Spring Forward with Earth Democracy from January to June

Photo credit:  Designed by Nancy Price

By Nancy Price

Time to Spring Forward with Earth Democracy and Corporations v Democracy from January to June.  As we begin 2018 with branch meetings, issue and program committee and ONE WILPF calls, here’s what we are planning.

We’d love to hear from you.  Sharing together, we can be more creative and successful together.  Please join the Earth Democracy Issue Committee email listserve.  Your experience with past local events and how you reached out to and collaborated with other groups is invaluable, including any materials you’d like to share.  To join the listserv, email WILPF Interim Admin, Chris Wilbeck, at chris.wilpf@gmail.com.

January

Keeping an eye on the NAFTA2 re-negotiations

Roll-out of #WhySoSecret? #ReleasetheNAFTA2TextNow campaign

All sectors of civil society are actively promoting what they want in NAFTA2 – real protections for jobs, labor and the environment; guarantees for Buy Local and Buy America programs; food safety, an end to the secret ISDS supra-national corporate trade courts, and much more. 

There are rumors that some provisions from the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) and the TransAtlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will be in NAFTA2.  Yet, the secret negotiations include as many as 600 corporate representatives at the table and only few members of civil society groups.

Because the Mexican Presidential elections take place in July, the Mexican government is pressuring Canada and the US to finalize the text by late March.  So, negotiations are on Fast Track.  And, when the text goes to Congress, NAFTA2 vote is on Fast Track: no hearings, NO amendments, and majority vote. 

Plan to join our #WhySoSecret? #ReleasetheNAFTA2TextNow campaign.

Earth Democracy CA Branch Tour

Earth Democracy received a grant to fund Nancy Price and Eliza Garbutt visits to CA branches to discuss the Commission on the Status of Women 2018, with the priority theme:  Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls.  The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and corporate influence will also be discussed.  

Please discuss with your branch, soon, whether you’d like to host such a program in late March or early April and call or email Nancy at 530-758-0726 (pacific time) or nancytprice39@gmail.com. 

Eliza Garbutt was a 2017 WILPF Practicum student who graduated in June from UC Santa Barbara.

February

Formally launch Nancy Glock-Gruenrich’s 7-part series: The Future We Need and How to Get It

Nancy Glock-Gruenrich, a Santa Cruz Branch member, has developed a 7-part monthly program titled: The Future We Need and How to Get It, based on her two workshops at the Chicago Congress. It broadcasts on local Santa Cruz community TV channel 27.  Watch the first show here. The second show will be taped and available soon.  A local Santa Cruz study group is using her Study Guide: Citizen Actions Field Manual.  Stay tuned…

Tri-County Public Bank in CA

Randa Solick and Santa Cruz Branch members will create and post materials on their project to create a tri-county Public Bank in California, with information on why public banking is one way, among many, to build the new economy for people and the planet. Materials will focus on the benefits of a public bank in helping to fund green, renewable energy, local agriculture and restoration projects, women and family entrepreneurs and so much more, so our local and regional economies support people and our communities and not drain money out to Wall Street bankers/speculators and the global 1%.  

Other

Plans are to post an updated version of Earth Democracy's Communities and Nature Workshop to the WILPF website.

March

March 8, International Women’s Day

Be inspired by Cape Cod’s 2017 Challenge,  Addressing Climate Change in Our Daily Lives: The WILPF Cape Cod Challenge.

Here’s the Challenge proposed to every WILPF branch!

• Honor the women in your region who have led successful environmental actions.
• Challenge your members to measure and reduce their individual and household carbon footprints. 
• Invite other organizations to follow your example.

For more information, email Laurie Gates at wilpf88@gmail.com or Jan Hively at hivel001@umn.edu.

March 22, World Water Day

This year’s theme is “The Answer is in Nature.”  How can we reduce floods, droughts and water pollution?  By using solutions we already find in nature.   Explore the World Water Day website for ideas and inspiration.  Check out this amazing website for materials and local projects: Biodiversity for a Livable Climate/Restoring Ecosystems to Reverse Global Warming and their latest conference Climate Reckoning: Paths to an Earth Restored.

World Water Day connects many different topics and one or another may be more urgent for you locally to highlight (i.e. fracking, frac-sand mining, pipelines, CAFOs, privatization of water and sanitation, pollution of water sources and contaminants in drinking water, environmental justice, biodiversity-regeneration-restoration).  Don’t forget - behind the curtain are the oil, gas, coal and nuclear plant companies.  We must continue to endorse divestment campaigns and call out the wealthy donors and lobbyists who endorse climate-destroying policies.

Look for Factsheets, available March, on the three federal and state proposals to reduce our carbon footprint:  Cap and Trade, Carbon Tax, and Carbon Pricing and Dividend. 

Last year’s theme was “Why Waste Water?”  We wrote then to just say “NO” to Nestlé and to glyphosate-based herbicides, such as Monsanto’s Roundup.  This year we still need to say “NO.”  Go to your local garden stores and ask to put up information on Roundup or hand-out information in front of the store; table at your local farmer’s market; lobby your City and County Councils to stop using Roundup or other products on city parks, greenbelts, and roadsides.  

April

April 15, Tax Day

Let’s hear from you with proposals for Tax Day demonstrations and protests.  Is it time to make the case for a Women’s Budget and protest the immorality of the Tax Bill and the military budget?  Maybe a ONE WILPF call in February or March to discuss plans, need for Factsheets and actions?  Do we want a WILPF banner designed for a ONE WILPF Solidarity action?

April 22, Earth Day

Earth Day Theme Poll: The Earth Day Network is polling for what the theme for Earth Day 2018 should be - Plastics, Biodiversity vs. Extinction, or Extreme Weather?  Read the explanations on why each of these themes is so important and take the poll here.

ONE WILPF Earth Day Solidarity Action.  Peace & Planet Before Profit!

Let’s get more WILPF branches to engage in the Earth Day action this year.  In 2017, 26 branches planned an event for our first national action with the same message - all of us standing in the same direction.  Read the call for standing in solidarity from last year here.  Go here for a wonderful assembly of photos from the 2017 Branch events.

It’s never too early to start planning to order a banner and work with other local groups.  Be sure to order your Climate Justice+Women+Peace Infographic Card for your action now.   Email Marybeth Gardham at mbgradam@gmail.com.  

This year, more than ever, Mother Earth needs all the support we WILPF women can give her! 

May          

May Day

Take a fresh bunch of flowers to a friend or neighbor who is shut-in, help someone in their garden who can no longer do all their gardening, or join with others in your community garden to finish spring clean-up, planting, weeding, and early harvest.

May 1, International Labor Day

The Global Climate Convergence will be planning Earth Day to May Day: Ten Days of Action. WILPF can put events on our Earth Day and the Convergence calendar.  Read the mission statement of the Global Climate Convergence and history of Earth Day and May Day here.

No matter what happens with negotiation and ratification of NAFTA2 by Congress, and with other free trade agreement negotiations underway (TiSA and TTIP and bilaterals with other countries, such as Japan), a large national and international mobilization is needed to turn back the assault on labor and working families.  Watch for updates.

May-June

Planning for July 4th actions to Declare Independence from Corporate Rule with Corporations v Democracy.

Planning to celebrate of First Year Anniversary on July 7 of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons with Disarm/End War.

For more information, contact Nancy Price at nancytprice39@gmail.com.

Inset photo credits:

NAFTA graphic credit:  Designed by Barbara Clancy, National Campaigns Coordinator, Alliance for Democracy

People Before Profit photo credit: Courtesy of WILPF East Bay Branch