Dear all
First of all, a great big welcome to new members for Region 13 including in no particular order: - Charlotte Deans (UK), Guinnie Moonesawmy (UK), Jan Medcalf (UK), Jane Brookes (UK), Hazel Brady (Northern Ireland), Amanda Summerfield (UK), Carol Hayman (UK), Clare Cresswell (UK), Cornelius Sal (Netherlands), Karin Hemminger (Germany), Carolyn Davies (UK) and Suzie Frank (UK). Welcome to the organisation and enjoy your membership.
I can hardly believe the summer is almost gone and Winnipeg 2014 is just around the corner. A month today I shall be in Toronto with Myra James sightseeing and preparing to go to the late Board Meeting and Annual Conference. Great fun as always. I look forward to meeting as many members from Europe as possible at the Regional meeting as well as during conference. Most of the time you can find me in or around the Cardiff 2015 stand in the exhibition hall.
Since writing the last blog I have been part of the IAWP team at the Global Summit in London to tackle post conflict sexual violence. Yes that's me behind Angelina on the cover of the latest magazine. An awesome experience and a privilege to be part of it. Always great to be out there representing the Association with colleagues from Albania, Bosnia, USA and Australia as well as the UK. We met some amazing people including William Hague, Angelina Jolie, President Atifete from Kosovo, journalists and activists; ran a great seminar and workshop for teenagers and attended great seminars ourselves. Here's hoping the future will change for victims in conflicts and that we can play our part by training Policewomen to deal with such cases and participate in peacekeeping missions with the UN, EU and others.
Now I'm getting ready for Cardiff with the planning team from South Wales Police. We are currently working on the training programme - any suggestions? Its your conference after all. The hotels are reserved and details going on the website shortly. All have been tested by Carolyn Williamson and I to make sure they are up to standard for you all. The Motorpoint is booked for the conference and the St David's Hall for the opening ceremony. Keep an eye on the website,
www.iawp2015.org, as it will be being updated regularly. Register as soon as you can. Prices rise on the 1st January and so to take advantage of the lower rate, book it now before you forget. After all its rarely in Europe and so a great opportunity to participate in an IAWP conference close to home.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the new Region 14 co-coordinator May-Britt Rinaldo from Sweden and Co- coordinators for Region 15, Edlira Zoto and Enkeleda Toska from Albania. Now I don't have to concern myself for the whole of Europe!
I look forward to hearing from you all during the coming year. I won't be standing for Region 13 again so it needs a new person to step up to the plate and take on the mantle - a smaller task than the one I took on 5 years ago. Then there are the IAWP annual awards. Every year I have submitted entries from the UK and seen British women winning annually, but I have yet to receive any entries from the rest of Europe. Its not difficult and I can always help you write up the entries, especially if English is not your first language. Don't forget the scholarship. If you can't afford to come to conference, please apply for the scholarship. Details appear on the main website and usually entries have to be submitted by the end of April of conference year. Could it be your turn next year? I also look forward to submissions for the magazine. Even if you can't fully write the article, I can help and Mel Hill from Integrity PR will write it up for you. Just send it to me.
All that remains is for for me to wish you a safe and happy career and come to Cardiff next year if you can't make Winnipeg this year.
Best Regards,
Julia Jaeger
