CONVENOR'S POST-CONFERENCE LETTER
November 5, 1998Dear WAAD ‘98 Participant:
It is with profound happiness and gratitude that I write to acknowledge your important contribution to the success of the recently-concluded WAAD conference. To single-handedly (and without funding) organize a conference of this magnitude, scope and global reach was certainly not an easy task. But your goodwill and contributions helped to smooth the way. For this and much more, I am very grateful. My only regret is that after these many months of correspondence and looking forward to meeting you, pressures of on-site details did not permit me to hold private conversations. I could not even break away to attend any of the wonderful sessions. I am profoundly touched by all the post-conference gifts and messages—e-mail, letters, cards and phone calls. I will leave for an overseas trip in the next few days and will respond accordingly when I return to the US later this month.
I am particularly pleased with the excellent evaluations we received. After the conference, one participant was inspired to write a poem for the WAAD (copy enclosed). While receiving the accolades for the positive aspects of the conference, I must not fail to assume full responsibility for the things that did not work very well. Together, we can make things better for us all. The decision to regionalize WAAD operations is most welcome! The sharing of responsibility that this arrangement entails will certainly smooth our path. I look forward to our collaboration.
I am equally gratified that the conversation we started six years ago in Nsukka (Nigeria) has taken root, grown and yielded fruit. Our many successes and accomplishments are the yardstick with which to measure our future engagements. On many levels, we have actualized the sub-theme of WAAD ‘92—"Bridges across Activism and the Academy." We will continue to fortify the embankments of existing bridges while constructing new bridges when and where necessary. The regionalization of WAAD activities will assist us in not only localizing our agendas but also globalizing the local. In view of our ongoing conversation, I would like to draw your attention to the following:
WAAD 2000
The next WAAD conference will be held in magnificent Madagascar in early October 2000. Mark your calendar and plan to attend!WAAD Papers
I have started compiling and editing the proceedings of WAAD ‘98. Selected papers from the proceedings will be published. Please do not submit WAAD conference papers elsewhere. If you must, contact me first.Receipts
Receipts have been mailed to participants. If you have not received yours, please let me know.Certificates
We issued certificates to all WAAD participants. If you did not receive one, contact me and I will mail one to you.Internet Discussion Group (Listserve)
It was suggested that we establish a listserve for WAAD-related discussions. The Association of African Women Scholars (AAWS) has a listserve of which I am the List Administrator. AAWS is a co-sponsor of WAAD ‘98. I suggest that the AAWS listserve also serve as the site for WAAD-related discussions. It will be cumbersome and an unnecessary duplication of efforts to administer two listserves which service the same clientele. Please let me know by e-mail (nnaemeka@iupui.edu) which option you prefer—use AAWS listserve for WAAD discussions or establish a separate listserve for WAAD.Enclosures (Flyers)
I enclose extra flyers and brochures from some of the vendors at the WAAD conference (some offer conference discount on orders). We ran out of copies of the order form for the excellent journal, Reproductive Health Matters. I made more copies for distribution. Please contact vendors directly for orders and subscriptions.Country and Regional Representatives
At the WAAD town meeting, we agreed to regionalize WAAD operations (minutes of town meeting enclosed). Call was made for regional representatives. Some volunteers have signed up but we need more volunteers. In order to facilitate the work of regional representatives, we need country representatives volunteers. Please let me know if you or anyone you know will be interested in becoming a regional or country representative.Translation Bureau
In order to expand and solidify networking within Africa and between Africa and the African Diaspora, WAAD has established a Translation Bureau for making our documents and information dissemination more user friendly. I thank our corps of volunteer translators. We need more translators (French and Portuguese). Please contact me if you wish to volunteer.Donation
In order to facilitate the work of WAAD regional offices, we are seeking donations of money and office equipment. If you or your institution have used equipment to donate or if you have ideas about corporate donors/contacts for new equipment, please let me know. If you have other ideas about helping the regional offices to take off, send them to me as well.Once again, I thank you for making WAAD ‘98 a success. My warmest and best wishes to you and yours. I look forward to our conversation and, more important, our next meeting.
In sisterhood,
Obioma Nnaemeka, WAAD Convenor
Associate Professor of French & Women’s Studies
President, Association of African Women Scholars
Return to the AAWS Main Menu