WOMEN'S NATIONAL BOOK ASSOCIATION
Information on the purpose of your organization
The Women's National Book Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to professional development and literacy outreach and a NG O Associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information. Mission: promotes the value of books and reading since 1917; championing the role of women in the community of the book and bringing together women and men active in that world; provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and information among book lovers and professionals with programs unique to each of its 12 chapters; advocates literacy as a reading promotion partner at the Library of Congress Center for the Book, a NGO at the United Nations, and a working partner with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF (country focus: Afghanistan).
Information on your programmes and activities in areas relevant to the subject of the Summit and in which country or counties they are carried out.
The Women's National Book Association is actively engaged in the achievement of the following Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and by extension the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG#4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning; SDG#5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; SDG#10: Reduce inequality within and among countries; SDG#17: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
All programmes and activities are contacted in the United States.
2014 Activities:
Sample #1 ? Description (Event/Activity): Women?s Nat?l Book Assn. Los Angeles Chapter http://www.wnba-books.org/la/ Hosts Literary Salon and Fundraising Event with Guest Speaker from the Southern California Community/UNICEF USA http://www.unicefusa.org/supporters/regional/los-angeles; Community Engagement Fellow, Annie Kim, gave an informative presentation about the partnership between U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Women?s Nat?l Book Association and the importance of said partnership towards advocacy for U.S. Fund for UNICEF initiatives.
MDG#2, MDG#8
Date: 21 September 2014
Sample #2 ? Description (Event/Project): Women?s Nat?l Book Assn. San Francisco Chapter Hosts ?Voices Behind the Veil: The Afghan Women?s Writing Project? with Guest Speakers Lori Noack, AWWP Executive Director and Nahid Aria, poet and illustrator; aim: to establish a pilot project between WNBA/SF Chapter www.wnba-sfchapter.org and AWWP http://awwproject.org; publications available: The Sky Is a Nest of Swallows: A Collection of Poems and Essays by Afghan Women Writers compiled and edited by Afghan Women?s Writing Project (2012), Lessons from Afghanistan: A Curriculum for Exploring Themes of Love and Forgiveness (2013); AWWP Founder Masha Hamilton was the recipient of the WNBA Award in 2010. More: Ms. Noack discussed how AAWP provides a platform for Afghan women to share the stories of their lives. From 10 writers in 2009 to more than 220 in 2014, over 1300 poems and journalistic essays have been published on awwproject.org. She also shared highlights of AWWP?s new projects, including an oral history initiative with illiterate women, a monthly radio series, and online writing workshops in Dari. Q&A followed.
Sample #2 ? Date: 1 November 2014
Sample #2 ? MDG#3, MDG#8
Sample #3 ? Description (Event/Project): Women?s Nat?l Book Assn. New York City Chapter Conducts Book Drive For Local Literacy Partner Kids Research Center; Kids Research Center (KRC) www.kidsresearchcenter.org was founded by Women?s Nat?l Book Assn. member, Marlene Veloso, and provides free literacy programs to children and families living in low-income neighborhoods. To date, KRC has collected more than 12,000 books (picture books, early readers, chapter books, and middle grade books) for children (ages 3-15), built six colorful reading rooms, and held countless literacy workshops throughout the NY Metro area. In 2013, the WNBA-NYC Chapter http://wnba-nyc.org/ collected 560 books for Kids Research Center. All books went towards building a brand-new reading room at the Campos Plaza Community Center in New York City. Books collected during the WNBA Book Drive (September 2014) will go to a brand-new reading room, scheduled for a spring 2015 opening.
Sample #3 ? Date: 10 September 2014
Sample #3 ? MDG#3, MDG#8
Information on activities at the national or international levels
UN Information Centre (UNIC): 2014 Activity
Area UNIC is located in Washington, DC and is not currently convenient to our five volunteer reps (based in NYC, NY and Charlotte, NC). Volunteer reps use UNIC as a general resource through Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for reports/position papers, while the Association?s NGO main rep and youth reps subscribe to various UNIC email lists: News/Issues: News/Issues: Asia ? Afghanistan; Economic and Social; Environment/Climate Change; Food Crisis; Gender and Women's Issues; Human Rights; Humanitarian Affairs; Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); U.S./U.N. Relations.
DPI/NGO Relations Section in New York: 2014 Activity
Weekly briefings (attendance)
19 December 2013; 7 March 2014; 25 March 2014; 1 May 2014; 22 May 2014; 5 June 2014; 26 June 2014; 16 July 2014; 18 August 2014; 20 November 2014
Note: preliminary summaries/reports filed/published in The Bookwoman?The Nat?l Publication of the Women?s Nat?l Book Assn., UN Corner, Vol. 77/Num. 2-4 (Winter 2013/14, Spring 2014, Summer 2014) thru Vol. 78/Num. 1 (Winter 2014/15); pick-up by individual chapters for local newsletters/blogs.
Annual conference (attendance)
27?29 August 2014: 2015 and Beyond, the 65th Annual UN DPI/NGO Conference, Our Action Agenda at the UNHQ attended by six-member delegation: Jill A. Tardiff (main rep), Marilyn Berkman (2d rep), Dena Mekawi (youth rep), Jenna Vaccaro (youth rep), Jane Kinney-Denning (WNBA Nat?l vice president), Valerie Tomaselli (WNBA Nat?l past president). Note: preliminary summaries/reports filed/published in The Bookwoman ?The Nat?l Publication of the Women?s Nat?l Book Assn., UN Corner, Vol. 78/Num. 1 (Winter 2014/15); pick-up by individual chapters for local newsletters/blogs.
Other: 2014 Activity
Committee for Teaching About the United Nations (CTAUN)
Annual conference
31 January 2014: Promoting Peace Through Education, the 15th Annual CTAUN Conference at the UNHQ attended a by three-member delegation: Jill A. Tardiff (main rep), Dena Mekawi (youth rep), Jenna Vaccaro (youth rep). Note: programme summaries/reports filed/published in The Bookwoman?The Nat?l Publication of the Women?s Nat?l Book Assn., UN Corner, CTAUN Conference 2014, Vol. 77/Num. 3 (Spring 2014); pick-up by individual chapters for local newsletters/blogs.
UNICEF USA
U.S. Fund for UNICEF through advocacy/fund-raising (10 chapters, nation-wide); advocacy conducted throughout the year through direct communications with WNBA members; supports/promotes the U.S. Fund?s mission ?to make the world better for kids? making available to its constituency the U.S. Fund?s Annual Meeting Report as well the 2013 in Review: UNICEF?s Year in Pictures and other similar reports through its newsletter/social media channels; advertises UNICEF Holiday Gifts/Shop UNICEF Market; materials distribution/fund-raising held primarily in October by all chapters in conjunction with WNBA?s Nat?l Reading Group Month (mandatory organized events) and UNICEF?s Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF; supports/promotes U.S. Fund?s Initiatives: End Trafficking Project, Teach UNICEF, UNICEF Tap Project; individual members encouraged to take part in U.S. Fund?s Public Policy and Advocacy efforts through various publications, email communiqués, and social media; distributes and/or makes available pertinent U.S. Fund press releases; provides a steady stream of ?like/share/comment from UNICEF USA on Facebook and ?favorite/retweet? from @UNICEFUSA on Twitter to Followers throughout WNBA?s social media channels.
Organization have an annual report? (YES/NO) (should contain financial statements and a list of financial sources and contributions, including governmental contributions)?
Yes -
WNBANatl_201415FinancialRep1.pdf
List of members of the governing body of your organization, and their countries of nationality
Executive Board: President, Carin Siegfried, United States; Vice President/President-Elect, Jane Kinney-Denning, United States; Secretary, Shannon Janeczek, United States; Treasurer, Gloria Toler, United States; Past President, Valerie Tomaselli, United States
Chapter President: Boston Chapter, Amaryah Orenstein and Nancy Rubin Stuart, United States;
Charlotte Chapter, Kristen Knox, United States; Detroit Chapter, Willetta Heising, United States;Los Angeles Chapter, Rachelle Yousuf, United States; Nashville Chapter, Gail Vinett, United States;New Orleans Chapter, Susan Larson, United States;New York City Chapter, Jane Kinney-Denning, United States; San Francisco Chapter, Kate Farrell, United States; Seattle Chapter, Leslie Adams and Linda Gray, United States; Washington, DC Chapter, NC Weil, United States
NGO Main Representative at the United Nations Department of Public Information, Jill Tardiff
Committee Chairs: http://www.wnba-books.org/national-officers-board-committee-chairs
Copy of the constitution and/or by-laws of the organization (WORD or PDF only), or a weblink to it
WNBANational_Bylaws20151.pdf
