by Frederick A. Swarts, Ph.D.

Overview Plenary Sessions Special Symposia Workshops Awards Banquet Other Sessions and Events

"The magnificent sceneries of the Dominican Republic have made me think that this must be paradise on earth. Yet, I would like to thank those who have showed me that, even in Paradise there are shadows, that in a little tucked away village there are children in need; I thank those that have shown me that this Paradise needs my help, as I need it to exist and be pure." Dr. Aurora Martin, Euro-Atlantic Partnership for Sustainable Development, Romania.

The words of Dr. Martin, given at the conclusion of the 2005 Annual Conference of the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO), succinctly captures both the heartrending challenges and optimistic vision at the heart of the conference theme: The Role of NGOs in Creating a World Fit for Children . Indeed, a goal of the conference was to foster a sort of double vision: to see the reality of the world as it is, and, at the same time, to envision the world as it should be. And that by working together -- as a family of NGOs rather than competitors, each in our own area -- we can realize our vision of a world free from want and fear.

The Association's Annual Conference was convened in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic from November 17-20. Gathering were 265 leaders of non-governmental organizations from 37 nations. In total, over 320 attendees -- government and intergovernmental officials, corporate leaders, local speakers, student day-guests, and core staff -- participated in this four-day event, examined  the state of today's world, imagined the future, and set about to implement the means to that future. 

It is easy to be pessimistic given the reality of the challenges facing our youth today: child soldiers, trafficking of women and children, exploitation, malnutrition, inequalities, abuse, disease, drugs, and lack of educational opportunities, among others.  But Conference Chairman, Dr. Chung Hwan Kwak, captured the optimistic spirit of the conference in his remarks: "In general, NGOs see a need and respond in a spirit of giving and self-sacrifice. They have tried to compensate for the failings and gaps in human society in all areas and levels of individuals, family, nation, and world. Founders and directors of nonprofit organizations and NGOs are some of the most independent, self-reliant, and sacrificial people on the face of the earth. They are mission-driven and have learned how to make a little go a long way, and are willing to work in situations others may consider to be impossible.

Though NGOs are independent, increasingly they recognize the added value of partnering with other organizations. NGOs are called upon to demonstrate true brotherhood and sisterhood with one another, wishing for and always given the best to one another." 

As the conference site, the Dominican Republic provided a fitting local for such a conference. This is the island paradise that Christopher Columbus, after landing in 1492, called "the most beautiful land that human eyes have ever seen." He went on to reflect, "there is in my opinion no better people (the native Arawaks) and no better land in all the world. They love their neighbors as themselves." This vision of an ecological paradise, with loving people, provides an inspiring vision of the type of world that we are all seeking: A World Fit for Children.

The Annual Conference serves as the flagship event for the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations. Held for the first time in the Latin America and Caribbean Region, the conference drew participants from Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. These NGOs spanned the vast spectrum of the non-governmental community, from small, local NGOs to major international bodies, and encompassed the diversity of human activity, from humanitarian NGOs, to environmental NGOs, to those involved in education, health care, human rights, conflict prevention, and development activities.

The Opening Plenary Session was held in the joint session hall of the National Congress Building   Other sessions of the Annual Conference took place at the Renaissance Jaragua Hotel, with the prestigious Awards Banquet held in the Fiesta Theater.

The 2005 Annual Conference offered a wide variety of session formats, including 2 plenary se ssions, 1 interactive plenary session, 1 session on initiatives, 13 training workshops, 4 special symposia,  3 panel sessions, 1 roundtable, as well as various opportunities to network at regional meetings, meal functions, dessert mixers, and field trips to Dominican cultural and historical sites. The Annual Conference was also the setting for the Annual Business Meeting of the membership, as well as the 2005 WANGO Awards Banquet, in which NGOs were recognized for their spirit of service and  effectiveness in addressing societal ills. Overall, the program included 63 invited speakers, as well as leaders of 19 member organizations who utilized the panel sessions to present on their NGOs or a topic of interest to them. Special sessions for WANGO Chapter leaders and National Representatives provided opportunities for close coordination and feedback between WANGO officers and WANGO's field leaders in the field.

This year's event also included an international exhibit of children's art, Children Color the World , on the theme "The World I Want to Live In." Entries came from such countries as Indonesia, Ghana, Ecuador, Spain, and Argentina. The conference program itself was designed by a 14-year old girl from South Korea.

Special recognition goes to the Asociacion Mundial de Organizaciones No Gubernamentales, Re pu blica Dominican (AMONG-RD), WANGO's chapter in the Dominican Republic, which co-sponsored the conference, and to Mr. Juan Larancuent, President of AMONG and Executive Director of the Bloque de ONGs (BONG). The conference's Local Arrangements Chair, Mr. Larancuent's tireless effort on all levels – from securing conference venues and arranging local speakers and entertainers, to production of the actual conference, to providing a warm welcome to delegates – was fundamental in the success of WANGO Annual Conference 2005. Thanks also goes to conference sponsors, including Verizon, United Press International, MSW Travel Group, Twenty-First Century Speakers, BONG, Tiempos Del Mundo, Go-World Travel, and Alan J. Inman Enterprises. 

The Opening Plenary Session, which was convened in the joint session hall of the National Congress, addressed the general theme NGOs, in Partnership with Government, Effecting a New Tomorrow for Our Children .

This theme incorporates the recognition that today's youth face enormous challenges.  More than half of today's children survive on less than a dollar a day and an estimated 150 million children under five years of age suffer from malnutrition. Tragically, 250 million children are involved in child labor and, during the past decade, more than 2 million children died as a result of armed conflict. Another 2 million children are exploited through prostitution and pornography and over 1.2 million children are believed to be trafficked each year.  HIV/AIDS has been spreading with catastrophic speed: An estimated 13 million children have been orphaned by AIDS, and nearly 600,000 infants are infected each year through mother-to-child transmission. There are millions of HIV-positive young people. Furthermore, one third of today's children fail to complete five years of schooling, and millions more are taught by insufficiently trained teachers in poorly equipped classrooms. Depression, suicide, teen pregnancy, sexual abuse and rape, racial discrimination, xenophobia and domestic violence are other painful reminders of the world that they have inherited.

All institutions in society – NGOs, government, business and media -- have responsibility to tackle these serious challenges. This opening plenary session focused on how NGOs and government, working together, can build a new tomorrow for our children, a hopeful future without fear or want.

The President of the Congress of the Dominican Republic, the Honorable Alfredo Pacheco Osoria , highlighted this session. Other speakers included Deputy Luis E. Reyes Ozuna , a Congressman in the Santo Domingo area (who was instrumental in bringing the annual conference to the Dominican Republic); Kyleigh Kühn, a youth leader who co-founded the the Roots for Peace Penny Campaign (raising money to replace landmines with schools and soccer fields); Taj Hamad , Secretary General for WANGO (who delivered the address of Conference Chairman Dr. Chung Hwan Kwak); and Dr. Milagros Diaz , a visionary women leader and former deputy in the Dominican Republic. Ambassador Phillip V. Sanchez, former US Ambassador and recent Publisher of Tiempos del Mundo , served as Chairman of the session.

In Plenary Session Two, youth leaders from around the world offered their unique perspective on creating a world fit for children. Titled Youth Envisioning a World Fit for Children, this session tackled such stimulating questions as: What will the future world look like if the best interests of the child are taken into account? Can one envision a twenty-first century in which each child grows up with freedom from fear and freedom from want, without pervasive threats to their lives, safety, and economic and social well-being? A world in which each child gets enough food, has adequate shelter, is provided good health care and proper schooling, and is protected from violence? How will we get from where we are now to a world fit for children, where each child has the opportunity to fulfill his or her own potential?

 

Denes Bank , Vice President of the Children and Youth Parliament of Hungary, chaired the session. The guest speakers who addressed these issues were Ms. Gul Rukh Rahman (Co-Executive Director, Children of Abraham), Mr. Aditya Sharma (final semester medical student at Kasturba Medical College in Indai), and Ms. Hyang Sook Vanessa Lee (a student at Haverford College in Pennsylvania and founder of Politically Incorrect). Participants were deeply moved by the insights, passion and heart of the youth. Denes Bank cogently noted that he does not see the youth as the "hope for tomorrow," but as the "hope for today," as the needs are pressing and must be addressed today, not tomorrow. 

The conference also included an interactive Plenary Session, Creating a World Fit for Children Through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): The Role of NGOs. This session featured three brief presentations to stimulate discussion. Attendees then divided into smaller groups to discuss the issues.

This session was centered on the MDGs. All 191 Member States of the United Nations have pledged by 2015 to meet the U. N. Millennium Development Goals, which were established in 2000. These goals provide concrete objectives related to issues of poverty and economic growth, grouped into eight primary areas of focus: (1) Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; (2) Achieve universal primary education; (3) Promote gender equality and empower women; (4) Reduce child mortality; (5) Improve maternal health; (6) Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; (7) Ensure environmental sustainability; and (8) Develop a global partnership for development.

The current reality is that more than one billion people in the world live on less than one dollar a day, and another 2.7 billion struggle to survive on less than two dollars a day. Many walk more than one mile everyday simply to collect water and firewood. Every year, eleven million children die, and more than six million from completely preventable causes such as malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia. In some nations, less than half of the children are in primary school. More than 800 million people go to bed hungry every day, including 300 million children, and every 3.6 seconds, another person dies from starvation – the majority children under the age of 5.

The Millennium Development Goals offer a positive future, where we can cut world poverty in half, and billions can enjoy the fruits of the global economy. Accomplishment of these goals would go a long way towards creating a world fit for children, including such concrete objectives as “reduce by two-thirds the mortality rate among children under five,” “e liminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015”; “ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling”; “reduce by half the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day”; and “reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.”

Initial presentations were given by Dr. P. Basak (Honorary Advisor, Environment and Disaster Management, CARITAS-India), Richard A. Zeif (Advisor, United Nations Office of the Under-Secretary General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States), and Solo J. Dowuona-Hammond (Founder of Community Services Systems and a Professor at New York University). The session was chaired by Dr. Diana Elisa Contreras Perez , Vice Rector of Extension for the oldest university in the Americas, Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, and a radio talk show host. Discussions of participants then centered on the special role of NGOs in achieving the Millennium Development Goals on the path toward creating a world fit for children. 

WANGO Annual Conference 2004 featured four special symposia.

The first special symposium dealt with Protecting Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Violence . The world's children and youth are suffering abuse, exploitation and violence in homes, work places, areas of conflict, city streets, refugee camps, and so forth. Tens of millions of children are involved in the worst forms of child labor. More than 2 million children died as a result of armed conflict since the 1990's; more than three times that number were permanently disabled, disfigured, or seriously injured; and millions more were internally displaced or driven from their countries as refugees.

Trafficking in people, largely women and children, for forced labor and commercial sex is one of the fastest growing areas of international criminal activity. It has been estimated that a minimum of 700,000 people are trafficked each year, and that the number may exceed 2 million, with the vast majority of these victims being women and children. Furthermore, not only has there been an increase in the number of trafficked women and children, but also a decrease in the average age of the victims. UNICEF Deputy Director Kul Gautum describes the trafficking of women and children across Asia as “the largest slave trade in history,” and notes that in Asia and the Pacific alone, “more than 30 million children have been traded over the last three decades,” with victims usually being teenage girls.

Chaired by Dr. Carmen Zuniga (WANGO's International Field Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean), the session included presentations by Dr. Soroor Qarooni (Director, Anti-child Abuse and Neglect Program "Be Free," Bahrain Women's Society), and Dr. J'Lein Liese (Founder, Foundation for Global Leadership). Dr. Joaquin Antuña (Founder, Peace and Cooperation, Spain), also submitted a paper. Case studies from Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East were  presented.

The second special symposia, Foundation-NGO-Business Relationships , dealt with relationships between NGOs and foundations, and between NGOs and the business sector. Fundamental to this discussion was the realization that, for many of today's challenges, business can be part of the solution, and that for many social ills, NGOs have proven more effective than either the governmental or corporate sectors.

The nature of business/NGO links has been evolving fast. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number, diversity, and notoriety of relations between businesses and NGOs, correlating with the increase in number, diversity and importance of NGOs and such global processes as the revolution in global communications and the global market. There are obvious attractions in such relationships, as well as inherent dangers. For businesses, an NGO may bring knowledge and expertise, as well as gains in credibility and reputation. But there is also the danger that the relationship can be used by an NGO simply to get money, or can result in wasting time and possibly misuse of sensitive information. For an NGO, business brings money, and often a chance to change the way that a particular enterprise, or even the whole industry operates. But there are also risks of reputation damage and wasting scarce resources if the desired outcomes are not achieved. NGOs also can risk jeopardizing their legitimacy. Among the issues that will be examined are the benefits that can be gained in the relationship, key success factors, and how to nurture the relationship. Other issues will be how the NGO can maintain its independence, and what are the ethical considerations. 

The nature of the NGO-Foundation relationship has long been recognized as an important one, with clear benefits. In essence, the relationship allows both to accomplish their missions. This symposium looked at how this relationship can be nurtured and strengthened. What are the expectations of each party? What adds value in grantor-grantee relationships?

Speakers at this second special symposia included Ms. Jennifer Anastasoff (CEO/Founder, BuildingBlocks International) and Ms. Yolanda Arias (Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors). Mr. Jay Malik (President and CEO, Serenic Corporation) served as the Chair. 

The third special symposia, A World Fit for Families , examined the current global and national trends with respect to the family, challenges that families are facing, and means toward creating a world more conducive to families.

Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “the family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.” As the fundamental unit of society, the family also holds the primary responsibility for the protection, upbringing, and development of children.

The stresses on the family unit today are extraordinary: father-absent families, HIV/AIDS, increasing divorce rates, persistent poverty, spousal and child abuse, and so forth. Raising a family in today's climate means challenges related to pornography in the media, Internet predators, and work-related stress. Furthermore, since the adoption of the Universal Declaration in 1948, even the traditional concept of what constitutes a family, marriage, and the parent-child relationship is being countered by radical new conceptions. One of the major policy frontlines in the 21st Century centers on the issue of the definition of family and marriage, and what moral and social norms are to be protected.

Chaired by Shel Taylor (Director of Development, American Family Coalition), the panel treated attendees to presentations from Ms. Susan Roylance (Founder, United Families International and International Director of "Stay Alive," an international HIV/AIDS prevention program), Rev. Luis Cortes (President and CEO, Esperanza USA), and Elvira Sanchez-Igual (World Association of Early Childhood Educators).

The fourth special symposia, Youth Volunteerism , was organized by Dr. Michael J. Lenaghan , a Professor at Miami-Dade College. This panel dealt with the phenomena of youth volunteerism, its benefits, its challenges, and how to increase youth volunteerism.

To put the issue in context,  youth volunteerism is on the forefront of the worldwide volunteer movement. In the United States, in polls taken near the turn of the century, it was found that teenagers volunteered an estimated 2.4 billion hours annually, providing $34.3 billion dollars in value. This included approximately three-fourths of all high school seniors. In Canada, 24% of youth aged 15-24 volunteered, giving an average of 130 hours of service a year or a total of 154 million hours. In South Korea, the economic value of volunteering has been estimated at over 2 billion a year.

Volunteers rarely make headlines but they contribute immensely to the non-profit sector, helping those in need, working with important initiatives, aiding the sick, feeding the poor, and so forth. Volunteerism has been described as “an activity, a movement and a way of life where people give their own virtues into the hands of others for free or well below their normal price or even cost.” With today's serious problems, more and more attention is paid to preparing the new generations to answer these challenges.

Such volunteering is not only good for those who are served, but correlates with many positive virtues for the volunteer. It was found in the United States that youth who volunteer just one hour a week are 50% less likely to abuse drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, or engage in destructive behavior. Youth who volunteer are more likely to do well in school, graduate, vote, and be philanthropic. Youth who volunteer are three times more likely to volunteer as adults. Within this framework, youth learn tolerance, responsibility, listening and much more. According to an Independent Sector/Gallup Poll, teens themselves say the benefits received from volunteering include: “Learning to respect others; learning to be helpful and kind; learning to understand people who are different from them; developing leadership skills, becoming more patient, and better understanding of good citizenship.“

Serving on the panel were Harold Silva (Collegiate Director, Florida Chapter, Service for Peace), Libertad Laureano Medina (Universidad Autonoma de Republica Dominicano), Jessenia Perdomo Fernandez (Plan International Republica Dominicana), and Maria Victoria Acosta (Asociacion de las Naciones Unidas de la Republica Dominica). 

Thirteen practical workshops were featured at WANGO Annual Conference 2005.

Anthony Miles presented a powerful and popular session on Finding the Money to Accomplish the Mission: Essentials of a Successful Fundraising Program in the 21st Century. For NGOs throughout the world, coping with the lack of public funding has become a way of life in recent years. In the wake of cutbacks, NGOs have found it necessary to be more creative when seeking out alternative means of finding the money to accomplish their mission. These have come by way of business and corporate sponsorships of programs, projects, conferences, sports, music, youth, fundraising and special events. This session provided a guide to securing successful, sustainable corporate sponsorships that will provide financial stability, increased visibility, and help an NGO achieve its mission. International fundraising and sponsorship expert Anthony B. Miles, considered North America's leading authority on grassroots sponsorships,  walked attendees through the essentials of a successful corporate fundraising program. Also covered were how to determine how much sponsorship dollars you can realistically raise, picking the right sponsorship categories that will fund you, identifying and pricing what you have to offer sponsors, working up customized proposals that your sponsors simply can't refuse, and doubling or tripling your effectiveness by partnering with local radio, TV and newspapers. Anthony Miles, who is Founder and president of Miles International,  is also author of  Sponsorship Recruitment 101-102: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents, Individuals and Organizations Seeking Sponsorship .

The workshop on Technology and NGOs was given by John L. German , Director of Non-Profit Computing (and an Alternative Representative to the United Nations for People to People International). Mr. German facilitated and described how non-profit computing helps nonprofit / non-governmental organizations figure out how they could be using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to accomplish more of their mission. Examined was how to get from where you are now to where you want to go, sooner and more surely, by looking at the best uses of technology by others. This included identifying what actually makes sense and is realistic for you to do about technology, technology planning, acquisition of hardware and software, training, consulting, Internet resources, support networks, communities of practice, professional societies and associations -- all aimed at helping your organization find the right help and get the best results and value for your investment of time, effort, and resources.

Dr. Charles T. Phillips , CEO/President of Service for Peace, presented two workshops: Converting Good Ideas into Effective Action by Asking Five Questions and Expand Your Influence Through Collaborative Networking. The first session, co-presented with Dr. Donna D. Lenaghan (Associate Professor of Graduate Studies, Adrian Dominican School of Education, Barry University), dealt with using management consultant Peter Drucker's Self-Assessment Tool, which helps  organization leaders to learn and apply successful leadership principles to a project or program for which they have responsibility. The second session explored collaborative networking, involving creating meaningful connections between other individuals or groups for joint success.   Participants gained an understanding of the importance of networking based upon a values rich foundation and learned practical relational leadership skills for expanding the influence of their organization.

Best Practices in Fundraising offered successful models that have been implemented by organizations in both developed and developing nations. Included was a description of raising funds via special events, setting up businesses, project income, fees for service, and so forth. Staci Pierson (Manager, Special Events, Rainforest Alliance) presented on the Rainforest Alliance's Annual Fundraising Gala, highlighting how it started small and has developed into a grand scale event, discussing what worked and did not work along the way, and the strategy involved in the planning and execution of the event. Sister Maria Frances Mboyire explained recent initiatives, from insights gained from earlier WANGO conferences, that propelled her organization in Uganda (Child Welfare and Adoption Society) in a multi-pronged, successful fundraising effort.  Karl W. Oppermann, President of International Network of Promoters of Ecotourism in Andalucia, chaired the session.

Jeffrey Hurwit , founder of the law firm Hurwit and Associates, which provides comprehensive legal counsel exclusively to tax-exempt organizations, foundations and charitable donors, provided a workshop on Nonprofit Law: Governance and the Critical Concept of "Stewardship" for Boards of Directors.   This seminar particularly focused on the legal role of governing boards as “stewards” and trustees of the organization's mission and funds, and examined a number of best practices that stem from the concept of stewardship. Also considered were the use of bylaws in facilitating a clear organizational structure, accountability and transparency at the board level, and avoiding conflicts of interest.

Jay Malik , President and CEO of Serenic Corporation, offered insight into New Technologies for NGO s, involving fully integrated systems for managing finances, operations, connecting remote users via the internet, and improving the productivity of desktop applications and server resources. That is, a common user interface for all users, having data integrated between all critical business applications, having email, word processing, spreadsheet, accounting and fund raising applications all working together to increase operational efficiency, to minimize administrative expenses, and to eliminate paper-based transactions --  a future where applications work the way you do, versus making you work the way your software does. 

Richard A. Zeif , in his workshop The United Nations and the Role of NGOs, examined  the various ways in which NGOs partner with the United Nations, and the evolving relationship between NGOs and the United Nations, including recent developments in the relationship. Mr. Richard Zeif is Advisor with the United Nations Office of the Under-Secretary General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS). He also is Chair of the UN/NGO Task Forces for the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and serves as Senior Advisor with the Non-Governmental Organization Section for that U.N. department, and as the United Nations Representative for the International Federation of Training and Development Organizations (IFTDO).

The workshop Be-Free: Tools for Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect, provided the attendees with powerful, practical, and yet simple tools to teach children to protect themselves from sexual abuse and also help in building child self-esteem. The Be-Free program has trained more than 2,300 people on these skills both in Bahrain and abroad. This workshop was offered by Dr. Soroor Qarooni , Director of the program for the Bahrain Women's Society.

Señor Juan Sanchez Muliterno , who is President of The World Association of Early Childhood Educators (AMEI-WAECE),  presented a workshop on fundraising and membership in Spanish, Como Ganar Miembros y Fondos Para una ONG. 

Many successful people credit their most significant development to a valuable experience with a mentor. Mentoring is a powerful and cost-effective developmental process that can produce significant payoffs for the organization and the mentor, as well as the protégé. Margo Murray, who is President and Chief Operating Officer of MMHA The Managers' Mentors, Inc., an international consulting firm, presented a workshop on Keys to a Successful Mentoring Program . Ms. Murray revealed how how organizations can extend the benefits of mentoring to a broad cross section of promising staff members, from bright but inexperienced entry-level staff to mature staff who need to expand or refocus their skills. Ms. Murray is also author of the best selling book, Beyond the Myths and Magic of Mentoring: How to Facilitate an Effective Mentoring Process ,

Writing Successful Grants was the theme of a workshop presented by Dr. Michael Gershowitz, Founder of Gershowitz Grant & Evaluation Services. In a grantwriting career spanning 27 years, Michael Gershowitz has raised over $100 million for public and non-governmental organizations in the United States and internationally.  This session provided an overview of the process, and guidance on creating a winning proposal, from start to finish. It helped the attendees to convert an idea that needs funding into an effective proposal that merits funding, and took the intimidation out of the grant writing process, in order to help in increasing the rate of funding success.

Dr. J'Lein Liese ,  Founder of the Foundation for Global Leadership, a non-profit organization whose  mission is to foster opportunities for global learning, presented a workshop on the Importance of Values in Nongovernmental Organization: Introduction to the Code of Ethics for NGOs. Developed under the auspices of WANGO, the Code of Ethics and Conduct for NGOs is a set of 7 fundamental principles, 9 operational principles and over 100 standards to guide the actions and management of non-governmental organizations, and is designed to be broadly applicable to the worldwide NGO community. This session introduced the Code and provided an opportunity to assess current Code compliance with the tools for action planning, monitoring, and evaluation.

The WANGO Awards, presented annually, are one of the more prestigious awards for the NGO community. WANGO not only recognizes prominent international NGOs, but also the smaller, lesser-known NGOs in the least developed countries, whose exemplary service and success may have gone unnoticed or under-appreciated on the international stage. As such, WANGO Awards have sometimes been harbingers of subsequent recognition. After receiving the 2003 WANGO Environment Award on behalf of her organization, the Green Belt Movement, D r. Wangari Maathai was recognized with the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. After receiving the 2004 WANGO Humanitarian Award on behalf of his NGO, Small Kindness, Yusef Islam was awarded the “Man of Peace Award” at the opening of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, particularly recognizing him for his charity,  Small Kindness. In 2004, the Peace, Security and Reconciliation Award was presented to the PeaceWorks Foundation, and it initiative One Voice, and was received by Founder Daniel Lubetzky. In 2005, One Voice was honored by Queen Noor with the  King Hussein Humanitarian Leadership Prize, in an event attended by such luminaries as UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, actress Meg Ryan and musical artist Sting, among others.

The 2005 WANGO Awards Banquet took place on November 19, 2005 at the La Fiesta Theater of the Renaissance Jaragua Hotel, during the WANGO Annual Conference. The awards presented were in the following categories: Education, Humanitarian, Society and Health, and Peace and Security, and a special award was presented in the category of Century of Service to Humanity and Society.  Prior to taking the stage to receive the award, a short film clips of each award winner's activities was shown. These film clips were moving and inspiring and served as a beacon of encouragement to the NGO community as to what can be achieved with hope, optimism, persistence and patience. They showed ordinary people achieving extraordinary things. 

First to be honored was the WANGO Education Award winner, Bharativa Jain Sanghatana (BJS ) of India, an organization that tackles challenges related to social reform, community development, disaster management and especially education. BJS's education wing, the Federation of Jain Educational Institutes (FJEI), has over 1,800 educational institutes across India within its network. Through advancing a number of educational innovations, FJEI is helping to reorient educational institutions to ensure that they are in tune with today's world, and follows a conviction that education goes beyond only academic knowledge to also include an understanding and adoption of human values in terms of moral, ethical, spiritual and social components. Furthermore, BJS has exhibited a unique social empathy and deep understanding of the impediments on the path of development as it carries on its work. B JS has accomplished a lot in area of disaster relief, often coupled with the rebuilding of the educational infrastructure. BJS and its workers and volunteers helped with relief efforts attached to the Gujarat Earthquake, the Latur Earthquake, and the Tsunami that hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, among other disasters. Volunteers have reached affected areas within hours of the tragedies, tons of relief materials have been brought to the scenes of destruction, hundreds of schools have been rebuilt, food, shelter and medical aid provided, and primary health centers established.  In Gujarat alone, 368 schools were rebuilt, erected from the rubble in a record time of 90 days. 

BJS's Founder President, Mr. Shantilal G. Muttha, was a major entrepreneur who became a social transformer. He is an individual of whom it has been said in the media that he “built up his own empire (both of business and social service) from virtually nothing.” For the past 20 years and more, he has ploughed a major portion of his company's profits into the BJS. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Muttha remarked that receiving the award made BJS feel more responsible and motivated to contribute even more. He pledged to work hard and selflessly. He then invited WANGO to hold next year's conference in India, an invitation which was warmly received by all those present.

The 2005 WANGO Humanitarian Award was presented to the Ladies Charitable Society (LCS) of Iran.  Th e LCS was founded in 1973 by Mrs. Ashraf Ghandehari and a group of philanthropic women who decided to coordinate their humanitarian efforts.  Headquartered in Tehran, Iran, the LCS began with only a handful of members, but today include 2,000 dedicated members and volunteers inside Iran and overseas, with branches established in London, Los Angeles, San Jose, Seattle, and Toronto. The LCS's principal service is in volunteering their time, energy and money for the Kahrizak Center for Living, Education and Rehabilitation of the Disabled and the Elderly . Here physically handicapped or elderly individuals with no financial resources are cared for, free of charge. The Kahrizak Center is considered by many to be the largest and most advanced center of its kind in the Middle East. The LCS members and volunteers provide care to the residents of the KCF Center, taking pride in creating a living environment replete with care and affection for the residents that alleviates the pain of being away from home and family. Every week, about 700 volunteer women from LCS commute to the KCF center to offer their services to the residents. They also offer extensive cultural, art, and educational services, spearhead construction and development activities, and raise funds.  The LCS also founded and operates the “Home for the Mother and Child,” which was established coordinate the activities of the LCS regarding the victims of disaster. The video of the organizations selfless work, shown at the awards ceremony, was deeply moving, as was the recognition of the s acrificial service of the women in the LCS, who exemplify the remarkable tradition of charity through zakat and sadaka. Their service to needy individuals and to the nonprofit organizations that help them, and their donations of time, money and goods for a worthy cause, at great personal sacrifice, is an example that needs wider exposure. 

Receiving the award on behalf of the Ladies Charitable Society were Farhat Mehdizadeh, International Affairs Coordinator, and Shima Mofid, Chief Administrator. Ms. Mofid, the granddaughter of Founder Mrs. Ghandehari, read a moving poem by the 13th century Iranian poet Sadi and concluded by saying that: “Whatever we do for God should be the best.”

The WANGO Society & Health Award 2005 went to Hogar Crea Dominicano, which was founded in Santo Domingo in 1975 by Leopoldo Diaz Henriquez, its current president. It deals with the treatment, prevention and research related to the consumption of psychoactive drugs. Its programs are open to all those who are addicted and need a helping hand, regardless of social class, politics and economics, and regardless of type of drug problem. Originally, Hogar Crea Dominicano was dedicated solely to the treatment of drug users. Over time, however, it expanded its operations to include other aspects related to the reduction of demand, such as prevention, assistance and research. Over its 30 years of existence, Hogar Crea Dominicano has treated thousands of cases, and has rehabilitated an average of 565 individuals per year. This institution operates 35 treatment centers (33 male facilities and 2 female facilities) distributed throughout the Dominican Republic, with a population average of 1,500 people. It is significant that Hogar Crea Dominicano has reintegrated into society more than 16,000 people as useful and responsible citizens. The program of residential treatment of Hogar Crea Dominicano has one of the highest indices of effectiveness in the world. For this reason, it has become an international and national model, used by various programs in countries such as Colombia, Chile, Curazo, Aruba, and so forth.

The recipient of the 2005 WANGO Peace & Security Award was Roots of Peace . Founded by Heidi Kühn, Roots of Peace is a humanitarian organization dedicated to eradicating landmines worldwide and rehabilitating the land to make it productive once more. Landmines are in many ways the perfect terrorists – they can wait almost indefinitely for their victims and require nothing to maintain them. Today, there are an estimated 70 million landmines lying in wait beneath the earth's surface in over 70 nations. Each year they maim or kill approximately 26,000 people, mostly women and children. Essentially, Roots of Peace removes the hazard of landmines and unexploded ordinance from the soil. It then works with international agencies and the private sector to revitalize the country's agricultural sector, bringing demined land back into productive agricultural use. As part of these efforts, Roots of Peace also work to demine and rebuild roads, schools, irrigation canals and even playgrounds, as every child needs a safe place to play. Roots of Peace has been active in many areas, including Afghanistan, Croatia, Angola, Cambodia and Iraq. In Angola, they worked at demining ancient elephant routes. In Afghanistan, the farms created on demined lands yielded large crops of grapes, and shipping of fresh grapes from Kabul to Delhi created history as the first cold storage shipment from Afghanistan.

Receiving the award with her daughter Kyleigh, 17, Ms. Kuhn spoke of turning “mines into vines,” in an epiphany of planting grapevines in areas previously infested by landmines. With graphic reference to the capacity of landmines to maim and kill, she called them “weapons of mass destruction in slow motion”. Concluding her speech, Ms. Kühn reminded the audience of the Bible's promise of eventual world peace, quoting from the book of Isaiah: “May they beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks so that nation will not rise against nation and there will be no more war.”

A special award was also presented by WANGO, the Century of Service to Humanity and Society Award . This award was presented to Rotary International, recognizing this remarkable organization's 100 years of service to others. The world's first service club, Rotary, was formed on February 23, 1905.  Today, there are approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 31,000 Rotary clubs located in 167 countries. A worldwide organization of business and professional leaders, Rotary provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world.  The organization's dedication to this ideal is best expressed in its principal motto: “Service Above Self.” 

Receiving the award on behalf of Rotary International was Mr. Serge Gouteyron, its Vice  President. Mr. Gouteyron described the historic commitment Rotary made in 1985 to immunize all the world's children against polio. Working in partnership with nongovernmental organizations and national governments thorough its PolioPlus program, Rotary is the largest private-sector contributor to the global polio eradication campaign. Rotarians have mobilized hundreds of thousands of PolioPlus volunteers and have immunized more than one billion children worldwide. Mr. Gouteyron described in detail the consequences of polio for its sufferers and told the audience that Rotary had already contributed US $600,000,000 to its eradication. 

After the awards had been presented, the audience was entertained by a children's dance troupe. In true Caribbean style the children captivated everyone with the color, energy and exuberance of their performance.

The conference also included a roundtable: Developing a New Future for Africa . Chaired by Mr. Charles Abbey   of Ghana (Executive Director, African Development Program), speakers included H.E. Sir James Mancham (Former President, Seychelles, and President of Seychelles First Foundation) and Mr. Mohammed Attah of Nigeria (Executive Director, NGO Guide 2000). 

The Saturday afternoon Panel Sessions offered NGO leaders an opportunity to make presentations on their own organizations and the activities that they are engaged in, or on any issue of particular interest. Presentations were made on such topics as Project to End Human Trafficking, Little Girls as Victims in Wartime and Peacetime, Excellence in Education, and Increasing Role of NGOs in Technology Transfer for the Benefit of Weaker Sections. These presentations were offered in concurrent sessions divided according to the themes of Toward a Safe World for Children (chaired by Mr. Sterling Belgrove , Founder and Chairman of the Rose Foundation in Trinidad and Tobago), Education (chaired by Dr. Kathy Winings , President of Educare), and Development (chaired by Ms. Mihaela Dimitrescu , Vice President or Romanian Association for European Integration and Democracy.).

The field trips offered an opportunity for the NGO leaders to visit historical, cultural and recreational sites in the Dominican Republic. Among historical sites visited in the oldest city in the New World was the first church in the New World, and other buildings and ruins in the Colonial Zone, including El Alcazar, home of Christopher Columbus. Other excursions visited underground lakes and beaches, including a resort in Boca Chica, one of the Dominican Republic's most famous beaches. As part of the pre-conference Afternoon of Service program, some of the conference attendees visited a service project in a local city, where a school is being built.

The six regional meetings proved a useful time for delegates to network and discuss issues of common concern with other attendees from their geographic area. These regional meetings were held for delegates from Europe, Asia & Oceania, the Middle East (Western Asia and Northern  Africa Regions), Africa, Latin America, and Northern America and English-speaking Caribbean.  During the same evening, a full-length documentary movie was premiered, dealing with plight of a young boy in Central America caught in war. This film could well be a candidate for an upcoming Academy Award.

WANGO's General Assembly, the business meeting of the Association, was held on the final day of the conference. The meeting was coordinated by Michael Marshall, Editor-in-Chief of United Press International and a WANGO board member. The WANGO members in attendance, which included both voting and non-voting representatives, were presented with the 2004 Annual Report, the new 30-page Member's Handbook , the agenda for the meeting, and other relevant materials.

Taj Hamad, Secretary General of WANGO, provided an overview on the activities of WANGO since the last annual meeting, which had been held in Budapest, Hungary  in 2004. The International Council elections also took place at the General Assembly. One current board member, Mr. Michael Marshall, was re-elected to a new three-year term, and another board member, Ms. Marian Barnes, who was completing a partial one-year term, was elected to a full three-year term.  Two new board members were also elected: Dr. Thomas Ward, Director of the International College of the University of Bridgeport; and Ambassador. Phillip V. Sanchez, former U.S. Ambassador and former Publisher of Tiempos del Mundo. Three board members completed their service to the board: Dr. V. Mohini Giri (Executive Director, Guild of Service, India); Dr. Neil Salonen (President, University of Bridgeport), and Rabbi David Ben-Ami (President, American Council for Jewish-Christian Cooperation).

Two new chapters also were recognized, having been approved by the International Council during their meeting of November 17. These two new chapters were established by members in the nations of the Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Anne Smart , Director of the Office of International and Regional Coordination, introduced the new chapters in a ceremony. 

Presentations were made by participants to hold the next annual conference in Abuja, Nigeria; Pune, India; Beirut, Lebanon; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and these recommendations were discussed by the membership. A call was also made for more recommendations to be made for a seat on the International Council.

A special session, open to all attendees, also was held on WANGO Initiatives.  This session featured presentations on the WANGO Code of Ethics initiative (by the Director of the WANGO Code of Ethics Project, Mr. William D. Lay ), the Play Soccer, Make Peace! project (by Project Director, Mr. Robin Graham ), and an overview of WANGO initiatives (by Ms. Anne Smart , Director of WANGO's Office of National and Regional Coordination). Dr. Frederick Swarts (WANGO's Assistant Secretary General for Administration and Finance) chaired the session.

During the conference, attendees were also treated to a number of other addresses, including by the Honorable Gladys Gutierrez , Secretary of State for Women's Affairs (part of the cabinet of the President of the Dominican Republic),  Mr. Taj Hamad (WANGO Secretary General), Mr. Juan Larancuent (President, AMONG and Executive Director, Bloque of NGOs), Dr. Nicholas Kittrie (Executive Director, Eleanor Roosevelt Center for Peace and Justice), and Mr. Cesar Regalado (President of Service for Peace, Dominican Republic), and others.