Global WENT 99 Session Notes

Back to Day 5

WomenAction2000 Global Women's Networking Training Workshop

NOTES - Day 5 - Friday October 1st 1999

REPORT BACK - TRACKS

TRACK 1 - WEB

Global Mapping
  • who’s doing what in the world (refer map)
  • stars indicate gaps (eg region where there is no site but onw is planned - europe, latin america), arrows coming out of the region indicate needing more outreach
  • arrows indicate needing greater coverage..
    • Purpose of the Site
  • difficulty in defining, felt others had ‘grand ideas’
  • a ‘platform’ for action for all the other sites
  • a portal for other sites, a search engine that will search other sites
  • will link sites dealing with Beijing+5
  • advocate/broadcast women’s position vis - vis Section J of the platform
  • Support networking initiatives of women - ie to promote visibility
    • Content Issues
  • shared keywords among participating sites
  • develop shared calendar and alerts database
  • other UN+5 information
  • highlights of regional or local sites
  • reports, resources etc related to Section J
  • search interface
  • radio broadcast
  • during CSW and special session
    • Production Processes
  • define the roles of people who will be directly working on developing the site
  • look into groupware tools that can be used to support collaboration across the net, didn’t actually recommend any, looked at some tools but need to identify which tools we would actually use
  • determine who gets what kind of web access stats info
  • voluntary who are able to keep up the site but would need
    • Technical
  • mirroring
  • search engine and directory service to run in different group (using APWIN database on one server and site on another server..?
  • look into possibilities of doing low bandwidth broadcast from the net..
    • GAPS
  • site organisation
  • beyond Beijing +5 - what is the purpose of the site
  • who will be miss html
  • bring other organisations into the network (eg amarc for radio etc..)
    • Publicity
  • logo/badge/seal/stamp
  • register site on all major search engines
  • url campaign

    • TRACK 2 - ONLINE DISCUSSIONS and FACILITATION

    Objectives
  • train people in the track in basic skills os setting up and faciliating the list
  • plan for beijing+5 online discussions
  • to create a support network
    • Group Diversity
  • some people who had a lot of experience and faciliating, others as participants of lists, people with very little experience of either; people who came with a plan to go home and run list, some who had a lot of technical knowledge
    • Learnings 1: how to plan a list
  • develop a working group - small group who wuld help develop structure of list and cmmunity
  • develop a purpose for the list, what are the outcomes etc
  • technical aspects of setting up
  • preparing necessary documentation neede, welcome doc, rules, expectations etc testing the lists launching the list (including publicity and promotion)
    • Learnings 2: how to run a list - technical
  • can have conversation with ISP although there was some initial stress/panic whilst learning about majordomo
  • archiving strategies - looked at womenwatch strategies (archives on the web; searching the archive - which is related to the purpose of the list.. develop archiving accordingly)
    • Learnings 3: Human side of lists
  • conflict, incactivity, in-efficiency - cannot be dealt with with email commands J
  • difference between moderator (someone who stands at the door and decides who comes in and who doesn’t) faciliator - person inside the room who makes sure plans and purpose os covered at every turn
  • setting up a TOR for facilitator
  • how to deal with conflict when you have someone who dominates the discussionhow to keep the list productive and lively - as a facilitator you’re the owner of a nightclub, how do you attract your clients..use a different question every week or two weeks, have a guest speaker on for a couple of weeks, stage a ‘conflict’, adding news stories that relate to women in real life..
  • financial reality of running a list.. womenwatchy saymoderation if full time, faciliation is half-time - we need to consider this re resources.. plus monthly costs
  • creating a realistic budget
    • Summary
  • many needed to do more ground work with our nation, region, organisation - to identify where a list would be useful, public, closed, archived etc
  • important for the track to have a support/menotring list
  • had given more tools to meet second objective - to develop a regional/global strategy linkage
  • not a lot of opportunity to interact with womenwatch list as the timing is too short.. but can use womenwatch lists output to feed into regional lists..
    • Proposals
  • have a moderated bulletin board for mobilising fast action on the Global web site
  • have a multiple choice search feature on global website..
  • access to basic reference documents related to Section J
  • link all lists dealing with critical areas of concern and emerging issues on the global website
  • create a FAQ section on the global website - womenaction info, popular education piece on Beijing+5
    • Questions
  • do we want a global list and for what purpose
  • do we want or need a membership structure for WomenAction 2000 and what that criteria would be
  • can we have database of organisations who are willing to do translation and in what language and in same database, what organisations have already done translated work and in what language
  • language policy of the site - will there be just links to non-english sites.. or will the global site be multi-lingual
  • what about asian languages - how do we reach large non-english language section j wanted a global list and for what purpose

    • TRACK 3 - SECTION J

    Objective - To develop a strategic plan around Section J
  • did some levelling off
  • looked at history of section J, looked at followup activities, looked at basic issues
  • looked at global trends in communication
  • broke into two groups looking at new challenges and gaps
  • a) access to communication systems
  • b) protrayal of women in the media
  • developing action plan (results of each of the 3 working groups)
    • Group 1) Online Monitoring Proposals
  • womenwatch list - short term and focusseed specicifically on section j objectives
  • strategic list - closed space but would discuss in depth issues around New Technologies, developing lobbying strategy
    • Group 2 ) Section J Review Group 3 ) Web Site Relationship diagram

    BREAK OUT GROUPS - 1

    AD HOC WORKING GROUP ON WEB-SITE
    (synthesis of track 1 and working group 1 of track 3)     Purpose and content ~ Keywords… Concrete, measurable, doable, enjoyable

    Purpose of the site

  • To create on a global level a platform which represent s the activities taking place on a regional level providing people form outside a particular region insight into what is going in on regions, place to have things which are more than regional, emerging trends, BIG PICTURE.
  • Will be in English, French, and Spanish
    • Target groups
  • Women’s orgs (those working on B+5 and those that aren’t)
  • Media at various levels (outreach during moments when we want to do broadcasting)
  • Policy makers, international institutions
  • Researchers
    • Dual purpose => Beijing +5 and ongoing concept
  • Ongoing concerns about women and media.
  • How do we embed this?
  • Is the beijing + 5 site a front piece for our activities and our purpose (mission) and what we do as professionals (use communications tools to better the status of women)
  • Our front page can be B+5 site.
    • WA’s strong point is going to be making available a big picture, information, analysis about issues that concern us (Beijing, communications)
  • When: Start ASAP!!
  • Work together; planning group should work to get what already exists up ASAP
  • Shared tools should be developed
  • Feedback mechanism
    • Content Bottom-line criteria =>
  • Attainable
  • cost-effective
  • HR-effective
  • accessible low tech (using available expertise and technology) content
  • in English/French/Spanish
    • We need a global technical coordinator AND an information coordinator

    Short- mid- and long-term objectives Short

  • Minimum set of global content (UN documents, global reports, FAQ, accessible explanations)
  • Calendar of B+5 events
  • Links to regional sites (ideally with a brief description)
  • Links to existing email list archives (and list info)
  • As part of the content, explain this process (about us i.e. project outline)
  • Section J page
  • Brief, accessible overview of Section J
  • Link to the section J page is important but we don’t want the presentation of section J page to overshadow the global site.
    • Medium-to-long
  • Section J is likely to be an ongoing process of this site
  • Space to continue information-sharing etc. on the ICT / Section J / Women Media
  • Improve technical aspect
  • Potentially continue the creative process that started in the section J homepage dream session - ideas and potential structure are there
  • Help the resource people to make their stuff more visible, alive, interesting

    • BREAK OUT GROUPS - 2

    WOMENACTION 2000 STRUCTURE Analysis of how network has evolved since march and whether we need to reflect on adjustments

  • Earlier attemps at establishing a media network
  • Intensive reports coming out from Caucus, need to communicate, share info/ Forum on ICts
  • 12-15 women met together over a period of 3 days in New York which formed a steering committee - in partnership with Womenwatch
  • not intended to be exclusive, meant to be transparent
  • wanting to identify networks - not individuals - who were involved in media and information who can disseminate info
  • worked electronically, planned a global workshop inspired by Asian WENT workshop at APWINC
  • proposal put to womenwatch which funded this workshop, proposal has also gone to other donors from whom we have promises..
    • Retrospective Analysis - March - September
  • womenaction has no legal entity - funds have to date gone to IWTC - funds look like they’re going to IWTC - but in essence in their books it looks like the funds have gone to IWTC
  • women don’t understand if they are part of womenaction 2000 - if they are involved or not..whether they should be or not..
  • idea is to have a network - we can deal with operational aspects..
    • Does Womenaction become a legal entity?
  • for operational purposes
  • for fund raising
    • What is Womenaction 2000
  • Network or structure
  • for now remains a network
  • need a map of organisations
  • AWORC model discussed - has 11 members
  • Wanted to do Beijing Review and wrote up a proposal to do it
  • ISIS is coordinator of the network
  • Maintains project bank account
  • Has work teams
  • APC WNSP model
  • Network also with no legal entitity
  • Funds received without problem
  • is a network with coordination
  • specific organisations take specific responsibility
    • What is the global vision and goals
  • work around B+5
  • networking for the future
    • What does membership mean
  • Clarification about what we mean by structure, membership and alliances
  • How to organise including outreach
  • Future Structure including mechansisms for coordinating .. website, lists etc..
    • WOMENACTION 2000 NETWORK
  • do we want or need a membership structure for WomenAction 2000 and what that criteria is
  • wanted to know what we are doing remiddle east/central asian participation
  • need a fundraising policy

    • Last Updated on 20/10/99
    By Karen Banks