A CHANCE TO TALK:
THE CONFERENCE IN VANCOUVER

On May 15, 16, and 17 1992, at the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver, a conference was held. Some 80 women working in the adult literacy field came together from all corners of Canada to talk with each other and make their voices heard. We'd like to share some of the key moments of this event with you.

The FLWN Conference consisted of a number of small discussion groups. In each group, a maximum of 12 women sat side by side in a circle. The topics for discussion had been suggested to the conference organizers by the participants themselves, and were directly linked to the daily reality of literacy workers.

It was also possible to participate in a speak out, a sort of public tribune where women could take the floor and speak on a given topic. Their voices were heard and found a resonance in an audience of women ready to accept the thoughts, words, and life experiences of others, those who opened up and revealed themselves with their words. The speak outs allowed women to risk the experience of talking without interruption. Among the themes explored were the goals of feminist action and consciousness raising, the organizational hierarchy of the literacy field (on national, provincial, and territorial levels), francophone identity in Canada ², cultural diversity, violence, literacy in the workplace, the holistic approach to literacy, racism and homophobia.

2. Since there were several francophone participants who were in a minority during the Vancouver conference, the francophone branch of the FWLN - which came to be called RÉTRAFA - was born during the conference. These women wanted to ensure that the francophone presence within the network was recognized and facilitated. To this end, they proposed the following measures: 1. That the mailing list include francophone organizations across Canada. We know that there already exists a Canadian francophone literacy organization, but it does not specifically address the concerns of feminists. 2. That, should a charter be created which includes a list of special interest groups, francophone appear in that list. 3. That, should a publication result from the Vancouver conference, it be available in both languages (cf. the present report and the French version of the Wandering Book, known in French as the Livre Vagabond). 4. That a translation budget always be provided for FLWN publications. 5. That, should francophone women decide to group together to organize a conference similar to the one held in Vancouver, or make requests for funding such a conference, it be done in collaboration - not in competition - with the existing FLWN network.