President's Appeal Notice and Message from PE Hanne

DECEMBER 10 message-(Editor’s Note) President Margaret sent this letter to us from letter posted on the Hamlin Society website from James Grainger,Executive Officer Hamlin Fistula® Relief and Aid Fund and asked me to share it with Soroptimists on our Programme Blog! We are all pleased to get this recognition from our partner on their website!

“Restoring Dignity – Securing a Future”
The 2008 Soroptimist International President’s Day Appeal – 10th December 2008 - is supporting the further development of Desta Mender, the special village which provides long term care and rehabilitation to fistula patients who cannot be completely cured. The 2007 President’s Day Appeal raised substantial moneys from Soroptimists around the world and the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital and the Hamlin Fistula® Relief and Aid Fund in Australia is once again very appreciative of Soroptimist International’s continuing support for this vital work of restoring dignity and securing the future of long term sufferers of obstetric fistulae. For further details click on the following link: www.soroptimistinternational.org/html/president_s_appeal.html] ..
In addition, there will certainly be appreciation given for SI support past and present in the next quarterly Newsletter. ( for more information on this you can also look at our 10/23/08 posting-More SI News for Members)

( President Elect Hanne recently completed her visit to our UN Centre in Vienna. She has written a really interesting article that will be posted in its entirety on the SI Webite at www.soroptimistinternational.org. Here is an excerpt to whet your appetite!)

Report from a Visit at UN in Vienna
By SI President Elect Hanne Jensbo.

To enter a UN centre is for me great and overwhelming and the imposing buildings make me feel tiny and insignificant.
But guided and mentally backed-up by our two efficient and committed UN representatives in Vienna, Roswitha Benesch and Karin Tripp I was led to different interviews at the UN centre in Vienna in October, where Roswitha and Karin had arranged some meetings with interesting UN staff members in the two departments UNODC and UNIDO. Both of them have their headquarters in Vienna and are the two main areas, where SI is lobbying.
UNODC stands for United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. SIs main interest is related to the sectors on Drug Abuse and Human Trafficking, which are two of the important departments of the UNODC.
UNIDO stands for United Nations Industrial Development Organization, which, assisted by 2800 experts, works for reducing poverty through sustainable growth in 78 countries.
My main impression from the 6 interviews, we had, are
*that the UN staff appreciated our “knocking-at-the-door”, as very few NGO’s come spontaneously for a visit and a talk,
*that they were interested to hear about SIs activities within their fields and were open for discussion on closer cooperation
* that they all appreciate the work which is done by SI and other NGOs and said “please continue your nagging. It is so important for UN and the member states to hear the voices from the grassroots.”
*that SI is well known and respected as a NGO at UN in Vienna........
(..... now go to our SI Website http://www.soroptimistinternational.org/ to read more specifics from PE Hanne's interesting report!)