ASAE's counterparts abroad show unity. (Outreach).

On September 11 more than 80 countries lost citizens, making the terrorist strikes not only an attack on America but an attack on the world. In his address to the U.S. Congress, President Bush emphasized, "This is not just America's fight. And what is at stake is not just America's freedom. This is the world's fight. This is civilization's fight. This is the fight of all who believe in progress and pluralism, tolerance and freedom."

ASAE membership across the United States experienced an outpouring of support from its global colleagues and friends expressing their sympathy and solidarity, and ASAE itself received hundreds of messages from the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific Rim, and Europe.

In a show of unity from the worldwide association community, three of ASAE's counterpart societies in the Global Forum of Societies of Association Executives immediately began raising funds for the ASAE/Red Cross Relief Fund. As of late September, more than $36,000 had been collected. ASAE would like to express its deepest appreciation to our friends and colleagues in the Australian Society of Association Executives, Canadian Society of Association Executives, and European Society of Association Executives for their generous support and friendship.

This example of associations reaching out to help others in times of need embodies the values of the "Associations Make A Better World" campaign, which seeks to promote understanding of the association model as a significant contributor to societies and economies worldwide.