SOROPTIMISTS DONATE € 700,000 TO WATER PROJECTS

19TH EUROPEAN CONGRESS OF SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL OF EUROPE 10 – 12 July 2009 Amsterdam, the Netherlands

MAIN THEME
‘Soroptimists go for water’ http://soroptimistsgoforwater.nl/SIECongress/tabid/72/Default.aspx
As 2005 – 2015 is the UN Decade of Fresh Water and Basic Sanitation, Soroptimist International of Europe is actively contributing to the UN Millennium Development Goal ‘to halve the number of people living without sustainable access to safe and affordable drinking water and to basic sanitation by 2015’.

Building on our social involvement and commitment as a NGO, Soroptimist International of Europe plans to bring this important water issue and our SI objectives into the limelight at the Congress. We need swift and decisive action rather than creating more policies. Sanitation is fundamental to dignity and water is the essence of life. As women are always central when it comes to providing the necessities of life, it stands to reason that we actively contribute to this incentive.

So far, we donated € 700,000 to water related projects and we are not done yet! SI/E is an INTERNATIONAL organization; this is an opportunity for Soroptimists from 57 countries to attend – be one of them!
There will be WATER PROJECTS presentations, and a huge board on display representing the projects which will be seen by all. You'll meet the clubs that took on these projects and also the members from the countries where these projects were implemented.
During the Congress you will find goodwill and understanding and you'll make friends for life. Join hands to improve the lives of women and girls in their local communities throughout the world! What better way than to start in Amsterdam this summer!

Join us for a rewarding and fulfilling weekend in Amsterdam – 10 to 12 July 2009!
Mariet Verhoef-Cohen

Fabien Cousteau to speak at Soroptimist Water Congress Amsterdam

Amsterdam, Netherlands (WiredPRNews.com) — Soroptimist International of Europe (www.soroptimisteurope.org) this week announced that Fabien Cousteau, the renowned French aquatic filmmaker and oceanographic explorer, and the grandson of the legendary oceanographic explorer, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, has agreed to be a keynote speaker at the organisation’s 19th European Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 10 to 12 July 2009.

Cousteau will focus his speech on, among other things, the urgent need on the part of the developed world to facilitate in making clean, drinkable water available to impoverished communities in developing nations; a need that is also expressed in the theme of this year’s congress: ‘Soroptimists Go For Water!’
According to incumbent President of Soroptimist International of Europe, Mariet Verhoef-Cohen: “We need to take swift and decisive action rather than create more policies. Sanitation is fundamental to dignity, and water is the essence of life. As women are always central when it comes to providing the necessities of life, it stands to reason that we actively contribute to this incentive.” The name Soroptimist stands for ‘sorores’ or ‘sisters’ and ‘optimum’ or ‘the best; in other words, ‘the best for women’.

Soroptimist International of Europe is currently involved in scores of water-related and other projects to empower women and children in Africa, Eastern Europe, Haiti, including drilling and constructing clean water wells, pumps and building schools and sanitation and healthcare facilities in remote villages that are often overlooked by local authorities.
According to Immediate Past President, Monique Rivière: “As 2005 – 2015 is the UN Decade of Fresh Water and Basic Sanitation, Soroptimist International of Europe will actively contribute to the UN Millennium Development Goal ‘to halve the number of people living without sustainable access to safe (and affordable) drinking water and to basic sanitation by 2015.”

Fabien Cousteau, who frequently accompanied his famous grandfather and father on their sea voyages, states in a number of video interviews that are available for viewing on the website of Soroptimist International of Europe, www.soroptimisteurope.org that “the efforts that the Soroptimists are making in less privileged communities, by building wells and making clean water available to those communities, is paramount to life, as this not only fulfils a basic need, but it also helps to combat diseases and mortality amongst women and children.”

All Soroptimist projects are developed and implemented as partnerships between European clubs and the women of the local clubs in the developing nations, including in Mali, Senegal, Benin, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Haiti, Madagascar and many other countries. The funding is made available thanks to private and corporate donations to Soroptimist International of Europe. President Verhoef-Cohen emphasizes that “every penny that is donated to the Soroptimists is invested directly in our projects in the underprivileged communities of Europe and Africa. Not one penny is kept.”

For more detailed information on Soroptimist International of Europe, visit our websites: http://www.soroptimisteurope.org and http://www.soroptimistsgoforwater.nl

For more information on this press release, please contact Michèle Aimé at info@buzzmedia.net

SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL OF EUROPE's LETTER TO PRESIDENT KARZAI

SI/E is AGAINST DEPRIVING WOMENS’ RIGHTS IN AFGHANISTAN

We would like to inform you of the SI/E Board’s reaction to the recent events occurring in Afghanistan. To summarise this situation for those of you unaware of the current atrocities taking place in Afghanistan, a law was just unanimously voted in by the Afghani Government, depriving Shiite Muslim women (20% of the population) of their basic human rights. President Karzai has signed this law, known as the ‘Shia Family Law’, but it has not gone into effect, as it must be published in the appropriate journal for it to become officially accepted.

These recent events have prompted SI/E to react to the different figureheads involved and those with the power to condemn this situation and prevent this law from ever coming into effect. We have sent letters to: Afghani President Karzai, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and High Commissioner Navaneetham Pillay, and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. You will find these attached to this email.

We ask you for your assistance in supporting our federation, by sending your own letters to your country’s leaders and imploring their involvement in eradicating this abhorrent law. You may use the letters attached as a sample, please just make sure to change the appropriate names and addresses where necessary.

You will find additional information regarding this breaking news story in the links posted below.

We thank you for your continuous support in matters such as these and we assure you that we will be monitoring this situation very closely and taking the necessary actions to reinforce our position, concerning this horrific example of basic human rights violation.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions

Warm regards.

President Mariet Verhoef-Cohen

SI/E President 2007-2009 on behalf of SI/E’s 3,500 members

19th SI of Europe Congress in Amsterdam EARLY Registration EXTENDED to 1st June 2009

Every four years the European Federation of Soroptimist International hosts a Congress for all its members and their guests: SI/E Board and the Congress Committee have done a superlative job of organizing the 19th SI/E Congress to be held in Amsterdam on 10th-12th July 2009.
We have decided to extend the deadline for early registration to 1st JUNE!

This important SI/E event only takes place ONCE every four years. In addition to the speakers presented on the Soroptimists go for Water website – www.soroptimistsgoforwater.nl
French oceanographer and environmentalist Fabien Cousteau has agreed to address the audience. To read more about his professional background and commitment to this theme, go to his website www.fabiencousteau.org

We also are offering professionally run theme sessions on a number of topics, and you will have a chance to learn about the wonderful water projects supported by our Unions and Clubs at sponsorship of more than € 500,000.
Most importantly of all, the Congress is a unique opportunity to see Soroptimist friends and meet new ones at the fabulous social events.

Indeed, Amsterdam with its various attractions is worth the journey!
So, show your support for our Federation and register now. The fee covers the events of the day and also refreshments during breaks and the lunch.
There are also a number of options for accommodations. For those of you who have had experience with professional conventions, you will know that this price is by no means extravagant.

SI/E President Mariet Verhoef-Cohen,
Chairperson of the Congress Committee, Janny Spierenburg and the entire SI/E Board all look forward to welcoming you, Soroptimist Club members, and all your guests, to this exceptional event.

Warm regards,
Board of SI/E Federation

Soroptimists in Europe & Africa unite!

SOROPTIMISTS of EUROPE & MALI WORK TOGETHER FOR A BETTER FUTURE FOR WOMEN in Tallo, Mali

Soroptimists International of Europe, notably The Netherlands Club Zutphen and the Mali Club Lumiere, Bamako worked together to build and supply the funds for a water pump, a school, toilets and grain storage.
 The village women took it a step further and planted a market garden for independent income and food!

It took seven years from fund-raising to building completion.
EVERY LITTLE DONATION WAS USED TO ITS FULLEST POTENTIAL.

Not only did the
women of the village benefit, but the whole community and the surrounding villages also benefitted from these amenities.

No longer do the women have to work for water.
No longer is the water unreachable many meters underground and fast drying up.
No longer do the children have to walk kilometers to go to school.
Now the villages can store their grain for lean times
Everyone benefits. Soroptimists in Europe unite with Soroptimists in Africa. A perfect cooperation.
Soroptimists International of Europe are coming together in Amsterdam for their 19th SI/E Congress on 10th-12th July 2009.

Two AWARDS will be WON 
• The Water Best Practice Award 2009 
• The Public’s Project Award

See photos of the TALLO projects above - just one of the entries!
(Aminata & hunters welcome in Tallo - Grain storage room built - SIE Zutphen & Lumiere -built grain storage room in Tallo Mali - Soroptimists Lumiere in classroom built Tallo - Toilet built )

Subject 5 for Congress July Amsterdam

5. Water, Sanitation, Health and Hygiene
How water may change from a source of illnesses to a life source will be researched in this session presented by Saskia Geling (Simavi). A Dutch NGO, Simavi promotes and supports appropriate sustainable solutions in improving safe water supply in combination with sanitation facilities and promotion of appropriate hygiene behaviour. Water projects in Ghana will serve as examples.

photo's: Ghana - Kumasi and older SI/E project already working for some years.

ghana - Kumasi and older project already working for some years

SI/E extends support to Soroptimists in L’Aquila, Italy

SI/E extends support to Soroptimists in L’Aquila, Italy

April 7, 2009

Soroptimist International of Europe is deeply saddened at the horrendous earthquake that has caused so many deaths in the town of one of our Soroptimist clubs, L’Aquila in Italy. My deepest sympathy goes out to those members who lost family, friends and loved ones. So many are injured and authorities are still unsure how many people remained trapped in the wreckage. Thousands of people cannot go back to their unsafe houses thus have to sleep in tents or in their cars. Please let us know if we can be of any assistance. What a nightmare this must be for you. We are so sorry to hear about this horrible news and our thoughts are with you all.

Mariet Verhoef-Cohen

SI/E President