We thank you all for your support of WIN's groundbreaking work over the past year and for our 12 years of connecting and enhancing women's voices locally and globally. The tide of Democracy, peace and human dignity will not rise by itself.

Today, women's involvement is more important than ever in the history of the United States and the world. The transformation of thin air democracy to true representation, war to peace and negotiation, and the placement of human rights at the center of our domestic policies, is dependent on our full participation, energy and creativity.

In the words of T.S. Eliot in 'Little Giddins', " Let us all raise our voice with new words as the last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning."

It is up to all of us to embark on making a new beginning with hope, love and peace. We hope that you will continue on our path with us and WIN women everywhere.
In peace, Elahe Amani

As we enter this new year of challenges and opportunities, your financial support and continuing participation will be the keystone. Your support ensures that we can reach and connect thousands more women and their voices throughout our state, country, and world. Through our circles and networks we can move women's agendas forward across the spectrum.

Twelve years as a network that organizes, one million women connected, one million miles traveled, and the work of Women's Intercultural Network has just begun - and never more critical than now.

To understand how, let's first acknowledge the heroic leadership that women provided this past year through WIN and California Women's Agenda (CAWA).
Look at the efforts of California's First Nation Native American women and farmworker women of the Central Valley when they responded to WIN's CALLTO ACTION. They are taking CAWA's Reaching across the Digital Divide project forward to focus on Education, Training, and Internet advocacy for access to quality health care and security from violence.

Listen to Annette Mukabera's update on our partners in Uganda during her video greeting to WIN's AnniversaryCelebration.

Raihana in Afghanistan kept her school going under the Taliban at personal risk in her determination to get education to all girls and women in Afghanistan. When we first met her as a professor of Science, she had formed a Women's Council at Kabul University and was Dean of the Library. Now she is Dean of Communications for the University and has formed a Women's Studies Department that can reach University Extension students in every province. Her quiet assessment puts the challenges women are experiencing around the world in perspective, "Each day when we go to work, we never know if we can make it home that night." In 2008 WIN is positioned to help build Afghan women's studies' curriculum and educate our networks for support of US foreign policies that will bring security to Afghan, Ugandan, Pakistani and women everywhere and ensure full participation in their democracy.

The networks that we build, the policy mechanisms that we put in place, and the systems to support them on the world wide web - this is what we are about and how we make a difference.

But "We have promises to keep and miles to go before we sleep" so we hope you will keep us moving forward and join WIN and CAWA with your membership renewal.

Joan Kenley described WIN's jounery best on her 'Conversation Radio', Green960 San Francisco as: "WIN knows you can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water".

Don't leave any women behind- join and continue your journey with us and be our partner in giving all women a voice in our democracies by sending your membership today. Sincere thanks for all you do for women and for WIN!

"Dignity and Justice for All", by Elahe Amani
'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini
'Giving, How each of us can change the world' by Bill Clinton
Humanity Asending: a new way through together

WIN and CAWA loyalists and partners held a 12th Anniversary gala and fundraiser at Delancey Street Town Hall in San Francisco on November 2nd.

This multi-cultural celebration that mirrored WIN's constituents and leadership honored revered social justice activists Yuri Kochiyama, Dr. Raye Richardson, Gracia Molina Pick and Dian J. Harrison with the 2007 Circle of Courage Award; re-acknowledged some of our founders and especially awarded our first Jedi Awards to Reggie Major, Jerry Flynn and Stephen Graves.

WIN's successful efforts to bring women and girls into the global conversation through activism since 1995 was visibly and digitally displayed throughout the evening and will be available on our Website and on a DVD along with links and interviews of our guests, honorees and activists. And we want your history with us as part of our DVD and Archive. We are setting up our website for you to do that. Even if you weren't with us at the WIN12 gathering, you will be able to help write history!

We look forward to crossing paths with you soon while we keep on moving forward!

The WIN12 Event Team, Rose Aguilar, Event Chair