Letter
from the Editors
The editors
of Women in International Trade Newsletter want to welcome
you to the first issue of the 2007-2008 year. This newsletter is an important
part of our efforts to inform you about WIIT's activities. It includes recent
events, a calendar of upcoming events, information on our many programs and
projects, and articles written by WIIT members.
In this issue, we would like to introduce the new 2007-2008 Officers and Board members, as well as identify their past service to and association with WIIT.
Also included, are articles
by WIIT members that offer distinctive perspectives and address sub-topics
related to the intersection of trade and security. Read
more...
Letter from the President, Susan Schmidt:
As
I assume this year's WIIT Presidency, I briefly would like to share my thoughts
on what I hope to accomplish in the coming year. Last year as I listened to
Nicole's thoughtful and focused remarks on her objectives for her term as
WIIT President, my thought was that I needed to begin making my notes for
tonight then. I did not, but during this year as President-Elect, in the back
of my mind was what I would like to talk about tonight. Read
more...
Know
Your WIIT Officers and Board of Directors (2007-2008)
Officers
Past, Current and Future
WIIT Officers.
Read more...
Members
of the Board of Directors
Board Members serving
terms from 2006-2008, as well as from 2007-2009. Read
more...
Export
Controls: Enabling Trade and Ensuring Security
by Dana Townsend and Mike Turner
Consider this not-so-hypothetical intersection of
trade and security: a U.S. company has a new, state-of-the-art technological
gizmo that every consumer in the world wants to buy. But the gizmo can also
be used to build Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and by terrorists to attack
U.S. interests at home and abroad. Both the U.S. company and the U.S. Government
have an interest in promoting the former and preventing the latter. How to
achieve both ends? Read more...
Formalize
Trade Ties to Enhance Security: A Case for Greater Cooperation with India
by Anku Nath
Through the formalization of alliances with India, best
realized through the passage of the "123 Agreement" to put into
effect civilian nuclear cooperation and a comprehensive free trade agreement,
the US and India can turn their partnership into an engine by which to enhance
security through trade. Read more...
Global
Trade and Security: An Apparel Industry Response
by Steven A. Jesseph
When US apparel and footwear companies were accused
of using "sweatshops" in Asia, the US and Latin America in the mid
1990's, the American Apparel and Footwear Association (the AAFA, then known
as American Apparel Manufacturer's Association) met the accusations head on.
A survey of US and offshore factories showed that many businesses were operating
within the law and provided excellent working conditions. Unfortunately, there
were also a significant number that weren't operated so well and had labor
and environmental conditions that could be described as poor to very bad.
The challenge was determining how to best bring the global apparel industry
together under one set of operating standards to ensure products were made
under legal socially responsible working conditions in the 80+ apparel producing
countries around the world. A collaborative and global effort would be required.
Read more...
North
American Prosperity and Security
by Adrean Scheid Rothkopf and Monica Guevara
The Security and Prosperity Partnership
of North America (SPP) was launched in March of 2005 as a trilateral effort
to establish a cooperative approach to advance our common security and prosperity
and to promote economic growth, competitiveness, and improved quality of life
through greater cooperation and information sharing between the United States,
Canada, and Mexico. During this Summit, the Leaders met with members of the
trilateral North American Competitiveness Council (NACC), an initiative that
began in early 2006 when the North American Leaders recognized that to accelerate
progress under the SPP they would benefit from direct advice from the private
sector. So, they encouraged business leaders from all three countries to form
the NACC to develop recommendations on ways to enhance North American competitiveness.
While the NACC was expected to primarily develop recommendations that could
be addressed by governments, the NACC was also challenged to provide suggestions
on how the private sector might itself be part of the solution. Read
more...
CFIUS
Update: Striking a Balance Between Foreign Investment and National Security
Concerns
by Debra Cheng
As an open market economy, the U.S. has
sought to provide a favorable environment for foreign investment. It has been
successful in that, over the past decade, the U.S. has been the largest recipient
of foreign investment among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) countries, receiving over $1637 billion in foreign investment from
other OECD countries. Recently, however, concerns have been raised that the
U.S. is becoming less receptive to foreign investment, as demonstrated, for
example, by the increasing number of reviews of certain potential acquisitions
of U.S. assets by foreign entities. Read more...
The opinions in each article are those solely of the author. WIIT does not endorse the views expressed in any of the featured articles.
Find event details and new additions at http://www.wiit.org/events/events.htm.
Upcoming
WIIT Board and Officers/Section Chair meeting dates are listed below. Any
WIIT member who has a topic s/he would like discussed at an upcoming meeting
should contact a Board member or Officer so that it can be put on the agenda,
as appropriate.
Board Meetings:
October 16, 2007
December 18, 2007
February 19, 2008
April 15, 2008
Officer/Section Chair meetings:
October 9, 2007
November 13, 2007
December 11, 2007
January 8, 2008
February 12, 2008
March 11, 2008
April 8, 2008
May 13, 2008
WIIT
Professional Development Event: Working in a Corporation
On July 23,
the Professional Development Section of WIIT held its first program of the
new WIIT year. It was entitled "Working for a Corporation". Read
more...
WIIT
Professional Development Event: Working in a Trade Association
On August 27,
the WIIT Professional Development series continued with a program on "Working
in A Trade Association". Read more...
WIIT
Ambassadors Reception Honoring Her Excellency Carolina Barco and other Female
Ambassadors for their Work in International Trade
On Tuesday September 11th, WIIT hosted
its first annual Female Ambassadors event honoring all foreign female Ambassadors
to the United States. Read more...
If so, join the WIIT Mentoring Program!
We are kicking off WIIT's 2007-2008 Mentoring Program. WIIT offers a unique opportunity for members in all stages of their careers in international trade to share their experiences and learn from one another by tapping into the broad network offered by our membership. The hallmark of the program is one-on-one mentoring, pairing one WIIT member with another.
Participants in the Mentoring Program will gain insight into the various positions and career paths in the field of international trade. The program is loosely structured to afford participants the ability to develop a specific program tailored to their interests, needs, and resources.
Making a difference as a mentor does not have to be a burdensome time commitment. It is expected that mentors will meet (or make contact by phone or e-mail) with the WIIT member with whom they are paired at least once a month over a period of approximately 4 months. Activities could include:
Please note that the Mentor Program is open only to WIIT members. If you are currently not a member and are interested in this program, you are welcome to join the association. Membership dues are $45 for students and government employees and $65 for all other individuals.
If you have any questions or are interested in participating in the WIIT Mentoring Program, please contact Angela Hofmann at angela.Hofmann@wal-mart.com or Christine Ramsdell at christine.h.ramsdell@boeing.com
Manka Azefor, Kristin Wedding, and Helen Wicecarver
WIIT Newsletter Editors
wiit_newslettereditors_2006@yahoo.com
