Category: 061317

In 2015, Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation (GWPF) launched the Recognition Awards to honor women and men, who dedicate their time to ending female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) and other injustices on women and girls.

The organization recognizes women and men who use their talents and professional attributes to help in the campaign to end FGM/C.  Starting this year, there are only nine categories from which nominees will be selected to receive an award.   GWPF appointed a special International Nomination Committee, made up of previous awardees.  The committee is responsible for nominating individuals who have exemplified performance in the campaign against FGM/C.  The committee members, chaired by Amie Jallah have cast their votes.  The votes have been counted by the Executive Committee of GWPF, and the final winners are ready to be released this week.  The organization is thrilled to have such a committee in place.  As a committee, they have put forth several future ideas for the purpose of recognizing and honoring deserving women and men.  This year the nomination committee was unable to nominate a Student Ambassador therefore this category will not be awarded this year.

The purpose of nominating a student ambassador for an award is to help develop the interests of students, and encourage them to participate in the campaign to end the practice of FGM/C.  The Student Ambassador award is intended to encourage advocacy work.  In addition to the award, GWPF will write a letter of reference on behalf of the student, which may serve as future reference to universities and jobs.

Some of the awards recipients in 2015 were Dr. Marci Bowers, Shelby Quast, Jaha Dukureh, Fatoumata Kande, Hibo Wardere, Martha Allen and a few others.  In 2016, some of the awardees were Susan Masling, Kristin Hoffmann, Diane Walsh, Elisabeth Wilson, Hilary Burrage, Missy Crutchfield, Susan Gibbs, Andrea Roane, Sherelle Carper, Godfrey Williams-Okorodus (the first man to be recognized) and others.

Here is an explanation of categories and requirements.  In the future, feel free to send suggestions to the Awards Nomination Committee, based on the criteria.

Media – This awardee must use his/her work in the Media through reporting in print, television, radio or social media to help raise awareness about FGM/C to be eligible to receive the award in the Media Category.

Literary – By writing books, (fiction or nonfiction) textbooks, poetry or any literary work to educate, inform, influence the public and enforce the law about or against FGM/C; this awardee should have done at least one of these requirements to be eligible to receive the award in the Literary Category.

Legal – An attorney who works with immigrant women and girls of FGM/C experience is eligible for this award.  Also, an attorney rendering other legal services to help prevent women and girls from FGM/C would be eligible to receive the award in the Legal Category.

Medical – A medical personnel such as an obstetrician/gynecologist, psychologist, psychoanalyst, nurse, mental health professional, surgeon, etc. who has worked with women and girls that have experienced FGM/C will be eligible to receive the award in the Medical Category.

Survivor Activist – A woman who has experienced FGM/C, and has taken her own experience to help other women and girls; by either starting her own campaign against the practice of FGM/C or working with other organizations and campaigns will be eligible to receive the award in the Survivor Activist Category.

Advocacy – An advocate or activist who works against FGM/C and is making a difference in the lives of women and girls meets the criteria for this award.

Political – This awardee does not have to be a politician.  He/she must have helped introduce FGM/C into law, advocated against FGM/C in a nation’s government, parliament or congress to be eligible for this award.

Education/Training – A teacher, trainer, counselor, caretaker, etc. training and educating the general public about FGM/C is eligible for this award.

Student Ambassador – A middle school or high school student who has done something to help raise awareness among his/her peers and within their school about FGM/C is eligible to receive the award in the Student Ambassador Category.

Every nominee was eligible to receive the award for which he/she was nominated; however only one recipient can be selected as a winner in a given category.  This year, only in the Medical Category will there be two winners sharing the award.  It is because the two have worked together from the start for the post-FGM/C physical health of women.  The Awards Nomination Committee is proud to announce the 2017 awards recipients.

Here are the 2017 Awards Recipients:

• Virginia Senator, Richard H. Black is the winner in the Political Category
• Pierre Foldes and Ms. Frederique Martz share award in the Medical Category
• Tobe Levin is the winner in the Literary Category
• Arifa Nasim has been selected as the winner in the category of Advocacy
• Mariya Taher is the winner in the category of Survivor Activist
• Maggie O’Kane is selected as the recipient in the Media Category
• Linda Weil-Curiel wins in the Legal Category
• Edna Adan is the recipient of the award in Education/Training

Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation congratulates all of the winners in this year’s Recognition Awards.  Their bios and photos will be posted to the website.  They will receive their awards at the Walk To End FGM, during the pre-walk ceremony on Saturday, October 21, 2017 in Washington, D.C.

 

Please send your questions and comments about the previous article to info@globalwomanpeacefoundation.org.

Save-these-Dates

• Walk To End FGM registration – Effective May 23^rd
• Announcement of GWPF 2017 Award Recipients – June 13^th
• The launch of the education toolkit – June 20^th
• Support/Focus Group Meeting – Will return in July
• Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Mid-Year Board Meeting – July 15^th
• Vacances San Excision (Summer without Cutting) Camp – August 19^th
• Walk To End FGM – October 21^st
• Giving Tuesday – November 28^th
• Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Year-End Board Meeting – December 1^st

We will update this calendar as the year progresses.  Please mark your calendars, as we work toward a prosperous 2017.

Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation FGM/C Support Group:  Our June survivors support group meeting was cancelled due to the month of Ramadan.  It will resume in July.  These meetings are for women who are in the process of healing (emotionally and physically) and wish to receive emotional support in a group setting.  During support group meetings, participants can share any aspect of their stories that they wish to reveal and are showered with unconditional love and support.  In addition to scheduled group meetings, individual support meetings are available, recommended, and encouraged for any survivor who may not be ready or interested in attending group meetings.  To schedule one-on-one meetings, please contact us at the following email address info@globalwomanpeacefoundation.org or call 703.818.3787 to inform us of your interest in attending individual sessions with one of our staff members.  Confidentiality, respect, and an abundance of understanding and unconditional acceptance are our fundamental objectives.  Our group facilitator is Willa Jones, Ph.D., a District of Columbia licensed professional counselor with over 20 years of experience.  The Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation staff person, who will also attend group sessions, is Amie Jallah.  You are invited to come out and let us support and celebrate your growth and progress at our next group session, Saturday, June 10^th, at 3920 Alton Place, NW, Washington, DC  20016 from noon until 1 p.m.  Light refreshments will be served.

 

Volunteers Needed:  Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation is in search of volunteers for their 4^th annual Walk to End FGM in the nation’s capital on Saturday, October 21, 2017.  Volunteers’ responsibilities are: Arrive early, set-up, on-site registration, T-shirt and bag distribution, oversee donations, supervision of the tents, coordinate pre-walk ceremony, seat speakers and guests, coordinate photo-ops and pre-walk interviews.  All volunteers will have free registration for the walk.  If you are interested in being a volunteer for the Walk To End FGM send an email to info@globalwomanpeacefoundation.org  and put in the subject line, “Volunteer”.

To volunteer, contact us at info@globalwomanpeacefoundation.org or call 703-818-3787.  Register at www.globalwomanpeacefoundation.org and Walk to End FGM.

Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.  As such, your donations and registration fees are tax deductible to the maximum extent required by law.

 

Make Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation Your Favorite Charity in 2017

When you shop during the year at Amazon, please select Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation as your charity of choice. Father’s Day is Sunday, June 18. Remind your supporters to shop at smile.amazon.com and Amazon will donate to Global Woman Peace Foundation. Amazon has a large variety of gifts that are perfect for Father’s Day including electronics, clothing, and more.

 

 

In your charitable contributions and donations in 2017, please consider Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation by either through the DONATE BUTTON below or by sending a check to Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation, 14001A Grumble Jones Court, Centreville, Virginia 20121.  Your generous donations are tax deductible.  Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

Do you have an announcement you would like to place in this section of the newsletter?  Here are the guidelines below:

The guidelines to submit an announcement are to appear in this newsletter:

• The length of announcement must be no more than a paragraph of 6 lines.
• Your announcement is free of any charges.
• Your announcement should be something that pertains to women, girls or students, such as events, walk-a-thons, conferences, etc.
• If there is an accompanying image, it must be no less than 72 dpi, preferably in jpeg.
• Your announcement must be received no later than the Thursday 5:00pm prior to the following Tuesday publication.
• Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation reserves the right to deny a submission if it is not within our guidelines.

Do you enjoy playing with words?  This is a fun way to see how well you can unscramble the following words.  We will reveal the unscrambled words in next week’s edition of the newsletter.  If you enjoyed this, write and give us your feedback to info@globalwomanpeacefoundation.org.

Can you unscramble the following five words?

This Week’s Scrambled Words

NITIONOGECR

WARDSA

NATIONONIM

MITTEECOM

SSADORAMBA

 

Last Week’s Scrambled Words                               Last Week’s Unscrambled Words

RAKIBU                                                                                KARIBU

HILIWAS                                                                              SWAHILI

LOGORUY                                                                           UROLOGY

TAPINEST                                                                           PATIENTS

ZANATINA                                                                          TANZANIA

We give you five scrambled words each week.  We hope you enjoy playing.

Here are some of the ways you can help and support our programs in 2016:

• Donations (including in-kind donations) globalwomanpeacefoundation.org
• Partnering (collaborating in one of our programs and/or events)
• Joining our Internship or Student-Ambassadorship Program
• Volunteering
• Donate through employer payroll deduction (through Your Cause, United Way or the government employee giving program)

Support Group next session returns on June 10^th.  We invite you to join us at 3920 Alton Place, NW, Washington, D.C. 20016 at 12:00pm.  Our Counselor on site is Willa Jones, and Amie Jallah is now in charge of the support group.  For one-on-one meetings, contact us for appointments at info@globalwomanpeacefoundation.org or call 703-818-3787.

Important Contacts in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area to Keep Handy

Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation               703-818-3787

National Child Abuse Hotline                              800-422-4453

Fairfax County Office for Women                       703-324-5730

Virginia Crime Victim Assistance                        888-887-3418

Montgomery County Abused Persons Program   240-777-4673 (24 hours)

Prince Georges County Sexual Assault                301-618-3154

Prince Georges County Child Advocacy Center  301-909-2089

Baltimore City Child Abuse Center                     410-396-6147

Frederick County Child Advocacy Center           301-600-1758

Howard County Listening Place                          410-313-2630

Washington County Child Advocacy Center       240-420-4308

District of Columbia Metropolitan Police             202-727-9099

Alexandria Victim/Witness Program                    703-746-4100

Arlington County Victim/Witness Program         703-228-7273

Loudon County Victim Witness Program             703-777-0417

Prince William County Victim/Witness                703-392-7083

Attention: The U.S. government opposes FGM/C, no matter the type, degree, or severity, and no matter what the motivation for performing it. The U.S. government considers FGM/C to be a serious human rights abuse, gender-based violence, and, when done to children, a form of child abuse. It is against the law to perform FGM/C in the United States on a girl under the age of 18 or to send or attempt to send her outside the United States so FGM/C can be performed. People who violate this law can face prison time and significant immigration consequences. Additionally, anyone who performs FGM/C on a woman 18 years old or older without her consent may be charged with a crime under other laws.  If someone performed FGM/C on you, you have not violated any U.S. laws and are not at fault, call 1-800-994-9662.