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Towards ACWW 2001 By Mary Janes Are you using “Volunteers Make Visions a Reality" as a theme for one of your Branch, District and Area meetings in the coming fiscal year? Are you preparing now to greet the world next June? Or are you considering get- ting involved in some other way â€" perhaps one of the opportunities listed below? By the time you read this article, it will he one year to the start ofACWW 2001 â€"the 23rd Triennial Conâ€" ference being held in Hamilton, Ontario. Postcards 7 Members may wish to submit postcards of their communities, with their name and address and a bit of personal Information, to welcome delegates to Ontario and perhaps form a personal or letter link. The postcards will be collected at the Area Conventions in the fall of 2000 and will be placed in the delegates' confer- ence bags. Branch Programs â€" Branch programs will also be collected at Area to be put into the delegates' bags. It's always interesting to see what activities other groups are in- volved in and how they organize their yearly plans. Quilt Blocks â€" Have you prepared your quilt blocks for the Sales Table (see Home 8. Country, Winter 1999â€"2000, p. 16)? Pro» ceeds will go towards Conference expenses. Individual Membership â€"To be a full confer- ence delegate and attend all activities, you must be an individual member (Category Nb) of ACWW. Membership forms are printed in each issue of The Country- woman. Home Hospitality â€" In response to some que- ries, it doesn't matter where you live in the province. Ifyou are interested in hosting an ACWW member either before or after the conference (as per restrictions in Home 84 Country, Summer 1999, p. 7), submit your name now! People from outside the prov- ince may be interested in visiting even the most remote spot in Ontario for the uniq ue, unforgettable experience that your location may provide. Registration Forms â€" If you wish to attend the full conference, registration forms are now available in the Janâ€"Mar, 2000, issue of The Countryvvoman. Day visitor forms will be available at a later date. Used Stamps â€" Donna Russett, Chair of Dis- plays and Sales, continues to collect used stamps to sell at the conference sales table (see Home & Country, S ummer 1939, p. 7). Pro-Conference Workshop Fund â€" You or your Branch may wish to help a delegate attend the Pro-Conference Workshops by making a donation (see Home 84 Country, Fall 1999, p. 16). Mary Jane: is the Public Relations Director for the Ontario Coordinating Committee planning the ACWW 2001 Conference. Focus on Asia This article continues the series of visits to the 9 Areas of the Associated Country Women of the World by focusing on Asia. The information contained is taken from The Countrywoman and ACWWAnnual and Trien- nial Reports. South East and Far East Asia Area The continent of Asia is divided into two Areas for ACWW administrative purposes, The Area President for South East and Far EastAsia (Brunei, China, Indonesia. Korea, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand) is Enna Tamimi of Indonesia. Ms. Tamimi is a lecturer and trans- lator at the National Academy of English Language in Jakarta. She is a member of the ACWW Society Persatuan Wanita Republik In- donesia (PERWARI). The current ACVWI/ Deputy President is Ursula Goh of Malaysia. a Past President ofthis Area. Mrs. Goh is a Life Member of the Sarawak Federation of Women's Institutes and is currently Chair of the ACWW ad-hoc com- mittee on agriculture. The following examples from China and Korea provide concrete evidence of how ACWW works to heipwomen help themselves. - The National Social Welfare Association of Shenyang (NSWAS) of China officially joined ACWW in 1996. Local women saw the advantages ofACWW affiliation to help local development and to empower women and decided to get involved. NSWAS is now the first organization 8 Home 8. Country, Summer 1000 devoted to women's welfare that has the Chinese Government's seal of approval, in spite of its reluctance to encourage nonvgovernmental organization (NGO) activities and rural development without state intervention. The first development activity has been a gooseâ€"rearing income generation project to alleviate poverty and promote self-reli- ance. It is fast becoming a lucrative enterprise. Initially 20,000 goslings were purchased and distributed to 100 partici- pants. When they were ready for market, participants handed back 10 pairs, kept 5 pairs for the next season's breeding and sold the rest to boost the family's income. The geese handed back will be distributed to another group of families to ensure the sustainability of the project. Money raised will be used to set up scholarships for basic education for disadvantaged orphans. The goose feathers will also be used for income generation and skill training projects. I Cheju is an island south of mainland South Korea. The challenges facing women there included lack of clean water and poverty. The Cheju Christian Social Welfare Associaâ€" tion became an ACWW memberduring the 1983-1986 triennium. Since then, the drinking water situation has been alleviated by the installation of a water conservation tank and pipes, thanks to the Water for All project. Now, rainwater car. be collected for use when needed. - Central and South East Asia Area Aloka Easu of Calcutta, a member of the County Women's Association of India, cur- rently serves as Central and South East Asia Area President. This area includes societies in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Franey Irani of Pakistan is a member of ACWW's United Nations Committee. One of the most recent projects to encour- age women has been in southern India. The 1998 Annual Report describes the 15 bore wells for 15 villages. “A reliable clean water supply is of paramount importanca to rural Indian communities. It can trans- form village Iife, removing the burden from women who routiner have to carry water for many miles. Access to clean drinking water also results in a reduction in water- borne diseases and a marked improvement in the general health of the community. In Tamii Nadu with a grant from ACWW, SCAD [the ACWW society] has been able to construct 15 bore wells, reaching 8000 ‘saltpan' workers. QYPSies and tribal peo- ple trying to scratch out a living in this droughtâ€"prone area. The aim of the project is to reduce poverty and encourage self- sufficiency amongst some of the poores. inhabitants."