Dear AWC Berlin Members,
The heightened international discourse around the topics of race and racism has been enlightening and essential. These conversations have led many of us to take the critical first step of self-reflection—scrutinizing ourselves individually but also of the circles and communities in which we live and operate. For the AWC Berlin Board, this has included reflections on our own Club.
AWC Berlin is a diverse community of members representing 30 nationalities. Our strength now—and always—is in our diversity. The Club strives to harness the power of that diversity to build and maintain a community of engaged, empathetic, compassionate, and enthusiastic members. We build this community through our activities and programming, which include an emphasis on altruistic work. Indeed, our commitment to philanthropy and community service has included support for organizations locally and globally that aim to assist or give voice to marginalized or socially disadvantaged groups.
As a Club, we take pride in all that we have accomplished. However, given this pivotal moment, we are committed to doing better. We are committed to maintaining a diverse organization, improving the diversity of our Club, and most importantly, fostering principles of inclusion so that each of you feels like a part of our community. So that each of you feels welcome. So that we can have a more representative, more inclusive, more welcoming, and ultimately a stronger AWC Berlin community.
To this end, we will work strategically to identify and evaluate ways in which we can achieve this more diverse and inclusive community. This includes, among other things, exploring new and different programming ideas; identifying and evaluating opportunities to collaborate with other organizations both locally and if appropriate, globally, to expand our collective perspectives; and to mindfully assess how best we can support organizations committed to racial equality and social justice.
Though challenging, moments like these also can be a catalyst for change and progress. We have a chance—as individuals, as members of AWC Berlin, and as global citizens—to be part of that change and progress. We encourage you to become and/or stay informed and involved. A list of useful resources that we have compiled can be found here.
In closing, AWC Berlin ultimately is only as strong as its members, and we benefit from not only your continued involvement as active members of AWC Berlin but also your feedback. As such, I sincerely welcome your thoughts, your perspectives, your ideas, and your concerns. Please feel free to contact me at president@awcberlin.org.
On behalf of the AWC Berlin Board,
Yours truly,
Shweta Gupta
President, American Women’s Club of Berlin
president@awcberlin.org
