Isis International
Women's Resource and Information Center
Holds Open House

The Isis International Women's Resource and Information Center opened to the public last July 12, a month and a half after the resource collection arrived from Rome. The affair was attended by students, women organizers, members of grassroots organizations, women professionals and NGOs.

The almost-a-hundred crowd milled in and out of the Center during the day, browsing through the one-of-a-kind collection, looking over the past issues of Isis publications on display, and marveling at the variety of women's magazines from all over the world. The fifty-or-so who stayed on until late in the afternoon listened to short speeches from Isis program officers, then shared simple home-made afternoon snacks.

The opening also marked the start of full on-site library servicing. Weeks before this, the Resource Center had been servicing written information requests only from the international network. With the opening of the Resource Center, interested parties can now visit the library and have direct access to the rich collection of resources that Isis International, through its dynamic networking, has been able to compile through the years.

With the ongoing computerization of bibliographic information, the whole collection will be more easily and readily accessible to Center users. A micro computer unit is also available for the Center users' word processing needs.

A Second Nest in East Maya
Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies at Isis'
Second Office

When the resource collection from Rome arrived in Manila, it filled the entire Isis office. One could not walk two steps without bumping into a box of books, a computer table, a chair, or another worker. It was then decided that some of the workers had to go. Well, they had to go and work in some other space, that is. A second office was rented to accommodate the other programs.

Isis' second office, located about five houses away from the first office, was inaugurated on July 12. Many guests from the Resource Center's open house proceeded to the second office, affectionately called the "green house" because of its cool, mint green exterior paint, to witness the brief ribbon cutting ceremonies. Sr. Mary John Mananzan, Isis Board of Trustees member, d id the honors of cutting the purple and white ribbons encircled around the entire house and the entrance gate.

This second Isis home houses the Administration, and the Health Networking Program, and is also envisioned as the Isis training house. It is located at 97 East Maya Street, Philamlife Homes, Quezon City, Philippines.

Human Resources Development

Isis held two in-house education sessions and co-sponsored a public discussion in line with its human resource development program.

A lecture-discussion on Geography and International Relations facilitated by human rights activist and political scientist Prof. Reynaldo Ty was held on July 20. The Isis workers were treated to a multimedia presentation. Land divisions, bodies of water, diverse cultures and political-economic systems of the different countries of the world were introduced through music, globes, maps, languages, religions, images, a game, and (believe it not) lemons and oranges.

A day-long session on gender sensitivity was held on the first week of June to help Isis workers identify the social structures and belief systems they grew up with that discriminate against women. Facilitated by Isis coordinator La Rainne, the session helped level off understanding of gender roles among Isis workers who came from different backgrounds and work experiences, and varying levels of experience in women work

On April 20, Isis International co-sponsored a discussion session on "Feminism and Peace" with the Peace Studies Institute of the Philippines. The main discussant was Sr. Helen Graham, a Maryknoll theologian doing studies on feminist theology, peace and environmental issues. The Peace Studies Institute can be contacted at: 27-B Malingap Street, Teacher's Village, Quezon City, Philippines.

New Faces in the Nest

We would like to introduce the women who have recently joined the Isis workforce. Florian "Mayang" Taldo is an administrative associate with the Resource Center and Information Program, and also working as a library assistant. Mayang is a political refugee from Davao where government forces have intensified their counter-insurgency war against the communist New People's Army. The government's policy of total war has terrorized entire barrios (villages) especially with local vigilante groups conducting "witch-hunts". Before joining Isis, she was a trained community health and cultural worker.

Imelda "Meldy" Alfonso Floras is a technical associate for the Communication and Networking Program which is in charge of publishing the quarterly Women in Action, among other things. Meldy holds a bachelor's degree in Philippine Studies from the University of the Philippines, and is currently pursuing a masteral degree in Philippine Literature from the same university. She has worked for a few years in a computer company based in Taiwan, in its corporate communications department.

Maria Maura " Em " Salang currently holds the position of technical associate for the Resource Center and Information Program,and is the Center's librarian. Em is a graduate of library science from the University of the Philippines. She is completing her thesis to earn her masteral degree in library science from the same university. Em is presently overseeing the Resource Center's computerization program.