Editorial

The events of September 11, 2001, have changed our lives - the way we look at each other and the way we view the world around us.

This pivotal moment has impacted everyone on this planet, regardless of their perspective.

Personally, I was initially overcome with a malaise that lasted for a week - unable to do much more than watch the news “just in case.”

However, the reality is you can’t have kids and wallow in the moment because their lives move at a different pace that pulls you along. I realized that I needed to participate in Canada’s discussion and subsequent actions.

I became very concerned that much of what was reported in the media after September 11th was very reactive and did not offer long-term solutions to eradicate terrorist attacks or help the people of Afghanistan.

In searching for a way to take positive action, I learned about the courageous, principled work of a group of Afghan women - the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA).

For more than 20 years RAWA has struggled to improve the quality of life for all the people of Afghanistan.

For more information on their many accomplishments and recommendations check out their web site.

Working with the MAW Steering Committee and members of the VKT, I developed a letter that was sent to the Prime Minister on October 19, 2001, on MAW’s behalf, urging the government to give RAWA the support it so richly deserves.

Special thanks to Victoria Pelling McMullen who developed the press release, to Michèle Lapierre for translating the release, to Leslie Ashton who distributed the release to media outlets and other activist organizations and to Christina Comeau for developing an Emergency Resolution that MAW submitted at NAC-AGM.

I am including both press releases in Homebase for those of you who do not have access to the Internet.

All of these documents can be viewed at MAW’s web site.

Please feel free to use the information in the press releases to e-mail your own letters of concern to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Manley.

This issue of Homebase has a report from the September retreat and includes information about MAW’s mandate and how MAW hopes to thrive in the future.

After liaising with several other groups, we realized that MAW is not the only organization that is discussing its relevance to its members and within the field of social policy development.

Christina Comeau took part in the National Council of Women’s AGM and Roundtable in June and Laura Sutin discusses the state of feminism in a de-libbed world (page 39).

Of course, no Homebase would be complete without some humour, poetry and book reviews so we’ve included a great selection.

The Forum on the complexities of returning to paid work garnered several submissions and one fabulous quote from Golda Meir.

As I always say, Homebase could not exist without the unpaid work of all contributors.

I hope many of you will participate the Winter forum on Risk-taking (see p. 9 for details). The deadline has been extended until December 1, 2001.

Contact me if you’d like to write or illustrate for Homebase and would like more guidance.

Cheers,

Lisa Menard
Editor
Homebase

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