Greater Philadelphia’s Peace and Justice Dove Award, community actions

Carol Seeley, left, and Sylvia Metzler, in costume. Credit: Judy Elson.
 

By Tina Shelton, Greater Philadelphia Branch Co-Chair

The Greater Philadelphia Branch members are proud of our actions and outreach this spring and early summer. In April, we joined with the local Granny group for an annual Tax Day action. Our members feel this is an important way of reaching out to the community. It is also very rewarding, as the general public shows considerable interest.

Our Earth Justice committee organized a day of action in honor of Earth Day. We gathered at a local hardware store to hand out the WILPF infographic cards about glyphosates. A local artist joined the effort by helping with posters to spread the word about neonicotinoids and their harmful effects on pollinators. Sylvia Metzler, co-chair of the Greater Philadelphia Branch and devoted environmentalist, donned a bee costume and face makeup for the occasion. Sylvia also attended a children’s camp in the summer to spread the word about the importance of pollinators, as a direct result of the Earth Day action.

May brought the annual outreach to the community via Branch participation in a neighborhood festival, Mt. Airy Day. Our Branch also gathered for our May Luncheon and presentation of the Peace and Justice Dove Award. With joy and celebration, we honored WILPF member Elisabeth Leonard for her decades of staunch peace activism, feminism, and dedication to disarmament. With friends and family in the room, she received the award with salutes and stories of her under-the-radar support for other peace activists. The luncheon also hosted speaker Jacob Bender, current head of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Philadelphia.

Some of our members are very active in the work to change our gun laws, and their work continues, and gains urgency as the shootings increase in frequency and magnitude. We were looking ahead as well, to the Democratic National Convention coming to Philadelphia, and expecting to participate in rallies and in actions that remind the public that “ending wars” is not receiving much attention this election cycle.

For more information, see our Facebook page at WILPF - Greater Philadelphia Branch or contact Tina Shelton at tinades@verizon.net.