November 2010: FAWCO Region 5 Regional Meeting
Report by RC 5: Frauke Rademacher-Heidemann
FAWCO 2010 Region 5 FAWCO and FUN Meeting, November 5-7 in Munich, Germany
Each year in November the clubs of Region 5 meet in a location selected on criteria’s such as landmark-, history-, easy-access and medium cost to discuss the latest FAWCO achievements/ projects and various club issues; shared with a getting-to-know-the-site program.
Previous locations were Duesseldorf the most modern city of Germany, Eisenach the town of M. Luther and J.S.Bach, Lueneburg the 1000 year old Hanse city, Vienna where Oxidant and Orient meet and the United Nations try to keep the world at balance, Aachen the city of Charles LeMain, and Berlin where the ‘roaring 20s’ rocked the world- soon followed by a different rocking of the world – where FAWCO was founded in 1931 and the great barrier between East and West was torn down.
This time we met in Munich, the vibrant city full of art, culture and joie de vivre.
36 ladies from 8 clubs, our FAWCO President and 2nd VP plus guests from Ireland, Netherlands and Switzerland attended the meeting hosted by the IWC of Munich. A warm welcome in the charming hotel in Munich’s old town with finest food and service tuned into the intense program with latest news from the FAWCO board, the world-wide plans and reports by each club presenting their work, experiences and issues.
Welcome by Margaret Hilditch, IWCM - picture
The FAWCO Target Program WATER dominated the meeting with the announcement of the chosen target project ‘Wells for Clean Water’ in Cambodia. Anne van Oorschot, AWC The Hague presented the plan to install 800 wells in 12 project areas proving 2400 families with potable water. Goal is to improve health, provide year-round grow of crops and increase of family income.
Anne demonstrated the w/w water supply situation using a simple water-bucket-sample and left instructions for all to repeat this in the clubs.
Tracy Moede from the AWCH presented the (additional) local water project ITWDP (Integrated Tribal and Watershed Development Program) in India.
Mr.Max Koch, Stern Steward Co Munich gave a report on the ongoing Burkina FASO project which the IWC Munich supports and the FAWCO Foundation funded.
Professor Peter Rutschmann of the Water Management & Hydraulic Engineering Munich gave an overview of the w/w use of water and the increasing water shortage due to demand for productions. Samples are: the production of1 kg rice requires 1000 liter water, 1 kg beef requires 16000 ltr, while 1 kg potatoes need only 133 ltr and 1 kg tomatos 50 ltr.
Before one T-Shirt arrives in a store it has used 3900 ltr water plus the use of energy for shipment halfway around the world.
Prof.Rutschmann researches ways of water supply without impact on ground water levels, such as horizontal water collection and utilizing moisture collection by trees.
Susanne Taylor, IWCM together with Elizabeth Kelly, IWC Antwerp prepared a workshop on ‘Understanding Cultural Diversity’ with wonderful samples to repeat this in the local clubs.
Susanne Hirschberg, AWC Duesseldorf together with Laurie Richardson, AWA Vienna and Janelle Mason, AWC Basel collected issues, questions and experiences from the clubs and lead and moderated the workshop ‘Club Issues and Q&As’. A report will be forwarded to all clubs.
Kathleen Simon, FAWCO President introduced the next FAWCO Conference in March 2011 and made everyone eager to join the fun in Marrakech.
Two wonderful tours through Munich, planned and lead by Joyce Bechard, IWCM created the promised FUN, highlighted by a dinner in a traditional Munich Brauhaus. A must to return to Munich.
Region 5 thanks the team of the IWCM for a professional and wonderful meeting !
Front from left: Kathleen Heil, MaryLynne Mackay, Margaret Hilditch, Roberta Zoellner and Borgi Seggermann, the IWCM Team with Kathleen Simon, FAWCO President and Frauke Rademacher, RC in the back.
We parted with the announcement of ‘Next Year in Berlin’ as the location for our Region 5 Meeting, Nov 2011.
Frauke Rademacher-Heidemann
FAWCO Region 5 Coordinator