What’s Up Within International WILPF?
By Janet Slagter
September 2021
1. Planning, Planning, Planning!
WILPF’s Triennial Congress has been delayed a year, until 2022. It will be virtual, held in July, and hosted by Australia. Given time differences between US and Australian time zones, you can expect some sessions to be held during hours when you would ordinarily not be awake or online. Sessions will be recorded and accessible later, too.
Meanwhile, as Beatriz Schulthess and I discussed in our panel at the recent WILPF US Congress (Saturday, August 21st), plans are being developed for all of the following:
1. The Congress itself
2. WILPF’s International Program for 2022-2025
3. Organizational Development and restructuring for international WILPF.
To that end, the International Secretariat has hired, through a grant from PeaceNexus, a South African consultancy group, The Strategy Circle, to work with us on analyzing what we, as International WILPF, need and how to go about getting there. Mignon Keyser and Jerushah Rangasamy are the two strategists who have been assigned to work with WILPF. They have met with the International Board to discuss their plans and have solicited ideas from board members on what is important and how to proceed.
Below are links to two documents they have prepared for us to use to guide our discussions, “Future WILPF Discussion Guide,” and “Peace, Feminism, and the Environment.”
We need to schedule meetings within the next weeks, both with US WILPFers and with other sections in the Americas, to discuss the contents of these documents and to prepare our responses! All responses, as well as all resolutions for congress, and all suggestions for changes to the International WILPF Constitution and Bylaws must be submitted by December.
Here are the links to the most recent documents International Board members have received from our consultants to share with our sections.
This global call’s focuses, concentrating on the topic of social justice and the environment, are: What are the main problems and challenges WILPFers want to address? What major trends and developments are affecting our work? What kinds of outcomes can WILPF achieve together in these Work Areas? Links to the registration site and necessary documents for participating in this call.
Peace, Feminism, and the Environment Discussion Paper
2. Future WILPF Global Calls
Like the call on “Socioecomonic Justice and the Environment “that took place September 7th, 7:00 EDT, 6:00 CDT, 5:00 MDT, 4:00 PDT, WILPF International will be scheduling global calls on other important topics in the upcoming weeks.
If you were unable to join that call but want to participate in WILPF’s environmental policy development, you can send your thoughts to membership@wilpf.org with “Future WILPF” in your subject line.
This global call’s focuses, concentrating on the topic of social justice and the environment, are:
What are the main problems and challenges WILPFers want to address? What major trends and developments are affecting our work? What kinds of outcomes can WILPF achieve together in these Work Areas?
Links to the registration site and necessary documents for participating in this call.
Peace, Feminism, and the Environment Discussion Paper
Cllck here to read discussion paper
For more information on plans for the 2022 congress, see the WILPF website. You can also email me at janetsl@csufresno.edu
