As with anything that’s over half a century old (55 years, to be precise), there comes a time for a tune-up. This was the case with AWIU’s mission and vision statements, which were considerably older than the organization’s recently refreshed website.
“Along with our website, we re-examined AWIU’s vision and mission statements” says Maggie Sabbag, president of AWIU. “There have been various changes made over the years to these two important statements that tell the world who we are and what we do. It was time to take another look at them and make sure that they reflect the current state of the organization and our direction forward.”
After two workshops led by Miranda Cohen and Maggie, and infinite hours of tinkering by devoted wordsmiths (all members!), the refined statements were approved at the AWIU board meeting on July 20th.
Also part of the package were new AWIU value statements, four of them. The value statements – on understanding, learning, community, and social responsibility – enhance and expand upon the mission and vision.
Mission:
To build bridges of international understanding through personal exchange and collaboration.
Vision:
A compassionate and interconnected world with equality for all.
Values:
- Understanding: Respecting, honoring, and celebrating diversity promotes mutual understanding. Leading with empathy and compassion, we embrace opportunities to engage, learn, and serve the greater good.
- Learning: Knowledge promotes understanding. We are committed to collaborative education and approach experiences with curious and open minds.
- Community: Personal relationships are the foundation of mutual learning. We build friendship and community locally and globally through a supportive network of women.
- Social Responsibility: Equal access for women and girls to education, healthcare, and opportunity is essential. We believe that empowered women are highly effective communicators and problem solvers.
