Commission on the Advancement of Women Annual Breakfast
From Beijing to the Millennium Summit: Gender Equality as a Force for Achieving the Millennium Development Goals
The intersection this year of the MDG five-year review and the Beijing 4th World Conference on Women ten year assessment put gender equality high on the development agenda. This session will examine the recommendations of the MDG Project Gender Equality Task Force and also review findings from the recent gender mainstreaming impact study conducted by the Commission on the Advancement of Women (CAW) with InterAction members in Africa. A special feature of the program will be the launch of InterAction’s own policy paper on gender equality, development, and U.S. development assistance. In the tradition of the CAW breakfasts, participants will have the opportunity to dialogue on ways their own organizations and InterAction can accelerate action on these issues.

Humanitarian Policy and Practice Committee Meeting
Semi-annual InterAction Humanitarian Policy and Practice Committee business meeting
Open to committee members and invited guests only, please.

Exhibit Hall Open

InterAction Board of Directors Meeting

Putting Words Into Practice: A Model for using the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) in Refugee and Displaced Settings
Refugees, returnees, and the internally displaced – including the millions living outside camps – are often destitute, lack access to education and medical services, and are excluded from national development and reconstruction programs. Although efforts have been made by the United Nations (UN) and governments to engage civil society groups in the MDG process, the participation of war-affected communities is often missing. Using a model from Afghanistan and Pakistan, this session examines the MDGs as strategic tools to foster collaboration and action by government, the UN, and women’s civil society to address the concerns of displaced populations and those in other contexts.

WORKSHOPS

A Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals
The global agreement on the MDGs is a rallying point for increased commitment to development, but questions remain as to how the goals themselves can be achieved. The United Nations report, Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals, provides a credible proposal for achieving the MDGs by 2015. Explore highlights and actions outlined in the report, and country- and sector-level activities that are already moving us toward achievement. Discuss the relevance and viability of the report and explore other approaches to realizing these global commitments.

Tsunami Crisis Retrospective
This session will offer a practitioner’s review of the international response to the December 26, 2004 tsunami focusing on identification of lessons applicable in dealing with major disasters in the future. A senior UN official responsible for coordinating assistance to tsunami-affected countries will discuss the Mid-Term Review of the response being conducted by OCHA. An experienced monitoring and evaluation expert from CARE will report on an ongoing multi-agency evaluation of the humanitarian response. The leader of a recent International Council of Voluntary Associations mission to assess NGO coordination in Aceh will discuss his findings and recommendations.

Targeting Minority Groups in America With Your International Relief and Development Message
Trying to reach the Latino market? Want to mobilize South Asian communities for grassroots advocacy? We will talk with pollsters, public relations specialists and political experts about what works and what does not when trying to tap minority markets. Using demographic data, cultural sensibilities, polls, tailored advocacy tips, and lessons learned from the 2004 presidential election, we will explore how best to communicate with the growing number of active minority groups living in the United States.

Reception with Exhibitors

Exhibit Hall Open

WORKSHOPS

Preventing Violence Against Women in Conflict Settings
Violence against women continues to be one of the most harrowing and frequent human rights violations in settings of conflict and displacement, as illustrated in such places as Darfur, Northern Uganda and West Africa. The incidences of rape, mutilation and sexual exploitation of women refugees and IDPs have been widely reported by United Nations agencies, humanitarian NGOs and human rights groups. This session will examine approaches being taken to help address the needs of women and girls who survive rape and other acts of violence and will explore ways to more effectively reduce the risk to women affected by conflict.

Stepping up to the Plate: Goal 8, the U.S. Government, and Civil Society Advocacy
Realizing the eighth MDG is critical for ensuring the success of the first seven. To date, however, it has received little attention. Primary responsibility for this goal lies with the developed countries, and, thus, it calls for historic policy shifts on trade, aid, and debt. Understand U.S. government commitments and what concrete policy asks on Goal 8 might look like. Come hear what NGOs in other countries are already advocating and learn about the critical role that U.S. NGOs must play.

Putting Inequality Back On the Agenda: How Economic, Political, and Cultural Exclusions are Hindering Human Development
Even as the benefits of globalization are celebrated in many parts of the world, inequalities are increasing at the national and international levels. Not only do they limit the life chances of millions of others, but they pose huge challenges for the international community, as well: the denial of cultural liberties, instability and violent conflict in fragile states, unequal access to markets in international trade, inequalities across several dimensions in fast-growing emerging countries, and growing health inequalities in developed countries. At a time when the world’s nations are mobilizing to meet global development goals, it is critical to understand how inequalities inhibit successful development. This workshop will explore the role of NGOs in tackling these issues and engage participants in a dialogue about strategies to address inequalities in the field.

Getting the Most from your InterAction Membership
Whether you are new to InterAction, thinking about joining, or you are an old hat who just needs a refresher on the services InterAction provides its members, this workshop can help you. We will provide an overview of InterAction’s mission and structure, bring new members up to speed, and offer ideas for becoming engaged in InterAction activities. We will also delve into the specifics of each unit and brief you on working groups, committees, tools, and staff contacts. The more involved you are, the better resource InterAction will be for your organization.

InterAction General Membership Meeting
Open to member CEOs or their designees only, please.

Plenary and Luncheon
Keynote Address: To be announced

Advocacy Day
Advocacy Day provides an opportunity for Forum participants, especially for those attendees whose organizations are not based in Washington, D.C., to meet with policymakers and their staff on the importance of international development and humanitarian relief programs. It is an easy and fun way to brief policymakers about your organization’s work and the need for congressional support for these critical programs that help combat global poverty.

Exhibit Hall Open

WORKSHOPS

International Non-governmental Organizations and Local Civil Society Organizations: Working Towards the Millennium Development Goals
Achieving the MDGs requires the critical engagement of national and international civil society actors. The United Nations report, A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals, identifies several roles for both, some of which are new. It also implies the need for new relationships between local civil society organizations (CSOs) and international NGOs. This session will examine the roles and relationships for CSOs and U.S. NGOs in assessing and achieving the MDGs and implications for the U.S. NGO community. Come discuss the perspectives of U.S. and African NGOs on the type of collaboration that would advance the implementation of the MDGs. Assess the Country Coordinating Mechanisms approach of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria as a potential model of partnership between local CSOs and international NGOs.

Make Poverty History, L’Action Mondiale Contre la Pauvreté, Sin Excusas 2015: Creating a Global Advocacy Movement
Hear from Asian, Latin American, African, and European campaigners about new efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and other poverty-focused policies under the banner of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty. Campaigns have sprung up in nearly 70 countries using a wide array of approaches, diverse messages, and creative activities to influence policymakers and engage their publics. This session will discuss what lessons we all can learn from the campaigning experiences in other countries as well as how networks and coalitions are partnering to make 2005 a benchmark year in the fight against global poverty.  

To Whom Must We Report: Can Core Standards be established for Non-governmental Organizations?
There is growing concern among InterAction members that, in addition to the InterAction Standards, they must also certify compliance with various state laws governing charities. The U.S. Congress is now also considering extending additional federal regulations to the non-profit sector. Further, the search for enhanced accountability within the NGO sector has led to international initiatives such as the Sphere Project and People In Aid and the involvement of various other accountability mechanisms. Where is this all going? How many different sets of standards will NGOs face, and to whom must they report? This session will explore harmonizing a core set of standards, and how they might be enforced across this diverse sector.

WORKSHOPS

Putting Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals into Practice in Asia and the Pacific
Come learn innovative and creative approaches that international development and humanitarian assistance practitioners have implemented to promote gender equality and the MDGs in their field programs. Based on practical experience at the grassroots, program, and institutional levels, this session will feature practitioners who contributed case stories for the CAW’s newest publication. Gender Mainstreaming in Action: Successful Innovations from Asia and the Pacific was developed with the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction in the Philippines and includes eighteen cases on sectors ranging from water and infrastructure to violence prevention.

Post-9/11 Relations with the Military
Please join in a timely discussion related to how InterAction members and the U.S. military interface with each other while the military is engaged in combat or occupation scenarios. The head of emergencies at Save the Children UK will give a presentation on relationships between United Kingdom (UK)-based NGOs and the UK military. A senior NGO advocate based in Kabul will discuss NGO relations with the Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan. The commander of the U.S. Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute will offer a military perspective.

ONE and Beyond: Campaigning in America
With global coalitions and campaigns in support of achieving the Millennium Development Goals gaining momentum, advocates in the United States face a unique set of challenges in mobilizing public support in the fight against poverty and disease. This workshop will examine the challenges and opportunities in organizing a public outreach and education campaign in the United States, share the success stories and lessons learned from campaigns past and present, and discuss opportunities to join in current national and international efforts. This workshop will impart practical steps individuals and organizations can take to start making a difference today.