Wednesday Update, February 18, 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 18th, 1998

Dear AWI members:

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

1. PARTICIPATION OF AWI MEMBERS

We continue to urge members to take the initiative in telling us how to
make AWI better. We are open to all ideas and take all suggestions
very seriously.

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

You can find the present list of suggestions on the table at:

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

Please visit the AWI members page at:

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

3. AWI STATEMENTS

(a) Statements issued

AWI issued two public statements: a letter of support for US Senator Patrick
Leahy (D-VT), and an action call to support the letter.

You may view all AWI public statements at:

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

(b) Statements planned

The BOD is looking into a resolution -- HR Resolution 347 -- on Algeria being
sponsored by US congressman Rep. A. Hastings (FL). We will inform you of any
developments on the matter as we learn more about it.

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 political parties in Algeria.
6 - Build a list of Islamic/Arab/Middle Eastern human rights associations.
7 - Build a list of public personalities of Algerian origin/descent.
8 - Collect summary essays on the various aspects of the Algerian crisis.
9 - 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) New York Times & Christian Science Monitor

Dalell D. Mohmed has joined AWI and is now officially in charge of
monitoring the NYT and the CSM. He has studied Algeria closely and
will be a great asset to AWI. Please welcome him among us.

(ii) Legal Advice

The BOD is still 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

The main page is up for a major face lift. The page is still being re-designed.

(b) Archives

I want to thank M'hammed Henniche for sending us a list of addresses and coordinates
of embassies in Algeria. You may find this list at:

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

Omar Hassaine is planning to have a first draft of the first issue of the
AWI newsletter ready sometime early next week. This is the time to
suggest things to include in the newsletter.

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) AWI Brochure

Larbi Oumerzouk suggested a couple of weeks ago that we publish
a brochure on AWI to have ready to distribute. I am happy
to report that Larbi has agreed to take on the task. We
will keep you apprised of progress on the project.

(b) 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
has exmanined the project and has discussed it in detail.

The BOD feels that AWI is still too early in its development to
undertake an expansion at the scale that Ali suggested. Our
resources are limited and the BOD team is already strained as
it is. We believe that the best strategy at this point is
to consolidate AWI at its present size, solidify its structure,
its work methods and guidelines, and delimit better the scope of
its action, before undertaking an expansion. Remember that
this is an all-volunteer organization with an aim of remaining
all volunteer. In our daily work at the BOD (and it is daily),
we are continusouly working both at the substance of our mission
and at formalizing as much as possible our processes and procedures,
so that in the future they may be more or less replicated, thus
avoiding the need for re-inventing the wheel. We hope that
by the time of the BOD elections in November, we will have
made great progress in our project of establishing AWI on solid
grounds so that by that time, Ali's project can be taken up with
greater confidence of success.

As always, thank you for being part of AWI.

Yours,

Ahmed Bouzid
AWI, GFO