Women in Action 1990-3&4 Fifth Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Meeting

Dear friends of Isis,

We are very pleased to announce that Isis International has found a new operations base in Manila. The decision to transfer the Rome operations to Manila was finalized in June 1990 after many months of consultation, preparation and planning. It took another six months to put together the core team of five women who have already begun the challenging and exciting work of setting up and running the office in Manila.

Last December 30, Marilee Karl arrived here to finalize agreements with two initial members of the programs management team. The Manila coordinating team is composed of Marilee Karl, founder who continues to be based in Rome; La Rainne Abad-Sarmiento as well as Lucia Pavia Ticzon who are based in Manila. The programs managemant team comprises La Rainne Abad-Sarmiento for administr-ation and programs management, Lucia Pavia Ticzon for organization development and financial management and planning,ElizabethReyes-Martinezforpublications networking program and Bel Calaguas for communications networking program.

On January 9, the members of the coordinating team met with Sister Mary John Mananzan of the Institute of Women's Studies, St. Scholastica's College and Anna Maria R. Nemenzo, national coordinator of Woman Health, the Philippines, to sign the incorporation papers and to organize themselves as the founding members of the Board of Trustees. On January 10, Marilee Karl and the members of the programs management team marked the official start of the Manila operations. Since then, the programs management team has actively pursued the immediate tasks of final site selection, establishing administrative policies, staff recruitment, leveling job desriptions and attending to all bank and legal requirements.

We thank the Santiago office for undertaking the publishing of this double issue as well as for fully supporting the establishment of the Manila operations. As of press time, site selection has not been finalized. We are in the midst of planning for the issue of 1991 which we intend to publish in time for our inauguration in April. A t that time, we should be able to communicate to you where you can visit, write or call us. In the meantime, our best wishes for this new and sobering year of continuing crises as well as our hope that together our feminist struggle will hasten the process of social transformation and lead us to our vision of a truly humanistic world order.

Bel Calaguas
Marilee Karl
Elizabeth Reyes-Martinez
La Rainne Abad-Sarmiento
Lucia Pavia Ticzon

21 January 1991