The Race Relations Project is getting its new year under way. We are planning a ribbon campaign for March 21st and anti-racism outreach and education campaigns in local schools. We will be recruiting and training a team of young people to work on anti-racism workshops and outreach in local high schools. Next spring, we will hold a mini film festival - but first we have to make the films! We are planning a series of film workshops with youth from around the region, where young people will get to have their voices heard on issues around racism.

Meanwhile, the Revolution, Girl Style Summer Camp 2000 was a great success and approximately 90 young women attended the camp. Featured workshops included leadership and goal setting, feminism, celebrating women through history, role models, nutrition and eating disorders, self esteem and media, sexuality, multiculturalism, equality and stereotypes, mental and emotional health, assertiveness, self defense, friendship and dating, body image, the environment and political action. The idea was to train young women from around NWOntario in leadership skills so that they could start empowerment projects in their own communities.

A regional youth conference was held at the Nor Wester Best Western on October 14th and 15th during the Multicultural Association of NWOntario (MANO) annual general meeting. Revolution Girl Style was featured as a successful example of youth organizing around issues that concern them.

This coming summer, Revolution, Girl Style (affectionately known as “Rev” at the RMYC) will hit the road to address some of the needs identified at the conference. A Rev team will be traveling, sharing skills, knowledge and fun with other young women in NWOntario. The Revolution, Girl Style Summer Camp 2000 was funded by Status of Women Canada. We are just in the process of wrapping up our report and applying for funding to get the new year started.

Meanwhile, during the school year, Revolution, Girl Style has all sorts of events planned, including a zine-making workshop and a regular action group, which meets Tuesdays at the Multicultural Youth Centre in Victoriaville Mall. If you know any interested young women, or for more information, give Revolution, Girl Style, or the Race Relations Project a call at the RMYC (807) 622-4666 or toll free at 1-800-692-7692 outside of Thunder Bay.

We're proud to announce the birth of a brand new board..... :
Welcome! Kathleen Bailey
Welcome! Stacey Hare
Welcome! Emmy Pantin
Welcome! Kate White
and thanks for staying on:
Thanks! Lori Chambers
Thanks! Janis Cox
Thanks! Kim Hagarty
Thanks! Lynne Martin
Thanks! Olivia Rebeiro

These are the energetic women who will be directing the Women's Centre for the next year or so. To celebrate, we are adopting a new format for meetings: less "business", more food and more issues!

Other News: Our Custody and Access project has now ended, although work on the Survival Guide continues. Five women graduated as Peer Advocates during this process, and we hope to have them continue to support other women with custody and access problems. Many thanks to Paula DiGiacinto, who did a terrific job as Custody and Access Education Coordinator. We are currently part of a provincial effort by women's groups to respond to proposed changes in the Divorce Act. Our negotiations re local visits from the Family Responsibility Office staff continue.

Lindsay Lunny, our Office Administrator will now also be doing Volunteer Coordination - talk to her if you want to put some time in down here.

After a 6 month, nail biting delay, Ontario Women's Directorate finally decided to fund us, for the next 6 months, at least. Four well established women's centres in southern Ontario were defunded by OWD this round, as were at least three others last year. OWD has announced increased funding for this program "Investing in Women's Futures", but the criteria have been altered to favour groups whose primary focus is skills and employment development, or entrepreneurship. Most women's centres do not fall in this category. We are not sure what to expect, come the end of March, 2001. Unfortunately, it seems clear that the provincial government is no longer interested in funding equality seeking groups.