The story of a young girl in Hiroshima, who folded a thousand paper cranes to make her wish of world peace come true, captured the imagination of delegates in President Lynn’s opening address.

She explained that the young girl’s school friends were so inspired they erected a memorial to her which is still decorated with thousands of paper cranes to this day. “The message coming from one so young is an example to us all”, said Lynn. “Important messages will also emerge from our discussions and we must find an efficient means to ensure they they also are delivered clearly and effectively.”

Years of preparation have gone into preparing for this Convention with the determination to make it a celebration of Soroptimism’s place in international society. “Just as we believe that our Soroptimist service has a beneficial impact on our communities and relevance in society, so I hope the days that we will spend together on the banks of the Clyde will have an impact on Soroptimism everywhere.” She continued: “Just as we cannot exist without the sun, so our Soroptimist groups and the communities we serve will only thrive if they are linked to the energy source that is generated on occasions such as this.”

She listed some statistics which illustrate how much work there is still to do:

* If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the one million that will die this week.

* If you have never experienced the fear of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

* If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death, you are luckier than 3 billion people in the world.

* If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75 per cent of the world.

* If you have money in the bank, in your purse and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top eight per cent of the world’s wealthy and by reading this message you are doubly blessed because you can read.

President Lynn said she and Immediate Past President Joan want to ensure that as many members as possible participate in the activities outlined in the programme. It is divided into sub-themes for each day which all contribute to the overall theme of “Unity of Purpose; Diversity in Action.”

During the coming days there will be much action as well as discussion as we take note of our key speakers and the outcomes of our workshops and panel debates. Our keynote speakers have been chosen to give context to, and provide more information on the many areas in which we work.

Members ranging from those who are relatively new to those with vast experience will introduce speakers and give votes of thanks. Federation Presidents will join us on stage regularly throughout the Convention and will participate in discussions alongside the Strategic Planning Group.

Members in the audience will be encouraged to ask questions and put forward suggestions. The programme team will be outlining our new Focus and will be engaging in conversation on the issues. “We want the Convention to be inclusive and positive in its outcomes.”

Peter Cox may well have joked that he could hear the audience snoring, but in fact his frightening array of statistics showing the consequences of global warming had Soroptimists sitting on the edge of their seats.

Climate change is something that we all have to live with, he said, as he bombarded us with scientific facts and then looked at our attitudes and responses to climate change and what we all needed to do to avoid the most damaging aspects.

Some facts:

* The global temperature has increased by 0.7 degrees C since the late 19th C.

* The 10 warmest years have all occurred since 1990.

* Atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased by approximately 25% since 1700.

* Natural factors, such as volcanic activity and the output of the sun, cannot explain recent warming.

* The increasing destructiveness of tropical cyclones over the last 30 years.

* Tropical deforestation accounts for 20% of all global C02 emissions and an area of Amazonian forest the size of Belgium is cleared every year.

We cannot rely on self-interest and leave it to the grandkids to deal with, said Peter. It is difficult to get action on climate change as it is too easy to think that it is someone else’s problem. Climate change is unjust; the source of the problem lies with the industrialised nations, but the worst effects will be felt by the developing world with a decrease in crop yields. Carbon dioxide does not recognise national boundaries.

Global C02 emissions took off from the 1950s and were now on a path to destruction. However, Peter’s message was that we still have a chance to reduce future emissions. Depending on the choices we make, there could be a range of 2 - 6 degrees C additional global warming by 2100. Many scientists believe that an increase of 2 degrees C could be dangerous and that to avoid such warming we need to make a 60% cut in global emissions by 2050, with a continuing reduction thereafter.

His conclusion was that the human fingerprint on climate change is now clear ... To make any impact on global warming we must act now and act drastically!

Teresita Choa opened her presentation by saying  “Soroptimism will remain healthy and vital only if it adapts to the needs of members and potential members” was the central strand of President Tes’s speech.

SIA’s commission of a professional survey had resulted in the Renaissance Campaign to improve programmes, projects, membership, fundraising and public awareness of Soroptimism.That included a Women’s Opportunity Award; a corporate sponsorship programme; 66 new clubs with 16,000 new members; increased news releases and media hits; and a Live Your Dream Campaign to inspire women from all walks of life.

And her goal for the future? …An ambitious and challenging 250 new clubs and 50,000 new members.

She said that despite there being more female heads of state and CEOs, women and girls still lagged behind men and faced obstacles and discrimination. Dire statistics showed that one in three women had been abused; women worked two-thirds of the world’s working hours but earned only 10 per cent of the world’s income and owned less than 1 per cent of the world’s property; globally women’s unpaid work was worth $11 trillion a year; two-thirds of the 880 million illiterate adults were women; by age 18 girls had had 4.4 fewer years' education than boys; and each year more than 600,000 women were trafficked for sexual slavery.

Teresita’s pride and passion shone through as she highlighted clubs' and members’ enthusiasm for helping others through their wide-ranging and far-reaching projects. SIA had had a busy four years and believed they were now providing a strong foundation for Soroptimism well into the future – moving forward in leaps and bounds and embracing new technologies and ideas to help women and girls.

The full script of this presentation is available on the Download page.

Professor Mary Renfrew used moving visual images to support her goals of gender equality, good parenting and healthy children. Professor Mary Renfrew gave a fascinating presentation on maternal and infant health and emphasised that nothing is more precious than the start of a new life. Her passionate desire for better conditions for mothers and babies shone out in her lecture as she begged us all to improve the situation locally and internationally through advocacy and action.

She reminded delegates of the UN Millennium Declaration and the eight goals to combat poverty, pointing particularly to the fundamental importance of Goal 4 - to reduce child mortality; Goal 5 - to improve maternal health and Goal 6 - to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

Globally, one pregnant woman dies every minute – 600,000 a year – while 20 to 30 times that number suffer injury, infection, disease and mental health problems. Mothers under the age of 15 are five times more likely to die and 99% of maternal deaths occur in developing countries. Six million babies are stillborn or die in the first week of life and a million children are left motherless every year, having grave consequences for the future of the children.

Among the many improvements needed are empowering, enfranchising and engaging women, as well as education for girls and women. Better housing, nutrition, clean water and transport are essential, as is free access to health care. In particular, she spoke of the need for skilled attendants at births, which necessitates the training of midwives, yet in many countries the status of midwives is very low.

She asked clubs and regions to keep maternal and infant health at the forefront of all programmes in all countries. Highlighting the significant improvements in Glasgow during the past 30 years, she said she believes that huge and dramatic improvements in the welfare of mothers and babies can be achieved.

The extensive globetrotting of the 'Women Building Peace' Ambassador, SIE Past President Heidrun Konran, soon earned her the logo 'The Flying Lady'. Circling the globe six times, chartering 62 clubs in 25 countries, taking in the Peace Marathon in Rwanda and the Peace Dolls projects in St. Petersburg and the Netherlands, she tirelessly promoted her message of “PEACE”.

In contrast, President Monique Riviére took her audience back to 411 BC, when Aristophane created Lysistrata – an illustration of the first peace handicraft woman. Her project, 'Let us Build Peace through Local Heritage' had just two critical messages: “NO TO WAR” and “YES TO PEACE”. She encouraged delegates to capitalise on local heritage as a tool for peace – to draw lessons from history, embrace what was good and cherish the diversity of culture and language through our actions.

The full script of this presentation is available on the Download page.

'Carry on Caring' Princess Anne tells Soroptimists

Working in a sustainable way to bring real understanding and depth to communities was the keynote message of The Princess Royal’s 15-minute address to a packed convention hall.

She drew repeated parallels between the projects started and maintained by Soroptimists around the world and her own charities, principally Save the Children.

She knew about our work and said: “You know a lot about what’s required” and later she thanked SI for work both locally and nationally and “for the rigorous way you examine what you do and why you do it”.

Princess Anne outlined the origins of Save the Children, which was founded in 1919 and quickly recognised that women were the best way to bring about improvement in health and education in their families.

This sort of work requires a deep understanding, how to address priorities, measuring the impact and making sure it lasts and then move on to repeat the process. This is the crucial element which drives Soroptimists too, she said, “It’s not just a case of dropping in!”

Moving into difficult areas is more challenging with real risks and we need to support NGOs. The Princess referred to a micro finanacing organisation called 'Opportunity International'. Eighty-eight per cent of the money is lent to women but because they play such a vital part in health and education they repay 100 per cent all the time.

Turning to The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, Princess Anne talked about the impact on individual carers who can’t always continue because of their own health reasons. We must be careful of making assumptions and need to listen carefully and learn and ask ourselves “could we do it better?” 

Finishing her address, Princess Anne said "We only need to improve the design of the wheel, not reinvent it".

A three-point action plan for Soroptimists to help eradicate women in poverty around the world was launched by Dr Rawwida Baksh.

* We should urge our governments to put more of the national budget into health and education and less into defence and war

* Support women to run for seats in Parliament and local government and work with them to be “women’s champions” once in power.

* Where conflict is escalating, become an active voice for peace and build bridges with women from other organisations and men from the “other” side.

She opened her presentation by saying that women represent about 50 per cent of the population but more than 70 per cent of the poor.

The Millennium Development Goals agreed by a global summit of world leaders in 2000 are seeking to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.

Women represent an increasing share of the world’s labour force but their unpaid work contrains their access to paid employment; they are over-represented in the informal economy and have more uncertain jobs; women are paid less then men and have less social protection than men.

She finished by asking Soroptimists to use our influence to change laws, transform the national budget, lobby governments, get more women into politics and work for peace.

The power of pictures telling the story was graphically illustrated by TV journalist Eve Richings in the presentation of her work in some of the poorest and war-torn areas of the world.

She talked of desperate young people she had met who drown themselves in addiction to blot out the misery of their lives and women struggling to keep their families together.A family in Zambi who were eating rats to stay alive; and in Afghanistan hundreds of stranded people were living in holes to keep out the bitter cold. In many countries desperate young people were blotting out their misery by sniffing Jenkum – a mixture of human waste, petrol and glue.

In Pakistan, a widow with a baby daughter took in needlework in order to live. The Taliban told her not to go out without a male relative, so she could not collect her work. She disobeyed them and was caught and beaten – and then had a finger on each hand broken. They then burnt all her belongings. She fled, and at her refugee camp she joined RAWA, a women’s rights movement that was fighting the Taliban not with bombs and bullets but through education.

In northern Afghanistan Eve visited a camp that was home to 350 people, full of stories of horror and suffering. The children were stirring steaming pots of grass and roots, which was all they could find to eat.

She met a child in Uganda who had been one of 25,000 abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army and forced to become a child soldier. His initiation into the LRA was being forced to beat two old men to death with a stick.

At home Eve had glorious gardens because she had an outside water tap that gave her clean and safe water.She had started growing sweetcorn as a reminder of some of the places she had reported from. where maize was the staple food for those living in poverty, but where there was no clean and safe water. The crops had petered out and been replaced by acres of dry, dusty and barren land.

Leaders of the world’s eight richest countries met in June to decide how the world should be run – a world where, according to Oxfam, the rich spent three times more on bottled water than it did on aid to Africa last year, and 10 times more on military expenditure than on global aid.

Once again the world’s most powerful people promised large cash donations but their pledges were denounced as little more than political spin from politicians who want to look good but do nothing to change growing public anger over corruption that tarnishes the giving of aid.

"As a mother, I wonder how different the world would be if more women were in positions of power. Women who would place food and water, health and education above war and corruption, above violence in the name of religion and family honour."

The scale of need is mind-blowing – but no one should think it was too big a problem to be overcome. The people whose stories she had told may be among the poorest on earth, but they had never given up on their dreams of freedom and equality.

That made them the richest and most deserving of all.

The full script of this presentation is available on the Download page.

DIVERSITY was the catalyst behind the many key activities, events and project work undertaken by SIGBI over the past Quadrennium, said President Hilary-Kay. She gave delegates a snapshot of projects that included female genital mutilation, women’s refuges, walking the slave trail and trafficking. Many projects had been planned around the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women. SIGBI had also worked with UNICEF’s 'School-in-a-Box' appeal; and the UK Programme Action Committee (UKPAC) had partnered Ockenden International to facilitate girl-child education in Afghanistan.

Many clubs had renewed their commitment to micro-credit lending. SIGBI had partnered WaterAid on clear water and sanitation projects and had distributed £85,000 from the Emergency Relief Fund in response to devastating natural disasters. The UKPAC, with partner Landmine Action, had lobbied for the eradication of landmines and the banning of cluster bombs. There had been extensive press coverage of last year’s 'Wear it Pink' day, which had inspired 1,500 delegates at the 2006 SIGBI conference to form a spectacular 'pink link' across the Newcastle Millennium Bridge in support of the Breast Cancer Campaign.

Although nine new clubs had been chartered in India, Pakistan, Mauritius and the UK, there had been an overall reduction in membership of 2.8%, so SIGBI had piloted a website for virtual clubs and forums, introduced linked membership and set up fledging groups for younger women and girls. The re-launch of the popular Federation magazine Soroptimist News had provided inspirational articles as well as a forum for members to share their project experiences.

The biggest single fund-raising event had been the UKPAC-sponsored 'Women Walking for Women' to celebrate International Peace Day in September 2006 – when clubs in 20 countries raised more than £44,000 for Project Independence: Women Survivors of War, bringing their total fund raising over the Quadrennium to more than a quarter of a million pounds.

Those fund-raising efforts demonstrated that actions with unity of purpose, speak louder than words.

The full script of this presentation is available on the Download page.

Almost without exception, SI/SWP clubs had worked on projects to stop domestic violence, and the Federation’s quadrennial project had been 'Halt Family Violence' in Papua New Guinea, where there was an alarming rate of family violence, rape and even attacks on handicapped women.

President Lorna said that the Federation had established a Women and Children’s Support Centre that was now also providing education - and was proving so popular that some participants had walked for three days to attend workshops! UNICEF had recently recommended the centre as a role model.

Elaine Moffat took delegates through club projects, particularly highlighting a club in Jarkarta which, following the tsunami, had immediately set up a project to rebuild Lamreh village – the largest project ever undertaken by a single club – and managed to raise a staggering $1.6 million. The entire project was finished within 18 months. Gender equality remained an issue and all clubs had been working on projects on Violence against Women. Lorna then showed a picture of the now famous Soropti-sheep in Mongolia. She also reminded delegates that the S.I.A.M. project lives on, with additional funding from the Gates Foundation.

SI/SWP is the youngest and smallest of the four Federations and membership numbers had been stable, with recent charters mainly in Asia. That had presented the challenge of huge variations in language, culture and tradition in an area where women’s issues encouraged clubs to embrace cutting-edge projects.

The full script of this presentation is available on the Download page.

Dawn Marie Lemonds and Zainab Salbi’s presentation of the hugely successful Project Independence: Women Survivors of War Quadrennial Project left every Convention member in the auditorium in awe of the spontaneous collaboration between global agencies and the courageous initiatives of women in the three war-torn countries of Rwanda, Afghanistan and Bosnia Herzegovina.

Zainab captured her audience with moving stories of women who refused to be “victims of war” and instead became “survivors and ultimately become active citizens”. She explained that the goals were to help each woman stand on her own feet by learning new skills, become self-sufficient and independent, and realise their own voice, worth and strength.

It was the 13th Century Sufi poet Rumi who had inspired Zainab, and who had written: “Out beyond the world of right doings and wrong doings there is a field, I will meet you there”.

Dawn Marie spoke of the Rwandan genocide, where between 250,000 and 500,000 women had been raped or sexually abused. In the Balkans, generals had ordered men to rape thousands of women. In Afghanistan, the Taliban stripped women of their freedom and punished them for appearing in public alone.

SI had raised over $1.3 million and provided many women with rights awareness and leadership training, job skills, income generation, direct aid and emotional support.

The success had not happened by magic – it had happened through the work and dedication of members across the world.

The full script of this presentation is available on the Download page.

Never having heard of Soroptimist International before, but having worked with the Strategic Planning Group (SPG) and learned of the organisation’s values and work, consultant Ian Vale said that it was outrageous that not enough people in the world knew about Soroptimism - but the remedy would need the wholehearted commitment, conviction and courage of all members if the organisation was to become a modern force for good in today’s world.

The planning process had been robust and challenging, and Ian’s key role had been to confront any limiting mindsets so that the SPG could come up with the right answers to meet the demands of renewal and relevance in the 21st century that would create a second wave of success for Soroptimism.

The Strategic Plan provided a strong, unifying framework, but it would not be a rigid document – it would be open to change, it would have a lighter framework, and the outcomes would have to drive performance. But … that would mean people having to accept that they would have to move outside of their comfort zones.

The plan would set the direction, the priorities and choices; the focus; the outcomes; the processes; and the decision-making for Soroptimist International for the future – but members had to decide what they WOULD NOT be prepared to do to be successful. It was never easy to get it right the first time and it would need constant review and reflection.

With the use of a 'funky' purple bus, Ian outlined the green pathway to achieving the organisation’s strategy, vision and mission – but it was just one Soroptimist bus, not 90,000, that would drive that success.

The strategic framework and strategic aims were the foundation of the organisation’s strategy, and the next step was to identify how SI would deliver it. A “balanced scorecard” had been used to set out the strategy in a form everyone could understand; to help people track progress and measure success; and to ensure that all units were working towards implementation. The SPG had put the objectives into a strategy map and set indicators and targets for each objective – and a set of initiatives would launch the organisation towards achieving the strategic aims.

The route to future success has been enthusiastically greeted by delegates who heard President Lynn and Ian Vale roll out the Strategic Plan. “ What’s needed now is an incisive debate in the membership,” she said. The were audible “Yes’s” as the vision statements were read out, albeit in a barely-packed auditorium.

The two most pressing issues are the Corporate image - “how can we move forward if emblems, headed notepaper etc are different” and longer term programmes “It’s clear that Soroptimists would like 10 or 15 year projects to build on what we stand for” she said. There is totally commitment to Project Sierra for the next four years.

The need to modernise SI had been recognised for the last 15 years and the questions had been frequently asked “What will the future hold for SI and what should SI look like in the 21st Century.”  This was not to ignore the last 80 years as a great deal had been achieved.  The Strategic Planning Group had been given a brief to come to the International Board meeting just before this Convention with a way forward and an outline of the process and issues were placed in delegates’ packs

The Strategic Plan had been unanimously accepted by the board was endorsed by every member of the group on the stage. 

Former SIGBI President Jo Darbyshire, who described herself as an independent voice, told the Convention she had never seen an International team work with such diligence and respect for the future and membership of the organisation. She was delighted to hear the Board endorse the results of the SPG.

But there was a warning from Lynn after saying we are all here to contribute and agree. “ We cannot afford for any region or club going off and doing their own thing because they don’t like one part of the plan.”  She assured members there would be an effective communications system as the rank and file were being asked their views and the final plan is rolled out.

There will be regular updates in the International Soroptimist magazine
There will be information on the International and Federation websites
There will be updates in the Federation magazines
There will be a wider consultative group of 200 chosen by each Federation based on age and geographic spread.
There will be 120 specially trained ambassadors who will champion the changes throughout their regions.

She also explained that the Strategic Planning Group would be in existence for two years and report directly to the International Board which would make final decisions. The Board will then take responsibility of the roll-out with Lynn leading the implementation.

Nearly two dozen questions and comments were taken from the floor and included those from:

*Anne Dawson who suggested that a decade-long project started in 2011 would be a fitting celebration for SI’s Centenary in 2021

*Jane Ford who wanted to know how to sum up Soroptimism to prospective members in one sentence

*Pat McChesney who pointed out that one of the daily acts of Soroptimism is to wonder how old someone is, so what steps were being taken to present a positive image of women whatever their age?

*Laura Miilink-Hoedemaker from the Netherlands was anxious that know-how should not be lost by constantly changing membership of the SPG

*A delegate from Turkey welcomed the Plan as “a tremendous effort from the leadership.”

*But a member in Trinidad and Tobago voiced her concerns about the length of time it takes for information to trickle down to local clubs.

*Another suggested that views were sought from younger women in other organisations.

*A London Mayfair member was prepared to write a cheque there and then for printing a copy of the Strategy Map and Strategic Aims for every delegate to take back to their clubs. 

The session ended with Lynn saying this would be done.

The Stragegy Map and Strategic Aims document is now available on the Downloads page.

"Fellow Soroptimists - we have a new mission to transform the lives of women and girls", said Lois Sagel when introducing the new Programme Focus. Members throughout the world had been consulted, and Wednesday’s presentation saw months of discussion come to fruition.

“This has been the best year for strong comments, for strong action”, said Lois, and dynamic statements had been agreed to take Soroptimists’ work forward.

The new statements encompass SI’s traditional ideals, but are for today’s Soroptimists. The six areas of the comfort zone are not being abandoned – they are being redefined in the light of the Mission Statement agreed by the board and presented earlier in the day. The consultation had highlighted the way forward.

Suggestions from clubs included “Keep it simple” and “Limit the objectives” – and the focus for the future does exactly that. It is a lighter framework on one piece of paper. Objectives are down from 32 to 10 and there are four goals, giving an international dimension. Those goals are a positive statement about how we wish the world would be.

We will ensure that women and girls:

* Enjoy equity and equality.

* Live in safe and healthy environments.

* Have access to education.

* Have leadership and practical skills

The goals are our blueprint for Awareness, Advocacy and Action.

From the consultation, and using those goals, the Programme Delegates had put in place 10 firm and strong objectives for action:

1. Eliminate poverty and gender discrimination through ensuring women’s full social and economic rights.

2. End human trafficking and all forms of violence against women and girls.

3. Ensure access to health care for women and girls.

4. Support programmes and policies that would eliminate HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB and other major diseases.

5. Improve access to clean water, sanitation and essential food resources.

6. Mitigate the effects of climate change and integrate sustainability into personal choices and governmental policies and programmes.

7. Meet the needs of women and girls during and after armed conflicts and disasters.

8.  Promote peaceful conflict resolution; intercultural and inter-racial tolerance; condemn all forms of genocide and terrorism.

9. Ensure equal access to education and training throughout their life span.

10. Assure women’s advancement in management, politics and decision-making.

Fewer objectives did not mean less action. Areas that Soroptimists already supported, such as Land Mine Action, UN resolution 1325 – women in the peace-making process - healthcare, education and sustainability were all included.

The opportunities for members and clubs to continue their work is endless.

REV UP YOUR BIKES – AND LET’S GO!

We will never look at a motorbike again without thinking of Elizabeth Hughes and her exuberant presentation on Project FIVE-O. She used the power of the motorbike as a metaphor to remind attendees of the importance of that long-term project with SI partners: Business and Professional Women International, the International Council of Women, the International Federation of University Women and Zonta International.

"Project FIVE-O", Elizabeth said, “is the five stroke engine that can kick-start the lives of women and girls by lifting them out of poverty through vocational skills training." Continuing the parallel of the motorbike, she pointed out that the fuel - or money – to power FIVE-O projects is not free, so it deserves to be at the top of the list for clubs to support.

The five largest women’s organisations form a whole regiment that would not be denied in the corridors of power, according to Elizabeth. “It is utter rubbish” to think that as a Soroptimist you are not part of Project FIVE-O. She said that all Soroptimists are the foot soldiers on the front line and must take a pro-active role in influencing decisions made at the highest level.

In her energetic call to action, she asked all foot soldiers to go home and write to elected officials with one question: “How much is in the national budget for the financing of gender equality and the empowerment of women?”

Soroptimists are women with the power to make change – so rev up your bikes and let’s roll!

The full script of this presentation is available on the Download page.

IPP Joan Cromer took delegates through the highlights of her biennium, which included visiting local, regional and international projects, visiting clubs around the world, attending conferences, meeting outstanding advocates for women and human rights and meeting disenfranchised children and adults. During 2004 she had travelled over 115,000 miles and was away from home for 129 days! – but had returned with a more personal and real understanding of the needs and challenges of women and girls in the global community. The memories of her term as President were vivid and formed a kaleidoscope of images. The most poignant was of families, orphans and the aged living in abject poverty and horrendous conditions.

Her personal goal had been open communication and developing expanding friendships between Federations, and to achieve that she had initiated Round Table discussions and workshops, which enabled more in-depth discussion than was possible in formal business meetings. She thanked the many people who had supported her, and left delegates with the message: “Our work has only just begun!”

The full script of this presentation is available on the Download page.

SI President Lynn began her presentation by posing the question, "What difference does a day make?” During her biennium she has travelled extensively throughout the world meeting members, visiting club projects and attending Region, Union and Federation Conferences. She has seized every opportunity to promote the objectives of SI by working in partnership with other NGOs and women’s organisations, especially at the UN Commission on the Status of Women meetings in New York.

Close collaboration between the International Presidents of Project Five-0 has resulted in raising awareness of the significant contribution that women around the world are making globally to combat the issues of Violence against Women. It has also resulted in a stronger commitment by the International Presidents to promote and support the work of the Five-0 Projects through advocacy and fundraising.

Lynn highlighted some of her most memorable moments, which included visiting Indonesia after the tsunami for the opening of the school as part of the Rebuilding of Lamreh Village; the graduation ceremony of women from Project Independence in Rwanda; and visiting remote communities in Africa and Asia. She has made a significant contribution to improving the lives of many women, girls and communities through her International Appeals to improve health care in Benin (Roll Back Malaria), Project Punjab (educational opportunities for girls in Pakistan) and her 'Lasting Legacy' to improve sanitation, waste disposals and toilets in the Philippines.

However, Lynn’s real LASTING LEGACY has been her strong, charismatic and inspirational leadership and her commitment to encourage SI members to actively engage in the strategic planning processes to move our organisation forward. Her enthusiasm continues to inspire us all to work through our Programme Focus to make a real lasting IMPACT on the lives of women and girls.

Women and children often suffer most from the horrific legacy of war, said Alison Sutherland, International Project Liaison, when launching the new Quadrennial Project before a packed audience at Convention. Joining her on the platform were Rick Foulsham and Delia Pop from Hope and Homes for Children, and collectively they highlighted the significant IMPACT that SI, working in partnership with Hope and Homes for Children, will achieve over the next four years by raising a target of $2 million to improve the quality of life and the future opportunities for families living in five communities located in Bo, Freetown, Kamakwie, Makeni, Mattru and Tambakha. The project will provide a caring family and a secure foundation in life to orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children and help women living in acute poverty.

Sierra Leone is ranked as the second poorest country in the world with 74% of the population living below the poverty line and surviving on less than $2 USD a day. The average life expectancy is 42 years, half the population are under the age of 15 and nearly one in three children dies before the age of five. During the country’s bloody 10-year civil war, more than half a million people were murdered, raped or mutilated. More than two million people had been left displaced and much of the infrastructure totally destroyed. During the conflict, thousands of children were abducted and separated from families. Boys were sent to kill as child soldiers and many girls were taken as sex slaves or ‘bush wives’. The escalation of HIV, malaria and tuberculosis has further reduced the ability of many people to care for their families. Without a voice ringing loud and clear in the outside world, the people of Sierra Leone will continue to suffer. But through Project Sierra, they will be able to obtain greater security by working together to build more sustainable communities.

A number of dynamic programmes had already been developed by Hope and Homes for Children, in partnership with local communities, local leaders, children and parents. They include Young Mothers Support, Children Living Alone and Integrated Child and Family Support. Services will be delivered through a local Sierra Leone Agency, HANCI, and will facilitate sustainable economic support for families to provide for their basic needs, including education and access to primary health care facilities.

This unique project really will make an IMPACT as a sustainable community development project that enables the local people to determine their own priorities and build capacities and skills within their local communities. It is also an excellent example of how SI is working to implement the eight Millennium Development Goals and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Alison said that she was looking forward to working closely with the Federation Quadrennial Liaison Officers over the next four years. Clubs will be provided with extensive resource material via the new website www.projectSIerra.org and encouraged to “Invest in the Future” by giving the families of SI Project SIerra Leone a real opportunity to fulfil their potential.

And £1,500 had already been raised during the Convention on the SI Project SIerra stand through the sale of badges and cards!

"Women and children often suffer most from the horrific legacy of war"

The full script of this presentation is available on the Download page.

This session was introduced by International Assistant Programme Director, Margaret Alderson.

Having chosen for the 'Lasting Legacy' four of the best examples of Soroptimist projects on Clean Water and Sanitation, IPP Joan Cromer told delegates that globally 1.1 billion people lacked adequate water; 2.6 billion were without adequate sanitation; and 1.8 million children died each year through one or the other, or both. IP Lynne Dunning asked how we could accept such a waste of human life and called for action. We had to look for like-minded partners and raise our voices in the corridors of power.

Since 1998 the SI clubs of Togo had trained widowed women in Badja in gardening, marketing and income-generating techniques. With SI members from Switzerland and Italy they raised funds for a health centre and then for drilling for water to support the projects.

In Cambodia, 80% of all deaths had been a direct result of lack of clean water. SI Dusit and the Federation worked with the local school and hospital in Sampovloun to provide a water filtration system, toilet blocks, medical and hospital supplies, clinics and education programmes, and income-generating projects.

A doctor member of SI Pune, India had initiated a rural holistic health initiative in the tiny villages of Phulgaon and Tulapur. Club members had supported a water-harvesting project that now provided clean filtered water. With help from their friendship link in Perth, they installed septic tanks and a biogas system to bring sanitation to the villages.

SI Niigata Nishi, Japan, had been involved in providing sanitary facilities in the Matale region of Sri Lanka, where children had to get up at 4 o’clock in the morning and walk long distances to get water. Funds were raised for construction costs, and the villagers dug two wells. Club members had then financed a multi-purpose centre for women and girls.

The full script of this presentation is available on the Download page.

Today’s Convention theme - Purpose of Peace - is a perspective where peace is the ultimate end. But Ramu Damodoran said that peace is also a point of departure whereby countries, through their involvement in their own communities, can take peace to the next level and ensure sustainability.

The UN had started in 1945 as a strictly political organisation, and its charter was a declaration of the dependence of countries on one another - and slowly, over time, solutions to common problems had evolved.

When thinking of what he would say in his speech to Soroptimists in Glasgow, he suddenly thought of the Scottish HAGGIS to help illustrate the points he wanted to make: Honesty, Anger, Governance, Guidance, Involvement and Sustainability.

Honesty: A new international honesty about what is happening in various countries requires new responsibilities for the people of the world - and politicians had to listen and take action.

Anger: Anger is a valuable emotion. It does not automatically include violence, but is an important motivator to change, and we should remain indignant to the inequities of our time.

Governance: There has to be new rules and a method to ensure that they can be enforced.

Guidance: The UN has to know when to send guidance to countries on the proper way to set up their societies.

Involvement: The UN must reach out to the world communities and get input from the greatest minds in science, the arts and academia, as well as politicians, to devise creative solutions to the world’s most tragic problems.

Sustainability: The UN and its sustainable programmes set the benchmark for society and should provide a model for all countries.

Many of the Soroptimists' comments reflected what had been discussed earlier – that we must go home and question our Finance Ministers about how they are spending our money, and we need to challenge them to put the funding where the people want it most.

As Chris Knight, SI Brisbane, SISWP, shouted: “Power to the People!”

The full script of this presentation is available on the Download page.

"The Cluster Munition Coalition needs you", their co-chairman Simon Conway told Soroptimists during a presentation which, at times, drew gasps of horror from delegates.

His anger and passion at the effect of cluster munitions was evident throughout his speech.He reminded Soroptimists that we played a key role in bringing about a treaty to ban land mines 10 years ago. Now he appealed for us to join his coalition of 200 organisations in campaigning for a new treaty to ban cluster munitions.

Simon started by explaining that a cluster munition consists of a container filled with tens of hundreds of explosive bomblets like peas in a pod. When they drop, the container breaks open over the target and saturates an area the size of several football pitches with explosive bomblets. Not all of them explode leaving behind dangerous duds, effectively leaving minefields.

In Afghanistan, cluster bombs dropped by coalition forces were the same colour as the yellow humanitarian aid packages. The highest casualties were among boys aged five to fifteen. “Young, curious boys pick up cluster munitions and blow themselves up” he told shocked delegates.

The first recorded use of cluster bombs was during the Second World War. Since then, this type of bomb has been further developed and can now be fired from a multiple launch rocket system.

In the Gulf War it is estimated that over 13 million bomblets were dropped of which some 20 to 40 per cent failed to explode on impact leaving a legacy of further destruction.

He calculated that an M26 rocket contains nearly 8,000 submunitions saturating an area of 200,000 square meters – about the same size as the Scottish Exhibition Conference Centre – the site of our SI Convention!

He want on to list the theatres of war and conflict which have seen extensive use of these munitions from 400 million bomblets used in the mid-70s in Indo-China to as many as four million fired at Southern Leban on in 2006.

Ten years ago, a worldwide grass roots civil society movement formed a campaign for a ban on anti-personnel landmines. Soroptimists played an important part by raising awareness, advocating for a change and taking positive action.

“Today a new campaign is under way with more than two hundred organisations from Afghanistan to Zambia have come together as the Cluster Munition Coalition and a new treaty is within our grasp.”

The full script of this presentation is available on the Download page.

Veteran peace campaigner Satish Kumar captivated his audience as he took them on an 8,000 mile peace pilgrimage from the grave of Gandhi in India to the grave of Kennedy in America – through deserts, mountains, storms and snow. He was thrown into jail in France, faced a loaded gun in America – and delivered packets of 'peace tea' to the leaders of the four nuclear powers in Moscow, Paris, London and Washington DC.

Satish was having coffee in a restaurant with his friend Ep Menon one beautiful morning when a story in a newspaper caught his eye. It was about the imprisonment of the 90-year-old peace activist and Nobel Laureate Bertrand Russell. “What are we doing, young men drinking coffee, when Lord Russell at 90 is young at heart and we at 25 are old”? he said. And they decided there and then to join the international peace movement and support the work of Bertrand Russell.

They consulted their guru and mentor, Vinoba, who told them to go on their journey without any money. Satish was uneasy about walking to unknown countries and meeting unknown people with just a simple faith that he would be fed and sheltered. But Vinoba was convinced that having to depend on other people’s hospitality would give them a valuable opportunity to communicate their ideas of peace.

So he abandoned all his doubts, he and Menon gave up all their money, and they walked from India through Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran to Moscow, and then through eastern and western Europe to Paris. With the help of French pacifists, they crossed the channel to England, where at last they were able to meet the man who had inspired their epic journey - Bertrand Russell. He helped them to cross the Atlantic to New York, and they walked to Washington D.C. where they ended their journey at the grave of John F. Kennedy.

And the point of a peace pilgrimage that almost defies the imagination? It is the message that guns do not just kill the bad guys – they also kill good people like Gandhi and Kennedy. Therefore, we must remove our faith from the gun, from violence and from wars and take refuge in the power of non-violence.

During his pilgrimage, Satish realised that his aims could not be achieved without making peace not only with the earth and nature, but with ourselves. Man had to stop poisoning the earth with chemicals, polluting the rivers and oceans, putting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, destroying rain forests, putting animals in factory farms and trampling the eco-system and biosphere.

Peace would be possible only when we could respect cultural and religious diversity; and unity was the foundation upon which the house of diversity was built. But unity should not be confused with uniformity as uniformity of economic or political systems led to tension and war. Respect for and acceptance of different economic systems and political governance led to mutual respect – so acceptance of diversity was a prerequisite for making peace in the world.

Satish had learned that, "The house of peace stood on the tripod of soil, soul and society."

The full script of this presentation is available on the Download page.

Six white doves flew over 1,500 Soroptimists who 'Stood for Peace' in a 30-minute vigil at the end of the 18th International Convention in Glasgow. The 136 flags of member countries formed a ring of delegates in white shirts for Peace.
“This is a very important occasion as we gather in unity to send a message of peace around the world” said President Lynn.
Words and poems of peace were read by leading Soroptimists who then heard peace campaigner and author Satish Kumar say:

* Lead me from death to life, from falsehood to truth, from despair to hope, from fear to trust, from hate to love and from war to peace.

* Let peace fill our hearts, our world, our universe.

* Seek love, compassion, unity, beauty in our lives

* May our words, thoughts and actions be for the well being of all – May peace prevail.

Towards the end of the vigil, President Lynn, immediate Past President Joan and the Presidents of the four Federations each released a dove from a white casket as a symbol of peace. “If we go out from today with this message, surely we must be heard in the wider world” was Lynn’s final message.