Democratic Activists for Women Now

   Thank you so much for the opportunity to be the president of DAWN.  I am looking forward to carrying on the traditions of DAWN and their activism for women and the betterment of women.  We have a strong group of women and men who believe in all the values of DAWN and what we believe in.  On top of that I would like to bring in a new generation of  activist to our group.

    In this last election we saw so many of our nation’s youth become energized from the intensity of President Obama’s race to the White House.  When I say youth, I am not just referring to the young democrats who generally show this kind of exuberance.  I mean to highlight the unprecedented energy of middle school and high school girls who have a fire in their bellies that I have not witnessed in a long time.  These young women have the same motivation to champion women’s causes, and I cannot think of a more effective way of fostering and nurturing these sentiments than by having DAWN sponsor a mentorship program.  To give these young women the opportunity to shadow our strong DAWN members and to learn from their experiences is to shape a new generation of female advocates to carry on the fight for gender equality in this century.  

    Along with all the continuing work that DAWN has always focused on, I would also like to propose starting high school chapters of DAWN, much like how the Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs have service clubs under different names.  These DAWN sponsored clubs will educate young leaders and community activists in the ideals of our organization and spread the message through local events and community service.

     I am looking forward to meeting all of you on Sunday, March 29 at our Quarterly Potluck at SEIU Local 521.  We have much to discuss about the future opportunities of this great and influential organization.

Best,

Noelani Sallings

President, DAWN – Democratic Activist for Women Now