5 Busy Days in DC: WILPF Attends Summit, Rally and Lobby
Published on August, 13 2024
Members of Global Women United for Peace Against NATO meet in DC restaurant ahead of the No NATO rally in front of the White House, 7th July 2024. Clockwise from left: Tina Shelton (Greater Philly WILPF branch), Ellen Mass (Boston WILPF branch), Peter Schutz (World Beyond War), Tamara Lorincz (WILPF Canada), Sevin Dagdelen (German Parliamentarian), Martha Hennessy (Catholic Worker), Ann Wright (World Beyond War & CODEPINK), Dianne Blais (DISARM co-chair), Paki Weiland (MAPA), Crystal Zevon (WILPF Vermont), Cherrill Spencer (DISARM co-chair). Credit: Cherrill Spencer, used with her permission.
by Cherrill Spencer and Dianne Blais
Co-Chairs of DISARM/End Wars Issue Committee
July/August 2024
NO NATO - YES PEACE
WILPF US was one of the organizers of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Counter-Summit and Rally held in Washington DC the weekend before NATO’s July 9-11 75th anniversary summit.
The all-day counter-summit was held on Saturday, July 6th, followed by a rally on Sunday. World Beyond War’s website has links to the videos and text versions of speeches from those 2 days. WILPF was represented by members from several branches and DISARM co-chairs Dianne Blais and Cherrill Spencer.
Speakers at the July 6 counter-summit detailed why the world does not need NATO anymore, and that it is doing more harm than good. Ms Sevim Dagdelen, a member of the German Bundestag and speakers from Africa, Asia (Korea and Japan), Europe (Belgium, France, Germany), Middle East (Gaza) and North America (Canada, USA) detailed the spreading of NATO to countries nowhere near the north Atlantic and the unnecessary wars it has been involved in. This video has all their speeches, as well as the songs by musician Ben Grosscup who entertained the attendees ahead of each panel.
Immediately after the counter-summit, many attendees dashed across DC to attend the Resist NATO summit where we heard from some youth and local DC organizations regarding the imperialistic behaviors of NATO.
Ahead of the rally outside the White House on Sunday 7th July, Global Women United for Peace Against NATO organization met for brunch (see photo above). Everyone then went to Lafayette Square for the rally where15 speakers gave short speeches describing why their organization wanted to get rid of NATO. In the recording of the rally, you can fast forward 1 hour and 52 minutes into the video to see Dianne and Cherrill give WILPF’s point of view of war and its horrible effects on women and girls in a blistering 96⁰ F.
Enjoying the hospitality of the DC-Maryland-Virginia WILPF Branch; Credit: Cherrill Spencer, used with permission
Lobbying Congressional Members for the Warheads to Windmills Coalition and the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) WILPF Branch Meeting
On July 8th, Dianne and Cherrill took part with about 15 other members of the Warheads to Windmills (W2W) coalition in visiting about 30 members of the House of Representatives to inform them about the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and the new Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and associated legislation in the US Congress. WILPF US is a member of the Warheads to Windmills coalition. Those chosen to lobby Congress were required to have a constituent in their district who could attend the lobbying in person or by zoom.
The group then taxied to northern DC for DMV WILPF Branch’s “Convergence of Peace-Growers” reception with moving presentations and delicious Ethiopian and Japanese food.
On July 9th, Cherrill returned to Capitol Hill for another day of lobbying for W2W and hoped to demonstrate outside the DC Convention Center where NATO was meeting on July 10.
Our DISARM/End Wars Issue committee welcomes new members; we have many ongoing campaigns that need people to work on them. Write to disarmchair@wilpfus.org to request information and to join the DISARM/End Wars Committee, which meets on Zoom on the second and last Sundays of the month.
