The initiative for this work came from Maria Eugenia Jelincic, who proposed the idea in May 1982 as the first phase of a wider audiovisual communication project to be developed within Isis International. The Isis International team responded enthusiastically to the idea and Marilee Karl, in particular, promoted it and committed all her energies to making it possible. Actual systematic work on the Guide began in 1984 and has been coordinated by Maria Eugenia Jelincic.
Gathering the information has not been a simple task, given the wide area covered, the isolation of most women's organizations and the sporadic character of many of these productions. Debbie Carlos Valencia was responsible for compiling and processing much of the information from Asia, Africa, the Pacific and North America. Krystyna von Henneberg and Wai Fong Chan also took part in the compilation and processing of data and all other members of the Isis International team have supported the different phases of the work with ideas and suggestions, as well as joining in the various tasks of producing the guide. Rachael Kamel joined us for the final phases of editing and production work; she and Wai Fong Chan, who also drew many of the illustrations, are responsible for the design and layout. While most of the actual production tasks for the English-language edition were carried out in the Rome office of Isis International, our team in Santiago, Chile coordinated the compilation of much of the data from Latin America. They have also handled translations and production for the Spanish edition.
Other women and groups have also collaborated in the work of compiling and processing the information. Sylvia Cavasin and Cecilia Simonetti collected the information from Brazil. We would also like to thank Adriana Santa Cruz of the Women's Alternative Communication Unit of ILET in Santiago who helped us in the compilation of information on Latin America and the Caribbean, by sharing the data collected by the Women's Unit. Noi Donne in Rome was very helpful. Finally, we would like to thank all the women and groups who have responded to our questionnaires and letters and who have sent us accounts of their experiences. Without the cooperation of all these women and groups it would never have been possible to produce this book.
Isis International would also like to thank the following organizations and donor agencies which have supported and made our work possible: Australian Council of Churches, Australian Development Assistance Board, Canadian International Development Agency, Christian Aid (England), Church Women United (USA), Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Development and Peace (Canada), Dutch Bishops Lenten Campaign, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Evangelisches Missionswerk (West Germany), Ford Foundation (Peru), Gereformeerde Kerk (Netherlands), Interchurch Aid (Netherlands), Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kellogg Foundation (USA), MATCH (Canada), Norwegian Development Agency, NOVIB (Netherlands), Skaggs Foundation (USA), Swedish International Development Authority, Swiss Catholic Lenten Campaign, Trocaire (Ireland), Women's World Day of Prayer (West Germany).
Finally we thank the World Association for Christian Communication in particular for the support they have given to us for our work in the area of audiovisual communication.
Isis International Team Members Rome: Wai Fong Chan, Gabriela Charnes, Ximena Charnes, Christine Georgeff, Maria Eugenia Jelincic, Marilee Karl, Roberta Rossi Santiago: Maria Teresa Chadwick, Amparo Claro, Ana Maria Gomez, Maria Antonieta Saa, Maria Angelica Torrealba, Soledad Weinstein
Isis International Associates Anita Anand (India), Peggy Antrobus (Barbados), Marie Assaad (Egypt), Judith Astelarra (Spain), Suzanne Aurelius (Chile), Brigalia Bam (South Africa), Nita Barrow (Barbados), Jessie Bernard (USA), Rekha Bezboruah (India), Kamla Bhasin (India), Adelia Borges (Brazil), Boston Women's Health Book Collective (USA), Elise Boulding (USA), Charlotte Bunch (USA), Ah Fong Chung (Mauritius), Giuseppina Dante (Italy), Miranda Davies (UK), Elisabeth Eie (Norway), Akke van Eyden (Netherlands), Magda Enriquez (Nicaragua), Foo Gaik Sim (Malaysia), Maria Girardet (Italy), Saralee Hamilton (USA), Karin Himmelstrand (Sweden), Devaki Jain (India), Kumari Jayawardena (Sri Lanka), Annette Kaiser (Switzerland), Nighat Khan (Pakistan), Corinne Kumar D'Souza (India), Geertje Lycklama (Netherlands), Mary John Manzanan (Philippines), Giovanna Merola (Venezuela), Robin Morgan (USA), Vivian Mota (Dominican Republic), Magaly Pineda (Dominican Republic), Ana Maria Portugal (Peru), Rhoda Reddock (Trinidad and Tobago), Luz Helena Sanchez (Colombia), Olga Amparo Sanchez (Colombia), Adriana Santa Cruz (Chile), Marie-Angelique Savane (Senegal), Cecilia Torres (Ecuador), Moema Viezzer (Brazil), Maria Villariba (Philippines)