Howard Clark, re-elected as chair of WRI

I enter my second term as chairperson much more optimistic than in 2005 when I was elected as chair. And with the state the world is in, there is need for optimism about what movements can achieve. The Executive and staff will review our work more thoroughly in the report which is being prepared for our conference, but key features are that

• there is a solid set of achievements in the programme work carried out or coordinated by the office
• the financial position is stronger - not just because of cuts in office space or because of new legacies, important as these have been, but because we are holding two successive events (Council 2008 and the India conference) that pay their way. Plus we economised on having an electronic instead of a physical Council meeting in 2009
• there is renewal in our networking - notably the active Latin American email list, irg-al, and the anti-NATO activity in Europe
• there is a desire to get more involved - for the first time in 15 years there will be 14 or more candidates for Council

There is a lot of work still needed to strengthen participation in WRI activity and to increase our impact. Now that there is a flow of registrations coming in for our conference in India, let us hope that will prove an occasion where we see how to build on successes and deepen our cooperation.

Howard Clark