July 22, 1999

Dear Fiends of the Millennium Initiative Committee

As you know, these few weeks are a time of frenzied activity for those of us involved with the International conference, so my comments will be brief. I did, however, want to share with you my plans for presenting the proposal from the MI committee to the General Council when we meet August 12th and 13th in Vancouver.

I made a commitment to the you, the MI committee, to present the proposal for a formal working alliance between the IUA and Fellowship to the GC for discussion, and plan to do so at our annual meeting.  I realize via direct and indirect communication with Seppo that he feels very reluctant to do the same with his governing body due to various behaviors and events that have taken place since our meeting in Vermont.  I sincerely wish this were not so, but both of us must proceed as we feel bound by our respective duties.  Perhaps Seppo would be willing to share his feelings with us here.

I feel bound both by the will of the MI committee, and by my own sense of responsibility to the worldwide reader community. Perhaps the difficulties we currently face will further limit the practical outworking of this proposed alliance, but our embrace of the concept itself is a powerful symbol of our willingness to work for unity of purpose among all readers. I can think of no better time to stand together and proceed with this proposal than during the heat of another difficult moment.

We have published a statement proposing a formal alliance of two self-acting organizations.  This recommendation was not qualified by any restrictions on behavior by individuals within either group. We unanimously supported unity of purpose as being in the best interest of the worldwide reader community.  This is still true and is needed now more than ever, in my opinion.

I will continue to support this proposed working alliance on behalf of the MI committee in my conversations with members of the Fellowship, and with the General Council.  I urge each of you to do the same within your own sphere of influence.

With loving regards,

Janet