Education and Health Communique #5
Cecile Miller, Chairperson
November 26, 2009

Coady Study Tour
National President-elect Velma Harasen and I returned on November 15th from a two-week study tour in India and Nepal. We accompanied a group organized by the Coady International Institute (the Coady) in celebration its 50th anniversary. The tour was led by St. Francis Xavier University President Dr. Sean Riley and St. Francis Xavier University Vice-President and Director of the Coady International Institute Mary Coyle. Thirteen of us visited graduates in places where they are putting into practice what they learned when they studied at the Coady. It was a great learning experience to see firsthand people living in slums, to learn how people are working to better themselves and to get a better appreciation for the work of the Coady.

The League has been contributing to the Coady since 1961, two years after it opened. The money donated each year is always very much appreciated and provides bursaries for three to four women taking the diploma program. This year the recipients are: Sherry Botros from Egypt, Anupama Hial from India and Lancia Isidore from St. Lucia.

On September 26th, National President Danielle McNeil-Hessian and I attended a gala banquet celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Coady in Antigonish.  Sherry Botros was one of the guests seated at our table. The Coady is always looking for financial assistance for its programs. If you know of an individual(s), a business or foundation that might be interested in supporting the Coady, please send their contact information to me through national office at executiveassistant@cwl.ca.

Important Dates in January
January is Alzheimer Awareness Month. On September 21st, World Alzheimer Day, Alzheimer’s Disease International (an umbrella association of all Alzheimer associations around the world) released the World Alzheimer Report 2009 “which presents the new and more accurate global figures indicating the true scale of the dementia epidemic we are facing”.  The report notes that a new case of dementia occurs in the world every seven seconds. Both the full report and the executive summary are available at www.alz.co.uk/. Members are encouraged to learn more about dementia, invite guest speakers to meetings with members as well as the general public and help with canvassing for donations during the month of January.

January 17th-23rd is National Non-Smoking Week with Wednesday, January 20th designated as Weedless Wednesday.

January 27th is Family Literacy Day. There is a workshop in the CWL Day of Peace and Hope Activities Kit which can be used to promote literacy and literacy training.

Triclosan Update
On August 24th, the Canadian Medical Association asked the federal government to ban Triclosan in consumer products because it may cause bacterial resistance thus decreasing the effectiveness of antibiotics. Further information may be found in Resolution 2008.02 Restrictions on the Sale of Products Containing Triclosan.

May we find the time to praise and thank God for the precious gifts of peace and hope and find ways to give these gifts to others.