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The theme of this year's National Congress, "Moving Forward, Making Peace," proved provocative. The entire first day of our gathering in Indianola, Iowa was set aside for internal WILPF concerns that arose last fall, such as the lay-offs of the national office staff, the financial crisis, temporary shut-down of the office, and ensuing structural changes. Congress attendees and mem- bers from branches across the U.S. asked many questions and insisted on answers. The board has focused on trans- parency and accountability since the events of last fall, and members made it clear they want backup for their branch work and up-to-date information, but not top-down leader- ship or obscure direction. Attendees also stressed the importance of a strong national presence for our venerable, 94year old organization. Overall, the first day's discussion was constructive and fruitful.
Traditionally, the heart of WILPF's Triennial Congress has been to establish a program for the next three years. This year, rather than choosing campaigns as we did for 2005-08, WILPF established a mini-grant program for the branches and issue committees. Branches (individual and groups of branches) may apply for mini grants to support an issue they are working on - building our national campaigns from the bottom up.
On Friday through Sunday, Congress workshops, actions and guest speakers covered the major concerns facing U.S. and the world. Save the Water and Women Challenge U.S. Policy in the Middle East reported on their efforts over the...