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
    
    
    March 4th, 1998
    
    Dear AWI members:
    
    The following is a highlight of AWI actions since last Wednesday.
    
    The single most important event of last week is Karim Diff's decision
    to resign from his position of President of AWI. Karim has had a very
    critical role in the creation and success of the organization. His
    leadership was crucial in making AWI what it is today: the only
    organization of Algerians in the US who was able to sustain a long
    term oriented effort in promoting human rights, defending freedom
    of expression and promoting the principles of democracy and fair
    political participation in Algeria. All those of you who have been
    involved in previous efforts with the same objectives know that
    they have been short lived. AWI is the only such effort to have
    been steadily increasing and gaining higher and higher visibility,
    and Karim has been instrumental in that success. Let us all thank
    Karim for his efforts, and wish that he comes back to AWI in the 
    near future.
    
    
    1. AWI STATEMENTS
    
    
    (a) Statements issued
    
    AWI issued one public statement this week (statement AWI9802005): 
    a letter  to the Canadian Parliamentary Delegation to Algeria.
    
    AWI also issued one action call urging people to express their gratitude
    and support to congressman Hastings (statement AWI9803001).
    
    You may view all AWI public statements and action calls at:
    
    	https://members.tripod.com/~AlgeriaWatch/PublicStatements.html
    
    
    
    
    2. TASKS
    
    (a) Short-term tasks
    
    
    There are two newly proposed tasks this week:
    
    	- Conducting interviews with personalities
    	- Undertaking surveys
    
    If you are interested in taking any of these two tasks, or of the tasks 
    proposed in the previous update, please contact directly Ahmed 
    Bouzid, GFO of AWI, at bouzid@erols.com.
    
    As a reminder, the tasks proposed in the previous weeks, that are still
    open, 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.
           10 - Build a list of Middle East Studies programs in North
    America
           11	- collect editorials on the Algerian crisis.
    
    The most important of these tasks for the time being is #3 
    (Build a list of addresses and coordinates of Algerian associations
    abroad)
    
    
    3. NOMINATIONS:
    
    (a) Positions filled:
    
    It is my pleasure today to announce that Myriam Nia has been nominated
    as the Executive Officer in charge of all aspects related to membership.
    Myriam is a very active member of AWI, and is having a very effective
    role
    in the success of the organization. Please join me in thanking and 
    congratulating Myriam.
    
    (b) Positions to fill
    
    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.
    
    
    4. WEB SITE
    
    (a) AWI main page
    
    The main page is up for a major face lift.  The page is still being
    re-designed.
    
    (b) New Pages:
    
    The following pages have been added to the archives.
    
    Companies that do business with/in Algeria:
            https://members.tripod.com/~AlgeriaWatch/BusinessInAlgeria.html
    
    Financial intitutions in Algeria
            https://members.tripod.com/~AlgeriaWatch/FinancialInAlgeria
    
    Other relevant financial institutions:
    
    https://members.tripod.com/~AlgeriaWatch/OtherFinancialInstitutions.html
    
    We will shortly have a list of journalists who write on Algeria.
    
    We have a richer and more detailed chronology of events; we will releas
    it
    shortly.
    
    
    5. OUTREACH
    
    (a) Letter from Senator Russell D. Feingold:
    
    AWI has received a hard copy of a letter from Senator Russell D.
    Feingold, 
    of Wisconsin, thanking AWI for contacting him about the Algerian
    tragedy. 
    The Senator's letter was in connection with Senator's Leahy's letter to 
    Secretary Albright.
    
    6. MEMBERSHIP:
    
    I am pleased to announce that AWI has now over 30 members.
    
    7. NEWSLETTER:
    
    Omar Hassaine is seeking someone to write a short essay on the
    treatment of the Algerian crisis abroad.  This is holding up the
    release of the newsletter.
    
    8. NEW SUGGESTIONS:
    
    We had two new suggestions this week:
            - Ahmed Zayan's suggestion about CAIR
            - Dalila's about Women chapter
    
    9. OTHER:
    
    We are looking into the upcoming UN Human Rights meeting that will
    dicuss Algeria.
    
    A draft of the AWI flyer will be coming soon.
    
                                            *
    
    
    Abdenour Achab
    General Manager