CCMW – STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THREE YEARS: 2003-2005: Based on the needs, issues and challenges identified at the Strategic Planning of the 2002 Conference.
GOALS:
To be a voice for Muslim women and to work towards improving the image of Islam and Muslim women so as to result in positive outcomes for women.
Facilitate the integration and participation of Muslim women into mainstream society.
Combat racism and discrimination.
Advocacy and lobbying.
Collaboration and networking.
Media relations.
Increase use of technology.
To achieve these goals, increase/ strengthen role and visibility of CCMW, at national and local level. (See the rest on this CCMW-page).
Excerpt of Minutes of xx – We should be proud of the fact that CCMW has its 20th anniversary this year! It is quite an achievement for a small, volunteer women’s organization to not only have survived, but lived up to the vision created 20 years ago. It was heartening to hear from the women who started CCMW that CCMW has broadened its scope and done more than they had aspired to …
We are passionate and committed to the cause of furthering the progress of Muslim women. We want to be Canadian Muslim women, proud of which ever ethnic origins we have, but focusing on our commonality of being Canadian and being Muslim. We want to be mature about looking at ourselves critically and not being defensive or closed to new ideas, so that we learn and gain and find our own strong clear voice. We believe that we have provided a voice for Muslim women which emphasizes alternatives within Islam; that we have demonstrated that Islam is a woman positive faith and that we have assisted with the integration and participation of Muslim women. We have done this through the conferences, the newsletters, the networking; initiating of projects, holding regional meetings, and our publications. However, there is so much more that can be done, especially at the local level and one of our strategic plan goals will be about how we can support the chapters.
I wish we had more women and men in our communities who would see the desperate need for changes within the framework of Islam, esp. for women. If half the population, which is women, joined forces then change would occur in a very short time! The values of CCMW only reflect the values of Islam, that is, they are pro woman, inclusive, diverse, respectful of differences, and searching for knowledge so that Islam remains vibrant and relevant to all of us. This conference of 2002, will result in a Strategic Plan for three years and we will of course try to arrange regional meetings so that the chapters and the board work together 40 on how to implement the objectives. We have maintained contact with chapters via the minutes of the board meetings; by 40 requesting your news for the newsletters and by the focus groups held for the project 40 VOICES OF MUSLIM WOMEN. But none of these are as good as a face to face meeting!
The work of the board in 2000-2001, focused on the Resource Kit; the Voices Project; 40 and the ongoing work of networking, responding to the media; collaborating with McGill do regarding the book project; organizing the attendance at the World Conference Against 40 Racism in S Africa. As you know, we were able to send the Work Group members to the 40 conference where they presented a Workshop with the Kit. Very exciting for us! Other work has involved our participation in the Campaign against Child Poverty; the M article in the Homemaker’s magazine on CCMW; and the flood of media inquiries do regarding the tragedy of September 11/01 in the States. The tragedy has affected a lot of people and sadly it has long term repercussions for us 40 Muslims, and we are concerned about the rise in racism and discrimination. The 40 government’s new laws only increase our fears and anxieties. CCMW is represented on an Advisory Committee to the Secretary of State for am Multiculturalism, but we are unsure as to whether this will allow us to influence changes. CCMW has been featured in an article in the U.S journal MUSLIM WORLD, May 2002 … (Read the whole minutes and more on Canadian Council of Muslim Women CCMW).
Thank you,
Alia Hogben.