President's Blog, August 2020
Posted: 12 Aug 2020 by Marlene Eskind Moses
Dear Fellows,
I am saddened and dismayed that scammers would take advantage of our beloved organization and our trusting and compassionate Fellows. As you know, there was an attempt to extract money saying there were COVID-19 illnesses and deaths. In addition to the scammers creating an email and appearing as if it was being disseminated by me, there were others whose names were used. The scammers even left a telephone number to be called so they could spread their deceit even further.
Please know I am moved and grateful to all of you for demonstrating the true generosity and love that we have for each other. I am horrified that my name was used to perpetuate this crime. Donna Goddard sent two warnings out to our fellowship to make sure everyone was advised of the scam. She also reported it to AOL and authorities in the Philippines. We are all forced to question these types of requests because too often, they are not coming from a legitimate source.
On a very positive note, the IAFL Chats and Webinars continue to educate, inform and keep us connected. As we move forward, the Webinars will take place once a month and the frequency of the Chats will vary from weekly to twice a month.
On September 24, David Allison will moderate a Webinar on Religious Freedom to Discriminate and LGBTQ Rights. It is certain to be informative and enlightening.
On October 26, we will have a virtual celebration for the 40th Anniversary of the Hague Convention 1980. Carolina Marín Pedreño is in charge of the celebration and she is assisted by the Hague Sub-Committee on International Protection of Children and Adults.
The newly formed Communication With Fellows Committee will be drafting a survey for our Fellows to complete. The last survey occurred in June 2015. With the changes in the world and how we are now operating, the leadership believes it will be helpful to get our Fellows’ current opinions and factual information which will guide us in the development of our next strategic plan.
We are all missing the in-person meetings that were planned for 2021. While we do not have any contracts signed for September 2021, we are hopeful we can meet September 1-5, 2021. If we determine it is safe to plan a meeting, we will do so. Please hold September 1-5, 2021 on your calendars for us to gather if at all possible.
Our next meeting venue for which we have signed contracts is Bangkok. The dates are December 1-5, 2021. We will have an Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday, November 30. There will be an Introduction to International Family Law Conference on Wednesday, December 1.
Our US and Canadian Chapters meeting in New Orleans is scheduled for February 16-20, 2022 and our European Chapter meeting in Athens is scheduled for May 11-15, 2022. Please hold all of these dates on your calendars.
Please let me reiterate how honored I am to be your President of the IAFL. We have an exceptional group of Fellows who are capable, competent, passionate about their work and intensely loyal to their friends and respected colleagues.
Please stay healthy and well.
Warmest regards,
Marlene Eskind Moses.
