You are invited to our first New York See Jane Do Soiree into Action™ Monday, March 5th, 2012 at Green Spaces!
See Jane Do's Soiree into Action™ events are "Parties with a Purpose" engaging women with networking opportunities and fun filled activities to stimulate action.
We are honored to feature Gloria Feldt, author, activist & former CEO of Planned Parenthood. Gloria will share tips & tools from her latest book, "No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power."
To RSVP to the Soiree click here. Space is limited.
Connect with other extraordinary women like yourself and celebrate International Women's Day! We hope you'll join us!
About Us: See Jane Do is a social change organization that redefines media for women & the power of story to create positive change. Turn your Passion into Action today.
See Jane Do will attend the events, capture interviews and meet with partners to develop resources & programming to help us grow. A special video segment from New York will be produced and shown March 9th at the Gather the Women's 10th Celebration of International Women's Day at the Grass Valley Vet's Hall and we will also share what we hear & learn on our web site and See Jane Do radio program on KVMR.
Sponsor Us!Your sponsorship will help underwrite See Jane Do to send 3 delegates to the UN CSW and the World Women's Summit and your contribution will help off-set the costs of travel related expenses & video production. Click here for more information and find out how you can receive 2 full passes to the 3rd Annual Passion into Action Conference Oct. 12th-14th, 2012. Click here to sponsor.
Want to contribute but not a member not a problem. Membership is optional but we hope you will join our efforts to help everyone identify her passion and turn her passion into action.
Thank you for making it possible for See Jane Do to join women in action at these two great events!
All the best,
The See Jane Do Team
P.S.
Sign up now to become a member of See Jane Do and receive a $10 coupon to be used for the Passion into Action Conference, SJD merchandise or any other SJD events.
“If you can see it you can be it” ~Jennifer Siebel Newsom
When I met Jennifer Siebel Newsom in San Francisco she was captivating the attention of hundreds of girls with the trailer of her new film Miss Representation. She was the host of the Professional Business Women of California’s Young Women's Summit and generously offered her time for an interview in between mentorship sessions. Jennifer had gathered some of her powerful female friends together to share their insight and wisdom with the young attendees. To my one side was Kristi Yamaguchi, on the other side was a film producer and next to her a prominent lawyer. The mentors had about 10 minutes per session to share their personal stories and answer questions from the dozen or so teen girls who sat at their table.
According to Ms. Newsom, the Young Women's summit provides opportunities for a healthier image of what one can be in the world. It was the ideal event to screen the highlights of her film Miss Representation (at the time the film had not yet been completed). One look at the film trailer along with the enthusiasm of her audience and it was apparent that Jennifer's passion to empower women in the media was about to take off.
Jennifer is no stranger to the media industry. Following her graduation at Stanford University and working overseas, she starred in an array of films and television programs. She was also the First Lady of San Francisco and most recently her husband Gavin Newsom was elected as California’s Lieutenant Governor. It's safe to assume that she knows a thing or two about the influence of media and power in America.
Miss Representation is a powerful film that features extraordinary change-makers in the industry including: Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda, Geena Davis, Rachel Maddow, Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric and more. As the writer and director of the film Newsom does an incredible job of breaking down where media industry leaders went wrong. The film exposes how mainstream media contributes to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America.
During our interview Jennifer Siebel Newsom shared her personal passion, her message to women around the world, the impact she hopes her film will have for women and girls and whether or not she would consider running for office. When I conducted this interview Jennifer was currently the First Lady of San Francisco.
What is the overall intention of your film?
The motto of my film, Miss Representation is “if you can see it you can be it”. We’re providing the girls with alternate messages and role models from the ones they just get from the media.
Where does your own passion around this topic stem from?
I think when I was younger I didn’t know who I could be when I grew up. I was an athlete so I was always on that track. But there weren’t really any women I was exposed to via the media who inspired me...they're out there but you just have to find them. The inspiration for this film is really the lack of gender equity in our culture and the lack of women who are represented in some of the highest, most powerful and influential industries. Also, I’m the mother of a daughter and being a new mom I’m petrified of the world that she’s growing up in. I’m concerned for all young women. I want them to have healthy role models, to be inspired and to know that they can attain whatever it is that they desire.
What do you think about the power we have as women and girls and how do you think we are going to use that power to change the world for the better and reach the tipping point?
I think we have incredible power. There is power within us that we don’t even recognize we have. In terms of achieving the tipping point (30% representation) I believe there is a movement right now, a sisterhood around the globe that we will achieve and attain this (30 %) but I think it’s going to require a hard look at institutional sexism that stems historically on how America was founded. If the United States, known as a great leader in the global economy, is disrespecting women, degrading and demeaning women in the media then what message is that giving to the rest of the world on how we should treat women?
I think that we need to start here. We need to not just accept the status quo but actively work towards affecting change. We need to bring men of consciousness into the discussion, educate our young boys and show them that men are not more important or have more value than women.
In your film Miss Representation you feature several politicians including The White House Project that is training women to take the lead and run for office. Would you ever consider running for office?
I’m not sure. I never really thought about it. I’m inspired by all of these incredible women and think they are doing a great job. Right now I want to focus on the film and hopefully create a social impact and be the best mom I can be.
What is your message to women around the world?
My message is to know your power, your purpose and your passion in life, to be the change that you wish to see in the world. Make championing girls and women’s rights and empowerment first and foremost on your agenda.
What was the biggest surprise in creating your film Miss Representation?
The biggest surprise was recognizing and learning that a lot of us have this internal sexism that is deep in our self conscience that we haven’t yet addressed. The other surprise was the acceptance of the status quo and complacency with the inequities in our society.
As your husband continues in his own political career how do you think he might help support the advancement and empowerment of women in taking on leadership roles?
He’s done a lot already and works continuously on behalf of women. I think there is a lot of pillow talk and there is a lot of educating, communicating and conversations we have about this with each other. Being the father of a daughter and by making this documentary he is well aware of the inequities. He was raised by his mother and his sisters and respects and values women. I feel like we’re both on that same line of focus. If he continues in politics I think we will see some change.
What do you hope is the biggest takeaway for all of the girls who participate in the Young Women’s Summit and see your film?
I hope they realize that they can be anything that their heart desires and that they won’t feel limited by the messages that the media is portraying and communicating to them.
For more information about Miss Representation and to join the campaign to empower women in the media go to www.missrepresentation.org.
A special screening of Miss Representation hosted by the Friendship Club is showing at the Nevada Theatre in Nevada City, CA Monday November 28th at 6:00 PM.
Click here to listen to Elisa Parker’s interview with Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
We are thrilled that the first annual Green Life Eco Fest is taking place in our home town! Nevada County continues the pioneering spirit by showcasing trailblazers who are creating a healthier and greener community. Whether it's green building, energy and transportation, farming and gardening, green living and business or health and wellness this festival aims to bring the key elements necessary to living a more sustainable life for the entire family.
The Green Life Eco Fest is striving to educate Northern Californians on living a more sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyle. Through hands-on workshops, demos and inspiring speakers the organizers hope to give people a basic understanding of the tools that are out there to help them do so and hope to inspire them to create change in their homes and communities.
The speaker line-up includes environmental action heroes like Ari Derfel, Director of Slow Money Alliance, Temra Costa author of "Farmer Jane", Dimitry Orlov author of "Reinventing Collapse" and Michael C. Ruppert author of "Crossing the Rubicon". Plus dozens of workshops, music, and family activities.
See Jane Do is honored to participate in this homegrown event and lead the workshop, "How to Start a Grassroots Revolution From Your Laptop," Sunday May 22nd at 4:45 PM. We'll provide tips and tools to ignite your passion into action while helping to bring communities together and cultivating social change.
We hope you'll join us at this extraordinary event this weekend!
"We're at a tipping point and in the next decade we're going to see change that we didn't expect. So many women are out there at the forefront pushing for peace." ~Jody Williams
On this episode of See Jane Do on KVMR host Elisa Parker speaks with Nobel Peace Prize winner Jody Williams. As the co-founder of the Nobel Women's Initiative, Jody Williams is doing extraordinary work to empower women and create peace and social justice. In this interview Jody shares the inspiration behind developing an organization with fellow Peace Prize sisters and why they chose to focus solely on issues concerning women. She shares her thoughts and concerns regarding nuclear power and the importance of everyone doing their part.
We'll also speak with activist and healer Kathleen McIntire who recently traveled with the Nobel Women's Initiative to Israel and Palestine.
Jody Williams received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her work to ban landmines through the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. At that time, she became the 10th woman - and third American woman-in its almost 100-year history to receive the Prize. Since her protests of the Vietnam War, she has been a life-long advocate of freedom, self-determination and human and civil rights.
Jody has since co-founded the Nobel Women's Initiative with Laureate Dr. Shirin Ebadi of Iran. She is joined by sister Laureates Wangari Maathai (Kenya), Rigoberta Menchu Tum (Guatemala) and Betty Williams and Mairead Maguire (Northern Ireland). Its mission is to use the prestige and access afforded by the Nobel Prize to spotlight and promote efforts of women's rights activists, researchers and organizations working to advance peace, justice and equality for women. By helping to advance the cause of women, the Nobel Women's Initiative advances all of humanity.
Also joining the program is Kathleen McIntire. Kathleen McIntire is a teacher and a healer. Through her passion she creates sacred space that allows room for transformation, awakening and healing within. Her deep commitment to women's issues has taken her around the world, most recently to Israel and Palestine with the Nobel Women's Initiative and to the Ecuadorian rainforest where she co-leads expeditions. Kathleen is also a trained facilitator for the Pachamama Alliance's "Awakening the Dreamer" symposium and certified practitioner of Cellular Memory Release ™.
"Be the kind of woman who, upon getting up in the morning, places her feet upon the ground and the Devil says, 'Oh crap. She's up!" ~Kathy LeMay Passion Into Action keynote speaker
It began to the beat of one drum as over 250 women joined together at the 2nd Annual Passion Into Action Women's Conference in Grass Valley, CA. From the moving performance by the Feather River Singers, to opening up with Nina Simons, crying & laughing with Kathy LeMay, being authentic and ready to lead with Tiffany Dufu, bringing women into circle with Jean Shinoda Bolen plus 17 amazing presenters, we are forever changed by this experience & thank each of you who participated in the event.
Nina Simons' passion for cultivating women's leadership and enhancing the planet is contagious and inspiring. She did an incredible job of engaging the participants and providing a safe space for them to open up and share. We so appreciate her ability to listen, her honesty and her sincerity.
Kathy LeMay wowed us with her presentation. We especially loved how she engaged the participants through her personal stories, out-of-the box thinking and sense of humor. She has redefined philanthropy and how we can utilize our passion to be of service to each other. While she has raised over $500 Million dollars for organizations she reminds us that giving to the greater good doesn't require millions.
Tiffany Dufu, new President of The White House Project is striving to train 8,000 women to take the lead in the United States and there is no doubt that she will achieve that goal! We especially appreciated her attention to authenticity and action in her presentation. It was such an honor to include Tiffany and two of her incredible team members, Liz Johnson and Nevada Littlewolf in the Passion Into Action line-up. Liz and Nevada were extremely inspired and moved by the energy, enthusiasm, and passion of the attendees. We hope to collaborate with The White House Project again in the future.
Activist and author Jean Shinoda Bolen is gathering women together and empowering them to create social change. Her personal stories around bringing women into circle, activism and her efforts to spearhead a 5th World Conference on Women are encouraging and hopeful. Jean speaks from the heart and inspires women to do what they love and share it with the world.
We are extremely grateful to the 17 talented and powerful women who took the time to share their passion and lead 15 workshops at the conference including: Patt Lind-Kyle, Kathleen McIntire, Sonika Tinker, Elizabeth Johnson, Jessica Reeder, Shawn Tuttle, Amber Clisura, Kim Stravers, Stacy Malkan, Carole Carson, Linda Joy Myers, Lisa Schrader, and to our Boston friends, Alexis Schroeder, Jeanne Dasaro, and Jennifer Cohen. We wish Chameli Ardagh a quick recovery and look forward to partnering with her on future events.
A year of planning goes into organizing this conference and we couldn't do it without your support. A sincere thanks to our fantastic volunteers, sponsors, exhibitors, Gather the Women, David Nicholson, Kial James, Haute Trash, Summer Thymes, Briar Patch, the Center for the Arts, Friendship Club, Sierra Mentoring Partnership, Sugar & Oats, Suzie Daggett, APPLE, Women Worldwide, Blossom Organics, Veritea, Nana's Baked Goods, Mayor Jan Arbuckle, Council Member Reinette Senum, Dawn Lorraine, Oberon, KVMR, Stephanie Camp, Jennifer Hall, Sadie Wight, supporters, friends, family and extraordinary participants who helped to create the magic of Passion Into Action.
So, what's next? We are developing the next plan of action to continue the synergy from the event and support each others work and passion.
Keynote Speakers:
Did you miss Passion Into Action? We are hosting a special screening of the four keynote presentations and panel discussions at the Magic Theater Sat. May 14th at 4:00 PM, Sunday May 15th at 1:00 PM, Sunday May 22nd at 1:00 PM, and Monday May 23rd at 7:00 PM. This will include special guests who will share tips and tools on how to put your passion into action. More info to come!
We look forward to aligning our work with the extraordinary presenters of Passion Into Action and will keep you posted.
Share the Passion
DVDs of keynote presentations including: Nina Simons, Kathy LeMay, Tiffany Dufu, and Jean Shinoda Bolen are available for purchase. The cost is $9 per DVD and also includes the panel discussion. To order your DVD contact us at [email protected].
Soiree Into Action
We will continue to hold our quarterly Soiree Into Action events with a specific focus around uniting our community of women and sharing tools to put our passion into action. We are also looking to include teleseminars and webinars to include communities of women across the country. Do you have a topic you'd like to share or learn more about? Please contact us at [email protected].
Your Voice
Within the next couple of days Passion Into Action participants will receive an online survey. As we look to possibly expand Passion Into Action in other small towns and rural communities we look to you for suggestions in order to enhance the PIA experience.
Connect with Us
Our radio program continues to feature the stories of everyday extraordinary women. We appreciate the support of our host station, KVMR as we move towards syndicating See Jane Do this year on other stations across the country.
You can also read about extraordinary women in our column in The Union Newspaper.
We are excited to speak at the Green Life Eco Fest May 21st-22nd and the National Federation of Community Broadcasters annual conference June 1st-4th.
Passion Into Action is a success because of your commitment to invest in "you", doing your part, sharing your stories, and following your heart. We appreciate your support and can't wait continue the momentum and energy this coming year.
I distinctly remember the smell of pine needles and the crunching sound they created underneath my feet during summer outings at Mt. San Jacinto where my dad served as a California State Park Ranger. As a little girl the trees seemed to tower over me and provide a sense of protection and strength. Perhaps this was the beginning of my journey as a "tree person".
In her new book, "Like A Tree: How Trees, Women, and Tree People Can Save the Planet," Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen describes "tree people" as someone who has positive feelings for trees and an appreciation for them. She goes on to compare the likes of women to the wisdom and resilience of a tree. Trees have been torn down and sometimes underappreciated yet they are an essential part to the survival of our planet and the ecosystem. She stresses that we are on the edge of either evolution or extinction and it's up to us, as tree people and as women to be visionary activists and feminine feminists.
Jean Shinoda Bolen is a psychiatrist, Jungian analyst, and an internationally known author and speaker who draws from spiritual, feminist, Jungian, medical and personal wellsprings of experience. She is a major advocate for a United Nations 5th World Conference on Women, a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. a former clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco, and past board member of the Ms. Foundation for Women and the International Transpersonal Association.
Recently on International Women's Day I was invited to join Conversations host, Michael Stone for an interview with Jean Shinoda Bolen on KVMR. During the interview Dr. Bolen shared incredible stories of how everyday women are enriching communities through their activism around trees and how the uprising of women (especially western women) are essential to saving the planet. Our conversation heated up as we discussed the guys and where they stand amongst the women's movement. Bolen's message is directed towards both women and men and invites us to look around to see where we can make a difference.
Lastly, Dr. Bolen shared the three questions to consider in identifying your assignment, the issue that will ignite your passion. 1) Is this meaningful? 2) Will it be fun? 3) Is it motivated by love?
Following recent storms in the Sierra Mountains the trees carried the burden and weight of the heavy snow. Branches broke and in some cases temporarily removed our power. Some of the oldest trees in my neighborhood toppled and blocked roads. In some ways the aftermath of the storm and its effect on the trees reminds me of the journey women have endured. While women have suffered setbacks and at times the power of their voices have been marginalized, women persevere, they are an essential force, they are strong, they matter and like a tree while one woman can enrich a community it requires thousands of trees and women to sustain life on this planet.
What is your "tree story" and how will you activate your passion into action? Share with us at [email protected].
Passion Into Action, Friday & Saturday, April 29 & 30, Holiday Inn Express, 121 Bank Street, Grass Valley, CA featuring special guests Nina Simons of Bioneers, Marie Wilson of the White House Project, Jean Shinoda Bolen, Kathy LeMay and many more.
"The most incredibly evolved group of women I have ever met in my life!" - Gloria Feldt
"Passion Into Action is like falling in love. If you fall in love deeply enough with that which really matters to you, everything opens from there." - Chameli Ardagh
"You could see what the outcome of this conference is...it's a way for women to voice what the issues of the day are, how we can improve our community, the nation, our planet. It provided me with inspiration, but also tools." - Elaine Sierra
Join today’s leading women’s speakers and activists at See Jane Do’s 2nd Annual Passion Into Action: A Women’s Conference. See Jane Do will host world renowned speakers and over a dozen workshop leaders on self development, green living, health & wellness, leadership and the value of you.
This inspired gathering of hearts and minds was realized after an exciting year traveling across the nation to capture the incredible stories of everyday women who were doing extraordinary things for the planet, for our monthly radio show and website.
We wanted to design a conference that specifically served women in rural communities and small towns. These are places where small steps can lead to bigger changes at a rapid pace and community members are vested on a personal level in taking care of each other and the area in which they live.
Passion Into Action creates a space for the women in their community to meet, network and explore ideas on how to work together on one another's projects and strengthen their community. Most important, the content of the event will hopefully transfer ideas into action. The event showcases real women with real solutions; mixing local and non-local leaders & visionaries, artists & musicians, mothers & grandmothers, teachers & students, homemakers & business owners among others.
Whether you’re seeking tools to fund your passion and business, connect with a group of like-minded women to support the good work you’re doing, or finding your voice and simplifying your life, we hope you find Passion Into Action to be an investment in your and our collective futures.
Friday, April 29, 2011 Passion Into Action Opening Night "A Special Evening with Nina Simons of Bioneers" plus Feather River Singers and special guests 630pm Reception, 7pm Show
Save & Buy the Full Conference Pass - Friday "Opening Night With Nina Simons" & Saturday Conference (includes Continental Breakfast & Lunch) $95adv/$105 door
Saturday Conference Only with Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen, Kathy LeMay, Marie Wilson & 15 workshops (includes Continental Breakfast & Lunch) $70adv/$80door (Please add $3 for service and handling fees)
2010 was definitely a roller coaster ride. The year’s top news stories included fierce acts of Mother Nature such as the earthquake in Haiti, the Icelandic Volcano, the Chilean earthquake and tsunami; man-made disasters like the Gulf Oil Spill; historic legislature that included President Obama signing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and health care into law; plus Elana Kagan was sworn in to Supreme Court the fourth ever female Supreme Court Justice. In California, Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown went head to head for governor. American hiker Sarah Shourd was released by Iran after being detained for 13-months for crossing an unmarked border and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi was also released after years of detention by Burma’s Junta.
In some ways these national and international news stories mirrored the twists and turns of our communities and our own lives.
With See Jane Do we are striving to uncover those stories that fly under the radar even though they affect all of us. We are redefining information sharing for women through bridging of traditional media with new media; streaming radio, linking video to webisodes and connecting people from a virtual world back to a regional one.
Unlike other programs geared towards women, which mostly covers entertainment, beauty and some women’s issues, See Jane Do takes current news topics we are concerned about and creates a personal story with a reason to care and a solution to do. Our programs are organized around the media, social justice, power of the purse, environmental action, health & wellness, politics and leadership.
It’s our hope that See Jane Do provides a platform for you and other everyday women to speak from and hear from real women with real solutions.
Today we will feature some of our biggest take aways from 2010; the stories, events and experiences that reaffirmed this movement is a lot bigger than we thought and yes, you and I are the one’s we’ve been waiting for. It is our time.
Take Away 1 - Don’t underestimate the power of your story, it might just change the world.
"A movement isn't a movement unless it's moving" ~ Gloria Feldt
We kicked off 2010 with the first annual Passion Into Action Conference. Over 300 women braved the snowy conditions and traveled from all over Northern California to attend this sold-out conference, which featured Nina Simons of Bioneers, best-selling author and activist Gloria Feldt, and former US Ambassador Linda Tarr-Whelan. We wanted to create a space for women to share their story with others in addition to meeting, networking, and exploring ideas on how to work together and strengthen our communities, with the intention to transfer ideas into action. In addition to our incredible keynote speakers the conference included seventeen workshop leaders.
Nina Simons shared the importance of owning our story, the relationship we hold with the earth and the potential women have to enhance our planet together.
Gloria Feldt challenged us to think about power and the importance of Sister Courage. She has been a tremendous advocate for See Jane Do and we were extremely honored that she included us in her new book, "No Excuses, 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power".
"See Jane Do's unique multimedia platform holds exciting promise as a new model for civic engagement and leadership in today's fast-paced, fragmented world." ~Gloria Feldt
One of the most powerful mediums to amplify women’s voices and perspectives and ultimately transform culture is through film. See Jane Do traveled to the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, to interview women filmmakers and film festival organizers. Later that month we headed to New York City to cover The White House Project’s EPIC Awards and host their Media Lounge. While there we met with the Women’s Media Center to get a clear picture of where women stand in the media. We were shocked to learn that only 7% of the stories we watch at the movies, are told by female directors. This means that 93% of the films (even the ones about women) were interpreted through a man's perspective. Women hold 3% of decision-making positions in all forms of media. We also celebrated Kathryn Bigelow’s Academy Award for best director for the film Hurtlocker, the fourth time a woman had been nominated for the award and the first time a woman had won in the history of the Academy.
Take Away 3 - Speaking up, Speaking out, Taking Action – When enough is enough.
We met several environmental action heroes that were risking life and limb for environmental and social injustices this year including Diane Wilson, an award winning activist, author, co-founder of CODEPINK and shrimp boat captain. Diane made national news as a result of her outburst during Tony Hayward's hearing (CEO of BP). The activist was awakened in Diane over twenty years ago when she discovered that she lived in the most toxic county in the United States.
We also interviewed Goldman Environmental Prize Winner Lynn Henning a family farmer who exposed the polluting practices of livestock factory farms in rural Michigan. Her efforts to require CAFO's (basically animal factories that confine thousands of livestock) to clean up the toxic brew that is contaminating ground water, lakes and streams, has gained the attention of the EPA.
"Are you seeking approval of the world or seeking to change the world?"~Eve Ensler
Elisa covered The Women's Conference in Long Beach, California and spoke with powerful change makers like Donna Karan, Rosario Dawson, Lisa Ling and Eve Ensler. Eve described the event as her coming out day since it was her first public speech having recoevered from uterine cancer. She is playing a tremendous role in working to end violence against women and stressed that changing the world is not about being liked or seeking approval. We must be brave and step up to create a better world.
A growing number of women are taking their health into their own hands, changing policy, setting deadlines, and creating hope in healthcare. Whether you're for universal healthcare or not, pro-choice or anti-choice, most might agree that women's health needs often take the back seat in the America. As a result, many women are standing up and moving forward for their healthcare rights. This also includes changing policy to expose and ban the toxic chemicals contained in many of our home and beauty products and setting a deadline to end breast cancer.
See Jane Do examined the stuff in our stuff with Stacy Malkan, author of Not Just a Pretty Face, Erin Switalski, Executive Director of Women's Voices for the Earth, and Britta Aragon activist and blogger of Cinco Vidas. We covered the health care reform town hall meetings and captured a personal perspective of women's heath with the Women's Health Specialists. Finally we featured extraordinary women who are taking incredible measures to end breast cancer by setting a deadline and bringing women together to support the cause. We walked with women in the Barbara Schmidt Millar Triathlon, founded by Cathy Anderson-Meyers and spoke with Fran Visco, breast cancer survivor and president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition who shared their strategy to setting a deadline to end breast cancer by 2020.
See Jane Do hosted four Soirees Into Action in 2010 including the Green Makeover Party.
Take Away 5 – Women’s Economic Influence – Becoming the CFO of Your Household
Women now make up over half of the work force. Women are launching businesses at twice the rate of men but funding sources still tend to lean towards male-owned companies. We control up to 85% of what's bought or purchased in the United States andwomen control 60% of the wealth. Why is it then that most women don't feel economically powerful? In fact, about 90% of women surveyed said they don't feel financially secure. In order to make a difference and enhance the planet we need to feel comfortable with our level of influence and in this nation, money talks. We interviewed Maddy Dychtwald, author of Influence: How Women's Soaring Economic Power Will Transform Our World for the Better, award winning poet Molly Fisk, Jane Roberts, founder of 34 Million Friends, Teresa Delfin, founder of Mountain Mama, Gina Robison-Billupsand, founder of Moms Making a Million, Nevada State Treasurer Kate Marshall and best selling author, Riane Eislerwho is creating ways to implement a new economy. We also hosted the Funding Your Passion Soiree Into Action.
Many youth today, especially at-risk teenage girls are lacking role models. They are overwhelmed with the struggles of coming from broken homes where drugs and poverty are prevalent, survival is a constant concern, and options seem limited or non-existent. Programs across the US, including right here in our hometown of Nevada City, are uniting these girls with mentors to build confidence, teach social change skills, provide authentic and positive relationships, and reshaping their and our future for the better. These are the seeds for future social activism that need nurturing.
Take Away 7 – Definition of Community is a Common Goal
Last December, former Mayor Reinette Senum in her TEDxGrassValley talk raised the concept of community as a common goal and it got us thinking about the many community movements we covered this year and the need for collaborative leadership. For many of these communities, they are on the frontline of environmental and social change and thusly being impacted the greatest. It is essential to hear their stories first hand. In our program on Transition Towns we traveled to Reno, Nevada. In the "wild west" where the attitude was once every "man" for himself, women are pioneering a gentler expedition and this time they are doing it together to create a sustainable city that isn’t dependent on peak oil. We also attended the annual Bioneers conference in San Rafael, CA and the Women’s Conference in Long Beach, CA.
Extraordinary Janes: Reinette Senum, Molly Fisk, Chameli Ardagh, Ginny Woods, Suzie Daggett, Rainy Blue Cloud, Transition Reno founders, and the String Sisters.
Moving forward in 2011, we ask what will your story be? What’s your legacy?
We’ve heard and met so many extraordinary Janes this year, all of which started out as everyday women, but because of a certain issue or a passion that struck home for them, something inside was ignited to do more. Some did it alone and created a movement where others joined them, while some reached out to friends, family, and their communities to organize around something they felt passionate about and make a positive change.
The stand-alone activist with one paddle is no longer enough to create a significant shift in the world. Gender parity and social justice for women require the force of a critical mass. Women are re-shaping the future by not only standing in their power but working together to empower their sisters. Elisa Parker tosses out the idea that we must utilize muscle power and the same techniques as the masculine model to enhance the planet and "get down the river".
We are honored to feature Gloria Feldt, author, activist & former CEO of Planned Parenthood. Gloria will share tips & tools from her latest book, "No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power." 
Jody Williams received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her work to ban landmines through the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. At that time, she became the 10th woman - and third American woman-in its almost 100-year history to receive the Prize. Since her protests of the Vietnam War, she has been a life-long advocate of freedom, self-determination and human and civil rights.
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