December 2009

Dear friends and supporters of Inter Pares,

In 2009, thanks to your generous commitment, Inter Pares contributed more than $6 million in financial support to sustain the work of our counterparts in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Canada, in addition to our political and organizational assistance. As with many organizations, the majority of our public support comes at the end of the year; we still need to raise $230,000 by December 31st to meet our year-end goals. Please make your gift today to help ensure we can continue to achieve the kind of collective accomplishments in the enclosed Highlights.

One of these highlights is the recent screening of our video Rising From the Ashes at the One World Film Festival in Ottawa. Featuring the work of Peruvian women rebuilding their society after armed conflict, this video has already been screened in several Canadian communities. I have had the opportunity to participate in many of these screenings, and to sit and talk with those who have watched the video. I have tremendously enjoyed these rich discussions, as people share their thoughts on violence against women, war, and racism, but also women's leadership and the nature of social transformation.

A common thread in these discussions was the deep commonalities between the lives of women around the world, and the importance of international solidarity. In Nanaimo, for instance, Anne Spilker, the director of local women's shelter Haven House, told us about meeting shelter workers from around the world at the first-ever international conference for transitional houses. These stories helped us place Peruvian women's struggle against violence and impunity into a global picture of women organizing to protect themselves and promote justice. It was a poignant reminder that regardless of how inequality and violence manifest in different societies, there are people working to oppose and uproot these blights, and that when these people come together, powerful movements are born.

By joining with Inter Pares, you are an essential part of these movements for change. We thank you for your support over the past year, and hope that we can count on your commitment in the coming year as well.

Sincerely,


Samantha McGavin

P.S. Please join me in making a year-end gift to our holiday campaign, Give Something Big - a gift that's too big to fit under the tree.