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I sincerely wish to
thank each of the Board members, the new Welfare Committee members, our
Activities chairperson, and others that have expressed their willingness
to take on the responsibilities of moving UNWA forward in the coming year.
I am pleased to be working with largely the same Board with a few
additions. I would like to give a hearty welcome to Olga Ivanova, who has
undertaken the responsibility of Membership Chair and give a special
thanks to Renu Paryvani, who has worked actively on a number of
initiatives in addition to the membership work. Phoebe David, Jean Sack,
and Mona Thapa have contributed a lot to Publications, while Vassana
Barclay has taken on the responsibility as Activities Chair. Please give
all of them your support. I would also like to thank all of those
individuals who served in various capacities last year and have undertaken
new responsibilities for the upcoming year.
I would like to say a few words about the open hospitality of our members
in general who have given our meetings the special touch only a good host
can achieve. Eva Munk who opened her home, the Danish Embassy Residence,
for our April General Meeting; UNHCR Representative Machiko Kondo who
hosted the Stress Management Workshop at her home; and Edith Campbell who
has agreed to host the May General Meeting at her home at the Canadian
HC’s residence next week; and many others all through the year. It has
been a pleasure to hold our events in these different venues.
We have had some brief discussions with sister organizations such as Dhaka
American Women’s Club and the British Women’s Association regarding joint
activities over the next year. These two organizations are made up of many
American and British women who are with embassies, international
organizations and multinational companies. They support small social and
economic development projects and also have a number of social events
throughout the year. Fundraising is also a part of their mission. In the
upcoming month we hope to discuss with these organizations ways to work
together where we have common interests goals through hosting joint
activities and events and by supporting each other in our individual
initiatives. I will keep you apprised of our progress to this end.
I wish a Happy Mother’s Day to each and every one of us. If you are not a
mother, you have a mother to celebrate. I am pleased that Ericka
Smith-Thomas, jazz vocalist, will be joining us for the general meeting on
Saturday 8 May and giving us a performance that will bring a special ray
of sunshine and a little bit of the flavour of the New York jazz scene to
us here in Dhaka. |