Calendar for Dorothy's Speaking Tour

Friends,

If you have not already read the information below, please do so for its content; but for the latest tour information, please click on: October & November Tour Guide.


Dear Friends of Dorothy Granada and the Women's Center in Mulukukú,

Dorothy Granada will begin her biggest U.S. speaking tour ever in mid-September. She is planning to visit virtually every region of the country. Gerry Condon will be overall coordinator of the tour organizing. He will be assisted by Dorothy Granada, who has visited so many of you before, by AV Coyle, who has done a wonderful job coordinating Dorothy's past tours, and by Jill Winegardner and the Board of the Women's Empowerment Network, Dorothy's support group in Santa Cruz, California. Hopefully, you will be involved in this planning too.

We are writing you because you have recently expressed interest in having Dorothy visit your town, in hosting her, organizing an event for her, and/or you have done so in past years, and/or Dorothy has specifically asked us to contact you. Below you will find a rough schedule for the different regions. We need your feedback as soon as possible.

Because of the great work of so many of you, Dorothy's speaking tours in recent years have been very successful, both in terms of fundraising and also in inspiring many people to get involved. Dorothy has invited us to share in her profound work. She has helped us to understand that this is not charity, not a paternalistic relationship. Rather it is an opportunity to support and to learn from Nicaraguan women who have organized themselves to address their basic needs. This, the best kind of solidarity, is a two way street. We in the U.S. are empowered by being part of this project, the Maria Luisa Ortiz Women's Center in Mulukukú, Nicaragua.

This year we and Dorothy are hoping to have her biggest and most successful speaking tour yet. Because she bravely resisted repression by the president of Nicaragua himself, Dorothy has become a folk hero in Nicaragua. And because, once again, she invited us to help defend her and the Women's Clinic in Mulukukú, we responded with all our experience and became an important part of her victory over tyranny.

We will all be very happy to see Dorothy and to share her stories, her energy and her deep commitment with our friends and our communities. We will enjoy doing all that we can to increase the resources which will be available to the brave women of Mulukukú. And Dorothy, of course, will be very happy to see new and old friends, and to thank all those who have been part of this wonderful effort, including members of the U.S. Congress.

Also, with Nicaragua's national elections taking place on November 4, 2001, and the Sandinista Party poised for a possible return to power, Nicaragua will be the subject of more media interest than there has been in a decade. This will add even more poignancy to Dorothy's tour, as well as great media potential.

Already there is great demand for Dorothy. Our challenge now is to come up with a reasonable schedule that will allow Dorothy to visit virtually every region of the country, while at the same time giving her ample time for rest, recreation, and reflection.

Here we propose a very general schedule. In the days ahead, with your help, we must define it in great detail. Dorothy will be arriving back in the U.S. in early September and she will begin her speaking tour in mid-September with a visit to Texas.

PROPOSED SCHEDULE BY REGION

Texas San Antonio and San Marcos on Sept. 14 & 15
Northwest Beginning Saturday, September 22 (9 days)
Rest 5 days

Midwest Beginning Saturday, October 6 (9 days)

Nicaragua Network National Meeting, October 20-21, Santa Cruz, CA

California Beginning Thursday, Oct. 25 (11 days)
Rest 1 week
Northeast Beginning Saturday, November 10 (9 days)
Rest 8 days (including Thanksgiving)
Southwest Beginning Tuesday, November 27 (6 days)
Rest 5 days
Southeast Begin Saturday, December 8 ( 6 days)
Rest Dec. 14 through Christmas & New Years

New and/or unmet opportunities January

This proposed initial schedule will no doubt be altered based on input from people around the country. No doubt some compelling opportunities will cause us to make changes. We need all of your input as soon as possible in order to figure out what will work best.

REGIONAL COORDINATORS NEEDED
Nobody can organize a regional speaking tour better than someone in the region who has worked with the various groups and has done this kind of organizing before. Therefore we will be recruiting regional coordinators from all regions. Regional coordinators will work closely with the national coordinator and the local coordinators to make this tour as successful as possible for all concerned. If you are interested in serving as a coordinator in your region, please contact Gerry Condon at Gerry Condon

GOALS OF THE TOUR
The primary goal of the tour is to raise funds for the work of the MLO Women's Center in Mulukukú. Once the Nicaraguan government was successfully pressured to allow the Women's Clinic to reopen, the Health Ministry required improvements costing thousands of dollars, over and above the usual pressing needs of the Clinic. Because this need is great and immediate, and because Dorothy's tours are one of the main generators of such funds, this has to be our very top priority. How much money did you raise last time Dorothy visited your city? Would it be possible to double that amount this time? Advance planning for your events should include serious consideration of how to maximize the fundraising aspect. For example, Dorothy's schedule could include special visits, maybe brunches, with people who are able to make larger contributions. We will be happy to work with you on this, especially if we can identify larger donors in your area. Monthly contributions? Lay the groundwork for long term financial support, for example by encouraging monthly contributions. We may decide to develop such a special appeal that can be used on Dorothy's tour. People who could not contribute $100 at your event might well be willing to contribute $10 a month. What do you think about this?

OTHER FORMS OF SUPPORT ARE ALSO IMPORTANT …

Introduce Dorothy to medical professionals, including medical schools, general practitioners, pediatricians, obstetricians, gynecologists, nurses, midwives, dentists, pharmacists and other health workers. Many of you have been doing just that for several years and this has resulted in a steady flow of medical delegations and supplies to Mulukukú. This remains vitally important to the success of the Women's Clinic.

Education and political support are also priorities. Dorothy will be able to speak personally and passionately about the status of human rights and democracy in Nicaragua. With Nicaragua's national elections taking place on November 4, and reports of U.S. government interference in these elections, there will be great interest among many people, including the media, about what is actually taking place in Nicaragua at this time. Dorothy will be able to provide firsthand information and also to suggest what actions people can take with regards to human rights and democracy in Nicaragua, including the role of the U.S. government.

RESOURCES The Friends of Dorothy Granada and the Women's Center in Mulukukú, now a project of the Women's Empowerment Network in Santa Cruz, California, is taking responsibility for the organization of this tour. We will be able to provide the following resources to help with the organization of the tour.

1) A tour organizing committee, centered Santa Cruz, California, working closely with Dorothy Granada, will oversee the planning of her speaking tour.

2) A half-time national tour coordinator, Gerry Condon, will work closely with regional and local organizers to plan Dorothy's visit.

3) A special email account, Dorothytour@hotmail.com has been established for communicating specifically about the speaking tour.

4) A Tour Calendar-in-progress and information about Dorothy and the Women's Center in Mulukukú will be posted here on our website.

5) A press packet, including sample press releases, glossy photos of Dorothy, and other relevant materials will be provided to all local tour organizers.

6) A brochure explaining the work of the MLO Women's Center will be provided.

7) A new 22-minute videotape, in Spanish or English, made by Dorothy and two of the best videographers in Nicaragua, explains the work of the MLO Women's Center as well as the successful mobilization against the Nicaraguan president's attacks on Dorothy Granada and the Mulukukú clinic. This will be available within days, and can be used to build interest in Dorothy's visit and/or in conjunction with her visit. Its high quality and short length make it ideal for showing on local cable access. We are asking for a $25 dollar donation to cover the costs of this video.

8) A 15-cut benefit CD put together by Dorothy Segovia and the Mulukukú CD Project, based in San Luis Obispo, will be selling for $15.

9) Other fundraising aids, including possibly a monthly pledge program and the addition of an online donation capacity at our website, will be developed.

We look forward to hearing from you soon. And we very much look forward to working with you to make Dorothy's speaking tour a big success. With what we all have already accomplished together, we know we are capable of organizing a really wonderful tour. And we can count on Dorothy doing her part.

Justice and Dignity for All,
Jill Winegardner   AV Coyle   Gerry Condon

(831) 768-7004

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