April 14 weekly call minutes (Please add changes/feedback in comments)

(Word format attached)

4/14/10

Present: Alice B, Michèle S, Janet F, Taina B, A-C D'A, Marie-Bonheur, Martha W, Jade S

Moderator: Taina

GOALS (Taina)

Through the lens of gender equality (and at the direction of Haitian women's grassroots groups?):

* Info Hub/ centralize reporting - on relevant issues in Haiti
* Advocacy
* Accountability - watchdog of Haitian Gvt and/or US Gvt and/or UN
* Citizen media training for Haitian women

Not just women, welcome men's orgs as well.

* Action point: Make existing broad mission statement more specific to reflect those goals

STRUCTURE (Taina)

* would like to see Poto grow
* but need structure for accountability and transparency

Proposal:

* steering cttee of 3 to 10 core ppl responsible for: taking minutes, governance of poto who can meet regularly and can talk about future
* create advisory council: key higher profile gvt folks in Haiti and elsewhere who cannot be involved in the day to day (Examcple: Michele Bachelet, Michele Pierre-louis)
* Pledges from key people
* What will participation entail? Needs to be defined over time.

Discussion:

* Do we want to be a 501c3?
o A-C advises no because too young. Proposes we become a project of a 501c3 like World Pulse Media which is a 501c3.
+ would allow us to sollicit funds and have a structure for grants.
+ seen as neutral, especially in Haiti.
+ This brings technical, financial, grant, money tools support
+ Action point: Need to put a proposal in to WP for this. They like the idea and have asked for that as the first step.



* Individuals v. organizations as members.
o Need to address the distinction in statement of principles


* Rele/Poto distinction (AC)
o Rele is editorial group that produced a report and that will do outreach for it and maybe track accountability based on report's recommendations
o Will be distinguishing our advocacy from Rele Editorial group's work. We do not yet know what they will look like in the future but there may be some intersecting activity.
o Poto, on the other hand, is: 4 goals above honing in on media-supported advocacy on the ground on specific gender issues like: security/shelter, economic recovery, employment


* Assuming that haitian women's groups voices are the driving voice, how do make bringing haitian women's groups on board Poto a priority? We won't be relevant unless we do that (Michele)
o we are international alliance, not haitian women's movement (AC)
o need to identify who we are through mission statement and then what we do and how we do it has to come from the grassroots (Taina)
o won't be strategic or helpful unless we go to the ground and ask how can we be helpful? (Taina)
o Action point: Haitian women's groups outreach subgroup? Leonie, Marie St Cyr are Poto members and plan to be in touch with Haitian women's groups.


* Is changing US policy towards Haiti and US media representation of Haiti a priority? (Martha)
o adressed in media training and advocacy goals of Poto


* Announcement of May 4th forum organized by Rose Pierre-Louis and Equality Now in which Poto will partake(Taina)


* Does Poto Mitan want to be at the US Social Forum (in Detroit)? If so, deadline to organize a workshop coming soon. (Martha)

NAME CHANGE - VOTE NEEDED (AC)

Options:

* PotoFanmFi as org name
* PotoFanm+Fi as org name

(with all of these we would use Potofanm as an email/website diminutive to avoid confusion of the + in address)

Please add your vote by 5 tomorrow Thursday if you were not on the call. Consensus on the call was for PotoFanm+Fi.

MEDIA

* Alice to do report back at next call

SHADOW REPORT

* Update by AC on next call

Respectfully submitted,
Alice Backer