EqualityQuilt

WAND Training on the Federal Budget

On April 15, the Consortium was proud to host a training on the proposed U.S Budget, presented by Bobbie Wrenn Banks from the Atlanta office of  Women's Action for New Directions (WAND).  Consortium member groups, other groups working on these important issues (like the Minnesota Council on Nonprofit Budget Project), and interested individuals like "I'm a mom of seven, just serve on the usual stuff like the PTA, but this budget is really hurting our family" attended. Among the amazing facts: * even Dick Cheney and John McCain tried to cancel funding for several jet bombers that do not function correctly - but we are still paying $200 million - $300 million apiece for these atrocities.  * the U.S. military budget is 6 times as large as the next-largest military superpower, China  * research shows that we could create more jobs, better paid jobs, and more sustainable jobs, by spending our tax dollars on true homeland security (state and local funding), "green" jobs, and projects like building affordable housing, than on offensive weapons  * working together ordinary people can change our national budget priorities. Watch for more info to come. - Bonnie, with help from Allison.

Above left:  Who gets the 8% of the (pumpkin) pie for education?  Right:  very attentive crowd we hope will stay connected.   Lower right:  Minnesota board members for WAND and its affiliate, Women in Legislative Leadership:  June Mathiowetz, Alice Lynch, Rep. Phyllis Kahn, Sen. Sandy Pappas. 

Left:  Women legislators and Capitol staff who were briefed on the U.S. budget proposal.  To connect with the chapter of Minnesota WAND now forming, write Alice.

Beijing Betrayed

The Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) released it's fifth report, Beijing Betrayed: Women Worldwide Report that Governments Have Failed To Turn the Platform into Action, assessing governments’ progress in implementing the commitments made to the world’s women at the U.N.'s Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. It documents reports from women in 150 countries representing all regions in the world. The report shows that women's realities often contrast with the official reports of their governments concluding that "In this climate, which constrains resources and narrows views about acceptable women’s roles, few governments have mobilized the political will or high-level leadership to carry out the commitments made to women at Beijing. As a result, many women in all regions are actually worse off now than they were ten years ago." Download the report here.

The Women's Art Registry of Minnesota is hosting a new exhibit at the Minnesota Women's Building, 550 Rice Street, Saint Paul. Since the WARM artists began exhibiting in our building we have been in awe of the talent and creativity of so many women artists. Please come tour the current art anytime M-F, 9AM to 4PM. Or if you would love to meet the artists in person come to their free and open to the public reception on Sunday, April 13 from 1PM to 3PM. The current show ends May 24.. 

At left is "Teapot," ink drawing, Beth Karon.  Beth's drawings are largely based on decades of doodles and sketches she saved in sketchbooks. She says that "most of my creations rarely derive from any preconceived ideas. Each one starts with a line of ink or a swoosh of color, and from there I play with what I see." 

On the right is "Free to Be," a mosaic of dishes, mirror, glass, beads, glass tile and polymer clay by Linda Mix Yates.  Linda says "I experience my work as rescuing each broken and discarded pottery object and restoring it to its former glory by giving it a new life and form.

You may also view images from previous Women's Building exhibits by visiting the WARM Photo Album on the right side of the blog and by clicking here, (Claudia Poser and Joan Cox) here, (Mary Lee Eischen and Nancy Kahlow), here  (Mimi Holmes and Sally Nystrom), and here (Barbara Harmann and Alice Giannobile). Enjoy!