WELCOME TO THE NEWSLETTER OF FICE-INTER
Meet Monika – President of FICE International
Monika Niederle was unanimously elected as International President of FICE at the Federal Council meeting in Sarajevo in September 2006.
The year 2003 was an important one for Monika for it was in that year she became Head of the Department for Youth at the Viennese Youth Welfare Office, which deals with boys aged 14 to 18 and she also became President of FICE-Austria, reviving the National Section, which at one time had been highly active, playing a key role in FICE-International, but which had now become dormant.
FICE-International
Monika believes in building on the strengths of the past, but she wants to see FICE evolve and develop. Some of her ideas are organisational, reshaping FICE to fulfil its potential. Others are projects which she would like to see FICE take up.
Monika set out her hopes for the future if FICE in this way:
- More transparency for the activities of all sections and of FICE International by using modern technical possibilities
- More Projects
- Children in prison
- Child headed households
- Street children
- Creating new financial structures:
- USA, member of FICE International as well as national member
- Money for projects
- Looking for new sponsoring (including very big concerns)
- Special tasks:
- Peace-pedagogics
- Participation, Integration of youth
- Diversity
- Building networks
- More public work
- Be involved, where it is important to be, for example NGO working group for CRC
Above all, she believes that FICE should stand for children:
- In out of home care
- At risk
- With special needs.
Little wonder then that Monika comes to the presidency having played a major role representing FICE in Quality for Children, which has been establishing European standards however several countries outwith Europe are interested in using the standards for children’s services.
Monika wants to see a surge in membership outside Europe, so that continental platforms can be established in other parts of the world. A good time to foster this idea will be in 2010, when it is hoped that the Congress will be held in South Africa. NACCW, which is FICE’s National Section in South Africa, is rapidly becoming established as the lead professional child care organisation in the whole of southern Africa, offering training in Zambia for example.
Turning Energy into Action
Monika is well aware that if FICE is to match her hopes, a lot of energy will be needed, but she is also aware that FICE members have a wide range of skills, knowledge, experience and networks, and that they may be galvanised if support and encouragement are offered.
FICE-Inter wishes Monika and her family well. We look forward to working with her as President.
(Monika was interviewed by David Lane, FICE Vice President, for the Children’s Webmag and we are grateful to them for allowing us to produce this extract from David’s article here).
CE Meeting held in Vienna, January 2007
The CE met in a gloriously sunny Vienna, not that the members saw much of the City!
This was the first meeting of the CE with Monika as President and with Bettina Terp as part of the Secretariat. Naturally a major part of the time was spent discussing the future of FICE and the proposal on International Membership. These and others are very important issues and reports on all of them will be presented and discussed further at the CF meeting in May in Hungary.
Secretary General
The CE also appointed Andrew Hosie as acting Secretary General. Andrew brings considerable experience as a social worker with children, residential manager and as a lecturer to the post.
