“Peace is / Peace is Not” Campaign｜WILPF US | Women's International League for Peace and Freedom since 1915

“Peace is / Peace is Not” Campaign

January 2026

Updates

January 2026

WILPF US Continues to Mobilize for What Real Peace Is, Rejects Militarism and Defends Democracy

The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom US (WILPF US) continues to confront the growing normalization of war, repression, and militarized definitions of “peace.” First launched in October 2025, WILPF US’s Peace is / Peace is Not campaign challenged the Administration’s framing of peace as a pause in fighting or a shift in military power—an approach that leaves intact the systems of violence, exploitation, and injustice that fuel conflict. WILPF US asserts that peace without justice, dignity, and human security is not peace.

Today WILPF focuses on nine urgent issue areas shaping current headlines and lived realities:

ICE and immigration enforcement
Environmental and climate justice
Oil and fossil fuels
Race, equity, and democratic inclusion
The war economy
U.S. intervention in Venezuela
The devastation of Gaza and Palestine
Escalating conflict with Iran
Militarization in Greenland and the Arctic

Across each issue, we draw a clear line between what peace is not—deportation pipelines, weapons transfers, extraction, sanctions, surveillance, and war profiteering—and what peace is: human rights, disarmament, sovereignty, care, and collective well-being. We invite everyone to use the Peace is / Peace is Not campaign social media posts and graphics in their local communities. To fight for democracy, in solidarity.

Urgent issues

ICE: Peace is not a deportation pipeline
U.S. policies destabilize countries across Latin America—then ICE punishes people forced to flee those conditions. Solidarity means ending both intervention abroad and deportation at home. Peace is not militarization at home: ICE operates with military equipment, tactics, and budgets—bringing war logic into our neighborhoods. Militarism doesn’t stop at borders. WILPF organizes to end violence as public policy, at home and abroad.
👉 Take action: Defend migrant rights—end detention, deportation, and family separation.
👉 Resource links: ACLU – Immigration & detention, Freedom for Immigrants

ENVIRONMENT: Peace is climate cooperation, not power politics
As global alliances fray and power politics return, military pollution and resource wars make the climate crisis worse. The U.S. pulling back from international climate cooperation further harms communities and the planet. Peace is protecting the earth, not militarism that pollutes: Military threatens ecosystems, air quality, and water systems across the region. PFAS forever chemicals have contaminated military bases and local communities. Environmental destruction is violence—against communities, future generations, and the Earth itself.
👉 Take action: Stop environmental degradation from war.
👉 Resource links: WILPF US Earth Democracy, WILPF Military Poisons Research, WILPF International: Ecological Justice

OIL AND FOSSIL FUELS: Peace is a just transition away from fossil fuels
Expanding oil production is framed as “national security,” but it fuels conflict and instability. Real security comes from diplomacy, demilitarization, and a just transition away from fossil fuels. Peace is not oil extraction: Around the world, oil extraction is linked to land theft, repression of protest, and violence against Indigenous and frontline communities. These are human rights violations.
👉 Take action: Stop oil expansion—support a just, fossil-free transition.
👉 Resource links: Oil Change International, Global Witness

RACE AND EQUITY: Peace is dismantling inequitable systems
Rollback of DEI programs, diversity hires, and affirmative action signals that structural racism remains unaddressed—and yet billions still flow to weapons systems that concentrate power and ignore human needs. Peace requires dismantling systems that prioritize force over equity. Peace is an inclusive economy: State and federal moves to ban DEI in education and hiring signal a regression in worker protections at the very moment when women and workers of color are still underrepresented in leadership and pay equity data shows persistent gaps.
👉 Take action: Defend racial justice, gender equity, and inclusive democracy—at home and globally.
👉 Resource links: WILPF US Women, Money & Democracy, WILPF International: Feminist Political Economy, NAACP Legal Defense Fund

WAR ECONOMY: Peace is not profit for arms makers
Militarized foreign policy drains public resources and worsens inequality, while workers and caregivers struggle for stability at home. Feminist economic reform means an economy rooted in dignity for all—not profit for arms makers. Peace is solidarity, not sanctions: From Iran to Cuba to Venezuela, the U.S. relies on sanctions to assert power—despite overwhelming evidence that they harm civilians and undermine sovereignty. Solidarity means opposing coercion everywhere.
👉 Take action: Stop the consolidation of money and power. Create system changes that can lead to a more equitable future.
👉 Resource links: WILPF US Women, Money & Democracy, WILPF International: Feminist Political Economy

VENEZUELA: Peace is not US military in Venezuela
The U.S. military’s recent intervention in Venezuela — capturing its president and prompting global condemnation — shows how war and militarism are still treated as policy tools, weakening international law and peace norms. WILPF rejects force as diplomacy and stands for disarmament and peaceful solutions. Peace is sovereignty, not foreign intervention: WILPF calls for respect for international law and stands in solidarity with people resisting interventionism and fighting for self-determination.
👉Take action: Stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela—oppose U.S. intervention and sanctions.
👉 Resource links: WILPF US Statement on Venezuela

GAZA AND PALESTINE: Peace is not weapons transfers
As civilian casualties in Gaza continue to dominate headlines, the role of weapons transfers can’t be ignored. WILPF demands an end to arms shipments that fuel mass harm and violations of international law. Disarmament is a path to life. Peace is naming harm to end it: WILPF refuses silence on Gaza and Palestine. Occupation, apartheid, and mass civilian harm must be named to be ended. Peace without justice is not peace.
👉 Take action: Demand a permanent ceasefire, humanitarian access, and accountability under international law.
👉 Resource links: WILPF resources for solidarity with Palestine

IRAN: Peace is not weapons of mass destruction
Iran’s nuclear program dominates headlines, but nuclear weapons—anywhere—put all of us at risk. Real security comes from international law, arms control, and investment in people, not weapons of mass destruction. Peace is a political choice, not a war economy: From sanctions to weapons contracts, conflict with Iran enriches defense industries while draining public resources. Money for war is a political choice—and so is investing in dignity, care, and democracy.
👉 Take action: Support diplomacy, oppose war with Iran, and defend human rights without collective punishment.
👉 Resource links: WILPF US Disarm/End Wars, National Iranian American Council

Peace is not actict militarization GREENLAND/ARCTIC: Peace is not Arctic militarization
As melting ice opens new shipping routes and resource access in Greenland, great-power competition is intensifying in the Arctic. Militarizing a climate-fragile region won’t bring security—it raises the risk of conflict. Peace is security beyond weapons: Expanded military footprints in the Arctic are framed as “defense,” but real security in Greenland means climate protection, Indigenous sovereignty, and international cooperation—not arms buildups.
👉 Take action: Oppose Arctic militarization and extraction—support Indigenous sovereignty and climate justice.
👉 Resource links: Inuit Circumpolar Council, Arctic Institute

Downloads: Updated Peace is / Peace is Not campaign toolkit

Bring the campaign to life in your community with ready-to-use graphics and social media posts available at the links below.

Images for social media and posters | Download Google Drive (jpeg) | Download All (zip)
Social Media Copy | Download (pdf)

WILPF Exposes the Administration’s Dangerous Framing

October 2025

In 2025, “peace” has been reduced to a political buzzword. President Trump aspires to be seen as a peacemaker—boasting about ending wars—yet his administration continues enabling and waging aggressive military campaigns in Gaza, Iran, and beyond, while repressing dissent at home. Despite this, countries such as Israel and Pakistan have stated their intentions to nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize.

This dangerous framing narrows peace to mean a pause in fighting or a shift in military power, ignoring the deeper truth that peace requires justice, dignity, and human security. WILPF US’s Peace is / Peace is Not campaign challenges the Administration’s militarized definition of peace, and reclaims the definition of peace to reflect:

Human rights and dignity
Disarmament and nonviolence
Social, economic and environmental justice
Sustainable well-being for all

“Peace is not a slogan you can weaponize. Peace is justice, dignity, and freedom for all people. When the Administration wages war abroad, represses dissent at home, and violates human rights, that is not peace—it is violence by another name. WILPF US will not let peace be redefined by those who profit from war,” said Linda Low, Executive Director, Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom US.

Through a series of national actions and educational campaigns, WILPF US will expose what peace is not—militarism, repression, inequality—and uplift what peace is: justice, freedom to speak, climate and environmental protection, and human dignity.

Calls to Action

The Peace is / Peace is Not campaign spotlights key areas where U.S. policies undermine true peace and invite communities nationwide to take action:

Peace is justice for Gaza and the people of Palestine. Peace is NOT US weapons and military aid to Israel.
Take action: Join BDS campaigns, attend protests, support humanitarian and mutual aid networks in Gaza and Palestine, and name the “war” a genocide.
Peace is treating immigrants and migrants with dignity. Peace is NOT terrorizing communities with ICE raids.
Take action: Host Know Your Rights workshops, accompany neighbors to hearings, film and share ICE encounters, and support immigrant-owned businesses.
Peace is protecting free speech. Peace is NOT arresting students for activism.
Take action: Defend students’ rights by documenting ICE presence on campuses, protecting records, and building networks with student activist groups.
Peace is dialogue. Peace is NOT restoring a Department of War.
Take action: Contact your Representatives and Senators to oppose the Department of War Restoration Act. Ask them to co-sponsor the Department of Peacebuilding Act instead.
Peace is affirming all identities. Peace is NOT erasing trans lives from federal protections.
Take action: Support local trans-led organizations, challenge transphobia, and monitor harmful legislation.
Peace is honoring climate commitments. Peace is NOT environmental destruction through war.
Take action: Use WILPF’s “Military Poisons” resource, organize anti-war actions, and educate your community on militarism’s ecological toll.

Campaign toolkit and resources for WILPF US members and allies

Peace is/is Not campaign

Participate in the Peace is / Peace is Not campaign through:

A nationwide social media + poster campaign
Local media outreach and ally mobilization
Advocacy for a Department of Peacebuilding
Peace Crane Drop

Bring the campaign to life in your community with ready-to-use tools and graphics available to you at the links below.

Download Center

All documents | Download (.zip 100 mb)