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March 2024 | Vol 23
Table of Contents
Message from the President
Board News
Harvard Alumni Association Election
Upcoming Events
Previous Events
Support GlobalWE
From the President...
International Women’s Day 2024, #InspireInclusion, has come and gone, but Women’s History Month here in the US is still ongoing. And actually, one day a year isn’t enough to highlight the ongoing successes and struggles women face everywhere. I hope you took some time on that day to organize or join an event, learn, donate time or funds, or celebrate. And I’m making an educated guess that since you’re part of
Harvard GlobalWE, you don’t restrict your empowerment efforts and actions to only March 8.
Harvard GlobalWE is halfway through the year-long celebration of our 10th anniversary, and many of you joined us for special events in addition to our regular programs. You will see links below to the recordings of the reformatted recent versions of our Movie Club and Discussion Circle series. During the board debriefs after each one, we marveled at how powerful these events were, with the exchanges of information and personal experiences between the speakers and our members on topics of great importance to women. Forging these connections and facilitating education and communication is what GlobalWE does best, and we are inspired to continue bringing you meaningful and valuable events.
A recent update about an organization we featured in our most recent Fireside Chat last fall provided another kind of feedback that validated our programming choices. Mavic Cabrera Balleza, Founder and CEO of the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, was awarded the "Francesca Tardioli" International Award for Best Practice in the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325 last month. (SCR 1325 was adopted in 2000 by the UN and “reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping,
humanitarian response and in post-conflict reconstruction.”) In her interview following the award, Mavic gave examples of how the GNWP localization strategy worked on community policing levels, not just in conflict, and emphasized the importance of implementing policies and resolutions. We are delighted that Mavic and her organization received this recognition!
I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events. I’m even more eager to hear that you have found them worthy of your time and attention. Thank you, as always, for all you do to empower women.
Leah Abaya Keane, AB 1984
President,
Harvard Alumni for Global Women’s Empowerment
Board News
Essay Contest Winners Celebrated by HAA Turkey
Recep Bildik, our Essay Contest co-chair, recently organized a Harvard Alumni for Global Women's Empowerment essay contest award ceremony in Istanbul, in collaboration with the Harvard Alumni Association Turkey. On 21 February 2024, contest winners were given the opportunity to engage with Harvard alumni and fellow winners. Winners from earlier contests were invited to receive our hardcover bound editions of 99 winning essays from the first five years of the contest, including many of theirs. In addition, a panel
discussion on women's empowerment was moderated by one of the founding members of Harvard Alumni Association Turkey and the head of one of the largest conglomerates in Turkey, Zeynep Bodur Okyay. Our distinguished women members on the Board of Directors - Dr. Elif Damla Arısan, Dr. Emel Sokullu, Dr. Merih Angın, and Ahu Sazcı Uzun - shared their inspiring success stories and exciting milestones.
The ceremony served as a meaningful platform for fostering conversations and actions that support gender equality and celebrating Turkey's contest winners.
Harvard Alumni Association Election
Theresa S. Cho, AB '90, for HAA Elected Director
This year, we are thrilled that one of our most active members, Theresa S. Cho ‘90, is running for HAA Elected Director. Theresa has been pivotal in expanding our GlobalWE network, particularly through her initiatives in addressing women's issues in Asia and her work with the GlobalWE Essay Contest. The Harvard GlobalWE Board believes in her capabilities to excel as an Elected Director. The election period is from April 1st to May 15. Please visit the Harvard Elections website for more information.
Upcoming Events
Harvard GlobalWE's 10th Anniversary Summit
To commemorate 10 years of Harvard GlobalWE, we are combining, for the first time, our two flagship events: the Annual Alumni/Student Roundtable and the Women's Empowerment Expo on the same day, Saturday, April 13th at Boylston Hall on Harvard Campus! Our Expo will be in two parts with the second part to be held virtually on April 20th.
Past Events
Support GlobalWE
Donate and receive a free essay contest book!
Support Harvard GlobalWE with a donation of over $99 and receive a copy of our Essay Contest book as a token of our gratitude – your contribution makes a meaningful difference! If you’ve donated in the past, please also update your mailing addresses here to receive thank-you gifts in the future.
Call for 10-K Volunteers
Join us in making a difference! We're seeking passionate volunteers to help plan our first virtual 10K run/walk in honor of our 10th Anniversary Celebration! If you're ready to contribute your skills and enthusiasm to create a memorable and global event, please reach out to development@harvardglobalwe.org. Let's lace up our shoes and move women’s empowerment forward together.
Harvard Alumni For Global Women's Empowerment
Harvard GlobalWE is a shared interest group of the Harvard Alumni Association. We are dedicated to the empowerment of women through education, dialogue, and connection among individuals working for women's rights and freedoms worldwide. Harvard GlobalWE does not advocate a specific ideology or political or cultural agenda.
(The views expressed during our events are solely those of the speaker(s) and participating audience and do not imply endorsement by Harvard GlobalWE and/or Harvard University.)
To become a member of Harvard GlobalWE, please JoinWE. Membership is FREE. To learn more, please visit our website and our social media pages @harvardglobalwe
Thank You from the GlobalWE Board
