Local Delegation Attends Women’s Forum In Italy
This week Premier Paula Cox, Dame Jennifer Smith, Cheryl Packwood and Pamela Ferreira joined some 70 private and public sector female leaders from around the world at the International Women’s Forum [IWF] World Cornerstone Conference in Rome, Italy.
The conference started on Wednesday May 25, and concluded on Friday May 27, and attendees participated at their own expense.
Approximately 700 attendees from across five continents participated in the week-long conference which was formally titled, Art Transforming the World.
During the event, conference presenters explored ways in which the ‘art of creativity’, could be used to prepare businesses, governments, individuals and civil society to solve problems and uncover answers to improve and secure the world’s sustainable economic, social and environmental future.
The Premier said that she has a “special interest in this conference”, as the plenary sessions and networking opportunities will assist in her efforts of forming a women’s foundation in Bermuda.
Premier Cox said today, “I have been afforded a very warm welcome in Rome. Bermuda’s attendance was recognized and acknowledged at the opening night reception by the IWF President, Sen. Allyson Maynard Gibson of the Bahamas. From a women’s perspective, this forum represents a wonderful opportunity to share ideas and discuss solutions about the global social, political, environmental and economic issues as a collective body.
Premier Cox continued, “I am very keen to return home and share aspects of the IWF conference. The information and discussions are timely and relevant, and as I view this as an important step towards the formation of a local that I am coordinating and inviting expressions of interest on.”
“This local chapter is a follow-on to the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day Tea that I hosted in March. That event included a broad cross-section of women, professionals, politicos, educators, principals, and senior female leaders in public and private sector.
“Ultimately the aim is to have a Bermuda Chapter formed which can be formally recognised at the upcoming October IWF Conference in Washington, DC.”
The IWF is a global organisation of preeminent women of significant and diverse achievement. Some of its members include, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Janet Napolitano, US Secretary of Homeland Security, Madeleine Albright former US Secretary of State, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and Minister of Home Affairs South Africa among others.
off again? Wow Bermuda must be either making money again or the woman of Bermuda have become megalomaniacs not giving two cents about the realities of people in Bermuda not able to pay their Electricity bills. Like really Jennifer and Paula….One was just in Jamaica, the other at the queen’s Grandson’s wedding!(which is sooooo anti-PLP)!
Who is paying for all these trips? Why is the OBA the only ones talking about 10% pay reduction?
And why are WE letting this continue?
We let it continue because we are too stupid to think outside of race. I bet Dame Jennifer just loved the trip…
I understand that these ladies paid for the trip themselves, that this was something that taxpayer dollars were catagorically not funding. Could Bernews confirm that? And as to the donations issue noted below, that’s fine, they very well could have donated the money spent on this trip to different causes, but it was their choice. How many from the opposition donate the money they would have spent on a leisure activity, vacation, new car, etc.- to a worthier cause? It was only because this was covered in the paper that anyone’s saying anything. I was understanding that this was a bit of a twofer for these women, that they wanted to go to Rome anyway, why not participate in something worthwhile at the same time? I’m not saying that it did happen that way, but what do you say we find out first, and THEN let the disparagements fly if necessary.
Worse than anything else, we are a country who doesn’t think critically or even ask questions. We criticise, which is by no means the same. It’s easy to complain or make nasty comments, now let’s find out the truth and go from there instead.
Why isn’t the OBA speaking about their paget candidate attending the conference? Did the OBA pay or taxpayers pay?
So how much will this cost for the girls night out in Rome ? but remember what our leader has said to us …..we need to do more with less !!!!!!! Paula is a carbon copy of brown !!! and else for us still paying for Rolf Commisiong for doing nothing .. all he does all day is call Everest and Sheri and spew his #$%^ .at a time when an election could be called……
Are you really surprised? Remember, this is the same person who failed in her responsibility to keep the country’s finances in check. She let Ewart behave the way he did. She shoulders some of the blame.
She is imcompetant and lacks the wit to perform the role she is charged with carrying out.
I’m just wondering if in these harsh economic times if such a trip was really necessary…. I mean while I am sure that these ladies represented the island well, and their positions in our society make them more than worthy candidates to attend such event we have to ask is what benefit did this have for Bermuda, what did the country gain. And if we were in fact going to send a delegation was it really necessary to send four people? I feel like one representative, maybe two would have sufficed. Flights to Europe, hotel stays, transportation all of this isn’t cheap.
Unless the Premier and the others that went on this useless trip post proof it came out of their own pockets and not tax payers,NOBODY will believe!
You go Paula girl, following in Ewart’s footsteps.
C’mon; gotta be $50,000 well spent! It’s a wimmins things, and wimmin have children, and children are what it’s all about. Right?
very truy
And to think our senior schools have taken a budget cut and no more free tuition at the Bermuda College!?!?! So why not donate the money to the schools since you are taking a pay cut!! Oh right you can’t cause it is more important to rub shoulders with the rich and influential!! Too hell with your own Bermuda youth!!! Shameful!!
Doesnt the article state that the attendees paid their own costs?? Do you people read anything properly?
Yes I did see that the paid out of their own pocket…this is why I suggested a DONATION!! Maybe you need to read properly!!
And you believe that? I bet they claim it back….
@sandgrownan…and you are probably right!! lol
Queen Paula did not pay a thing from her own pocket.
The Premier is employed by the people of Bermuda, No? So anytime not spent running this country should be official holiday, otherwise it is at the cost of taxpayers. For example if I told my job that I was going to a Man conference in Vegas to celebrate the great men of the world, should they should continue to pay my wages the week I was out of work? And by no means is this event raising Bermuda awareness, both ladies are just a drop in the pond. This counrty needs real and effective leadership right now. Paula needs to roll her sleeves up and get working on making things better.
Many people see clearly that Paula Cox’s main goal was to become Premier. She allowed all the overspending because if she interfered with the Big Man’s plans, she would have been cast aside and her chances of taking over as leader would have been foiled. She has obviously fooled many people who believed that she has what it takes to be an effective leader. She said things would NOT be done as they’ve been done in the past…HMMMMMMMMMMMM!
According to a letter read by the Speaker on Friday, Mrs. Patricia Gordon-Pamplin attended the Forum as well. Any questions regarding her expenses for her attendance?
No LaVerne, but she isn’t the Premier or a Government Minister is she.
The point LaVerne, is that we’re all sick of politicians having expensive foreign travel, with dubious reasons, at our expense. Brown did it right up until the end, and made a lot of people very sensitive about the whole thing. The problem, LaVerne, is that he tore the proverbial ass out of it. We don’t want to see it continue.
You got any questions about that?
Totally agree. I don’t know about the Premier, but the other ladies did in fact pay their own way, and they are not allowed to claim it back as it wasn’t Government business. So long as some people have more disposable income than others, there will always be this level of conversation. If they had the money to spend, why not? Who am I to grudge them. It had nothing to do with government, and was simply that they were government employees. What about the church groups who participate in overseas mission works? Are we about to start criticizing them? What if some are found to be gov’t employees? Does it necessarily follow that the taxpayers are funding their efforts? In my view it’s the same line of criticism.
Jealousy and envy are ugly and we’re supposed to be a beautiful people…