Hello Zonta Sisters,

Fall is almost upon us. We know this because the children are no longer running around and playing in the streets and the school crossing signs are flashing again. School is IN and our lives will, for the most part, take on a more rigid structure. How are the two things related when we have no school aged children? I can't wait to hear about everyone's summer adventures and find out how Gail and Liz are feeling, etc. Does anyone else still dread hearing "Your first assignment will be a 100 word paper on the topic of 'What I did This summer.' "

Please get your bus reservation made if you plan to ride with the "party in progress" to attend the Conference in Billings at the end of the month. We also need to make a room reservation and complete conference registration. I will be traveling by the bus and look forward to sharing a room with someone. This trip will be community building for all of us and that is as Martha would say, "a good thing"

Member News: Gail Kozhevnikov reports she is happy with her position at the General Office, District 20, as the Coordinator of Human Resources. This past summer she and her husband took a group to Moscow, Petersburg, and Stockholm. Wouldn't it be great to travel with Gail and Pavel? She has tried to get her class on Monday evenings at UCCS to start a little earlier so she is hopeful she can join the last part of our meetings. We really hope that works out, we've missed her.

As to my sojourn with the 'big black boot' I have discerned that there are three stages to recovery of a fractured bone. First couple of weeks I extended all my sympathy to my foot - the next couple of weeks after my two week x-ray I spoke sternly to it, encouraging it to get with it and heal, heal heal - now that I am nearing my six week x-ray I am being reinforcing - you can do it, I know you want to get back in the car and drive, drive, drive! We'll see how that goes!

Felt an urge to visit the www.Zonta.org web site and see what was new. The convention page seems to be there but I couldn't locate much information. I believe they announced at the NA summit in St. Louis that on-line registration might be available after the first of the year. Also tried to check the RAWA web site. You'll remember that we had a speaker on the Afghanistan women and their organization. Most of what I saw was at least a year old so I have to assume these women are too busy to keep the site updated, understandably so. There is an update, however, on the Zonta site, Member Resource Center, concerning the International Service Projects in Afghanistan. Wish I could be there to help!

Nominations - we are very fortunate to have one of the women running for International President-elect in New York to be our international liaison at our District conference in Billings. You would really enjoy meeting her - she's from Massachusetts and is a good candidate. Another GREAT candidate for a director's position is our very own Governor Mary Benoit. It was a pleasure as chairman of the District Nominating Committee to be able to submit her application and then to learn that the International Nominating Committee recognized her impressive qualifications. Exciting times!

Another area of pride for me is the fact that two of our members are on the slate for District 12 positions. Sharon Roggy is running for Area 4 Director and Kate Brewster is running for District Nominating Committee. It is so gratifying to receive positive responses from well-qualified candidates. Many thanks, Ladies!!! I'll try not to be biased when I read the slate to the District Conference!

See the complete Zonta International Slate on the Zonta web site.

The CSW agreed that increasing women's access to and participation in media and information and technologies was vital for women's empowerment. It urged the integration of gender perspectives into policies and programs. It stressed that women be given more presence, voice and visibility in the media. The CSW called attention to the importance of the World Summit on the Information Society - to be held in December 2003 in Geneva and 2005 in Tunis - for promoting gender equality.

The CSW also approved three draft resolutions.

1. Concerning Afghanistan, it recommended to the Economic and Social Council that they urge the Afghan Transitional Authority to ensure that all legislation support full human rights for women and girls, freedom of participation and movement and equal right to education.
2. On HIV/AIDS, the CSW called on governments to increase efforts to combat gender stereotypes and inequalities as well as promote women's economic independence to combat HIV.
3. The international community was called upon to continue to provide urgently needed humanitarian aid to Palestinian women and their families.