President's Letter
Alice Slayton Clark
WIIT President

I am proud to report as outgoing WIIT President that 2003-2004 has been a banner year for the organization, marked by revitalized programming, strong membership growth and solid net revenues. This year WIIT clearly lived up to its mission of being the premier international trade organization in the Washington, DC trade community. Read more . . .

OWIT Quarterly Update
Caroline Cooper
DC OWIT Representative

The Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT), of which WIIT is the largest member, held the spring Board meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico May 13-15. Representatives of chapters from across the country convened to discuss current and future plans for the organization, as well as to outline goals for the 2004 conference to be held in Tampa, Florida November 10-12. The meeting also served as an opportunity for OWIT representatives to review issues from past board meetings, including the voting structure within the organization and whether OWIT chapters should receive some proceeds from annual conferences. Read more . . .

Author of Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists, engages audience at WIIT's Spring Membership Social

WIIT was honored to hear an acclaimed scholar of international finance speak at its March 31st, 2004 spring membership social, which was generously hosted by C&M International. Dr. Raghuram Rajan, co-author of the recently published book, Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists, spoke about the need to nurture financial markets worldwide in order to foster entrepreneurialism and elevate the economic status of large numbers of people around the world. Read more . . .

The WIIT Charitable Trust: Exposing High School Students to the Field of International Trade
F. Amanda DeBusk and Marie DeForest

The WIIT Charitable Trust continues to enhance the learning experience of high school students in the field of international trade. Established in 2001, the Trust's mission is to promote public knowledge and understanding of international trade and international business by being a valued source of information and by globally sponsoring research, educational programs, and information-sharing activities. Read more . . .

U.S. Companies Use Localization to Step Up Global Sales
By Leslie Downey

Ask any person on the street these days what he or she thinks of "globalization", and you're almost certain to get an opinion. Ask about "localization", and you'll probably get a blank stare. But localization enables globalization. It's a bland name for a fascinating industry, only fifteen years old and growing rapidly. Read more . . .

WIIT Programs Highlighted:

• The Latest in US-China Trade and Economic Developments
• WTO Doha Round: Live from Geneva
• Customs Committee Hosted Luncheon with WTO's Judge Bacchus
• Professional Development Committee Career Night
• 2004 WIIT's Annual Meeting and Dinner

1. Feature articles: Aspiring and established authors, especially from among our seasoned members, we invite you to submit substantive articles on relevant trade topics. The next two issues will focus on the themes of:i) International Trade in the New Security Environment; and ii) Free Trade Agreements & Regional Blocs. We also invite your suggestions for future themes.
2. Book of the Quarter: This new section will feature a member's review of a book that you wish to recommend to members. We invite your submissions.
3. Brown Bag Corner: A quick overview of brown bag events held over the previous quarter.
4. Program Highlights: We continue to solicit the co-operation of Program Chairs in preparing quick summaries of the WIIT-wide and other major events.
   Please keep an eye out for the submission deadlines and reminders in the monthly Calendars. We are always available to eceive your feedback, suggestions, and submissions.
   
   Newsletter Co-Editors
   Andrea Ewart & Lesley Shaw
   wiitnewsletter@yahoo.com