Croatian Association of University Women (CAUW)

Five of our members attended the UWE-Colloquium and Annual General Assembly in Kassel, Germany, the main topic of which was Eastern Expansion of the European Union as womens` political task, and took part in the election of the new UWE president. German organiser of the meeting made it possible for our members to go to an interesting excursion organised for the conference participants. The President of our Dubrovnik association, a lawyer in the Central Employment Office, presented a paper entitled Political Task of the Unemployed women in Croatia on the problems the unemployed women encounter in the circumstances of the social and economic transitional restructuring.

The obtained VGIFUW grant #1303 made it possible to establish an information technology workshop with nine computers in a primary school in Ceminac, a village in Croatia, destroyed in the war. During the post-war peaceful reintegration the refugees returned and started to reconstruct the village. The workshop was used by the schoolchildren in their regular classes and by women to give them the computer literacy necessary for employment. The links thus established between them and the members of the Association have grown into a long-lasting friendship.

At the UWE Council in Budapest our Association was represented by four members. Among them was our CER representative and the president who presented the experience she acquired on the use of magnetic resonance in neuroradiological medical practice.

On behalf of CAUW, its founder, Mrs. Vlasta Vince, put forward the proposal of Zadar, Croatia, as the venue of the UWE 2002 annual meeting based on the fact that this year was also marked as the 10th anniversary of CAUW. As the French delegation withdrew its candidacy the proposal was accepted.

The triennial IFUW conference was held in Ottawa, Canada, in autumn. Due to the existing financial problems and lack of donations our chances to attend the meeting became quite small. Nevertheless, we decided to go and cover most of the expenses ourselves. We were also supported by the usual donations of the organiser of the meeting and helped by the Croatian Embassy in Canada and the Canadian Croats. It was great to meet women from all parts of the world and be able to participate in discussing the programmes and exchanging the ideas, planning future activities and making personal contacts. In the prepared exhibitions, posters, manifestations of Bina Roy and VGIFUW, our results could be seen along with the results of other IFUW national organisations.

A Croatian representative participated in the subprogram Land mines and human mines of the second Base Camp in Ottawa, ran by dr. Ann Touwen. She also had the privilege of representing Europe at the closing ceremony by singing two songs and playing the guitar.

At the UWE meeting of the Conference, its president, Mrs. Karine Henrotte Forsberg gave us the opportunity to announce that the next UWE meeting was going to take place in Croatia.

Shortly after the return from Ottawa the world was shocked by the horrible terrorist attack on New York and the frightening awareness of global terrorism. This reminded us again of the aggression on Croatia 10 years ago and our fight for independence and freedom. We shared in the grief of American people and sent a message of our deepest sympathy to our AAUW friends.

Members of CAUW in R.H. Embassy, with Mr. Josip Starcevic, Embassy representative: Jelka Vince Pallua, Renata Vujnovic, Vlasta Vince Ribaric and Željka Starcevic, Mr. Starcevic’s wife. The artistry of the background wall is evidence of restoration of the R.H. Embassy in Ottawa. The restoration of the ruined building, built in the old-fashioned style typical for Ottawa, was so well done that the Embassy was awarded for it as the best restoration in the town. Recently some forty members of CFUW (Canadian Federation of University Women) visited the Embassy to thank for its participation in a great humanitarian action in Ottawa.

In 2002 we celebrated the tenth anniversary of CAUW. We started it with a ceremony and a concert in the Gold Hall of the Croatian Historical Institute, one of the most beautiful small halls in Europe. We listened to the Wind Quintet performance by excellent young artists.

In the presidency of CAUW preparations and arrangements were made for the UWE meeting that was to take place in Croatia. But some essential changes were unexpectedly made regarding the venue and the organization committees of the Conference. Namely, the choice of Dubrovnik instead of the proposed Zadar as the Conference venue was not well accepted by our members because of too great travelling and other expenses. As a result, although a number of them were willing to come, only ten attended.

A “Book of abstracts” UWE 2002, 11-13 Dec. 2002, Dubrovnik, Croatia, www.meet-croatia.com/uwe2002, with the contributions of all participants – members and numerous guests was published as well as a brochure "Notes from the History of the Croatian Association of University Women", by Vlasta Vince Ribaric, Ph.D.

A great number of UWE members that attended the meeting encouraged us to continue our activities in spite of the problems and difficulties that developed in the Association at the time.

On behalf of VVAO Mrs. Cintia Ringeling presented the UWE European Project (EP), run by the Netherlands. A number of various suggestions were to be discussed by the EP steering group.

We got a grant #1543 from VGIFUW for running a project to provide equipment for an information technology workshop in Glina, ethnically mixed town in liberated territory of Croatia. Computer literacy courses for women were also included.