Submitted by the Development Committee of WILPF US
Everyone IN, nobody OUT. The WILPF US Spring Appeal is in your mailbox. The capacity for WILPF members to stand TOGETHER across the US is inspiring.
We hope you will reply to the appeal with a generous donation. You can return your check in the envelope that came with the appeal, or you can donate online here.
That kind of organizing takes coordination and resources. Our first solidarity event, on April 22, is just the first step in increasing our visibility . . . but we need everyone in. Please dig deep to invest in WILPF’s future.
WILPF US is working hard to support the members and branches who keep us active and visible in communities across America. Many of our members have been engaged with WILPF for decades, devoting hours, and often most of their lives, to the work we do for peace and planet and human rights. But amazingly, few of our members actually contribute beyond their dues to the organization that is so unique.
What makes WILPF unique? Why are we worthy of your donation?
WE’RE ALL ABOUT EMPOWERING WOMEN. When women organize for change, change is sustainable, practical and effective. We work on a broad array of issues, but always through the lens of women and families and how policy and politics affect them. “LISTEN TO WOMEN . . . FOR A CHANGE!”
1. We’re in This for the Long Haul.
After 100 years, no one can doubt our longevity. Founded by Jane Addams of Hull House, WILPF has been connecting human rights and economic justice to the roots of war since 1915. We have a strong and resilient organization that provides activists with the support and structure to maximize their effectiveness.
2. We Work at the International Level, Too.
We combine national and international action, raising the voices and issues of women across the city and around the world and connecting the dots to show how international policies and economies built on war affect women and families everywhere. With our standing at the United Nations, we monitor the actions of that body and hold nations accountable for their actions and inaction. We provide mentoring experiences for women through our UN Practicum for Advocacy and Local 2 Global programs.
3. Your Presence Means More at WILPF.
Putting it quite simply, when you invest time in an organization where there is already vast support, you’re just another volunteer. But engaging now, as WILPF US stands ready to reimagine itself and recreate itself in the twenty-first century, amid so many old and new challenges—well, that makes your time and effort so much more meaningful. Your contribution will ensure the continuation of WILPF. We need you NOW!
4. “Everything We Cherish Is under Attack.”—Wendell Berry
Our very democracy, our human rights and our Constitutional rights are being attacked and diminished. Our resources—our water, our clean air, our biodiversity, the health of our soil, the life-giving nutrients in our food—are being threatened and privatized. Our “Common Wealth” is being divided up among a small minority of very wealthy profiteers.
WILPF understands that it’s all connected. None of these attacks are happening in isolation. We’ll never fix them by working on them individually. Our work must be broader to encompass the systemic issues we face. At WILPF, we educate, we organize, we make a difference.
5. No One Else Is Like WILPF.
We’re not just a virtual presence. We’re the ones who show up, at protests, at events. We participate and actively support our colleagues and partners. While many other organizations exist to address peace issues and environmental issues—and they do wonderful, necessary work—WILPF works at a more deeply engaged community level, building on the resources you as members bring to the table. Your voices, your hands, your feet on pavements across town and across the country are still our most precious resource.
6. We Empower Women.
We offer leadership and mentoring and we provide a safe space for like-minded progressives to work on education and action. Our branches build on our Manifesto and our mission to set their own course, based on the unique issues in their community. And we’re looking for emerging leaders to support, while they bring their expertise and passion to WILPF US.
With others, I visited all my representatives from Michigan—Sen. Gary Peters, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, and Rep. Debbie Dingell—and then went to the Armed Services Committee by visiting Sen. John McCain, where we met with Analyst Aide Augusta Binns-Berkley. Marylia Kelley of 
Fellow Phyllis Bennis directs the 
Leah Bolger is a national and international peace and justice activist. She serves as the Chair of the Coordinating Committee of
Kathy Kelly is a Chicago-based peace activist, pacifist and author, one of the founding members of Voices in the Wilderness, and currently a co-coordinator of 
Ellen has been co-chair, along with Carol Urner, of the Disarm/End Wars Committee since 2008. For 18 years, 1984-2002, Ellen maintained a round-the-clock vigil for global nuclear disarmament north of the White House. In 1990, she was a co-founder of the 
Larry Spivack is President of the 
Olga Bautista is a life-long resident and community organizer of Chicago’s Southeast Side, an aging industrial corridor between the Calumet River and Lake Michigan. She is Treasurer of the 
Mary Dean is an Organizer at 
Jeanette Hernandez is a longtime active member of AFSCME Local 1989 at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago where, since 1991, she has been a member of the administrative staff in the Department of World Languages and Cultures. She received her B. A. in Philosophy (1997), a B.A. in Sociology, and a M.A. in Political Science (2010) at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago.
Pam Smith is Executive Director and Kingian Nonviolence trainer. She is a public historian and long-time Chicago consultant for nonprofit organizations. Her team conducted the feasibility study that set the stage for the Chicago Freedom School. Pam has worked with many youth groups in the city and served as a senior press aide to Jesse Jackson in his 1988 presidential bid and to Barack Obama in his primary campaign for US Senate. Pam teaches U.S. history at community colleges and is coeditor of The Chicago Freedom Movement: Martin Luther King Jr. and Civil Rights Activism in the North. 
Stefanee, Director of the 
Mary Hanson Harrison is currently president of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, US Section. Her life’s work began on an Iowa dairy farm, learning the importance of building community life and perseverance through difficult times. The ensuing years led her to peace activism and community service in diverse urban communities on the East and West Coast. Raising three children along the way and earning and Honors BA in History at the University of Iowa and MA in Literary Criticism and Theory at Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois), she continued in her academic work focusing on feminist criticism with publications and presentations. Her teaching led back to working in nonprofit organizations advocating for the urban underserved, immigrants and refugees, teaching ESL and grant writing. Meanwhile, she is continuing her advocacy for women’s rights in agroecology and building a global grassroots ecofeminist movement. She also served on Jane Addams Peace Association Board and currently on the board of Stop the Arms Race (STAR*Pac).
