 Do you ever suspect that the world might be a better place if the women were in charge?
If FAWCO (Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas Inc.) is any indication, the answer is a resounding ‘yes.’
Founded in 1931, FAWCO is a non-partisan, non-profit corporation that serves as an umbrella network linking over 76 independent American and international volunteer organizations for citizens living overseas.
FAWCO serves as a resource and channel of information for its member clubs, contributes actively to the global community and represents the interests of Americans abroad. See www.fawco.org
Its combined membership of over 15,000, the vast majority American, now spans more than 38 countries.
“The latest member to join is Angola,” said FAWCO U.S. Liaison, Lucy Stensland Laederich.
“The personalities of the clubs are as different as the countries they are in,” she added.
Mrs Laederich, originally a New Yorker who has lived in France since 1970, has served in an array of FAWCO positions including President, VP and FAWCO Foundation Awards Chair.
“FAWCO held its conference in Paris when I was the president of Paris' Association of American Wives of Europeans (AAWE), a FAWCO club.
I was blown away by the energy and the quality of the women that I met through FAWCO,” she said.
“Women who married nationals and were making their lives in foreign countries were not having their needs met by other groups which were more social in nature.
FAWCO addressed issues like citizenship for children and voting.”
Along with other overseas advocacy organizations, FAWCO, a recognized Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) since 1995, sends representatives to Washington every year to lobby for issues important to Americans living overseas.
It comes as no surprise that this year's trip in April will have Lucy Laederich and colleagues focused on two voting bills, trying to get them passed in time for the presidential elections in November.
“It's stunning that we did not have the right to vote until 1975,” said Mrs. Laederich.
“Since then, we have consistently faced problems. We need to simplify the rules; make the deadlines more reasonable.
“After the 2000 elections, overseas voters became very visible and ballot deadlines became an issue. Certain voters in one club in Denmark, for example, had to have their ballots notarized. The closest notary was a day's ferry ride away. In 2004, Ohio rejected ballots printed on “non-standard” paper instead of the US size.”
Representatives Mike Honda (D-CA) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), who are also members of the Americans Abroad Caucus, have each introduced legislation to streamline overseas voting procedures, ensure that ballots are counted and expand voter information programs overseas.
The bills, H.R. 4173 and H.R. 4237, also expand the voting base by ensuring that U.S. citizens who have not lived long enough in a state to establish residency will be allowed to vote at the voting address of their eligible U.S. citizen parent(s).
To review the provisions of these two bills go to http://thomas.loc.gov and enter the bill numbers to see a Congressional Research Service summary of their provisions.
“We must all urge our congressmen to co-sponsor this legislation,” said Mrs Laederich who added: “It will eliminate some of the ongoing obstacles we face as American voters abroad.”
Voting is just one concern that FAWCO continues to address. Granted special consultative status to the Economic and Social Council of the UN in 1997, FAWCO dedicates much of its energies to philanthropic work that ranges from issues like cluster bombs and substance abuse to ageing.
FAWCO NetWorks, together with Malaria Matters, supplies long lasting insecticide treated bed nets to some of the world’s most vulnerable women and children.
Grandma-2-Grandma is a project for homeless AIDS orphans and the grandmothers raising them in East Africa; and FAWCO took up the “One Member, One Tree” challenge last year, aiming to plant one tree per member (approx.15,000 trees in total worldwide).
Each year, The FAWCO Foundation raises funds for a local project in the country of the club hosting the annual FAWCO conference, held this year in Seoul, Korea, in March.
It was FAWCO's first conference in Asia, allowing clubs in Auckland, the Philippines, and Shanghai to participate.
“Another first in Seoul was two male participants’,” said Mrs. Laederich.
“As our membership grows and changes, becoming more international and breaking the gender barrier, we hope that more and more Americans and other English speakers will join the FAWCO family.”
Photo: Lucy Laederich, Celeste Brown and Joe Wilson
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