Hi Folks,

Liz Kolster, Mairead Deroiste, Catherine O'Shaugnessy  and I have volunteered to help Karl Majorhazi organise a NZ woman's branch of the Spatial Sciences Institute (SSI - http://www.spatialsciences.org.au/) similar to the "Woman In Spatial"  (WIS) group in Australia Meetings (http://www.spatialsciences.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=47&Itemid=59)  
 

 
We would like to invite any woman who is interested in geospatial sciences to our first get together at the Brewery Bar (http://www.thebrewerybar.co.nz/), on the corner of Taranaki and Cable Streets on the Waterfront in Wellington; Monday, March 31st @ 5:30pm. (Would you please pass this email onto anyone who you think might be keen to come along.)

The format for the group we are proposing is along the lines of Women in IT i.e. 4 meetings a year. Once we get established then the group can decide how it wants to proceed.
 
One of the first things we have arranged is for Marnie Leybourne (http://gogirlwa.org.au/index.php?thepage=Marnie Leybourne&bio=yes) from WALIS (http://www.regionalaustralia.gov.au/Info.aspx?NodeID=149&ResourceID=1514) to speak to us at a working lunch at the State Service Commission in May. The topic is what the equivalent organisation in Australia is doing.
 
What is the SSI?

A bit of background. The Spatial Sciences Institute is a national body catering for the professional people who make up the spatial information industry. It gives a voice to the members of the spatial science community in both the national and international arena. The Spatial Sciences Institute (SSI) is the international body combining the professional disciplines of land, engineering & mining surveying, cartography, remote sensing and spatial information science. The Institute's members are involved in communities of practice such as land administration, natural resource management, emergency management, forestry, agriculture, defence, marine environment, local government, health, education, tourism, transport and many more. There are no barriers to membership of the Institute. Specifically, members are not required to hold an academic qualification. However, training, qualification and experience will be recognised and rewarded through professional certification. It is a new body that accommodates the changing nature of the industry while honouring and building upon the traditions, values and history of its founding institutions.

Women in Spatial (WIS)
 
The Australian branch of WIS was formed initially to inform the spatial profession on issues related to women and the profession. Australia have followed the model for an informal and flexible group. We envisage the NZ model to be similar, i.e. to simply meet other women in the same profession and initially see if anyone is interested and would participate in such a group.
 
 
Goals of WIS
 
If you are interested, please come along to the first meeting. We would be very interested to know what you, as individuals, would like to achieve from the group. The following are initiatives that have been raised so far, but if you would like to see something else come out of the group then please tell us at the first meeting, all ideas are gratefully received.
 
i. What would you like to achieve from getting together as a group, would you like to see overseas speakers or is it just a social function?
ii. Is the networking any value to you?
iii. Do you think the group could offer mentoring services / role models?
iv. Would you like to see an occasional newsletter as well as / or a meeting?
v. Would you be interested in sharing resources; books, papers etc?
 
 
Interest
Please pass this on to anyone in the geospatial industry who you think might be interested, GIS people, cartographers, surveyors etc. If you would like to know more please call me or drop me an email
 
 
Thanks,
Elaine McAlister
 
GeoEd Limited
Cellphone: 027 235 3753
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www.geoed.co.nz

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