ORGANIZE! ORGANIZE! ORGANIZE! Says the DISARM Committee

Protesters outside Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California. Moments later, at 11:01 p.m. on Election Night (November 5th), a Minuteman III ICBM was launched carrying three dummy nuclear warheads, which landed in the ocean near the Marshall Islands about 20 minutes later. Protesters included Sharat Lin (San Jose Peace Center), Lynn Hamilton (WILPF and Monterey Peace and Justice Center), MacGregor Eddy (CA World BEYOND War and WILPF), Scott Yundt (Tri-Valley CARES), Jan Meslin (Central Coast Anti-War Pro-Peace Coalition), and Leah Yananton (Los Angeles CodePink). Photo by Scott Yundt, used with permission.

by Cherrill Spencer  
co-chair of DISARM/End Wars Committee

November 2024

While we are unhappy with the results of the general election, let’s not let that lead to inaction. We must continue organizing events, collaborating with sister peace organizations, and pressuring Congress to reduce the massive military budget.  “I’m not going to start wars, I’m going to stop wars,” declared Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump in his victory speech on November 6th. Let’s hold him to this declaration and remind him of it at every opportunity.

WATCH: As we have explained in recent eNEWS articles, silo-based missiles like the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base on November 5th are expensive, dangerous, and unnecessary. Watch a short video showing the rocket rising into the night sky and hear its engines roar

WILPF Members Advocate for Women’s Rights

WILPF members continue to support women’s rights, reproductive rights, and the fight against being sent back to a time when women had no political or economic power.
 

Four WILPF members joined the Women’s March on November 2nd in Washington, DC. See the photo below. We must align with the broader feminist movement to ensure that the gains of recent decades are not lost under the new federal administration.
 

WILPF members from the DC-Maryland-Virginia branch participated in the Women’s March on November 2nd in DC. Photo by Laura George, used with permission.

Good News from the United Nations: Studying the Effects of Nuclear War

The UN General Assembly’s First Committee voted to establish a scientific panel to examine the physical effects and societal consequences of nuclear war, including climatic, environmental, and radiological impacts. This study will update knowledge from 30 years ago.

• Read the resolution here.
• Key votes: 144 countries supported the resolution, while Russia, France, and Britain opposed it. The U.S. abstained, along with 30 other nations.

The resolution is expected to pass the General Assembly in December, after which UN Secretary-General António Guterres will appoint a 21-member scientific panel. WILPF will have the opportunity to provide input, helping inform the international public about the devastating consequences of nuclear war.

Observe Human Rights Day, December 10: Watch the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony

Human Rights Day, observed on December 10, marks the 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year’s theme is “Equality—Reducing Inequalities and Advancing Human Rights.”

On December 10, the Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded to Nihon Hidankyo for their efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating that nuclear weapons must never be used again.

Watch the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony livestream, including inspiring speeches and musical interludes.

Join the DISARM/END WARS Issue Committee

We welcome new members to the DISARM/END WARS Issue Committee. Meetings are held via Zoom on the second and last Sundays of each month at 4:30 p.m. PT, 6:30 p.m. CT, and 7:30 p.m. ET.

To request the Zoom link or join the DISARM listserv, email: disarmchair@wilpfus.org.