Wednesday Update, February 11, 1998

Algeria Watch International
P.O.Box 27423
West Allis, WI. 53227, USA
Tel: (414) 543-6534
AWI email: awi@afn.org
BOD email: afn33683@afn.org
URL: https://members.tripod.com/~AlgeriaWatch

February 10th, 1998

Dear AWI members:

This following is a highlight of AWI actions since last Wednesday.

1. BOD ELECTIONS

The first BOD elections will be held this year during the month of November.
As Article 3, Section 10 indicates, the BOD will determine the exact date of the
elections no later than September 1st. Please consult the bylaws, Article 3,
Section 10, "Elections to Office", for more details.

2. PARTICIPATION OF AWI MEMBERS

We remain disappointed by the very low level of members participation
in AWI's activities. Since last Wednesday, little was achieved by AWI.
The BOD continues to shoulder the brunt of the work, and progress continues
in the work performed by the BOD members, but very little has been forthcoming
from the rest of AWI members. The BOD is eager to entertain any feedback or
advice that the AWI membership may give it on how to stimulate members
to participate more.

Some members have provided important feedback and suggestions, and we are
very thankful to them. We urge the rest to make at least a small effort in
contributing to AWI's success.

Again, members should share with the rest of AWI, or with the BOD:

(a) Thoughts on how to run things within AWI
(b) Suggestions on positions to take in regard to events related to the
Algerian crisis
(c) Information sources you may come across
(d) And anything that you feel will promote the AWI cause

Since last week, all member suggestions are being recorded. You can find
the present list of suggestions on the table at:

https://members.tripod.com/~AlgeriaWatch/AWISuggestions.html.

The list of suggestions may be accessed from the AWI members page
at:

https://members.tripod.com/~AlgeriaWatch/AWIPAGE.html

3. AWI STATEMENTS

We have added a fifth category of AWI statements: AWI Analyses. This category
of statements will contain analyses of events that pertain to the Algerian
crisis from the perspective of AWI's mission and general stand. If you wish
to write an analysis piece for AWI, please feel free to propose something to the
BOD.

(a) Statements issued

AWI issued no public statements since last Wednesday.

(b) Statements planned

The BOD is still working on writing a position statement and an action call in reference
to an action that is being undertaken by US Senator Patrick Leahy, who is circulating a
letter urging the US administration to call for an international investigation into what
is going on in Algeria.

An analysis statement examining the recent Senate Hearings on Algeria will also be
forthcoming. If you have any comments on those hearings, please share them with
us. The Hearings can be listened to on-line via the following link:

http://www.c-span.org/campfin/livetxte.htm

4. TASKS

(a) Short-term tasks

The BOD, in its continuing effort to stimulate member participation,
would like to propose for members a set of short-term tasks that they
may either take over or help in fulfilling. The proposed tasks are:

1 - Build a list of foreign journalists who have written on Algeria.
2 - Build a list of foreign companies that do business with Algeria.
3 - Build a list of addresses and coordinates of Algerian associations abroad.
4 - Build a list of addresses and coordinates of Algerian embassies.
5 - Build a list of addresses and coordinates of embassies in Algeria.
6 - Build a list of addresses and coordinates of political parties in Algeria.
7 - Build a list of Islamic/Arab/Middle Eastern human rights associations.
8 - Build a list of public personalities of Algerian origin/descent.
9 - Collect summary essays on the various aspects of the Algerian crisis.
10 - Build a list of graduate students/doctoral candidates who are
studying Algeria.

If you would like to take on one of the tasks or to contribute in fulfilling it,
please let me know.

(b) Positions filled

(i) General Manager

It is our pleasure to announce that Abdenour Achab has volunteered to
permanently fill the GM position. Thank you, Abdenour.

(ii) Legal Advice

The BOD is engaged in investigating a potential source of legal advice
and counsel. We will let you know when we have made progress on this
important task.

For a complete list of open positions, please visit:

https://members.tripod.com/~AlgeriaWatch/AWIActivitiesAndArchives.html

The following two areas of tasks remain crucial:

(1) LEGAL ADVISOR: If anyone is a lawyer out there, or knows of a lawyer
who might volunteer his or her services, please contact us as soon as possible.

(2) TRANSLATOR: as AWI begins to issue position statements, we
need to have people who are willing to translate AWI communications,
or in general anything that AWI needs to translate. Any and
all languages are welcome.

5. WEB SITE

(a) AWI main page

As stated in last two Wednesday messages, the main page is up for a major face lift.
The page is still being re-designed.

(b) Archives

The Experts on Algeria page now contains detailed contact information
of scholars on Algeria.

https://members.tripod.com/~AlgeriaWatch/AlgeriaExperts.html

You may also find a page containing a collection of articles and picture
on the Algeria crisis. As it stands, the page is a starting point,
but we hope to enrich it in the near future. (See 6 (b) below.)

As I said last week, AWI will be issuing a periodic newsletter. A few
suggestions have been forward on the content and format of the Newsletter.
We encourage you to participate in providing feedback on the matter to our
Newsletter Executive Officer, Omar Hassaine. The first issue of the Newsletter
is schedule to be out in early March.

6. OUTREACH

(a) Advertising AWI

We continue to advertise AWI. If you would like to help us in this task, you will
find for your convenience an introductory message about AWI at:

https://members.tripod.com/~AlgeriaWatch/Announcement.html

Please use this message, as is, to advertise AWI around you. Please don't
hesitate to make printouts and distribute a hard copy of the AWI introductory
message.

(b) On-line reading packet

An on-line reading packet is now available in the AWI site. This
page contains a collection of essays that together form a good
introduction to some important dimensions of the Algerian crisis.
You will find it at:

7. FEEDBACK TO AWI MEMBERS SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS

(a) Yassine Amrani (Feb 5)

Yassine suggested that we reserve some space in the newsletter to
issues that touch on Algerians living abroad.

The BOD will certainly consider adding such space to the extent that
the issues at hand are related to the Algerian crisis at home and
are compatible with AWI's mission: bringing to world attention the
Algerian crisis at home. Yassine is welcome to make more specific
suggestions as the details of the newsletter's format and content
start to take shape.

(b) Azzedine Mansour (Feb 6)

Azzedine suggested that we register AWI as a Human Rights NGO.

The BOD welcomes this suggestion and looks forward to the additional
information Azzedine promised to get us.

Azzedine also suggested that we add to AWI's mission the defense
and promotion of refugees.

The BOD would like to remind members that AWI's mission is confined
to bringing to world attention the Algerian crisis in Algeria. To
be sure, what is going on in Algeria is touching Algerians and
non-Algerians beyond Algeria's borders. At the same time, however,
AWI would like to remain vigilant in restricting its efforts to a clear
mission. The Algerian crisis has a bewildering set of dimensions, and
attempting to fold them all within our mission would probably be too ambitious.

(d) Ali Hannat (Feb 8)

Ali Hannat presented a well-thought out proposal for creating a federal
structure of AWI that has active chapters around the world. The BOD
is very interested in the project and would like to examine it further
before reacting. We should share with you our reaction by next Wednesday.

As always, thank you for being part of AWI.

Yours,

Ahmed Bouzid
AWI, GFO