quick report back from today's conf call - next steps...

Hi all,

We had a good, very productive conference call this morning, and welcomed new members too.

I will write up the details, but we essentially covered three areas:

1) welcome and thank you to people who worked on pre-meetings to INtl Donor's Conf, and set up our web presence, blog, etc for the March 31 event, and worked on the Rele joint Gender Report Card (Al.ice for translation, Michelle for videos, Jade for tech and web page; Julie for logo, Martha for avail on press, Taina for EQ support; Global Voices and two Poto members for translation help)

discussed desire for formally e-thank: Edwidge, Marie St. Cyr for speaking, other speakers.

2) Quick update from Taina about report status: a call between key people working on report will be organized in coming days by Sophie; there will be discussion to sort through any confusion re Rele vs Poto Mitan identity and tasks re report - and report back will be done to our group here on PulseWire... This includes Taina mentioning planned May 4th event with Rose Pierre-Louis in NY to intro report to Tri-State diaspora groups...more on this as it develops....

3) Main focus of call was on need for us to now focus on getting organized and clarity re our Mission and Goals -- from that will come strategies and actions incl outreach. We discussed interests in five areas:

a)overall Gender Advocacy and Policy re gender equality and gender mainstreaming of women/girls in Haiti, the natl plan, and support for women's movement agenda as intl allies group -- work with Rele to use report as one tool;
b) becoming a (multi)media platform for communication, reporting, giving voice, monitoring progress of women and girls (info going into, out from Haiti to larger intl communities, etc.) -- (Note: this is something Haitian women leaders have said they would welcomge- centralization of info, supporting their voices);
c ) health (incl trauma, mental health svces; GBV; needs of newly disabled; pregnant women and OB-GYN; and HIV/AIDS -- as well as women's health services period..and in camps..)
d) grassroots women's economic recovery -- we have expertise in our group with Leonie and Karen of Lambi Fund of Haiti, etc. others interested in this area and it's key to PDNA plan too...
e) education and culture/arts: several participants are involved in education sector (Marie Bonjeur, etc) and some in arts -- so there's interest in this area.

ALSO, re our group identity, we discussed fact that several groups out there use Poto Mitan (including a publisher of Creole books, the film doc group, others.) and that people automatically shorten our name and drop the Rebuilding Haiti - which may confuse others.. send them to wrong website, and that several participants really liked the twitter name Alice used for us: potofanm.. Taina weighed in to say the girls focus is still v important, and urged we not drop it... so we discussed and unanimous agreement to tweak our name to poto fanmfi (or potofanmfi - all one word) and later we may have sub-group for potofi... as this name says it all: refers to centerpost in building, and how women, girls pillar -- even better than our other name..

Since we haven't done much outreach yet it was felt good to make this change now, and put out a proper set of communciation and outreach once we have really honed our mission and goals.

Finally, two small sub working groups are going to meet on phone, online in coming days and ALL who were not in conf call are asked to join if you want: these two groups are to explore and define issues and possible approaches,and then we can discuss. Taina will lead a small group discussion of a small steering ctte with goal of focusing on possible structure and goals - she'll facilitate this.. right now AC and Janet are joining in this...

Alice will lead similar discussion of possible media platform/advocacy hub - with Michelle, Jade Frank of World Pulse, -and I'll share some thoughts with them.

More detail will come soon. Please reply HERE if you want to participate in either small sub-group.

Next week's call will be singularly focused on the refined org structure and goals of poto fanm fi- from that we can discuss priorities, possible actions, etc.

Those of you who didn't make call, please let us know your thoughts. We missed you.

Finally best thing I can say is that energy is high, positive, united and focused for our work.. we know there were some tensions around the report and those involved will participate in that, but the larger poto work is our larger focus, and there is much to do.

Kenbe!
ac