Worldhall Launch

The team at NECSI has formally launched "WorldHall" -- one part Wiki, one part 'Blog, one part Voting Booth, all bound together to spur ideas to actions.

Dr. Naomi Bar-Yam, Executive Director of Mothers' Milk Bank of New England, has provided the follow introductory note for WorldHall's inaugural initiative: ideas and actions in support of the nursing mothers. With a baby on the way, this is an issue that is of significant interest to our family -- and a great demonstration of WorldHall's capabilities for advising decisionmakers and influencing policy.

Dear Colleagues,

I want to tell you about a new web resource that can be of real service to the breastfeeding community and beyond. World Hall enables us to discuss policy issues, identify who can do something about them, propose actions and vote ---- to have our voices heard by those in positions to implement change.

This is a unique opportunity: World Hall is being launched in the breastfeeding community. Actions regarding ban the bags, breastfeeding in public, breastfeeding in the workplace, insurance coverage for lactation services and others are already posted on World Hall.

World Hall is different than a breastfeeding listserv or blog. We will be joined in the conversation by activists in other areas allowing for cross conversation and voting, enriching all involved. Our active engagement in World Hall will raise the visibility of breastfeeding to all who are listening to and conversing on World Hall. World Hall is free and non-commercial. It was developed by students at the New England Complex Systems Institute (necsi.edu) with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC is a great example of a major player that is watching the system and paying attention to the actions proposed and discussed.

Your active engagement in World Hall will help to raise the visibility of the issues we all work on every day. Please vote, add new actions, comments, and identify new issues and players. Share World Hall with others.

The site is at:

http://www.worldhall.org/breastfeeding

I look forward to meeting you there.

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Naomi Bar-Yam Ph.D.
Executive Director
Mothers' Milk Bank of New England

Naomi@milkbankne.org
617-964-6676
www.milkbankne.org