[Dialogue] A recent contribution to women's empowerment around the world

Sat Feb 4 16:12:53 EST 2012

Bravo, dear David!!

Dr. Marilyn R. Crocker
123 Sanborn Road
West Newfield, ME 04095
vo, dear David!!

On Sat, 4 Feb 2012 13:27:49 -0700 David M Dunn <dmdunn1 at gmail.com>
writes:
Hello Colleagues.

Our colleague network provides part of the backstory behind a resource
for women's empowerment that has must been published by the Huairou
Commission in Brooklyn, NY. 

ToP Trainer  and longtime colleague Lisel Burns, a volunteer involved in
the project, approached me with the invitation to help publish a manual.
Dick Alton had made the introduction and planted the seed that I was a
potential resource. I worked most closely with Sarah Silliman, the
Huairou Commission's Director of Programs. Jan Peterson, once a resident
of one of our houses, is the Global Chair and Director of the Huairou
Commission—the publishing organization.  I became the manual's editorial
advisor, designer, and desktop publisher.

Scroll down a ways for the announcement of the manual's publication.

David

Relaunch | Women and Human Settlements: A Global Exchange Space

The Huairou Commission is thrilled to announce the launch of the new and
improved Women and Human Settlement (WAHS) web portal at 
www.womenandhumansettlements.org, a collaboration between the Huairou
Commission and UN-HABITAT. WAHS is a global exchange space for
community-based organizations, researchers and international development
practitioners at large to share experiences, tools and local knowledge
relating to women and development.

The new redesign of the site, originally launched in 2010, is the result
of months of revisioning that incorporates the feedback of users over the
last year. With the help of a new web developer,  Svaha LLC, the new web
portal not only exceeds the functionality of the old, but expands upon
the site's original vision, becoming a true social networking space for
grassroots development practitioners and their allies. In addition to a
new, fresh design, users will benefit from the ability to:
Debate topics in designated forum spaces
Create their own organizational websites within the larger WAHS site
Interact with other users  through private messages
The expanded functionality of the portal better achieves its original
objective of being an easily navigable space where users with various
levels of media literacy can discuss ideas and promote their development
practices. 

Video Tutorial
This video tutorial provides a step-by-step guide to the main features of
the new WAHS site, including how to become a new member: 

For best results, click the blue HD button when viewing the video
tutorial.

The Get Started Here box on the front page provides further explanation
on various aspects of the site and their purpose.

Please visit www.womanandhumansettlements.org to join the global
exchange!

A note for registered users: All user names have remained the same. If
you are having trouble logging in with your old password, please use the
"reset password" link that appears under the white login box upon first
wrong entry of the password. For questions and assistance, feel free to
contact Kim-Jenna Jurriaans, Communications Coordinator, at
kim.jurriaans at huairou.org   

Online Grassroots Academy | March 12-23, 2012

To celebrate the relaunch of the new WAHS site and explore the
opportunities it offers for online dialogue between community
practitioners and those working in the field of international
development, March 12-23 will mark the first WAHS Online Grassroots
Academy. Drawing on the theme of this year's World Urban Forum (WUF6),
"Urban Future," participants will be able to engage in a global
conversation surrounding the challenges, innovations and aspirations of
grassroots women in improving life in their communities.

Please look out for more information on this event in the coming weeks as
questions and facilitators will be finalized. For more information
regarding the new WAHS site, please email Kim-Jenna Jurriaans,
Communications Coordinator, at kim.jurriaans at huairou.org.

New Tool | Local-to-Local (L2L) Dialogue Resource Manual

The Local-to-Local Dialogue Resource Manual: A Guide for Grassroots
Women-Led Engagement with Local Government and Decision Makers. Edited by
Sarah Silliman. Contributors: Susanna George, Esther Mwaura Muiru,
Everlyne Nairese and Sarah Silliman. 2011.
After three years in the making, the Huairou Commission is proud to
present an essential guide for grassroots women-led engagement with local
government and decision makers.  

The Local-to-Local Dialogue Resource Manual combines collective
knowledge, evolved from nearly a decade of experiences around the world,
into a series of practical tools and locally adaptable strategies for
initiating and engaging in Local-to-Local (L2L) Dialogues. The manual
will guide grassroots women's groups in negotiating a wide spectrum of
development issues that affect grassroots women and their communities. 

You can download a free pdf of the manual or order a print copy for $15
by contacting  orders at huairou.org.

What is Local-to-Local Dialogue?
Through the L2L Dialogue process, women collectively identify priorities,
develop action plans and carry out programs to enhance community
participation. According to Ann Wanjiru from the Mathare Mother Center, a
member of GROOTS Kenya:

"The Local-to-Local Dialogue is a long process [that] begins with the
communities having a lot of problems continuously. Then they identify who
has the solution for their problems. To mobilize the communities we come
together, we sit down, and then agree- we identify the issues. Then...we
identify...which relevant authority we can invite to help us get a
solution...and who is the key person to call for the dialogue."

What makes L2L Dialogues successful?
The Local-to-Local Dialogue is a uniquely powerful tool for building
grassroots capacity because it is initiated, developed and led by
grassroots women and community members. The success of this approach is
the result of sustained engagement between communities and decision
makers.  

For nearly a decade, with the support and coordinated efforts of the
Huairou Commission and UN-HABITAT, Huairou Commission member
organizations such as GROOTS Kenya and Czech Mother Centers have
initiated and engaged in L2L Dialogues in their own countries, as well as
developed training resources to share the Local-to Local methodology. 

As stated in the manual: "When we document our own realities, build
consensus, and form alliances, we build a power base to access resources
and create solutions that we own and manage. Our engagement as grassroots
women in local decision-making results in governance in which the state,
civil society, and grassroots people work in partnership."

Who can use the manual?
The L2L Dialogue Resource Manual is designed for grassroots women's
groups and community-based organizations, along with the local
authorities and institutions that work with them. 

Beginners to community organizing will learn about identifying and
exploring community needs and issues, developing leadership and engaging
other members of the community. Seasoned organizers will find resources
for specific challenges and problems and strategies for difficult
negotiations.  

 Connect with others working on issues of women's empowerment and gender
equality 

Join in the discussion! 
www.womenandhumansettlements.org 

Campaigns
AIDS
Community Resilience
Governance
Land & Housing

Member Networks
GROOTS International

Women in Cities International

FEMUM-ALC

ICIWF

International Council of Women

Women and Habitat Network

Women and Peace Network

Contact Us

info at huairou.org
249 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11211 USA 
1-718-388-8915
www.huairou.org

The Huairou Commission is a global membership and partnership coalition
that empowers grassroots women's organizations to enhance their community
development practice and to exercise collective political power at the
global level.

Interact with other women through our new online portal! 
www.womenandhumansettlements.org

David Dunn
740 S Alton Way 9B
Denver, CO 80247
--
dmdunn1 at gmail.com
720-314-5991
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