Who We Are

IWA Modena is a volunteer-run, non-profit network of internationally-minded, English-speaking women who live in and around Modena.

 

 

 

Vision

All IWA Modena members fully embrace their life in Modena and actively support other women.

Mission

The International Women’s Association of Modena is a volunteer run, non-profit network of Women for Women who live in and around Modena. We are a group of internationally-minded, English-speaking women who support each other, with (1) the integration into a new community (2) empowering each other in our personal and professional development (3) providing opportunities to contribute to the association and the local community at large

Values

OPEN-MINDEDNESS

    • We are an association without bias and prejudice, tolerant towards one another without judgement, a place where members have the freedom of expression.
      We do not associate with any political or religious institutions, theories or ideas.

RECIPROCITY

    • We have built our association on mutual relationships between our members and our community. Giving and sharing, volunteering and helping without asking for anything in return; sit at the core of our combined values. The interdependence of reciprocity requires us to accept personal responsibility and be involved when needed.

KINDNESS & RESPECT

    • We strive to show a deep respect and treat each other – and ourselves – with kindness and compassion. Respecting one another means respecting each other’s individual human rights and privacy, and eliminating all kinds of discrimination, whether based on age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, race, colour or gender.

DIVERSITY

    • We embrace and encourage different ideas, strengths, interests, and cultural backgrounds, providing a safe space for our members to integrate, exchange ideas and to inspire each other. We deeply believe in the power of bringing together people from all over the globe, creating a lasting impact together.

ENTHUSIASM

    • Our positive mindset and enthusiasm is what makes our association and its members thrive, get excited and leave their comfort zones while exploring new terrain and have fun together.

EMPOWERMENT

    • We are committed to energizing, engaging, empowering and supporting each other in gaining self-confidence, courage, and independence. We encourage one another to stand up for our cause, to act pragmatically and “walk the talk”.

AUTHENTICITY

    • We operate openly by communicating internally within the association and externally with unwavering candour, honesty and respect. We’re sincere, transparent and committed to being true to ourselves and to others in all our dealings. We are consistently unreserved, truthful, ethical and genuine. We have no tolerance for politics, hidden agendas or passive-aggressive behaviour.

 

Constitution

Please click to download the IWA Modena constitution in English.

IWA Modena WhatsApp Group Communication Rules

  • Via the IWA WhatsApp group chats, all members ​have access to other members’ phone numbers. Members are permitted to contact each other privately with personal messages. However, ​due to privacy and in line with our IWA Modena constitution it is forbidden to share personal information of our members to other stakeholders outside of the association. In addition, members cannot use these phone numbers to contact other members outside of the group chat for commercial reasons, on behalf of other associations, or to distribute any kind of advertising. The same rules apply to member email addresses.
  • All messages should be in IWA Modena’s official language, English.
  • When interacting within the IWA Modena WhatsApp group or with IWA Modena members in general, please keep our association’s core values in mind: Open-Mindedness, Reciprocity, Kindness & Respect, Diversity, Enthusiam, Empowerment, Authenticty. You can find out more about each value above.
  • Keep in mind that we have upwards of 100 members and that every message you send ends up in the inbox of every chat member. When sending messages in the IWA Modena chat, please ask yourself whether a group message is the appropriate means or a private message to one of the members would suffice.
  • Don’t share memes, funny videos, pictures or the like. If all 100 or more members share these types of messages, our chat will soon become too much and members will miss out on important and informative content.
  • Do not share any religious or political content.
  • Our members often ask for advice. Feel free to provide your personal suggestions in the group chat or by responding privately to the member who asked the question. If you share it in the group chat, it will be included in the newsletter and on our website which helps members find it in the future.
  • Posts that are promoting a product, service or event hosted by a member’s business or association have to include a disclaimer in the first sentence that this is not an event organized by IWA Modena (e.g., “I’m happy to share the following event with you which is not organized by IWA Modena. It is organized by ASSOCIATION X which focuses on doing XYZ.”; “I’m happy to share the following event with you which is not organized by IWA Modena. It is organized by me in my profession as personal trainer/teacher/artist.”
  • Posts that are promoting a product, service or event hosted by your business or association can only be advertised in the “Social IWAM Chat” WhatsApp group* (i.e., no promotions of your business/association in the interest groups). You’ll be able to reach more people and the interest groups will be able to focus on their own events. Exception: Posts about a product, service, or event you are not affiliated with can be posted EITHER in the main IWAM Social Chat OR in the interest groups. For example, if you come across an event on Facebook that is of interest to a specific interest group, please share it in the interest group (e.g., a workshop about watercolors you want to attend can be shard in the IWAM Creatives). If you think it is of wider interest (e.g., a walk organized for women in Modena), feel free to share it in the main IWAM Social Chat.
  • IWA Modena partners and associated businesses as well as other associations should post no more than once a month. The same is true for friends of IWA Modena partners and associated businesses. Please post about offers by a specific business only max once a month.
  • When promoting your business or sharing personal ads (e.g., selling personal items), please do not share more than one picture. If you want to share more than one picture, please create a collage or upload them to a personal folder online and share the link.
  • When it comes to sharing breaking news, please consider whether it is relevant and new to IWA Modena members. If you share news, please only share verified information from official sources (e.g. a link to an article is ok while a forwarded message from a friend about a supposed scam or personal medical advice is not).
  • Share content in English if possible. If content in English is not available, please share the link to the Italian content and add a short explanation in English.
  • If you share something that goes against the IWA Modena WhatsApp Group Communication Rules, someone from IWA Modena might contact you privately to delete your message. Refusal to do so can lead to expulsion from the WhatsApp group.
  • The IWA Modena Board reserves the right to send a precautionary warning message in the group chat to prevent a WhatsApp conversation from going in the wrong direction. Please do not take it personally if that happens right after your last message. It is meant to be precautionary.