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?

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

Very late update!

Dear Region 13 members, I may have been quiet onthe blog, but have certainly been busy with IAWP business. Firstly the President and Secretary or the Kyrgyzstan Policeowmen's network came to London in September on a fact finding tour of the role of Policewomen in London. I drew up a very full programme including visits to the world famous Metropolitan Police training School at Hendon, the Met' Police Complaints Unit, Hammermsith Police Station, meetings with Representatives from the Police federation and the British Association of Women in Police. Then Jane Townsley arranged for them to visit the Counter Terroriam Unit at her force, the British Transport Police. Both the ladies were highly impressed with everyone they met.

As a result, Jane & I were invited back to Kyrgyzstan later in October to help them celebrate their network's first anniversary. It was an amazing visit. They took us up into the mountains for sightseeing and a meal. We spent time in their academy where we were both awarded the Academy's highest medal before going off to a banquet with dancers in national costumes! The following day was the actual celebration, held in a marble hall with a huge crystal chandelier. Clearly the network is highly valued with delegates attending from government as well as NGOs such as the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe who are supporting them getting off the ground. They received their certificate of affiliation from Jane and in return everyone involved in their committee - including Jane & I- got a medal from the Deputy Minister of the Interior. Wow - meals & medals everywhere we went. See the next magazine for more pictures and a fuller article.

So whats happening in your work? Pass the news to me and I will publicise it here on the blog.

All the best, Julia

Lexington Conference

Hi everybody, I'm back from conference and had a great time with over 400 delegates from all over the world. I met region 13 members and UN police monitors from UK, Eire, Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Georgia, Germany, Denmark, Romania, Norway & Sweden. Apologies for anyone I've forgotten. All our award winners came excpet for Phyllis who was too ill to travel, but she hopes to join us in Newfoundland next year. So if you didn't come this year, please start planning for next as the ladies fromSt John's are planning hard for an enjoyable time. You can fly direct from Heathrow, but not sure where else from in Europe.

We had lots of input form great trainers and a special visit from the Deputy Secretary general from the UN too! We also had trips to a Bourbon distilllery, the race track, stud farms and the last night was at the world famous Kentucky Horse Park. So now you know what you missed. Lots of pictures will be in the next magazine!

I hope to keep the Blog more up to date now so please let me know what you want in it and let me know your news so I can include it too for all your other european contacts to read.

Best regards, Julia

Belated Entry

Greetings to all Region 13 members. Apologies for not keeping our blog up to date, but I have been busy with family and holidays. I am sure you all understand - its that time of year! We are only 10 days away from conference. Who is coming? There are lots of European flags on the IAWP front page so I am looking forward to meeting some of you and some new european contacts. Please meet me in Lexington and then we can put faces to names.

Congratulations to our Scholarship winner from the very eastern outposts of Europe! Not often we have a scholarship winner from Region 13 which makes this even more special.

No doubt you have heard all the news about the riots in London and now all Police leave is cancelled in order to prevent any further troubles, crime or destruction. Its unfortunate it has spread to other cities as it is nothing to do with anything other than greed and crime. Please pray it ends soon - if only so our President can get to conference!

Keep in touch and bon voyage for conference delegates,
Julia

Day with the Merchant Navy Women's Network.

Yesterday I spent the day with a group of female British and Dutch Female Merchant Navy Officers helping them setting up their network. It was like going back in time as they discussed their issues and working situations. Strong parallels with policewomen as they are pioneers working in a male dominated world, but with the added complexities of always working internationally . It went very well and they hope to seek more advice and support from us.

Congratulations Also to....

How could I not congratulate Phyllis Nolan from Eire for being selected to receive the Heritage Award for her many years of input to the Board. And of course Atifete Jahjaga from Kosovo for being elected by the country's cabinet to be the next President of Kosovo!. Full details on the website and in your latest magazine that's 'in the post' as I write.

Send me your news too and we will include it on the blog for your european colleagues ot read!

Best regards

Julia

Kentucky Conference 2011

Ladies,

Have you booked for Conference yet? Its only two and a half months away and will be one of the best experiences of your Police career. Europe has won two IAWP awards. Congratulations to Inspector Nicky Flowers from South Wales Police who has won the mentoring award and to Constables Cath Morgan, Di Shaw and Kate Peplow from Birmingham who have won a Medal of Valor for their parts in tackling a gang of armed robbers.

Remember anyone can nominate somone for an award, they don't have to be a member of IAWP, but have normally won their National Network's equivalent prize.

Julia

Greetings from region 13

Hi,

This is a test message just to start the blog going - I know what you're saying, 'at long last'!

Julia

Hello from Region 13

Just a short note to say hello. Will be updating in the very near future. Keep tuned. More to come!