Interregional Secretariat moves to Caribbean

November 1, 1990 was the official date for the transfer of DAWN'S Interregional Secretariat to the Caribbean, under the General Coordination of Peggy Antrobus, Coordinator of the WAND - Women and Development - Unit in Barbados. Their new address is:

WAND/DAWN
Extra Mural Department
University of West Indies
Pinelands
St. Michael
Barbados

DAWN'S Interregional Meeting

The new General Coordinator of DAWN was elected at a General Assembly during DAWN'S Interregional Meeting, which gathered participants from all regions in Rio de Janeiro from May 6 to 11,1990.

DAWN'S priority has always been to discuss alternative solutions being developed by the Women's Movement to the crises facing them in different regions of the Southern Hemisphere. The coordinators of regional research presented a synopsis of regional activities with an analysis of the impact of the crisis and the work of the Women's Movement. This will form part of a book which will be published in the near future.

Changes in the Network

Almost all the DAWN Advisory Board took part in the meeting and some important changes in the structure of the Network were decided. One change discussed was the widening of subjects of research. It was decided that from now on, DAWN will develop projects in the area of Environment, Reproductive Rights and Population Studies, as well as continuing with the analysis of alternatives to development models.

DAWN'S organization also underwent changes. At present, the Advisory Board is made up of coordinators of areas related to DAWN' S activities, such as communication, protests, international relations, publications, research and training. This Board will be replaced by a new one, made up of a General Coordinator and Regional Coordinators from the continents which make up the Network. There will also be an information consultant and research coordinators.

This new style of organization will mean greater autonomy for the regions. They will be able to start up their own programs, in agreement with their respective coordinators, providing they are compatible with DAWN's objectives.The coordinator of each region will supervise the carrying out of the programs.

These changes appear in DAWN's statute approved during the Interregional Meeting, which also states that from now on the Network's participants will become full members with the right to vote. To formalize this new system, DAWN sent out forms to be filled in, together with a letter giving this information, to all participants. The Network is still exclusively for women from the Southern Hemisphere, but our allies in the North can continue receiving communications.

Participants who were unable to attend can obtain DAWN's Interregional Meeting General Report from lUPERJ (see address below) by sending a cheque for fifteen dollars, to cover photocopying and postage, made out to the "Sociedade Brasileira de Instrucao".

Latin America's Regional Coordinator

Neuma Aguiar was elected Regional Coordinator for Latin America, and from now on all communications should be sent to the headquarters of lUPERJ at the following address:

lUPERJ /MUDAR
Rua da Matriz 82
Rio de Janeiro, CEP 22260
Brazil
Tel.Nos. (021) 286 0996 - 286 0146

DAWN has grown from a small group which first met in 1984 to a mixed and powerful force of 4500 women, with participants in almost every region of the Southern Hemisphere. Its rich interaction as a Network is documented in the nine issues of the DAWN News Bulletin which were published during this period, and which the new Secretariat will continue to produce in both Spanish and English.