown by for me as your Gov- time you do a 50/50, remember that these are the ernor. We will take a look at the health of our region friendship, funds that help any woman continue with her edu- and I will make some final comments as your Gover- The joy of cation. As we have heard so many times, if you nor. Thank you for allowing me to serve as your Gov- achievement, want to get a woman out of poverty, educate ernor for 2016-2018. The dignity of her. And let’s continue to do that by giving more of service, our hard earned fundraising monies to our LYD Having attended the Conference on the Status of The integrity of awards and giving more awards. Take a long hard Women in New York from March 9 through March 15, profession, look at your budgets and keep distributing those 2018, I come away with the awe inspiring feel of New and the love of funds. Those funds you raise, sitting in an account York City. It is a city that like Vegas never sleeps. The country. accumulating cob webs does not help any woman. United Nations promotes comradery and friend- ships. We got up with the birds in order to appear for I will put forth my My sincerest THANKS to each and every member of morning greatest effort to the Midwestern Region for doing their part for the briefings. As always, my roommate for this conference promote, uphold, Soroptimist organization. Without each of you, we was Lata Shastri, president of the Wyandotte and defend these could not be doing our job in helping women be Southgate Taylor club. It is always a joy to share a ideals, for a larger their best. See all of you in a few weeks. room with Lata and we somehow manage to get a fellowship in home, room with a view, this time on the 39th floor of the Best to all. in society, in Millennium Hilton. We could reach out and touch the business, for Chrysler Building, and at night, it is a magnificent Vivian Walczesky country and for view. But we are there as a delegation to support Governor 2016-2018 Midwestern Region USA God Page 2 Public Awareness T H E V I S https://www.abc57.com/news/18-men-arrested-in-human-trafficking-mission I O END HUMAN TRAFFICKING NOW! Report a tip N Call 1-888-3737-888 or text BEFREE https://humantraffickinghotline.org/ Page 3 Public Awareness T H E V I S I O N Page 4 Public Awareness COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a functional commission of the United T Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), is a global policy-making body dedi- cated exclusively to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. The Com- H mission was established by ECOSOC resolution 11(II) of 21 June 1946 with a mandate to pre- pare recommendations on promoting women’s rights in political, economic, civil, social and educational fields. The Commission is also re- E sponsible for monitoring, reviewing and ap- praising progress achieved and problems en- countered in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995 and of the outcomes of the twenty-third spe- cial session of the General Assembly of 2000, at all levels, and to support gender main- streaming. The Commission also contributes to the follow-up to the 2030 Agenda for Sus- V tainable Development so as to accelerate the realization of gender equality and the empow- erment of women and girls. I Every year, representatives of Member States, United Nations entities and -non governmental organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC gather at United Nations Headquar- ters in New York for the Commission’s annual S session. Usually held for ten days in March, the session provides an opportunity to review progress towards gender equality and the em- powerment of women, identify challenges, set I global standards and norms and formulate pol- icies to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide. The session is also a key opportunity for policy makers, advocates, researchers and activists to network and O strategize, mobilize and plan new initiatives and actions to further the cause of gender N equality and women’s empowerment. Page 5 Public Awareness FEELING THE POWER OF tal in founding the United Nations and keeping it going. I felt Awe from sharing the meeting space UNITED NATIONS WOMEN other country diplomats have shared in solving world problems. I felt Respect for other cultures T as I listened to a translator provide English. I ex- I have had the desire to attend the United Na- tions Commission on the Status of Women perienced Appreciation for the talented artists of meetings since I found out Soroptimist Interna- the world, who have gifted many of their crea- tional had an advisory seat on this commission. tions, which are currently hanging on the walls of H This year I finally made it. the United Nations. I received Inspiration from witnessing thousands of women from all over the I had no idea of the magnitude of this annual world show up to either present or attend a conference, but I felt the power quickly. The meeting. I shared Hope for the world since wom- power of 8,000 determined women from all en continue to be highly motivated to help each E other wherever they live, lead a better life. over the world convening in the United Na- tions Building to do something about Gender Finally, I witnessed the Power of Women who will Equity. not give up the quest of Gender Equity until equality is reached. Submitted by Mary Ellen Burke,SIGP This women power included many women gov- ernment leaders from over one hundred coun- tries. Prime Ministers from Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Australia, and Nigeria led many of V the opening sessions. Some briefings were presented by UN organizations including UN Women, UNESCO, World Food Programme, UNICEF, World Health Organization, the UN Office of Counter Terrorism. Non- I Governmental Organization (NGO) CEOs from worldwide organizations presented many in- spiring briefings. These included Save the Chil- dren, YMCA, Salvation Army, Amnesty Interna- S tional and Women for Women International to name just a few. Women filmmakers have travelled to many third world countries to rec- ord how women are helping women survivors of violence recapture their lives. (Watch Little I Stones on Netflix.) Women volunteers are committed to helping other women overcome economic obstacles to their own success. Health practitioners are dedicated to success- O fully educate women tribal leaders on pre- venting child marriages and female genitalia mutilation. What did I take away with me from this experi- N ence? I have great Admiration for Eleanor Roosevelt, who had the foresight and energy to motivate all women to help each other, es- pecially through the Untied Nations. I have Pride in the United States for being instrumen- Page 6 Awards Night SI ~ Greater Macomb T SI Greater Macomb held their annual Awards Banquet Dinner on March 15, 2018, at Sajo’s Restaurant in Clinton Township. Each award recipient received H their certificate and check. Chairperson Maggie Davis introduced the Live Your Dream Award Recipient Bridget Fisher who told us that it was always her dream E to be a nurse. Bridget received $1,500 and will realize that dream in the spring of 2019. Chairpersons Christa Rhoades and Shawn Murphy-Niemi presented the Virginia M. Wagner Educational Grant to Kacey Corbin. Kacey received $1,000 and Maggie Davis pictured with Bridget Fisher will graduate in September 2018 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied V Psychology and minor in Human Re- sources.