No, I'm not interested in joining the fracas about ILCA by-laws or ILCA personalities.  I agree that this discussion, while initially enlightening, has gone too far recently.  But Jay's post made me think about this:
Perhaps one of the problems we are having is that ILCA wants to be two things, and can't be.  

1.  We want and need an active, international organization whose goal it is to educate about, support and promote breastfeeding throughout the world.  For this purpose, we need an organization which admits - *welcomes* -- all who are interested in being a part.  I feel sure that such organizations exist (WABA?), but they have not been "user-friendly" enough for many of us to have become involved.

2.  We apparently *also* need an organization whose function it is to promote, protect and educate *IBCLCs* as a professional group.  For this, it seems quite right that members (or "full members") should be IBCLCs.  

Perhaps ILCA should focus on this second goal, and in addition we as professionals need to make it easier and more productive for breastfeeding advocates around the world to come together in some other organization.

Any thoughts?

Willow Ward, RN, IBCLC  in cold, snowy Detroit - dreaming of warmer times in Nashville!
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