President's Letter 

WNBA's Writing Contest!
Deadline Extended to Dec 15! 

Pannell Award Nominations
How to Nominate a Bookstore.

WNBA's 2013/14
Nominating Committee 

Chapter News

* Boston
* Charlotte
* Detroit
* Los Angeles
* Nashville
* New Orleans
* New York City
* San Francisco
* Seattle
* Washington, DC 

Annette Marie Haley

Annette Marie Haley (Detroit) Interviews Linda Gray, President of the WNBA-Seattle  

Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, Linda Gray went east for college to Cornell University, then to Washington D.C. for graduate school. First Chicago, then New York City were her work destinations for positions in health policy and communications. Ten years later, when Linda's husband got an opportunity to work in London, they took off across the pond without a second thought. Well, actually, she had lots of thoughts about an entrepreneurial adventure in import-export of antique costume jewelry and had secured consignment contracts with stateside shops and began collecting inventory in England, when pregnancy "took over her life." The Gray's son was born in London, they moved back to the States not long after, and she began looking at the creative and volunteer worlds as her career path - fundraising led to becoming the dramaturge on a theatrical production in St. Louis to open a new theatre. When the family moved again (back to Chicago), Linda began writing in earnest - and she has made novel writing her avocation ever since. Someday, maybe she wants to take the 'a' off the beginning of that word! Moving to Seattle opened up whole new vistas, like the Pacific Northwest Writers Association, and (ever favorite) The Women's National Book Association.

Linda Gray

There was an open meeting that sounded interesting - Jen Marlowe, an author/civil rights activist came to talk about her book, An Hour of Sunlight, which is about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, written on the very personal level of one man's story. I was interested in being part of a group that reached out to authors like this and focused on a broad range of issues related to the community of the book.

What other positions in WNBA have you held, if any?  What did you enjoy in that job?

I became secretary of the WNBA Seattle chapter within months of joining. While I wasn't sure I was ready for that responsibility, the chapter needed people to do the jobs at hand, so it felt right. The secretary position is a great one for becoming familiar with the workings of a WNBA chapter. Writing meeting minutes is an excellent way to focus on the goals and objectives of a chapter and learn how they get accomplished. As secretary I was also our chapter's Bookwoman correspondent (which was truly so much fun!); I took a WordPress class, and with the help of Linda Lee in San Francisco, created and now operate the Seattle chapter website (wnba-seattlechapter.org). All of these have been good experiences that grounded me in how our chapter functions.  

Why did you take on this leadership role? What have you gained from it?

I wasn't meant to take on this role until next year! But our Vice President, Leslie Adams, found herself in an impossible situation to assume the role as planned, so we made a different plan. She and I will alternate the Presidency for the next four years (since we generally expect the President to hold the position for two years), with me this year, Leslie next year, and so on.

I'd be lying if I said I haven't sometimes felt like Sisyphus in this job. I've had to let myself make mistakes (lots of them) that I learn from as I go when the pressure's on for meetings or events, but others have been there for me with WNBA knowledge and experience, both locally and at the national level. Now, half way through the year, I'm loving being able to call up authors and presenters and invite them to put on a program for us or ask them if we can partner with them to showcase their charitable efforts. It's fantastic to work personally with key people at our independent bookstores, too, to nurture and develop a meaningful relationship that will help sustain both us and them. I love bookstores and the people who make them work!

What is your best life short story?  Get your storytelling hat on for this

When I was about seven, I got into a tangle with a cow that lived in a pasture across the street from us on the outskirts of Boise. My mother had told me, in no uncertain terms, not to cross the street or try to jump the little canal that fronted the fence around the cow's pasture, but, of course, I couldn't resist. I thought the cow was fascinating, with its four stomachs, and I wanted to feed it!

One summer day when my mom went to the grocery store and my older sister was in her room reading, I ran across the street and leapt the little canal to the pasture. I'd taken a big paper bag with me, and immediately filled it with grass from my side of the fence (the cow had eaten her side almost clean). I lifted a handful through a nice hole in the fence. That got the cow's attention! It came over and munched the grass I dropped. The cow was happy, I was happy, and so it went, until the bag was empty.

Ready to go home and savor my wonderful experience I turned, then realized that the strip of land I was standing on was only about a foot wide. It would be very, very hard to jump back over the canal without a running start, which I couldn't get on that skinny piece of ground. 

I thought I could make the jump, though, if I backed up against the fence and bent my knees to use my legs like springs. Problem was, when I bent to get maximum push-off, my behind pushed up against the wire fence, and the cow decided to grab on to the red and white shorts I was wearing that were sticking through to her side. I was suspended, my feet pressed against the canal bank, my arms in flight position over my head, and my body hanging out over the canal at an odd angle, as the cow held me by my shorts. She wouldn't let go, and I couldn't move. So I started yelling for help.

About the third yell (which I aimed at my sister's bedroom window), my sister finally appeared on our front porch, book in hand and disgusted look on her face. But as soon as she saw what was going on, she dropped the book and ran to my rescue. She skidded to a stop across the canal from me, held out a sturdy stick she'd found on the ground, and told me to grab on, which I did. Then she made a crazy face at the cow and whirled her free arm and howled at it. The cow was shocked enough that it let go of my shorts. Just as gravity began to release me into the waters of the canal, I pushed off and leapt, relying on my sister's strong arm to pull me to safety on the other side.

When our mother got home a little while later, there was no hiding the truth. We were in a heap on the floor, laughing and pale with relief. I was filthy and my shorts were torn. Mom sat us down on the itchy green divan in our living room and gave us a stern talking to. But when we saw that she was so shaken she was almost in tears, I promised never to leave the house by myself without permission again. And I didn't, at least for a while.

That night, I reached across from my bed to my sister's, and found her hand, limp in sleep, resting on the bed cover. I twined my fingers through hers and fell asleep, too.

What/who would you hate to be without? (and why-this can be a What plus a Who)

Our sweet kitties, Liskie and Raspberry (named by my son when he was three). They were 19 and 21 when they died, and I miss them every day.

You are happiest in what situation?  Details!

Planning, scheming, writing; figuring out how things work!

Hobbies or sports, free time pursuits? 

There's so much good stuff to do in Seattle! Want to go to an author event? Pick from several! Movies, dance, theater, music, restaurants (and lots of sports and outdoorsy things) are all easily accessible, too. It's a good idea to pick things you can do when it's raining, that's for sure. Because when the sun does come out, it's beautiful, and you have to be outside walking or running with friends.

Editorial note: Linda has a grace and elegance about her that belies the smart, creative woman inside. Who would have thought that sharing a presidency could work so well? Seattle is a young chapter, as WNBA chapters go, and it is the core of women involved who make a difference every day. Seattle is a hotbed of authors, artists and musicians, not to mention their advanced foodie society, and a perfect spot for WNBA to grow like crazy, thanks to the efforts of women like Linda.

Most of us have a website or are part of an organization, like WNBA, where we help run the website. I run boot camps and trainings that teach people the basics of running a website.  

I have created an outline for quick reference. I hope you find it useful. Google has made changes in the last year that supports these basics more than ever. You do not need to do fancy tricks or hire an SEO (search engine optimization) expert to get good results for your website.

When you are working on your own website or helping with another website, the key is to keep in mind how you find things online and conduct your own searches. If you think like that, it will help you create better titles and articles with the words and phrases that will help people find your website.

Five Easy Tips 

1. Stick to Your Keywords

Pick a few keywords or phrases that describe your site. Use them, and words related to them, whenever it's natural to do so. Repeating them uselessly is no good; use them in sentences, headlines, and links.

2. Content is King
If your site doesn't have content people want, no one will look at it. Each page should lead with a relevant keyword, and the first paragraph of text should be a summary of the rest of the page. Users don't search for design, they search for content.

3. The All-Important Home Page

Your home page is the key to your site being found by search engines. It should summarize the rest of the site, and give a clear, compelling reason for a user to look at the other pages in the site.

4. Links Have Meaning

Search engines pay a lot of attention to the links on your site, and the words used in those links.  The link text should describe where the link will take the user, such as "learn how we can improve your SEO." The more relevant the links on a page, the more findable the page becomes. Don't go overboard, and don't link to anything irrelevant, and never use "click here" or "see more" for a link.

5. Choose Good Titles

Your titles are being read by the search engines. Use good keywords and think about what you are trying to do. Every page in your site should have a title with the site name and a short description of the page. Include a keyword. Remember that the page title is what appears in search results, it should give users a clear reason to click on it. 

Linda Lee is past president and webmaster of the SF chapter. www.askmepc-webdesign 

Reviewed and edited by Jill A. Tardiff (NYC)

Jill A. Tardiff

WNBA NGO Main Representative at the United Nations (UN) 

Department of Public Information (DPI)

 

Nancy Stewart

Know Your United Nations Departments and Agencies

United Nations Publications 

By Nancy Stewart (Nashville) 

WNBA NGO Representative (Alternate) at the UN DPI

To many, the face of the United Nations is UNICEF or dignitaries giving speeches at the UN General Assembly, or peace-keeping forces in the world's troubled areas. Equally important, if a bit less visible is the vast number of bulletins, books, and reports that comprise the United Nations Publications. Reports on the UN world hotspots as well as ongoing projects are available here. More than 5,000 titles detail its history, charters, and initiatives produced by the organization and its key agencies.

Autumn Winter Catalogue 2013-2014

Featuring over 100 new and noteworthy titles and a complete subject listing of recent releases.

Among the more notable entries:

Basic Facts about the United Nations 2014 (Publisher: United Nations, Department of Public Information)

This comprehensive handbook explains the structure of the UN and documents the organization's contribution to international peace and security, economic development, and human rights.

The Millennium Development Goals Report for 2013
(Publisher: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs)

What progress is being made on these most important goals, developed in 2000 and meant to be achieved by 2015? Such important matters as reducing child and maternal mortality, eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, and promoting gender equality and empowering women are detailed here.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Publisher: United Nations, Department of Public Information)

This declaration, proclaimed in 1948, is the first international agreement setting out freedoms, rights, and entitlements for all humanity to claim. Every aspect of United National involvement in the world is documented here; and reading through the list of titles, one realizes the vast scope of the work of this organization and the critical contributions the UN has made to the peace, security, and well-being of people all over the world.

More at United Nations Publications:

Online Products: Databases and Resources; Apps and eBooks; UN Bookshop.

Resources for Librarians; Educators; Agents; Rights and Permissions.

Like on Facebook; follow on Twitter: @unpublications.

*** 

Jenna Vaccaro

UN Women--United Nations Entity for Gender Equality
and the Empowerment of Women

By Jenna Vaccaro (NYC) 

WNBA NGO Representative (Youth) at the UN DPI

http://www.unwomen.org/en 

http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us  

UN Women was created by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010 in order to address the need for women's empowerment and gender equality. It is a part of the United Nations Development Group. Its role is to support inter-governmental bodies like the Commission on the Status of Women in policy-making and goal setting. UN Women helps hold counties accountable for the commitments they make to help women achieve gender parity.

Some key targets for UN Women include: enhancing women's leadership and political participation, empowering women economically, ending violence against women, and HIV and AIDS relief. From Africa to the Americas, every culture has its own gender issues to address, and it is UN Women's job to make sure progress is being achieved through governmental policies and NGO efforts.

Recently UN Women put out a new ad campaign that highlights pervasive stereotypes against women. The campaign depicts a genuine Google search bar, auto-filling in with negative, harmful statements about women. Try it for yourself: in Google, type in the phrase "Women should" and see what pops up automatically as suggested search topics. When I type in "women should," the options for 'stay in the kitchen,' 'be seen and not heard,' and 'not be in combat' automatically appear. These items pop up because they are what other people most search for, and Google predicts what you want to search for based on the amalgamation of all past trends. This campaign raises awareness of the status of women today and shines light on the unfortunate ways women are degraded on the Internet and in real life. These negative attitudes can prohibit women from reaching equality.

To learn more about how UN Women functions within the framework of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), read their report: Gender Justice.

From UN Women:

"Social, political, and economic equality for women is integral to the achievement of all Millennium Development Goals. Hence, gender justice entails ending the inequalities between women and men that are produced and reproduced in the family, the community, the market, and the state. It also requires that mainstream institutions--from justice to economic policy-making--are accountable for tackling the injustice and discrimination that keep too many women poor and excluded. Gender Justice shows how addressing inequalities, including gender inequality, will be essential to achieving the MDGs."

UN Women is headed by Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (South Africa), who recently replaced Michelle Bachelet (former president of Chile.) Phumzile is supported by her deputy executive directors, Lakshmi Puri and John Hendra. Policy guidance also comes from the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and the Executive Board.

The UN-Women Executive Board is made up of representatives from 41 Member States elected to three-year terms by the UN Economic and Social Council, with the following regional allocation and number of members: Africa (10),  Asia and the Pacific (10), Eastern Europe (4), Latin America and the Caribbean (6) and Western Europe and other states (5) and contributing countries (6). Members in 2014: http://www.unwomen.org/en/executive-board/members.

Like on Facebook; follow on Twitter: @UN_Women and @UNWomenWatch.

***  

Marilyn Berkman

Meetings and Briefings at the United Nations

68th Session of the UN General Assembly 

By Marilyn Berkman (NYC) 

WNBA NGO Representative (Alternate) at the UN DPI 

General information:

"The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policy-making, and representative organ of the United Nations. Comprising all 193 Members of the United Nations, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter."

Report:

At the 68th Session of the UN General Assembly, the focus of the two-week-long General Debate (September 24-October 4) was on accelerating achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), setting the stage for a post-2015 agenda, while promoting sustainable development and the outcomes of the Rio+20 Conference.

On September 23, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hosted a high-level forum, with UN, World Bank, and civil society leaders, on accelerating progress toward the MDGs and advancing the UN development agenda beyond 2015, as a lead-in to the deliberations of the General Assembly on September 24 and 25.

A meeting of 25 Member States resulted in a document on priority measures and renewed commitment toward achieving the MDGs and a post-2015 agenda. A Summit will be held in September 2015 to adopt a new set of Goals to balance the three elements of sustainable development: providing economic transformation and the opportunity to lift people out of poverty, advancing social justice, and protecting the environment.  

The UN Development Group through its MDG Taskforce has facilitated national dialogues in 88 countries. It convened 11 multi-stakeholder global thematic consultations from August 2012--August 2013. On September 10, 2013 the UNDG released its report "A Million Voices: The World We Want" on the findings of public consultations and surveys that engaged more than 1.3 million people in all 193 UN Member States.

The current eight MDGs (on poverty, primary education, gender equality, child mortality, maternal health, diseases, environmental sustainability, and global partnerships) were designed to guide development priorities for the international community from 2000 to 2015. But outcomes so far have fallen short. The 2013 annual MDGs report, Session of the UN General Assembly, the focus of the two-week-long which measures progress and remaining challenges, noted significant strides but uneven progress, particularly for women and girls. It acknowledged gender-based inequalities in decision-making continue to deny women a say in decisions affecting their lives. Gender equality is third in the current MDGs, and gender issues inform many of the others.

In a September interview with Thomas Reuters Foundation, Rebeca Grynspan, UN Undersecretary-General and Associate Administrator of the UN Development Programme, said, "All studies...demonstrate that if you tackle gender equality, you empower women, then you will be much more effective in fighting hunger and poverty." Women currently account for about 70% of the world's extremely poor. Educating women improves the health and overall conditions for the entire family, according to World Bank and UN studies. But while parity has been achieved in primary education, boys outnumber girls at the secondary and tertiary levels.

The shortfall in meeting targets has stirred debate over the usefulness of setting new MDGs, but Grynspan defended their value in shaping discussions and focusing investment. Emphasizing gender equality as the primary goal that should be adopted in 2015, she pointed to a country like Afghanistan, where educating girls (60% now in school compared to zero in some areas previously) is vital to overcoming cultural, economic, and governance challenges, including violence toward women and girls.

Following a two-day General Assembly plenary meeting on financing the MDGs and post-2015 development, on October 9 the General Assembly resolved to target the most off-track MDGs in the remaining time, particularly those related to poverty and hunger, universal access to primary education, child mortality, universal access to reproductive health, environmental sustainability, and access to water and sanitation.

Department of Public Information Non-Governmental Organizations

Working Together. Making a Difference.

Town Hall Meeting, Tuesday, November 5, 2013

By Marilyn Berkman
http://www.un.org/en/hq/dpi/about.shtml 

http://outreach.un.org/ngorelations/ 

After a hiatus of two years, the United Nations Department of Information and the NGO/DPI Executive Committee have begun the process to organize the 65th NGO Conference. Representatives of NGOs were invited to a Town Hall Meeting on November 4, 2013, to discuss plans for the conference, which will take place at UN Headquarters in New York in 2014, most likely in August.

Not held since 2011, the upcoming Conference in 2014 will also be the first to be held in New York since 2007. In the intervening years-2008, Paris; 2009, Mexico City; 2010, Melbourne; 2011, Bonn-it took place outside the United States, but the lack of a willing host country for 2012 or 2013 led to the decision to return to New York.

The Town Hall Meeting was attended by DPI staff, members of the NGO/DPI Executive Committee and representatives of various Non-Governmental Organizations, including some who had actively participated on committees involved in the planning and organization of past Conferences.

Anne-Marie Carlson, NGO/DPI Executive Committee Chair, introduced Maher Nasser, Director of Outreach for DPI. Mr. Nasser related the interest of DPI that the Conference resume, as it is important to the UN to learn the concerns of civil society and for representatives from civil society (NGOs) to meet and learn from each other best practices in addressing issues and reaching goals. He explained that August was the most likely month as it falls in between sessions of the General Assembly when halls and small conference rooms for the popular workshops and other "break-outs" would be available. Conference attendees would have access to the resources of the DPI. As to access to or participation of UN Member States, he said that though some Member States UN DPI/might participate, the role of NGOs was to seek to work with the governments of their respective country or countries (for global NGOs).

Both Mr. Nasser and Ms. Carlson emphasized how 2014 will be a good year for civil society to make substantive contributions to setting the post-2015 agenda of the UN. 2015 is the year after which the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are to be replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There has been mixed success in attaining the MDGs globally, a topic of much discussion during the current (68th) session of the General Assembly. Although the SDGs will already have been published by August 2014, input from NGOs will still be important toward implementation. Toward that, an overall theme for the 2014 Conference was suggested: Leave No One Behind: A Life of Dignity for All.

NGO representatives weighed in on the theme, proposed dates and other matters related to the Conference. Preferences ran toward a three-day over a two-day event to allow for networking at a reception and in workshops. It was asked if it were possible for the Conference to concur with International Youth Day (August 12). Regardless, there were calls from NGOs, DPI, and the Executive Committee to include youth in the largest possible way, with youth reps and young journalists present, webcasts, and Skype. Many who spoke echoed recent GA discussions on how the MDGs are interrelated and felt the Conference theme should focus on the Goals not yet achieved, and the very young and elderly who are most affected. The roles of science, technology, education, and medicine were also suggested as important. Index cards were distributed for written suggestions.

Elisabeth Shumer, Future Conferences Subcommittee Chair, delineated the dedication required to chair the many subcommittees necessary to plan and run the Conference, among them: Program Planning, Outcome Document Drafting, Reception Event, Fundraising and Budget, Intergenerational, Media Coordination, Resource Center Hospitality Kit, Registration, NGO Workshops, Travel, and Accommodations.

Like on Facebook; follow on Twitter; DPI NGO on Tumblr.

We welcome Dena Mekawi, WNBA's newly appointed NGO Representative (Youth) at the United Nations Department of Public Information. Dena is currently working towards her Masters in Publishing at Pace University, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences. A life-long New Yorker (Brooklyn), she is very proud of her family's Egyptian heritage and her Arab American community. Her goal is "to help women have a voice in their community ... and help bridge the gap between cultures." Dena will hold her position through 2014.

And an overwhelming thank-you to our out-going NGO Representative (Youth) at the UN DPI, Jenna Vaccaro--trailblazer extraordinaire.

*** 

News About the United Nations

From UN News Centre 

You will find there Top Stories, News by Topic, UN Photos, UN Radio, UN Televison, UN Webcast as well as published statements made by the Secretary-General, highlights and transcripts from the Spokesperson's Office, Tools and Services, and Social Media.

Watch the Youth-led Briefing, Thursday, November 7, 2013 

Theme: Educating and Employing Youth: The Influence of Public-Private Partnerships in a Technological Era; organized by the NGO Relations Section, Outreach Division, Department of Public Information (DPI).

From The New York Times:

U.S. Loses Voting Rights at UNESCO by Alissa J. Rubin, November 8, 2013 

Like on Facebook; follow on Twitter: @UN_News_Centre.

*** 

Shop UNICEF / UNICEF USA 

"When you purchase UNICEF Cards & Gifts you are doing much more than sending a goodwill gesture.  

You are making a real difference in the lives of children."

Inspired Gifts 

* UNICEF Cards & Gifts * Business Collection * UNICEF Business e-cards
* Tribute Cards * Partner Offers. Order a catalogue: http://www.unicefusa.org/shop/get-a-catalog/ 

Get the new book, I Believe in Zero, Learning From the World's Children 
(St. Martin's Press) by Caryl M. Stern, President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

 http://www.unicefusa.org/shop/unicef-ceo-caryl-stern-book-i-believe-in-zero/.   

***

Recommended Reading

A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide

(Harper Perennial)  by Samantha  Power. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
A former Balkan war correspondent and founding executive director of Harvard's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Samantha Power currently serves as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations.

 I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban  (Little, Brown and Company) by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb. The remarkable story of Malala Yousafzai, the who "dream[s] that all girls everywhere deserve an education."

***