Hi everyone,
As we come close to this year's International Women's Day on March 8, I have been reflecting on what an important date it has always been on the SEED Calendar.
I have always thought it was a special day initiated by the United Nations sometime in the last thirty or so years. Well, I'm not entirely wrong. They did give it official sanction and began sponsoring it in 1975.
But after a quick Google I discovered that the first IWD was observed on 28 February 1909 in the United States, following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. Moving to the new date of March 8, it continued to be significant over the years as a time to protest on exploitation of women workers as well as an opportunity for women suffragettes to demand for women to have the vote.
It also became an important date for feminists in the USSR and is still a national holiday in many countries in Eastern Europe. Today, IWD has now become an opportunity for celebration all over the world, emphasising the importance of women in today's society. For many, it is also the first day of spring and the welcome of new beginnings.
I chose it as the day to launch The SEED Handbook in 2000 and have continued to celebrate on this day whenever I have a new book or something exciting happening at SEED.
SEEDWorks - Watch Your Garden Grow
This year is no different. This coming weekend, from Friday 2 March – Sunday 4 the SEED team led by Norma Bishop-Joseph and Zoe O’Donnell will be celebrating the official launch of our SEEDWorks opportunity at the One-Life Live Show at Olympia. They will be there to discuss how you can increase your earning power by becoming a SEED Associate, as well as engage and empower women in your own community to become successful entrepreneurs. I will be there on Sunday, 4 March, at 12 to 12.45 in the Making It Happen theatre, Be Your Own Boss Zone to present the whole SEED Works story as well as give you a taster of our SEED circles, where even in a short time you can, by engaging with yourself and others, advance towards discovering your own deepest truth and life purpose.
Those who are interested in knowing more about becoming a SEED Associate are recommended to participate in the first SEED Experience Day of the year, at a wonderful venue, The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay, in Oxfordshire on Sunday, March 25. You will have the opportunity there to discuss how to become one of our pioneer SEED Associates, at a special 2007 fee. We are particularly looking for those of you with some coaching or training experience – so let your life coach friends know too and you’ll get a special reduction!
The SEED Experience Day introduces the concept of the feminine principles and through fun, interactive exercises will take you on a journey of self-discovery. All who have attended in the past speak about the magical energy of the day, and how they have left with a new sense of self and purpose, both personally and professionally.
Those who sign up for The SEED Experience Day at One-Life will also have the opportunity to win a set of our very special 'Plant SEEDS and Pick the Blooms' Affirmation Cards, together with a preview copy of my latest book, BLOOM.
Published by Chronicle Books, San Francisco, and not officially available until June, BLOOM is an inspirational companion journal to the cards, beautifully illustrated by Anne Field. Available exclusively from March 15 for a special price of £15 (normally £18). Published by Chronicle Books, San Francisco.
We also have a special ticket offer for One Life Live for all our SEEDpreneurs. Quote EX01 when you call 0870 272 0001, or book online at www.onelifelive.co.uk and you can buy two tickets for just £15 (usually £12 each in advance and £15 on the door). Also take a look at www.seednetwork.com for your opportunity to attend the exhibition absolutely free! We will be waiting to see you on Stand E97 (just by the main stage) in the Be Your Own Boss Zone.
I will be also participating in two other exciting events in Oxford during International Women's Week, as part of the many diverse and interesting events being held in the area, under the umbrella theme of Women and the Environment.
On Thursday, March 8, I will be guest speaker at The 'Sacred' Feminine: Sustaining the Earth event being put on by Oxford University at Queen Elizabeth House, Department of International Development at 1.45 p.m. I will be leading a panel of incredible women, to discuss The Power of the Sacred Feminine, from all our very diverse perspectives. Find out more at www.seednetwork.com.
And on Sunday, March 11, at 2 p.m. I will be leading a discussion on Women and their Inner and Outer Environment at the Brahma Kumaris Global Retreat Centre in Nuneham Courtenay, Oxford. This event will incorporate some very special meditation, together with a guided tour of their incredible garden, designed by Capability Brown, where all kinds of magic happens. www.seednetwork.com
Meanwhile the last few weeks have been a journey around the country for me, including helping launch this year's Enterprising Britain Awards, in the beautiful Scottish coastal village of West Kilbride, who were last year’s winners. It was a very special event, and I was there together with the The Rt. Hon Margaret Hodge MBE MP, a woman after my own heart, who is fully supporting the growth of women’s enterprise, and TV entrepreneur Peter Jones, who is about to launch his own ITV series, Tycoon and is looking for budding businessmen and women all over the UK to invest in.
Lynne Franks and Norma Bishop-Joseph at the launch of the SEED Women into Enterprise Programme, Prowess, February 2007
The beginning of February saw the SEED team at Brighton Race Track at the Prowess Women's Enterprise Conference, where instead of placing bets, we launched the SEED Women Into Enterprise Programme together with our partners CTAD, a member of the Tribal Group Plc and the UK’s leading specialist in educational software development.
This programme will give women from all kinds of backgrounds the tools and support to start their own sustainable enterprise. It has been designed to integrate literacy and numeracy, as well as have the various qualifications enabling it to be it taught at Further Educational Colleges as well as enterprise support agencies. Keep a look out for it – and if you don't find it in your area, contact your local FE College and ask why not. Find out more about this dynamic new programme.
Deia, Mallorca
Finally a reminder of the very special BLOOM Women's Creative Leadership Retreats to be held in my home in Deia, Mallorca, this year. June is starting to be booked, so do check your diaries. Not only will you experience a week in one of the most beautiful spots on the planet, with a small group of like-minded wonderful women, but you will engage in activities and exercises that will make your life change forever. You will truly uncover your real identity, realise your full potential and be given the tools to create your life purpose.
The dates are: Thursday 7 June - Wednesday 13 June 2007
Thursday 27 September - Wednesday 3 October 2007
Thursday, 1 November - Wednesday 7 November.
All those of you booking BLOOM Retreats for 2007 before May will receive a free copy of my new BLOOM Journal as well as a deck of Plant SEEDs and Pick The Blooms cards. For more information about BLOOM retreats visit www.seednetwork.com
We have come a long way since 1909. Women are now playing major roles in politics, business and academia in both our local as well as global communities. However, we still have a long way to go in creating a world where the girl child is treated with the same care as her brother.
And as more women move into leadership roles, we have to ensure that we don't make the same mistakes that have been made in the past. All our children need to be safe and fed, wars have to stop and our consumer society has to take a good look at itself before we continue to destroy the environment.
Society has to change dramatically from one that is being motivated by power and greed to one of connection and love. I believe that we women can make this change if we remember to celebrate our feminine values, as mothers, daughters and sisters.
Nurturing, relationship building, empathy and compassion are some of the feminine values we should take the opportunity of remembering this International Women's Day. I truly believe we are all each other's sisters, whatever our background, nationality, culture and religion and it is time to take a stand together to create a new kind of future for our society, our planet and our descendents.
In the meantime keep chatting on our community board and send us your stories. After all, that’s how we all learn to Grow.
Have a great International Women's Day and hope to see you in the garden soon,
As we come close to this year's International Women's Day on March 8, I have been reflecting on what an important date it has always been on the SEED Calendar.
SEEDWorks - Watch Your Garden Grow
Those who are interested in knowing more about becoming a 
We also have a special ticket offer for One Life Live for all our SEEDpreneurs. Quote EX01 when you call 0870 272 0001, or book online at 
