I've just finished reading through the last issue of Women in Action and wanted to write and say how informative and useful I found it. The range of articles was quite remarkable. I used to skim through WIA for news and updates, but that's changed. It has developed to be a substantive and informative magazine.

In response to your editorial, I think the idea of a training (and reflection/sharing/planning) workshop is a great initiative. We too have just begun publishing with the use of desk-top publishing program. The last Voices Rising was our first attempt, with the latest being the current Cayenne. And, others in our network, in the Philippines and the Dominican Republic for example, are also struggling to break into this new (and at times, overwhelming) era.

I also wonder if it wouldn't be useful for those of us who are publishing "international networking" bulletins, pamphlets, etc. to meet and discuss sometime. What are our different focuses and mandates? Where are the overlaps? How can we support and make the best use of each others efforts? How has the international women's movement (or connections between groups and networks across regions) changed over last years? How have those developments changed and refined our priorities? What are the main difficulties? Where does funding support fit into this picture?

We have snatched time for some of these discussions, as I'm sure have many others as we meet up on various events, but it's not the same as focusing the issues into more serious reflection and strategizing. The problem is of course that agencies don't particularly support groups like ours getting together.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Lynda Yam Women's Program of the International Council for Adult Education

As usual, it was exciting to receive and go through the latest Women in Action.

Desk-top publishing is proving a boon to many of us groups who work with limited resources.

Have you received our Madhyam Journal? Last two issues have been set up on a computer and printed by offset. Yes, we do feel it would be good to have a training workshop on DTP for NGOs. Let us know if you'd like to collaborate with us to do one in India.

Its great that you're planning a Resource Centre in Asia. How about locating it in Bangalore? We can help you find the space, and help with the other details. Bangalore is one of India's major metros, with a large number of women's groups and NGOs.

Do write back and let me know your response on both the suggestions. With warm wishes.

Sucharita S. Eashwar Executive Secretary Madhyam  Bangalore, India

Greetings from Occidental Mindoro, Philippines!

We received the Women in Action this morning and I am writing to you at once because of some topics that are of great importance to us. 

I understand that this is the second issue of Women in Action you produced through the desk-top publishing process. In Une with this, may we request for some materials or literature on this technology? We shall also be interested to participate in training workshops on desktop publishing and other traditional publishing methods as well if in any case you would be organizing such activities.

At present, we are still using the offset and sometimes letter press methods of printing. We find these a bit expensive and time-consuming but we don't have the alternative. At the village level though, we have already trained some farmer-beneficiaries on manual mimeographing which they use on producing their newsletter.

Going back to Women in Action, I particularly liked Kamla Bhasin's article on women's communication strategies. It is very inspiring and at the same time informative. I hope we could be involved in similar communication workshops in the future.

This is all for the moment.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon. Mabuhay and warm regards.

Sincerely yours,

Mavic T. Cabrera

Mindoro Institute for Development, Inc. San Jose, Occ. Mindoro, Philippines