Two preparatory events led up to the four international GWIAs during the 5 month period of EXPO 2000 at the Mother Center Salzgitter. In 1998 a GWIA was held which focussed on multicultural grassroots women’s work in Western Europe. The 1999 GWIA gathered together grassroots women’s groups from Central and Eastern Europe to define a grassroots women’s perspective on development in post-socialist countries.