This year’s Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI) Federation Conference was a very exciting one for SI St Albans & District.
This year’s SI Federation of Great Britain & Ireland Conference was a smaller affair than previous years with fewer members wanting to make the journey to Belfast. However it provided the usual exciting mix of amazing speakers, a chance to meet up with friends old and new and some new ideas for Programme Action and engaging potential members. It was also a very special one for our Club as you will read later.
To read more about the conference and see more photos please visit the website https://sigbi.org/belfast2022/
The Opening Ceremony was a stand out with charming young local women carrying the flags of the various Regions and countries up to the stage showing our coming together, whilst we heard about and were able to celebrate the young women’s personal successes.
Under the banner “ A Climate for Change” we were inspired by some wonderful speakers who enlightened us among other things about how to use professional film to engage and educate the public about the Climate Crisis, about Health , Science and Society – whether, in fact, our ultimate objectives are helped or hindered by science and how we can and should use it and the data it produces to further our aims.
Among the speakers there were 3 real highlights for me :
Elizabeth Gowing, who many of us have had the privilege of hearing already at a St Albans Club meeting (https://sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/2021/kosovo/). She left the audience spellbound about her work with girls and women in the minority and under-privileged Roma-Ashkali community in Kosovo which has led to Elizabeth being invited to be part of the Prime Minister of Kosovo’s Cabinet.
Dr Tara Shine, an expert in the field of climate change and climate justice, whose personal story of taking time out with other female climate specialists to find her own voice and her own way to tackle the enormity and uncertainty of the climate crisis instilled hope for us all and highlighted how as women we could and should lead the way.
Robyn Knox, Director, Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership, British Red Cross gave a brilliant presentation on the Changing Context of Disasters and Emergencies. The Red Cross is vast -15 million volunteers – with a clear global role in conflict and disaster zones but Robyn’s challenge is what is the Red Cross’ role in the U.K.? I thought I knew what the Red Cross was – I didn’t know the half of it! And in revealing the rest Robyn brilliantly highlighted how important it is to re-evaluate your purpose in a changing world so the people being helped and supported become the centre around whom the support is designed and how community partners can be involved in providing solutions.
On the Soroptimist front we heard about SI’s Global Impact from the SI Committee Chair and were roused by SI President Maureen Maguire speech about the fight for equality as fundamental rights seem to be slipping away, the need to engage and work with the young – she is inviting youth representatives for the first time in the structure of SI – and about her fantastic Global Appeal “ Opening Doors to a Brighter Future” https://www.soroptimistinternational.org/presidents-appeal-2021-2023/ which we will hear more of and will be collecting for as a part of our festive celebrations.
All of that would have made it a fantastic Conference but it was an even more exciting one for SI St Albans. As you can see from the pictures we were even busier in between sessions: Barbara Saunders handed over the beautiful “Peace Square” designed and made by our Member Katherine Clark to SI Trinidad and Tobago who are 
making a quilt with squares from Clubs across the Federation. The words around the square are from 
Rosa Parks and read “Stand for something or you will fall for anything. Todays mighty oak is yesterday’s nut that held its ground”. Rosa Parks was a proponent of peaceful protest and these words remind us what the young women Iran are going through and the courage it takes to stand firm and defend your rights.
Barbara, Denise Powell & I at the Toilet Twinning Exhibition 
Stand collecting the certificate for St Albans being a Toilet Twinned City which will be celebrated at the People 
Team’s special event on Mon 14 Nov https://sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/2022/tt/ and last but by no means least being given the SIGBI Best Practice Award for the Peace category for our “ Orange the World” Project. Denise and Ameeta Sabharwal (who flew in specially), did our Club proud with a wonderful , professional and enjoyable presentation culminating with Ameeta getting the whole audience to stand and “stop” violence against women. I clapped with gusto, very proud of my SIStAs and my Club.
To read more about the conference please visit the website https://sigbi.org/belfast2022/
If you have never been to Conference do speak to me or any of the other members who attended this year. Next year it will be even more exciting – we have a Soroptimist International Convention in Dublin 27-29 July 2023! https://www.soroptimistinternational.org/soroptimist-convention-2023/
International Conventions are vey special with Soroptimists coming from all over the world. They are only every 4 years and the next one to be held on our turf – i.e. hosted by our Federation will be in 2043!
From the Editor: Thanks so much to Helen Byrne for this excellent news item – bringing the event to life for those of us unable to attend in person. Helen is SI St Albans Planet Team Facilitator and SI London Chilterns Region Membership and Development Officer.
In addition to the above Helen and Denise represented London Chilterns Region in the Change of Insignia Ceremony. The Region currently has a shared Presidency and Helen and Denise are both Officers of the Region and part of the team sharing the responsibility, so they were on the stage for this special event.