Marian Tompson
Talks about the LLLI Conference
Mary Hurt
LLLI Public Relations Associate
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 38 No. 2, April-May 2002, p. 31.
“Attending a La Leche League
International Conference will broaden your horizons.You never know what
you will see or hear at a La Leche League International Conference that
will change your life forever,” said Founder Marian Tompson.
From the
beginning, Marian understood the impact of LLLI Conferences because
she learned so much from the speakers, and from meeting people who felt
the same way she did about breastfeeding and the importance of family.
In fact, this information and support was so important to her that she
took a nighttime job with a caterer to earn the money she needed to
attend LLLI’s second Conference, which was held in Indiana, USA. Even
though she intensely disliked the catering job, Marian thought that
attending the Conference was worth the hard work and effort.
Another
time Groups in the Chicago, Illinois, USA area held a huge joint rummage
sale to pay Marian’s airfare to a Conference in the western United States.
She feels strongly that sending a Leader to a Conference is one of the
best investments a Group can make. Marian stated,
If you interest your
Group in fundraising to help you attend a Conference, you will be doing
the Group a favor because you will bring back so much more to the Group.
Attending LLLI Conferences strengthens you in your commitment to doing
what is best for your child and provides you with resources that you
will be able to use for future breastfeeding, childbirth, or parenting
questions. It is one thing to learn something from a book and another
thing to hear it from someone who has experienced it.
While the purpose
of gathering to share information and enthusiasm has remained consistent,
over the years La Leche Leagues’ biennial Conferences have become increasingly
international in flavor.
The opening night of LLLI Conferences now traditionally
features families from around the world in a “Parade of Nations.” It
is not unusual to have representatives from every habitable continent
and over 50 different nations. The “World Fair,” an international bazaar
where for three hours you are able to shop for items from around the
world, offers another opportunity to meet others who live far away from
your home. An international La Leche League Conference offers the opportunity
of meeting people from around the world who share the same attitudes
about breastfeeding and the importance of family.
“The World Fair is
a wonderful opportunity. You may never have another chance to mingle
with other mothers from around the world,” said Marian Tompson. In thinking
back to the first Parade of Nations, Marian remembers an Israeli Leader
and a Palestinian Leader walking across the stage and stopping to hug
one another as they reached the middle of the stage. “It gives you hope
to see people who disagree on many issues be able to agree on the importance
of breastfeeding and parenting.”
Marian Tompson said that from the beginning
of La Leche League she has believed that the seedbed of world peace
will be families living the love that children need. Her hope is that
in creating families that live the love they proclaim, we will be developing
children who will have the self-esteem that it takes to be more open
to discussion as a way to solve differences.
The international aspect
of the LLLI Conference and the unity we experience as breastfeeding
advocates is reinforced in the theme for the 18th International Conference
to be held July 3-6, 2003 in San Francisco, California, USA: “Strength
Through Diversity: Creating One Breastfeeding World.”
We hope that you
are planning to be part of this breastfeeding world. It is not too soon
to plan how you will be able to attend. Perhaps you will “walk” to San
Francisco, that is, use some of your World Walk profits to pay your
way; or maybe you will hold a different fundraiser or make the Conference
part of a family vacation. No matter how you get to the Conference,
Marian Tompson believes that you will wonder why you had any doubts
as to whether all of your hard work was worth the effort. She stated,
“It will be an experience you will never forget.”
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:31:53 UTC 2007.
