A busy spring can be a good thing

Here in Canada, spring is supposed to mark the beginning of the slow season, a time to ease off work and celebrate the return of the sun, flowers and outdoor recreational fun.

At Crossroads, we could be forgiven for failing to notice the end of winter. We've been intensely busy. Two days after the official start of spring, a group of soldiers overthrew the government of Mali while rebels seized territory in the country's north. For a moment, it looked like the country might spiral out of control. While things have cooled down in the capital, the coup and ongoing instability in the north have sowed fear in the hearts and minds of the people of Mali. Our partners have been working double-time to ensure their projects are able to continue and thrive, and we've been doing the same to ensure they are supported.

The spring has been busy for another reason: Our work to promote the rights of women and girls has picked up steam like never before. And we are proud of that. As the controversial deletion of the phrase “access to reproductive health services” from the final document produced at the recent RIO+20 summit suggests, the rights of women are still up for negotiation in most parts of the world. We must remain vigilant to protect and improve access to rights and sustainable livelihoods for women and girls. Here are some highlights from this spring's struggle:

• In Toronto, Crossroads volunteers, Pam Hillen and Sarah Giddens hosted a wonderfully successful cocktail fundraiser for Global Girl Power, raising more than $12,000 for programs to support women's rights in developing countries. I had the honour of speaking alongside Ntombi Nyoni, legal officer for Crossroads partner Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse, and two of Canada’s best-loved journalists, award-winning BBC reporter and Crossroads honorary patron Lyse Doucet and the CBC’s Anna Maria Tremonti. It was a truly wonderful evening and a joy to hear Lyse and Anna Maria talk about their experiences working together and how important it is to support girls and young women in the developing world so that they enjoy a brighter, more secure future.

• In Istanbul, women from across the world came together to learn, organize and speak out at the Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) 12th International Forum. It was an incredibly inspiring event. Representatives from 12 of our partner organizations from West and Southern Africa were in attendance, along with Canadian members of our program team, providing a rare opportunity to put out heads together, forge new relationships and share ideas for elevating the status of women in our communities.

•  In Manitoba, we delivered a presentation to provincial cabinet ministers, including Premier Greg Selinger, explaining the power of grassroots solutions to transform the work of women and rural producers in Bolivia and Niger. The message was warmly received by members of the government and the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation, who expressed their intent to uphold their support for women and girls in Africa and Latin America.

• In Halifax, long-time (and outgoing) staff member Joan Campbell succeeded in attracting record support from a new friend of Crossroads. Marjorie Lindsay made an additional gift of $50,000 to support Crossroads work with women and girls. At a very young 86, Marjorie is an inspiring and passionate supporter, who strongly believes that Canadians should be supporting women and girls both at home and internationally. Thank you Marjorie! 

While the spring officially ended on June 19, the fight to break down barriers for women and girls continues. Following on the spring's successes, we will be hosting a fundraising event on September 20 in Vancouver, with Crossroads partner, Dr. Rose Mensah-Kutin, Executive Director of Abantu for Development in Ghana, who will talk about the impact of climate change on women and what women can do to influence  climate change policy. If you expect to be in Vancouver at that time, please give us a call at 1.877.967.1611 to purchase a ticket to the event, it is not one you want to miss.

Opening Doors

Celebrate the 100th International Women’s Day by sharing your story of an inspiring woman

This year, I celebrated my 50th birthday surrounded by family and friends. Among them were dozens of women who, over the years, have had a profound influence on my life and my career. Reflecting (as one is apt to do around these life milestones) I realized these remarkable women have not only influenced my life, but have shaped the lives of many. As mothers, sisters, partners, lawyers, accountants, social workers, volunteers and friends they touch thousands of people. These women are leading organizations, supporting charities, and taking leadership roles in their communities. I am so fortunate to have them as mentors, colleagues and friends. 

One woman of great distinction in my life was not there for the birthday celebrations, my mother. And it is my mother who I want to honour this International Women’s Day.

When I was nine, my mom made the decision to leave an abusive relationship and raise five children on her own.  In 1960s and 70s Quebec there were few resources available.  Leaving meant my mother would constantly struggle to make ends meet.  Despite the enormous obstacles she faced, the long hours she put into work as well as the care of her family, my mother always found time for others. She volunteered when she could, sharing what little we had. And she remains an active volunteer to this day.  From my mother I learned about the courage, strength, resilience and generosity of women.

And perhaps it was her example that brought me to Crossroads. Today, Crossroads is supporting thousands of ordinary women who are not really so different from my mom. These are women who face enormous obstacles, struggle to earn a living and to provide a better life for their children.  Ordinary women, yes. But they are doing extraordinary things – creating viable businesses, challenging and changing laws to ensure that others can live free from violence, and educating girls so that they can live to their full potential.

At Crossroads we are opening doors for thousands of women in Bolivia and Africa.  We do this by providing small loans that enable women to start and expand small businesses and by helping establish cooperatives that enable them to transform traditional work into viable  income-generating enterprises. We are also investing in girls and young women through empowerment and leadership programs. In communities where violence against women is endemic, and where women do not enjoy even basic human rights, these programs enable women and girls to become leaders in their communities. With that confidence and those skills, these women and girls are challenging the status quo and working for change.  

Please join our Open Doors Campaign. On this 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day, take action in support of women in Africa and Bolivia to Open Doors of opportunity.

It couldn’t be easier:

1. Register and set a personal fundraising goal
2. Think of a woman who opened doors for you. Be sure to tell “her story” on your personal page 
3. Email your friends. Ask them to make a gift to the OPEN DOORS CAMPAIGN in honour of a woman who is an inspiration to them.  
4. Change lives forever.

Your gift will enable women in some of the world’s poorest countries to earn sustainable incomes and gain independence. Thank you for your support

Why giving is good

 

Holiday catalogues galore spilled out of my paper this past weekend. I was struck by just how much stuff was on offer. Gift ideas for my sisters, my nieces, my sweetheart, my aunt and her cat! Trouble is that there is very little on offer that any of them really need and although there is a lot my nieces would say they want, they are at the age where I wouldn’t select a hairpin on their behalf. And while the kitchen implements are tempting in their holiday red, none of us have room for another appliance.

And the cat well…

So how to celebrate this season of giving? Is it by giving up? Or by giving in to the holiday hype?

I’m advocating all of the above. I plan to celebrate giving and giving up.

This year I am following Lawrence Hill’s lead. The three-time Crossroader and acclaimed writer (The Book of Negroes) started his holiday shopping by giving back to Crossroads. And so did I. I encourage you to consider making Crossroads’ Gift that keeps on giving a new part of your holiday tradition.

I have learned a lot about the power of giving at Crossroads.

Crossroads volunteers rarely talk about what they gave up to volunteer overseas. Instead they speak about what they got — how the experience changed the way they see themselves in the world and how the skills and lessons they learned changed their own lives.

The act of giving enriches them to be sure, but more than that, it enriches all of us by increasing understanding and by reducing the disparity between North and South.

Which brings me to giving up. For most volunteers the reality of working in the developing world is shocking at first. How am I supposed to build a database when there is only electricity for a few hours a day? ....Build a web site with dial up? ...I have to get permission from who before we can introduce a workshop? Crossroaders quickly learn to slow down, to seek advice, to listen well and to get creative to compensate for gross inequities and a dearth of resources. And for many, with the support of their host families and their local colleagues, they also get a glimpse of the richness of community life where relationships with people come first.

Crossroaders know it is not easy to know how to help. Many Canadians feel the same way. Just six per cent of donations made by Canadians support international development causes*. Not for lack of compassion witness the hundreds of millions of dollars raised to support victims of the Tsunami or the earthquake in Haiti. But long-term development and strategies to address the root causes of extreme poverty are often too nuanced for a fundraising pitch — hence the proliferation of goats as gifts and pictures of children in need. How can we be sure that these donations will actually make a difference in the lives of people on other side of the globe?

That is why at Crossroads we work with local partners to develop joint projects that advance their goals. We don’t set up offices or stand-alone projects overseas. Instead we invest in the people and organizations that are driving change in their own communities.

As for the hype, I am glad there is at least one time of the year to remind us that we're here for something other than ourselves. This holiday season I will be making time to be with friends and family and honouring those who inspire me half way round the world.

PS: Click here for a few goat-free shopping ideas that celebrate gifts that keep on giving.

*Highlights from 2007 Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating Caring Canadians Involved Canadians 2009.