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Call for 2009 NOW National Committee Applications
With a new Administration headed for the White House, NOW's advocacy for women will have new urgency and new hope. You can be part of our planning for the future as a member of a NOW ad hoc advisory committee. We have committees that work on various issues, as well as a National Young Feminist Task Force. Continue reading if you are a NOW member and would like to be considered for appointment to one of the following committees for 2009:
- Political Action Committee (PAC)
- Young Feminist Task Force
- Family Law Advisory Committee
- Combating Racism Advisory Committee
- Mothers and Caregivers Economic Rights Advisory Committee
- Disability Rights Advisory Committee
- Equal Marriage ad hoc Advisory Committee
- Global Strategies and Issues Advisory Committee
Committee members will be appointed at the National NOW board meeting later this month in Washington, DC. The deadline for submitting your Letter of Interest for consideration is November 13, so feel free to pass along this notice to any NOW member you feel would be interested in applying.
The committees generally do their work via e-list and/or conference calls, although some will meet at the national conference (which will be in Indianapolis, Indiana, in June 2009). The names of the available committees and their purposes follow:
Political Action Committee (PAC) -- a committee of NOW members and leaders which reviews requests for endorsement of federal candidates, raises funds for electoral activities, and makes endorsement and contribution decisions.
Young Feminist Task Force -- a committee of young feminists aged 30 and under to advise the Board of Directors and National Conference on matters of agenda, leadership recruitment and issue prioritization regarding young feminists in NOW. We would particularly like to have increased representation from young feminists of color and high-school and college-age activists.
Family Law ad hoc Advisory Committee -- to work and to further advise the NOW National Board of systematic changes or harmful legislation that adversely impacts women in the family court system and impedes justice and equality in the courtroom, and related strategies.
Combating Racism ad hoc Advisory Committee -- to encourage the growth at all levels within NOW of multiracial task forces to combat racism; to solicit and input from women of color organizations and political leaders, and produce recommendations for an action program.
Mothers and Caregivers Economic Rights ad hoc Advisory Committee -- to work with the board and officers to develop state-based and national strategy on issues surrounding the economic rights of U.S. mothers and caregivers, including online resources and action kits, talking points, programming ideas, media resources, and other materials.
Disability Rights ad hoc Advisory Committee -- to work with the National NOW Action Center to fully integrate issues of women with disabilities into our feminist work on domestic violence, child custody, health care, equality in employment and education, lesbian rights, body image, reproductive and abortion rights and all feminist issues.
Equal Marriage ad hoc Advisory Committee -- to work with the board and officers to develop and implement a strategic pro-active education campaign on equal marriage, addressing state and federal legislation, ballot initiatives, and efforts to influence and move public opinion and policy-makers.
Global Strategies and Issues ad hoc Advisory Committee -- to more fully develop NOW positions on foreign policy and the impact of U.S. foreign policy and expenditures on women worldwide, and help develop strategies to counter these policies if needed.
Application Process:
Please submit (or encourage any interested applicant to submit) a letter of interest to ComApp@now.org (with the subject line "Committee") explaining your background, interest, involvement, or expertise with regard to the specific issue or subject area, and what you would bring to the committee's work. Please also include at least one goal that you would recommend for the committee's work. If you are a current committee member applying for reappointment, please provide at least one paragraph detailing you contributions to the committee over the past year.
Diversity: NOW is committed to diversity and requires that every committee represent a variety voices, so please note any diversity that you bring to the committee. Some examples of diversity are race, ethnicity, age, disability, and sexual orientation, but not limited to those categories.
Endorsements: Feel free to also include any endorsements or letters of recommendation from NOW leaders or others on your behalf, but these are not required. Be sure to submit your information by the deadline(s) above.
Thanks for your interest in NOW committees!
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