Midwives Alliance Announces the International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC) joining US MERA
Midwives Alliance is very happy to announce the International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC) will be joining the United States Midwifery Education Regulation & Association (US MERA) coalition of midwifery organizations.
Nov 9, 2011 Meeting with MANA and ACNM
MANA has long advocated for the participation of ICTC as an essential voice at the table. Since the groundbreaking meeting in 2011 with the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) at the MANA conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario, to discuss the future of midwifery in the U.S., through the inception and development of US MERA, and into the winter of 2016, MANA has urged representation from ICTC. We believe strongly in their mission “to increase the number of Black midwives, doulas, and healers, to empower families, in order to eliminate infant and maternal mortality.”
Our past Executive Director and President Geradine Simkins repeatedly stood up for inclusion of ICTC from the first organizational meeting of US MERA.
Subsequent Presidents Jill Breen, Marinah Farrell and the MANA board were in full support and remained steadfast throughout, always speaking clearly for acceptance of ICTC as a full association member of the coalition.
More recently, current MANA President Marinah Farrell expressed a conscientious objection to the long and challenging process of ICTC's application
Marinah Farrell, Colleen Donovan-Batson, Sarita Bennett and Geradine Simpkins, US MERA meeting, 2014
and relinquished her steering committee position in an act of solidarity, while acknowledging the importance of MANA continuing on at an organizational level.
ICTC President Shafia Monroe advocating for ICTC membership on US MERA, Oct 22, 2014
MANA Board Member Colleen Donovan-Batson and ICTC President Shafia Monroe
Sherry Devries graciously filled-in with me on the MERA Steering Committee as we continued to fight for the principles of equity and inclusion, and the importance of addressing disparities at every level. MANA is grateful to Sherry for her encouragement and support during difficult consensus discussions, as well as to the entire MANA board of directors for recognizing the importance of staying at the table on behalf of our membership.
Sherry DeVries
Most importantly, it was through the hard work and determination of President and Founder Shafia Monroe and the ICTC board and membership that this has come to pass. “In 2015, ICTC represented Black midwives and doulas in the national debate of increasing the number of midwives and doulas of color, diversifying the midwifery and doula workforce and improving infant and maternal health in the African American community. And we continued to petition for autonomous membership with the US MERA Coalition.”*
Shafia Monroe, President & Founder, ICTC
MANA looks forward to welcoming and working with the ICTC representatives to the MERA leadership meeting in April 2016.
Congratulations!
Colleen Donovan-Batson
Sherry Devries
Midwives Alliance Board of Directors
Comments
Thank you, Colleen, and
Thank you, Colleen, and Sherry to your dedication to this project and to all thebwork you are doing for midwives and families!
ICTC
Congratulations! It's about time!
Why?
What was the objection to their inclusion and who objected?
ICTC on US MERA--at last!!
Dear Ones,
I am sitting in my office in northern Michigan, reading Colleen's missive on ICTC's inclusion in US MERA, and reflecting on this long and arduous journey.
I feel elated that the voice of Black Midwives will finally have a rightful place at the table among the US midwifery leadership. And I feel proud of us, proud of MANA for unreleningly advocating for ICTC's right to sit at the table, from the very beginning. All the way through 3 presidents and multiple board member, MANA never wavered as an ally of ICTC and a voice for inclusion of all stakeholders at the US MERA negotiations.
BRAVO to the strong leaders, from both ICTC and MANA, who made this dream of inclusion happen! And bravo to US MERA Work Group who finally, albeit belatedly, realized bringing all voices into the conversation is not only the right thing to do ethically, but is also strategically the most savvy. It widens the circle of US midwifery, builds common ground, and brings all of our collective resources to bear. And it allows us to put the focus of serving ALL mothers, fathers, infants and familes smack in the center, where they belong.
Blessings, Geradine Simkins
Midwife
Great news. Thank you, Colleen and Sherry for your hard work dedication to this project. I would like to congratulate you. Midwifery is a great profession.
You are doing a lot of help to midwives and their families. I love reading midwifery blogs. Thanks a lot for such useful information.