Hi All,
OK, I know I am not a member of ILCA, but I am not so sure that I want to be
now. With all the problems with this By-Laws and Policies and information
being changed in such a drastic way, it is making ILCA look like it is
slipping into an ethical waste pile.
When I first became invloved in the BF field and heard about ILCA, all I
heard was great things. How they were inclusive for everyone involved in BF
(you didn't HAVE to be IBCLC to be a member (voting or not)), and had nothing
to do with ABM companies. I looked forward to being able to (have enough
money) to join ILCA and be a member of a powerful BF advocate group that was
worldwide.
However, with the changes that have been proposed, I feel that it will
minimize the effects that ILCA can have on BF throughout the world. I really
feel that an organization such as this NEEDS to be inclusive in its
membership with respect to those who are involved with BF and those members
need to ALL be voting members. I also feel that an organization that is
worldwide will be doing itself a GREAT disservice if it is not inclusive with
its membership. There are some countries whose BF support/promotion people
are not IBCLCs simply because they have not the access to classes, materials,
etc needed to take the IBCLE exam, but their BF support people are just as
educated as anyone else. Why should they be left out? That would be, IMHO,
a very silly thing to do, as it undermines the potential for world BF
promotion/education that ILCA has within its reach.
As far as discussing ILCA on Lactnet, what better place than where all can
see what is really going on with an organization that has this much
potential? We all need to know what is happening in the BF world, and this
is just one more item to look at. If it turns out that ILCA has compromised
itself in some way then those of us who are not members (and those who are)
have a few choices. We either make our voices heard (members or not) that we
don't like the changes and feel that they may be detrimental to the
organization, or we start a new organization that holds dear the values that
we feel are important (ones that used to be within ILCA).
Again, I know I really have no place to say anything about ILCA or its
policies as I am not a member. But I would have been a member had things not
changed so drastically, and am no longer sure I want to be a memeber now
because of the policy changes and the way things have been handled.
Just my .02....Now out of politics and on to promoting BF here where I am.
Jay
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