Monday, October 22, 2012

Post 2012 Conference

Hi everyone,

Well its 4 months since I last wrote which is disgraceful! Sorry, but IAWP life for me has been very busy.  First of all there was conference in St Johns.  Wow did we journey to the edge!  I actually managed to visit the most easterly spot of N.America in the weeks holiday after conference.  And all I could see was water.

Conference was brilliantly organised by Sue Bill from Newfoundland Constabulary and Colleen Fox from the RCMP.  Over 760 delegates experienced fabulous weather, many and varied seminars, the famous opening ceremony and the Awards luncheon, a great social life ( do those South African ladies know how to organise a party?) and even a tropical storm that put the lights out on Tuesday for awhile.  Did it bother us?  No we just carried on in the dark with torches. 

With the Olympics and paralympics just ending it was good to see 10 delegates form the UK make it to St Johns.  Special mention to England's  DCI Shab Chaudri and Mrs Amy Parsons who were IAWP award winners.  Amy couldn't make it as she is expecting twins at the beginning of November.  So her line manager, Det. Inspector Andy Maxfield came instead to collect her award.  He still says it was the best report he ever wrote because Amy won two awards and  he got to come to Canada and collect one of them for her.  Why don't you consider nominating someone for an award?  Have a look at the testimonies on the website and see if you can think of someone in your Force who deserves international recognition.

The AGM (sorry longest one in history I believe) saw the UK successfully win the bid to host the 2015 conference in Cardiff, Wales.  This is especially important because it is the centenary of IAWP being founded in 1915.  We promise a great conference to celebrate the past as well as training for the future.  The conference co-coordinators are myself and Carolyn Williamson from BAWP.  The local Force is South Wales Police and they have a very proactive women's network who are already working hard to plan a conference to beat all others!  This is only the third time it will have been held in Europe and so make it a must for you and your European colleagues already.  The dates are August 22nd-27th 2015.  Plenty of time to start saving for it.  Or how about delivering a seminar?  let me know anytime if you have a special topic that would be of interest top other officers globally and we'll try to include you in the programme.  We don't want just British lecturers.

I followed conference with the Post Conference tour.  A 6 day coach trip around some beautiful locations including the first inhabited town in Canada,  a site for a native village over a 1000 years old, some attractive and colourful villages, many lighthouses along the rocky coast, and a boat trip around one of the beautiful bays.  It was a great way to wind down after conference and I can thoroughly recommend these trips as you are with some conference friends and seeing the sights together.  Enjoy!

Coming back to the UK, I had a weekend in which to unpack, do the washing and pack again to attend a two day seminar in Brussels on the role of Women's Staff Associations in the Security sector.  A role performed by both BAWP and IAWP. There were delegates from Serbia, Liberia, Canada, Sierra Leone and Senegal too.  All experiencing difficulties with their associations being taken seriously.  Another reason to affiliate with IAWP as there is strength in numbers.  One topic that kept recurring was sexual harassment in the work place.  No one should suffer at any time and if you are a victim, please report it to your Force or to your staff association  so they can take up the fight on your behalf.  IAWP is thinking of ways to make this known to all Forces or as many as we can. 

I look forward to hearing from you.  What's goign on in your region?  Can I include it in the blog?  Next year in Hanover, Germany from 18th - 20th, there will be another mini-conference organised by their Police Academy and Chaplaincy.  For more information go to www.kirchlicher-dienst-in-pz.de

Best regards,
Julia

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

June 2012 Update

Dear All,

Well the UK has been really busy since I last wrote.  First of all there was the Queen's Diamond Jubilee at the beginning of the month.  4 days of celebrations viewed worldwide through TV and the Internet.  I walked along the river bank the day before the Pageant to see some of the historic boats moored awaiting the big procession the next day.  Amazing - 1000 boats to process down the River Thames.  Then there was the Monday concert and the Tuesday service of celebration.  All events included many women officers in the security details.  Well done ladies.

Now we await the Olympics and London is already buzzing.  The huge rings are on display at Heathrow as well as Tower Bridge so every visitor knows whats about to happen.  Every where you go in London are free events as part of the Festival of London.  Wimbledon tennis is running for the next 2 weeks.  Amazing sport, but lots of cultural events too. 

Members - have you received your election packs yet?  If not please contact Cande Ackler straight away.  th instructions are simple, but must be followed otherwise the vote is invalid.  If you are unclear, please email me on jaeger_julia@hotmail.com ASAP. 

On a sad note I'm sure you will all join me to send commiseration to the families, colleagues and friends of French Gendarmes AliciaChamplon & Audrey Bertaut who were both shot dead by a burglary suspect on the night of Sunday 17th June .  Alicia also leaves 2 children.  Both women were doing their duty and will be awarded the Legion d'Honneur and Military medal for their sacrifice.  Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and colleagues.

Don't forget you still have time to apply for conference and we'ed love to see you there.  Don't worry if its your first time.  It certainly won't be the last!   Full details in the magazine that's just been sent out.

Looking forward to hearing from you all.

Best Regards

Julia

Friday, May 18, 2012

Good News for Europe

Great news from the IAWP 2012 awards- two winners for the UK.  Congratulations to Det. Chief Inspector Shab Chaudri of the Metropolitan Police for being selected to receive the Leadership Award and Amy Parsons from Stafforshire Police who will receive the Civilian Achievement award.  She works in criminal intelligence.   Shab is planning to be with us in Newfoundland to collect her award, but unfortunatly Amy can't travel as she is expecting twins!  A year of doubles for her as she has achieved 2 awards for her work from both BAWP & IAWP and now she's expecting twins!  How does she do it?

Next year lets see some entries from other European countries.  Nominees don't have to be members and I canalways give you advice on how to write someone up. 

Don't forget its election year and all members current by 31st May are entitled to vote.  Use it please and follow carefully the instructions on how to vote.  And do come to st Johns for the time of your life!  As well as supporting the UK bidding to host the 2015 conference. 

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Magazine

Hi Everyone,

The latest IAWP magazine will be droppoing through your letter box any day now and its fantastic!!!!!!!!! Fully reporting on our historic visit to Abu Dhabi & Bangladesh. The cover girl is none other than our Swedish colleague, Janna Davidson, who joined IAWP at the Hannover conference last year. Great work with an orphanage in her spare time whilst serving on a UN Mission! She needs our financial support if you feel able to give.

There's a spotlight on Norwegian colleague Ann-Kristin Kvilekval from Norway as well as our 2 previous European Scholarship winners - Edlira Zoto from Albania and Maka Malatsidze from Georgia. So if you have something interesting to say, why not contact the editor, Simon Townsley and get writing for the next edition? We'd love to read all about you!

Not forgetting to get your bookings in this month for the Newfoundland conference in September. It promises to be brilliant. Early bird fees are still available. See you there?

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Spring 2012

Dear everyone,

Its March and the UK is showing lots of signs of spring. I hope so too wherever you are. Since last writing, we are now in a New Year and here in the UK its a momentous year as we celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee ( 60 years) and then the Olympics. Even though I am retired I am still involved with the Olympics as I am an Ambassador team manager. Volunteers who meet and greet visitors to our great capital.

Meanwhile I've been busy with the IAWP Board. At the end of February Jane & Simon Townsley, Carol Thomas and I from England together with nearly 20 other Board members from USA, Canada and Australia went to Abu Dhabi to participate in their first ever Policewomen's conference. Some of us were teaching and some assisting with recruiting new members. But we were all networking and meeting some amazing new friends.

Over 400 female officers came from all 7 Emirates, Oman, Jordan and Iraq. We started with an enormous opening ceremony held at the Emirates Palace hotel. A very prestigious glitzy hotel. Wow! This was followed by two days of training focusing mainly on gender issues. Most of the delegates attended both days and said how much they appreciated the training. The UK Policing advisor I spoke to said he had never seen such a well attended training day and how appreciative the attendees were. All seemed keen to ask us back in the near future.

We then had a couple of days relaxation when we were taken to see the biggest mosque in the world, a trip out to the dessert and a day in Dubai. Suitably refreshed, but sad to leave our new friends, we all then flew together to Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, to join the Bangladesh Policewomen's network for their first conference, but only after our own IAWP Board's 2 day early board meeting. We debated many topics, accounts and reports. This is especially significant this year as its election year. I am standing unopposed to continue representing you and continuing the work we have already started in Europe and world wide. Please vote when you receive your ballot papers in June. If you need help, please email me for advice, but I strongly recommend we need all the current board to continue and maintain the momentum of their projects.

Back to Dhaka, which was very, very different from Abu Dhabi, but not the enthusiasm of the ladies there. We stayed in the police Staff college which is where all the meetings were held. Apart from the opening ceremony where we moved over to a hotel and heard speeches from our president as well as the Bangladeshi networks' President. Then several senior civil servants, the Minister for Women & Children and finally, the Home Secretary herself. As in the Emirates, this shows how much the government supported IAWP as well as their Policewomen.

Both conferences will be written about and include plenty of photos in the next magazine, but if you want more info' now I recommend the Chaplain's blog and region 12s blog too. So an exciting start to the year. I look forward to hearing from you in the coming months. If you have some news you want to share, please forward it to me ASAP. If you are riot trained or a firearms officer and don't mine featuring in a UN magazine focusing on European women in security, please let me know so I can arrange for your interview.

And finally, don't forget the St John's conference in September. We'd love to see you there. As there will be few UK members there due to Olympic commitments. We want your support as Cardiff, capital of Wales is bidding to host the 2015 conference. A local venue for Europe. No excuse then if we win the vote. To date no one else is bidding, but that could all change between now and the AGM. I look forward to continue representing you over the next 3 years.

Best regards,
Julia