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ONTARIO COUNCIL ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, 2008

Date: May 9th & 10th, 2008
Host: CFUW North Bay
Theme: Vision ...Voice ... Action, Human Rights and HIV/AIDS

PROGRAMME

Louise D. Binder
Louise Binder is a Canadian HIV+ woman lawyer who was diagnosed in 1993. Forced to retire, she did some limited volunteer work on the board of the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation as board member and then co-chair until 1998, and as Chair of the provincial women's AIDS organization, Voices of Positive Women, where she still serves as vice-chair. Fortunately, after the advent of highly active antiviral therapy in 1996, Louise's health improved. In 1997, she helped to found and, has since co-chaired and chaired the Canadian Treatment Action Council, which does systemic advocacy for access to treatments.

She is also a member of the Community Advisory Committee of the Canadian HIV Trials Network; one of the founding members of the Blueprint for Action on Women and Girls and HIV/AIDS; Chair of the Canadian Advisory Committee for the Ukrainian HIV+ Children’s Hospital Project; and member of the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS Leadership Council. Louise has also been a strong voice for women's human rights issues and was one of the founders and members of the management team of the First National Women's Conference in Canada. As a result of her untiring work she has received many awards and an honorary doctorate of Laws from Queens. At the AGM she addressed Human Rights Issues.

Mary Anna Beer
Mary Anna Beer is a retired special education teacher from the GTA Area who has travelled to 46 countries including many in Africa. She was part of the fact finding mission on the impact of HIV/AIDS on the education system of Tanzania, spent 7 weeks in South Africa and Kenya working with vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS, Co Chairs the York Region Committee in support of the Stephen Louis Foundation. In this capacity she has helped raise 1 million dollars to help support the Easing the Pain of HIV/Aids in Africa campaign. Currently she is an advisor to the Stephen Louis Foundation on the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign and spoke to us about this initiative at the AGM.

Christine Fortin
Christine Fortin is the mother of Patrick, a severe hemophiliac who contracted AIDS from a transfusion in 1986 and subsequently died in 2002 age 23. Since that time Christine has been the founding member of the “Patrick for Life Awareness and Education” organization dedicated to educating youth about how to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS. Christine also sits on the AIDS Bureau, Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Women and HIV/AIDSWorking Group, and the Ontario Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS, HIV Prevention Working Group. As a result of her Foundation’s work excellent HIV/AIDS programs are available. She will addressed us this educational initiative at the AGM

Family Law Education for Women with Lisa Cirillo
Ms. Cirillo is the Legal and Project Coordinator for the provincial Family Law Education for Women Project (FLEW). This government funded project was asked for and created by a consortium of women’s groups in the wake of the successful fight against religious arbitration by Ontario women including CFUW members. CFUW Ontario Council is a member of this consortium. The project is a direct answer to our intense CFUW advocacy to have women made cognizant of their legal rights in family law. Lisa Cirillo gave a lively presentation on the scope of the project and the education and information materials that have been developed by FLEW. She had suggestions and answered questions on how CFUW Clubs in Ontario can be tremendously helpful in facilitating this important effort in their own communities.