Minutes of Ninth Meeting of VINN (Vermont International Nonprofit Network)

Members Present
Animals Asia – Andi Mowrer
ECOLOGIA – Carolyn Schmidt
Green Across the Pacific – Peter Lynch
Institute for Sustainable Communities – Justin Johnson
Salzburg Seminar – Meg Harris
Vermont Teacher Diversity Scholarship Program – Phyl Newbeck

Visitor
Alex Messinger, Consultant

Absent with notification
Global Health Council – Erin Gooch
Peter Ames Non-Profit Consulting – Peter Ames
Population Media Center –Bill Ryerson
Project Harmony – Barbara Miller
Rohatyn Center for International Affairs, Middlebury College – Charlotte Tate
VANPO – Jane Van Buren
Vermont Council on World Affairs – Bonnie Tangelos

Thank you to Vermont Teacher Diversity Scholarship Program for hosting this meeting.

1. Networking / Introductions One theme that emerged this time was that we all are coming to appreciate the importance of face-to-face contact in our work, even with the prevalence of e-mail and other forms of distance communication.

Animals Asia – Andi Mowrer, US Director – Andi continues her work to raise awareness and gain support for the Black Bear Rescue work in China. At the International Fair in Essex Junction, she met a teacher from Mallett’s Bay, who ended up doing a major class project with her 5th graders, about the Black Bears and the rescue efforts. Andi will also be doing her first national mailing appeal very soon. The work in China needs the approval of the Chinese government, and that seems to be increasing. Recently, Chinese officials contacted the Bear Rescue Center in Chengdu, and arranged for the Chengdu staff to travel to northern China to rescue a number of bears from a Korean-run bear bile extraction operation.

ECOLOGIA –Carolyn Schmidt, Program Director – ECOLOGIA has recently received a travel grant which will allow its Russian partner organizations to be active in ECOLOGIA’s international projects on greenhouse gas accounting and Local Agenda 21 sustainable development planning.

Green Across the Pacific – Peter Lynch, Executive Director –GATP will be taking 8 Vermont high school students and 4 adults, to southern China for three weeks this July, resuming their annual international biological science exchange after its interruption last summer due to SARS. They are also exploring organizational ties with Castleton State College, which could provide a base for GATP’s Vermont-based summer program in 2005.

Institute for Sustainable Communities- Justin Johnson, Communications Manager Justin had recently returned from two weeks in Ukraine, where he attended a conference of all 25 communications personnel from ISC’s seven offices – some of whom had never met each other in person before. The meeting was very productive, and should encourage development of closer ties between the different overseas offices.
ISC is one of the partner organizations sponsoring a conference in Burlington (July 14 – 18) on the topic of “Sustainable Communities 2004: Putting the Pieces Together”. They expect over 1,000 participants and are offering a broad spectrum of focus areas (civic spirit, participatory governance, the global underclass, etc.) More information is available at www.global-community.org/conference.

Salzburg Seminar –Meg Harris, Special Projects Coordinator. The Seminar is currently involved in preparations for the upcoming Board Meeting, to be held in Salzburg in June. For each Board Meeting, there is a different theme, and staff prepare a “Board Book” with information on specific programs and developments. The Seminar has just over 50 board members in all, and several working committees, so these meetings take considerable preparation.
Meg is also directly involved in an upcoming seminar in September on “Trade, Aid and Development” . The session currently taking place in Salzburg is on “Strengthening Democracy & Governance: Women and Political Power”. One evolution has been in the way that Seminar participants are selected; some Seminars are moving toward an ‘invitation network’, rather than the former open application system, as organizational partners in some cases want to participate more in the selection process.

Vermont Teacher Diversity Scholarship Program - Phyl Newbeck, Director. Vermont Teacher Diversity is planning a major fundraiser, a birthday party for former Governor Hoff, which will raise money for an endowment. Phyl is interviewing candidates for next year’s scholarships, and also working to find teacher openings for the Diversity fellows. We had a thought-provoking discussion of the concept of ‘diversity’ – and the American view of ‘diversity’ as meaning different-looking racial groups, contrasted to the European view of ‘diversity’ including ethnic/cultural differences which can be as divisive and profound as visible racial ones. Phyl also told us that her book, "Virginia Hasn’t Always Been for Lovers" – a history and analysis of laws banning interracial marriage – is scheduled to be published this Fall.

Alex Messenger, Consultant, Burlington Alex works on web development, and is interested in job opportunities working with non-profits. He also plans to volunteer at Population Media Center in the near future. He was attending our meeting to learn more about VINN, and also to get out the word that he is available for work to develop and upgrade websites.

2. WORKING COMMITTEE on Publicity and Outreach: Justin Johnson, Erin Gooch and Randy Kritkausky.

1. Justin presented a summary of a conference he attended, held by Interaction, the NGO support organization based in Washington DC.
2. Justin recommended focusing on “messages that resonate and those that don’t” as a topic to explore as we develop our own publicity. The Interaction report’s focus groups of potential donors cited accountability, tangible measures, reporting/audits, focus on education/training, and exit strategies (to avoid long-term dependence on foreign aid) as positive elements. They also said that “non-profit” was a more widely recognized positive term than “non-governmental”.
3. Justin suggested that, as we plan a series of ‘guest editorials’ or articles, we have two or three written before we approach potential publishers. This would indicate that we plan a series, and would show the range of topics and ideas that VINN members command. It’s important to choose a theme and develop it, rather than have a ‘shotgun’ approach.
4. The committee itself has not yet met. We passed a motion that each Working Committee from now on should have a “Chair”, who takes the responsibility for convening the group and ensuring its progress in between VINN meetings. We also decided that each Working Committee should have at least one ‘face to face’ meeting as well.
5. Justin was unanimously selected as the Chair of the Working Committee on Publicity and Outreach. We look forward to their findings and recommendations at our next meeting

3. We set up a WORKING COMMITTEE on Event Planning, to explore options and make recommendations for a VINN event (Fall 2004) which could promote international activities to Vermonters, and also showcase the work of VINN members as part of that effort. Meg Harris was chosen as Chair; members are Andi Mowrer, Carolyn Schmidt, and Peter Lynch.

4. Liability, Travel and Other Insurance Costs: Most of the organizations attending had answered Bill Ryerson’s questionnaire. We did not have any report from Bill about its results, and concluded that there had probably not been sufficient interest in establishing a “VINN group” for liability insurance purchases.

Next Meeting: Thursday August 19, 4 – 6 pm, Green Across the Pacific, Shoreham

AGENDA for August Meeting

1. Networking /Introductions
2. Report / Recommendations from the Working Committee on Publicity and Outreach - Justin Johnson (ISC) Chairing, Erin Gooch (Global Health Council) , Randy Kritkausky (ECOLOGIA)
3. Report / Recommendations from the Event Planning Committee – Meg Harris (Salzburg Seminar) Chairing, Andi Mowrer (Animals Asia), Peter Lynch (Green Across the Pacific), Carolyn Schmidt (ECOLOGIA)
4. Other issues, on request and as time permits
5. Schedule next meeting time/place

DRIVING DIRECTIONS to the meeting, at the home of Peter Lynch, Executive Director, Green Across the Pacific
1594 North Orwell Road, Shoreham, VT 05770 Tel. (802) 897-5835

From the North:

From Vergennes: Take route 22A south to Shoreham. Continue past the intersections with route 74 east and west through the center of Shoreham. Take first paved left (east) onto Richville Road. Continue approximately 3 miles. Look for North Orwell Road on the right as you emerge from a sharp S curve. Turn right (south) on North Orwell Road. Take an immediate left into our driveway. Natural brown clapboard siding with off white trim.

From Middlebury: Take route 30 south to Whiting. Turn right (west) on Shoreham-Whiting Road. Continue approximately 3 miles. You will pass Richville Dam Fish & Wildlife Access. Turn left (south) onto North Orwell Road after crossing the bridge over Richville pond. Take an immediate left into our driveway. Natural brown clapboard siding with off white trim.

From the South:

From Rutland: Take route 7 North to Brandon. Turn left (west) on route 73. Continue to route 30. Turn right (north) on route 30 to Whiting. Turn left (west) on Shoreham-Whiting Road. Continue approximately 3 miles. You will pass Richville Dam Fish & Wildlife Access. Turn left (south) onto North Orwell Road after crossing the bridge over Richville pond. Take an immediate left into our driveway. Natural brown clapboard siding with off white trim.

From Castleton: Take route 30 to Whiting. Turn left (west) on Shoreham-Whiting Road. Continue approximately 3 miles. You will pass Richville Dam Fish & Wildlife Access. Turn left (south) onto North Orwell Road after crossing the bridge over Richville pond. Take an immediate left into our driveway. Natural brown clapboard siding with off white trim.