September Newsletter 2012

Unconvention(al):  Rebecca hangs with the Raging Grannies On August 8th, DWtO's 13-year-old video contest winner, Rebecca Hansen, got to hang with 120 international Raging Grannies at their Unconvention. As Grannie Anne Moon said, "it was a pleasure to have an unwrinkled face amongst the group."  Serenaded by beloved protest songs and a humorous poem recited by Lorna Crozier, Rebecca presented key-note speaker Elizabeth May with a thank you gift for her contribution to defending our environment.  The Green MP was delighted to finally meet Rebecca after watching and voting for her contest video! Grannies from all over the world enjoyed her "What if..."  video, as well as the customized DWtO postcard (thanks intern Sandi Chan!) they found in their goodie bags.  Sandy and intern Sarah were there to capture the action. Check out more photos on our Flickr site. Go Grannies Go! *|FACEBOOK:LIKE|* *|FACEBOOK:COMMENTS|* DWtO & the Vancouver Women's Campaign School! The Women's Campaign School in Surrey, BC is alive and well and ready for you! And DWtO is going to be there to inspire attendees on October 19-20, 2012! Here's the pitch:   "Are you considering a role in the future of Canadian democracy? We hope to see you or other special women in your life at the 2012 Women's Campaign School.  We are very excited for our October plans, and expect the event to offer a great deal of learning and connection to all participants. Are you interested in Campaign School? Let us know to receive information regarding registration, program, speakers, and more." *|FACEBOOK:LIKE|* *|FACEBOOK:COMMENTS|*  From Sandy's Desk... Wonderful Victoria MP, Denise Savoie, resigned on August 31st after serving her riding for six years.    She cited personal reasons - health, and desire to get more family time. Denise has been a huge supporter of DWtO - speaking at events in my home, sitting on the DWtO video contest jury and generously sharing ideas and thoughts with me on camera both in Victoria and Ottawa.  A wonderful role model - Denise advocated for women with grace and humour, encouraging each one of us to speak up and make a difference.  As a constituent and friend I want to thank you, Denise, for working so tirelessly on our behalf.  We wish you well and send an 8-tentacled handshake your way!   Terrific interview footage coming to the DWtO website soon. GiGL: Girls in Gov't and Leadership Intern Katherine Cheng discovered this vibrant new group at the University of Toronto.  And we invited founder and president Alanna Newman to be DWtO's guest blogger for this month. Young women inspiring young women leaders - peer action at its best! Read Alanna's blog.  There promises to be terrific opportunities for partnerships with GiGL in the near future especially with outreach programs for high schools. I wonder how many other groups like this exist across the country? Contact us if you know of any non-partisan organizations that focus on women and political leadership anywhere in Canada. Thanks! Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend What we do Dancing with the Octopus is a passionate, entertaining, non-partisan, 8-tentacled media project inviting women of all ages to enter the conversation about the how's and why's of getting more women into politics in Canada and abroad. LadyPoliNews During the month of August we noted: - Climate change affects everyone, but its effects on women are different. - Augusta Golf Club, an elite American country club, is finally catching up with the times. - UN Women and the International Olympic Committee have signed a partnership agreement, laying the groundwork for future collaborations to promote sport as an empowerment tool for women. Read more here.  CWP's Myrna Hits Town Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians' chair, Myrna Driedger, visited the Octo den in Victoria in August to discuss outreach program partnerships with DWtO. Very exciting prospects regarding DWtO's creation of a tribute library about women who've been forgotten in Canadian history books.  How are young people to understand the struggles and contributions our foremothers made if there is no comprehensive record? DWtO plans to remedy that - stay tuned for more info in the October newsletter. After an engaging strategic planning session, Myrna gave a fun bit of advice to LadyPolis everywhere! Click here.  follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  You are receiving this email because you attended a DWtO event, corresponded with a member of our team, or subscribed from our website. We send one newsletter on the first of every month. Contact us to donate or volunteer your talents!  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences