DECEMBER 2012
mondial 11
Member/supporter feedback: reporting back In WFMC’s March 2012 membership renewal letter to all supporters, WFMC President Warren Allmand described our diminishing membership and funds, and included a request to members for their feedback. More than 120 responses to the survey questions were received. The first section of the survey asked for comments on the organization’s name and on the idea of using a “branding name,” a more concise name that would be more descriptive of the organization and our goals. The majority of respondents were either in favour of this approach in principle or wanted to see the actual “branding name” options before deciding. The second section of the survey discussed ways for WFMC members to become more involved with the organization and our goals. Many respondents asked to be added to the Take Action email network and others offered to contribute their time and effort on specific campaigns or with more general work. The last section dealt with WFMC priorities and asked for suggestions as to specific issue areas for the organization to focus on. A wide range of responses was received. The areas of largest concern were environment and climate change issues, and nuclear disarmament. Some respondents mentioned specific campaigns or program areas where WFMC is already active, such as the campaign for a UNPA, the ICC, UN reform and responsibility to protect (R2P). Others offered practical suggestions for us to convey our message more broadly. Many mentioned the importance of
involving youth in various ways and increasing our use of social media. Others offered creative ways in which WFMC could raise our profile, such as video or documentary competitions, greater participation in the universities and public displays.
A New Tagline for the World Federalists The idea of a name change for the organization was discussed at a Council meeting in May and again at the Winnipeg AGM. Rather than a change to the organization’s name, it was decided that a tagline would be used, to help explain “world federalism” and “World Federalist Movement – Canada.” Suggestions for a tagline were discussed at meetings this past July in Winnipeg and at the October Council meeting. A final decision is to be made at the spring 2013 Council meeting.
A tagline is like a slogan, a memorable phrase that sums up the tone and premise of a brand, product or organization. It ought to complement the organization’s name without duplicating it. A successful tagline is brief and has a tone that resonates with its target group, like Apple: Think Different or Nike: Just do it. Less well known examples from the Canadian NGO world are equally helpful in describing their organization, like CANADEM: Canada’s Civilian Reserve, or Project Ploughshares: Research and Action for Peace. Some of the tagline suggestions that have been made so far are listed at www.worldfederalistscanada.org/taglines.html We would like your input! Which, if any, of the suggested taglines do you prefer? Do you have a suggestion of your own? Let us know: email monique@ worldfederalistscanada.org.
Preparing for a UN Emergency Peace Service In an article published this August by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, a foundation affiliated with the German Social Democratic Party, Peter Langille noted, “Despite years of study and public discussion, the UN still does not have a rapid response military capacity, something that is most needed to avert rapidly unfolding mass atrocity crimes. The proposal for a United Nations Emergency Peace Service (UNEPS), first launched after the Rwanda genocide, should therefore be revisited and updated. UNEPS would create a permanent standing UN first-responder, ready for immediate deployment… [and] help
prevent armed conflict, protect civilians, help re-building, and contribute to disarmament and collective security.” To attract a broad-based constituency of support, the UNEPS initiative needs to be expanded into a more formal network of civil society organizations, academic institutions and inclined member states, to encourage research and educational outreach. A meeting in March 2013 to establish a UNEPS research and advocacy network is being organized by WFM–Canada, Global Action to Prevent War and hosted at the Department of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford.