Zonta Club of Springfield, Illinois

Zonta International

Zonta International
Zonta International is a classified service organization of executive and professional women founded on November 8, 1919 in Buffalo, New York, USA. Zonta has more than 33,000 members in over 1200 clubs in 67 countries and geographical areas. For a complete history of Zonta International, visit the web site.

Zonta International's History

Zonta's emblem is a composite of five symbols, and the name "Zonta" is derived from the Lakota Sioux Indian word meaning "honest and trustworthy".

Mission Statement:

Zonta International is a worldwide service organization of executives in business and the professions working together to advance the status of women.

Objects of Zonta International:

To provide service at the global and local level
To improve the legal, political, economic, educational, health and professional status of women
To work for the advancement of understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of executives in business and the professions
To promote justice and universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
To be united internationally to foster high ethical standards, to implement service programs, and to provide mutual support and fellowship for members who serve their communities, their nations and the universe

Zonta International Foundation:

The Zonta International Foundation was authorized at the 1984 Convention in Sydney, Australia to provide an organized structure for Zonta's International service projects. It was established to accept gifts for service projects that furthered the ideals of Zonta. Currently, funds for the Amelia Earhart Fellowship Awards program and for service projects conducted in cooperation with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) are managed within the Foundation. In addition, the Foundation manages the Endowment Fund from which interest is used for the Young Women in Public Affairs Awards program and the Service Reserve Fund. For further information, visit Zonta International Foundation's web site.

Zonta International Foundation

Zonta's Status with International Agencies

Zonta has consultive status with international agencies:

Category I Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
Consultive Status with:

United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
The International Labour Organization (ILO)
The Council of Europe

Zonta maintains representatives at United Nations' sites in Geneva, Switzerland; New York, USA; Paris, France; Vienna, Austria. For more information about the work Zonta does with the United Nations, visit Zonta's web site.

Zonta International's Work with the United Nations

Amelia Earhart Fellowships

The Amelia Earhart Fellowship Awards were established in 1938 and have been given every year since that time. Amelia Earhart was a Zontian from 1928 to 1937, first of the Zonta Club of Boston and later the Zonta Club of New York City. She was a member when she disappeared in 1937 while attempting to fly around the world. The awards are given in her memory and are for graduate studies in aerospace related science and engineering. Each award is $6000 US dollars and approximately 35 are given each year. AE Awards have been made to students in over 48 countries, totaling in excess of $3.3 million US dollars. For more information about Zonta International's programs, click on the link below:

Zonta International Fellowships, Scholarships and Awards

International Service Programs

These programs promote the status of women and many are in cooperation with United Nations agencies. Some past projects include:

Aid to Hungarian refugees.
Ann Frank Village for refugee families in West Germany.
$1,000,000 given to UNIFEM for the establishment of self-help projects in Third World Countries
Financial support through UNICEF to provide 350,000 Dry Zone Area people in Sri Lanka with clean drinking water.
Provide funds, through the United Nations' Voluntary Fund for Women, to establish the Karachunonya Self-Help Potters, Spinning and Weaving projects for women in Kenya.
Financial support to UNICEF and the Columbian government to build 10 health and education centers in Columbia. Each center costs approximately $55,000.
Assistance to UNICEF for the recruitment, financing and training of the African Women's Volunteer Task Force. Members of the Task Force teach the poor and uneducated so quality of life can be improved.
Financial support for the establishment and continuation of mobile medical units with trained staff in remote areas of Ghana, West Africa, to provide previously unattainable medical aid and training in family care to women and children.
Financial support of the day-to-day operation of Ramallah Women's Training Center, Ramallah, Jordan, for the training of over 2500 refugee students in worthwhile vocations. The project continues under the responsibility of their government.
Technical and technological support to a project in Senegal which works with about 400 women to increase income and promote financial independence by improving on techniques which aid in production, processing and marketing of fruits, vegetables and fishery products.
Instrumental in starting the Gender, Women and Development program in 1994 in Guatemala and other Central American Countries. Purpose: to dissolve gender bias in Central America through public policy, legal equality, education, self-esteem and leadership.

Present and ongoing programs include:

Established the Circle of Caring Through Literacy program thanks to a grant from Coors Brewing Company. 1995 marks the first year of this program as an international project. In the first year, 776 tutors were trained and 10,702 people were taught to read.
Sponsored Zonta International Summit on Violence Against Women - ZISVAW - in 1995. This marks the beginning of activities by Zontians to eliminate violence against women.
Administers the Michael J. Freeman Scholarship for Irish women. This was started in 1988 as the result of a bequest from Irishman Michael J. Freeman. The scholarship provides full tuition for four years to a woman enrolled at the University of Limerick and Dublin City University and for the final year to a woman at the Galway Regional Technical College.
Through UNICEF helps to improve the educational opportunities for the girl child in Africa.
For more information about Zonta International's Service Programs, click on the link below:

Zonta International Service Programs

Districts:

Zonta International is comprised of districts, each under the supervision of an elected district governor. Districts are divided into areas, and each area is supervised by an elected area director.

Zonta Club Structure and Purpose:

The individual Zonta club is the basic organizational unit of Zonta International. Clubs exist to promote the Objects of Zonta International and to initiate, adopt and implement policies and procedures to attain these ends in their communities and throughout the world. Each club establishes its own level of participation in community service projects and local programs.

Zonta International Bylaws:

Each club has a responsibility to uphold the Zonta International Bylaws, and at the same time, all club members have the right to recommend changes to the Zonta International Bylaws.

Home Page * Board Members * Committees * Meeting dates * Past Presidents

Young Women in Public Affairs Award * Zonta Club of Springfield History
For further information about the Zonta Club of Springfield, Illinois contact
Carol E. Borecky or Caroline K. Nelson
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
This Web Page was constructed by Caroline K. Nelson and Kent Borecky January, 1999; updated November, 2004