I see that many of you have been successful in reaching organizations and have them change their policies. The ILCA External Affairs Board Member, Margot Mann, recieved this request from Helen Armstrong - whom many of you know for tireless efforts to help mothers in emergency situations world-wide. Margot agreed I could share it with you: Dear Margot, You had an enormous list of recipients for your email about removal of formula from the aid packages to Iraq, after UNICEF advocacy. A great chorus of sustained advocacy is needed directly to the many charitable organizations that are planning to deliver some kind of aid. Certain of them are even using the "starving babies" image as a strategy for drumming up funds. But even those that avoid this pitfall may not yet be making the necessary plans to provide support to breastfeeding, and to use the 71 Iraqi Board-Certified Lactation Consultants in this undertaking. It would be very helpful indeed if you could forward this message to everyone who got your earlier one, informing them that they will serve the cause of breastfeeding very well if they alert every charity that contacts them to the existence of common Operational Guidance on Infant Feeding in Emergencies. Many major relief organizations have already signed onto this, but their branches may need to be reminded -- and most of the smaller relief organizations have not yet endorsed it. There is also a training module for relief workers that gives them the basic rationale for the Operational Guidance. Your correspondents might choose to download the free material on the Emergency Nutrition Network site, or forward it directly from that site to any charity that seems to be in danger of reverting to older, less helpful patterns of response to crises. For the Operational Guidance, www.ennonline.net/ife/ifeops To sign up an organization to endorse it, www.ennonline.net/ife/ifesignup The training module, www.ennonline.net/ife/module1 For information about Module 2, which is in draft form and intended to give basic breastfeeding support skills to untrained workers, correspondents whocould facilitate its field testing can enquire for a copy from [log in to unmask] Thank you for arranging for your correspondents to receive this info to share with all charities that ask for their contribution. Providing the information is a very valuable donation, it would seem to me. With warm regards, Helen Armstrong ([log in to unmask]) Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, PHN, IBCLC ILCA US Delegate: *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html