Important Fall Disarm/End Wars Events and Breaking ICAN News

By Ellen Thomas
Co-Chair, Disarm/End Wars Committee

There are many important disarmament events this fall, from September to November. We have listed them here in chronological order, with links (when available):

World Beyond War #NoWar2018 Conference
Toronto, September 21-22

This conference is being held to celebrate the international day of peace. The theme this year is about war and law, how the rule of law has been used to legitimize war, and can be used to end it. WILPF is a sponsor.

Keep Space for Peace Week
Multiple Locations, October 6-13, 2018
An international week of protest to stop the militarization of space sponsored by the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. WILPF US is a cosponsor. For a continually updated listed of events, go to worldbeyondwar.org.   

Women's March on the Pentagon
Washington, DC, October 20-21, 2018
In response to the continuing march of military aggression by the US and to put an antiwar agenda back on the table of activists, this Women's (and allies) March on the Pentagon is being held on the 51st anniversary of the 1967 big antiwar event in DC. There will be a day of workshops before the October 21 march.
   
March for Peace
November 9-11, Washington, DC
Originally planned to protest President Trump’s proposed military parade, the November 9-11 events will include a Friday evening concert, a Saturday Peace Congress–an all-day meeting for peace-anti-war and other groups to strategize on creating a broad-based Peace Movement in the US, and on Sunday at 11 am, there will be a Silent March with Veterans for Peace to war memorials in and around the Mall Area. Plans are still in process.  More information will be available soon.

Coalition Against U.S. Foreign Military Bases
Dublin, Ireland, November 16-18.
This is a historic first international conference to close US and NATO military bases and begin to bring together a more structured global peace movement. This conference will be discussed in more detail on the Sept. 13 ONE WILPF call.  Please read the conference program and also please consider making a donation so the organizers can offer scholarships to conference speakers. For example, WILPF could help a few women from our new African sections to attend and bring their discussion of “Building a Feminist Peace Movement” at Congress into this historic conference. Any amount of donation would be most welcome. 

School of the Americas Watch Encuentro
Nogales, AZ, November 16-18
This will be the third mobilization at the border in Nogales, AZ/Sonora, Mexico. This bi-national Encuentro aims to build the grassroots power to challenge the racist status quo and protest US intervention in Latin America.

Let us know what you’re planning!!
Update on Ban Treaty Petition and Breaking News from California

199 signatures were gathered during Hiroshima/Nagasaki week, total now 3,855 paper, 2,361 online

And…Breaking News from ICAN: California Supports the Nuclear Ban Treaty

Big news came from California on August 29, 2018. The state senate just approved a resolution calling for support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, make nuclear dis armament the centerpiece of our national security policy, and spearhead a global effort to prevent nuclear war. The resolution (Sacramento–Assembly Joint Resolution 33 or AJR 33) was introduced by Santa Barbara’s State Assembly member, Monique Limón, and passed by a vote of 22 to 8.

Read Judy Adams’ Peninsula/Palo Alto Branch report to learn more about WILPF’s important role in this achievement.