“We must see the connection between Earth and ourselves, and that we must fall back in love with Earth in order to heal the planet…We need a real awakening, enlightenment, to change our way of thinking and seeing things. ” Tich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist monk, peace activist and scholar (link to interview on Common Dreams coming soon)
To guarantee human rights it is necessary to recognize and defend the rights of Mother Earth—that all its ecosystems are a living being with inalienable rights: to exist, to maintain vital processes necessary for the harmonious balance that supports all life, and to live free of cruel treatment. Adapted from The Panchamama Alliance.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Riverside Church, April 4, 1967
In 1967, a year before he died, Martin Luther King, Jr. in his most revolutionary speech “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” set forth a critique of capitalism, calling for a “revolution of values” and envisioning a “worldwide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one’ tribe, race, class and nation.” Now, animated by the ancient wisdom of indigenous peoples and the new spirit of environmental justice, the Rights of Nature movement is beginning to realize King’s vision.
Information:
Co-chairs, contact information, conference call times
Hw to subscribe to the Earth Democracy list serve and other list serves when created.
Take Action:
Pass Rights of Nature ordinance or incorporate statement on the Rights of Nature into community rights ordinances to prohibit a specific corporate harm such as fracking, mining water for bottling, big-box stores, etc. For examples, see www.celdf.org.
Pass a Precautionary Principle Ordinance to protect people and nature from pollution and helping to implement Rights of Nature
Materials:
Brief history of the Rights of Nature Movement. (see below) The Cochabama Declaration
The United Nations Declaration (need link)
Video Why Nature Needs Rights: Vandana Shiva, Maude Barlow, Cormac Cullinan, and Pablo Solon archived web broadcast of April 22 UN General Assembly Interactive Dialogue on Harmony with Nature that has grown out of an initiative by Bolivia to incorporate recognition of the rights of the Earth and of the Earth community at the June 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development / Rio+20 to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012—20 years after the historic 1992 Earth Summit/UN Conference on Environment and Development also held in Rio.
The Rights of Nature movement considers that we are all part of Mother Earth, an indivisible, living community of interrelated and inter-dependent beings with a common destiny. It acknowledges that Mother Earth is the source of life and nourishment and that exploitation, abuse and contamination have caused great destruction, degradation and disruption of Mother Earth putting all life as we know it today at risk. The Rights of Nature establishes the legal basis for protecting our planet and such laws recognize the authority of people, communities and governments to defend these rights. Read more...
Statement on Earth Summit Rio+20:
Twenty years after Rio 1992, our collective future is threatened. We all understand that our current impacts on the planet are unsustainable and know we must transition to a Real Green Economy, but the proposed false Green Economy is very dangerous. The future WILPF women want for present and future generations is most threatened by the false and destructive Green Economy promoted for Rio.
What is being proposed for Rio+20 under the name Green Economy is very different than anything we have seen .because the scale and scope of initiatives represents a bold attempt to enclose all of nature—of the natural commons. What is being proposed in the “financialization or commercialization of all nature” under the concept of “ecological services” and “enclosing of the commons” for private profit.
The Zero Draft document titled “The Future We Want” is supposed to be the starting point for discussion. It is a compelling, optimistic title, but don’t be fooled. The Green Economy is being heavily promoted as the core outcome at Rio. But the governments of the United Nations states accepted the Green Economy as central to Rio before is was clearly defined. This has opened the door for powerful neo-liberal organizations and multi-national corporations, the major financial institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and governments and to hijack the concept of a Green Economy.
Be careful of statements made in such the UN-sponsored Paper (link coming soon) just released by 20 past winners of the Blue Planet Prize, often called the Nobel Prize for the environment, for the 20th Anniversary of the Rio+20 conference in June, 2012. The authors view of sustainable development in the face of climate and ecological crisis is to put a value on biodiversity and so-called “ecosystem services” to create markets for them that can form the basis of green economies. (Link coming soon) The Rights of Nature in the Rio+20 Process
The global Earth Democracy movement is based on principles of inclusion, non-violence, reclaiming the commons, and equitably sharing the earth’s resources. Founded by Vandana Shiva, the movement provides an alternative worldview in which humans are embedded in the Earth Family, and connected to each other through love and compassion. Ecological responsibility and economic justice replace greed, consumerism and competition as objectives of human life.
The 10 Earth Democracy Principles set out the path toward a just, sustainable , and peaceful future. The first principle Ecological Democracy—Democracy of all Life states: “We are all members of the Earth community. We all have the duty to protect the rights and welfare of all species and all people. No humans have the right to encroach on the ecological space of other species and other people, or treat them with cruelty and violence.” Adapted from Navdanya International.
Navdanya founded by Vandana Shiva in 1984 is a “women centered movement for the protection of biological and cultural diversity."
Program:
Were do we want to describe Guardianship for Present and Future Generations and Precautionary Principle here, along with how the themes of the four sub-committees focus on specific aspects
(Maybe keep this for later: calling all Teachers: WILPF might try to develop Elementary School curriculum for the Alliance for Democracy’s Tapestry of the Commons. Might get Foundation funding; right now Susan Friess 4-5th grade teacher in Madison, WI is using it in her classroom.)
The Leadership Team members are: Rita Jawkowski-Bradley (Missoula, MT), Jean Hays (Fresno, CA), Lib Hutchby (Chapel Hill, NC), Nancy Munger (Orleans, MA), Linda Park (Cleveland, OH), Nancy Price (Davis, CA) , Randa Solick (Santa Cruz, CA) and John Wagner (Chapel Hill, NC), Alan Haber (Ann Arbor, MI) and Odile Hugonot-Haber (Ann Arbor, MI)
Leadership Team conference calls are on Tuesday at 9 a.m. Pacific Time/Noon Eastern Time.
We invite you to join the Earth Democracy listserve here (Link coming soon). We are eager to hear from and work with you.
We welcome your contribution to our program such as news of local activities and materials, suggestions for actions, books and films, important articles to post, and especially creative and fun ways to engage with the public through art, song, poetry and rap, dance and skits. Take a look at
We will post your Branch and member activities on a Google Map to are taking action to foster collaboration and sharing.
The WILPF US Board meets every other month, and the Steering Committee meets in alternating months. Board meetings are usually via teleconference and are open to all WILPF members; pre-register to receive call-in information and agenda in advance of meeting by writing to secretary@wilpfus.org.
Board Meeting Schedule for 2024
With a new 2024 Board, the regular Board meeting will continue to recur every other month.
WILPF US members are welcome to attend Board meetings and are hereby notified that the meetings in 2024 are currently and usually will be at 10 am PT, 11 am MT, noon CT, and 1 pm ET – on the fourth Saturday of alternate months – namely January 27, March 23, May 25, July 27, September 28, November 23, and – in 2025 – January 25.
Please contact the Secretary (see above) to obtain additional meeting information.
Possible Special Board Meetings
The Board occasionally has additional special meetings to address pressing or accumulated business (as well as Board gatherings, for board retreats).
The Bylaws stipulate that —
Any Board meeting ... must be preceded by notification to all Board members at least sixty days in advance of the meeting. Failing such notice, the meeting may not make policy decisions. In addition, WILPF US members shall be notified in advance of all meetings by the means specified in WILPF US organizational policy
In addition to the schedule on this webpage, please see the WILPF eNews — especially the Updates section — for announcements of any such additional and special board meetings.
Special April Board Meeting
The Board will have a special board meeting on Saturday, April 27, to consider the 2024 budget proposal and address other business, as needed.
The meeting will occur at the usual board meeting times: 10 am PT, 11 am MT, noon CT, and 1 pm ET. WILPF US members who wish to attend the meeting should, please, pre-register to receive the meeting link and agenda in advance of the meeting by writing to secretary@wilpfus.org.
Board Minutes
Board minutes are usually posted following board approval at the subsequent regular meeting.
Opportunities for National-Level Involvement and Leadership Development
Are you an activist who wants to shape and develop WILPF at the national level? Spread your leadership wings! WILPF US members can become active at the national level by applying for membership in ad hoc committees and Board committees. Contact the Secretary for additional information on specific committees or committees that work in your areas of interest: secretary@wilpfus.org.
In addition to that option, experienced and interested WILPF US members are invited to seek a leadership position by applying for the national Board. Elections take place annually, for about a third of the board positions — generally, in the fall. You can apply and run for one of the open board positions.
We seek candidates who can develop respectful working relationships with sister board members and are ready to actively participate in WILPF US deliberations on policy, budget, and other issues. We especially encourage candidates with the special qualities of passion, clear sightedness, and other leadership abilities.
Between the regular elections, the Board sometimes makes appointments or takes other actions to address unfilled board positions. The Board may consider appointments to fill these positions, to serve to the end of the current board term (up to one-year). Contact the Secretary for additional information on currently vacant positions: secretary@wilpfus.org.
Hear from past and present Board members about what they like best about being on the Board
Current Board of Directors Members, Brief Biographies, and Contact Information
President: Darien De Lu (Sacramento, CA)
Term ends: January 2025
conjoin [at] sonic.net
Darien draws support and strength from her "activist home" in WILPF, where she has been active for over 30 years. Outside of WILPF work, Darien uses leisure time to sing and write political and labor songs, for gardening and being in nature, and in other peace and justice organizing, including as a Latin America solidarity activist. She speaks multiple languages and has traveled extensively in Latin America, North Africa and West Africa, the Middle East, many parts of Asia, and all of Europe. She considers herself fortunate to have over forty years of participation in—and education from—many of the political movements that have often found innovative expression in California, such as nonviolent direct action, feminist process, ecological activism, and the ending of nuclear weapons and power. She agrees, to paraphrase Noam Chomsky, "since privilege confers responsibility, the question always arises as to how [one is] using that responsibility."
Treasurer: Barbara Nielsen(San Francisco, CA)
Term ends: January 2026
treasurer [at] wilpfus.org
WILPF US:
Joined c. 1971; Life Member (2005)
Member, Berkeley Branch (now East Bay) and active participant(1971 – c. 1989)
Member, San Francisco Branch since 2005 and active participant
Branch, Regional service focus until 2008; when added National, International, UN focus, service & work
National Board Elected Service: Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair; Nominating Committee Chair; Program Committee Chair, (2008 – 2019)
Bylaws Committee Service: Member (2007 – Current)
National Program Committee, National Issues Committees Service/Participation: (2008 – Current)
US Triennial Congress Service/Participation:
2008 Iowa 30th Congress: Co-Facilitator/Presenter, Bylaws Workshops and seated on National Board as member-elected Treasurer
2014 Detroit 32nd Congress: Parliamentarian; Member: Congress Rules Committee, Congress Committee, Congress Program Committee, Resolutions Committee
2017 Chicago 33rd Congress: Parliamentarian; Member: Resolutions Committee, Congress Rules Committee; Facilitator/Co-Presenter, four workshops
2021 Virtual 34th Congress: Parliamentarian; Member: Congress Rules Committee, Congress Resolutions Committee; Participant, Workshop on Member Development
International Triennial Congress Service/Participation:
2015 Centennial International Congress, The Hague, Netherlands: Voting Member. USA Section Delegation
2018 International Congress, Accra, Ghana: Chair, Congress Resolutions Commit-tee; Alternate Member, USA Section Delegation
2022 International Virtual Congress: Participant in USA contributions to Int’l Program; voting member, US Delegation; invited service as Facilitator, Congress Resolutions Plenary
WILPF at United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) Annual Meeting:
Attended CSW and supported WILPF US CSW programs.
Secretary: Ginger Harris (Boston, MA)
Term ends: January 2027
secretary [at] wilpfus.org
I grew up in a progressive family in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. (My mother was a WILPF member before I was.) After a BA degree in political science and MA in Urban Planning and working several planning jobs, I married, had a daughter and became ac-tive in WILPF at the branch level: monthly board meetings, annual membership meetings, In-ternational Women’s Day vigils, Tax Day leafletting, Women in Black vigils, Hiroshima-Nagasaki memorials, anti-war-toy leafletting, tabling at public events, anti-Vietnam-war ral-lies & marches.
During one or two years in late 1980s I chaired our monthly branch meetings. While working 28 years for the St. Louis transit agency and subsequently caring for my aging parents for another 10 years until they passed away, I volunteered on behalf of other issues: non-fossil-fuel modes of transportation, replacing coal, oil and nuclear power with less polluting sources, supporting community and urban gardening, and using non-hackable voting systems, in addition to WILPF-sponsored activities.
After moving to the Boston area in 2015 to be closer to our two grandchildren, my mate and I participated in a few rallies in downtown Boston and met some WILPFers. They drew me into their Saturday morning lobby letter and business meetings via Zoom, which I cherish. Most recently I accepted nomination to the position of Secretary to the board of WILPF US.
Program Committee Chair: George Friday (North Carolina)
Term ends: January 2026
programchair-friday [at] wilpfus.org
George grew up in Lincolnton and Gastonia, NC in the 60s. She holds degrees in Political Science, Economics, and African American Studies from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill where she graduated in 1982.
George works with grassroots organizations to provide leadership and skills training ranging from strategic planning, organizing, fundraising, marketing and community building with particular focus on communication, oppression, change and the role of ”privilege” in transforming power dynamics to create broad, deep, economic and social justice change.
She is currently Coordinator for NC Peace Action and United for Peace and Justice, and consultant to various non-profit groups.
Development Committee Co-Chair: Martha Collins (Milwaukee, WI)
Term ends: January 2024
devchair [at] wilpfus.org
Martha Collins is an advocate, human rights activist and experienced nonprofit leader who has dedicated her career to working for social justice organizations that focus on building power within marginalized communities. For over two decades, Martha has had the opportunity to collaborate and strategically develop several coalitions to help create public policy groundwork for advancing social and economic agendas. She has extensive fund development and nonprofit advocacy experience.
In 2015, Martha led a successful coalition to prevent the Wisconsin Family Medical Leave Act from being repealed by the state legislature. During 2016, she led the largest “Fight for $15” rally in Wisconsin and developed and implemented a community-focused program which trained and employed over 200 Milwaukee residents as Peacemaker Ambassadors. In 2017, Martha served as a Commissioner on the Equal Rights Commission with the City of Milwaukee and introduced a resolution for the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Martha actively serves on the United Nations Association Women Affinity planning committee working towards build awareness of the Cities for CEDAW campaign. Since joining WILPF, she has actively served in various leadership positions with the local WILPF Milwaukee Branch and on the WILPF US Advancing Human Rights and Women, Money & Democracy issue committees.
Development Committee Co-Chair: Marybeth Riley Gardam (Iowa City, IA)
Term ends: January 2024
devchair [at] wilpfus.org
Marybeth grew up in New Jersey and pursued journalism and advertising as a career goal. She changed course to work in non-profit public relations and marketing. And during the 80s she moved to Macon Georgia and started working to secure funding and help organizers provide services to migrant farmworkers. She served as director of the Peace and Justice Center of Central Georgia. All the while, she was involved on the periphery of human rights and civil rights in what was still a pretty segregated part of Georgia.
In 2000 her husband's job took the family to Iowa where she imagined a departure from activism and took some writing courses at the University of Iowa. But after 9/11 she found herself drawn back in to peace and justice work. In 2003 she found WILPF and served first as Co-President of the Des Moines branch; and then, in 2014, she joined the WILPF US Board as Development Chair. Also, she currently chairs the Women, Money & Democracy Issue Committee.
Having served in commercial marketing, non-profit marketing, and organizing at the community, WILPF branch and WILPF issue committee level, she brings a multi-faceted approach to fundraising and looks forward to working with her Development Co-Chair, Martha Collins, to create a culture of philanthropy among the whole Board and all members of WILPF. Fundraising at WILPF is everyone's job.
She lives in Iowa City, Iowa, with her husband of 40+ years, just two miles from her daughter and grandson.
Personnel Committee Chair: Cee'Cee' Anderson (Atlanta, GA)
Term ends: January 2027
personnelchair [at] wilpfus.org
Cee’ Cee’ Anderson is a Licensed Ordained Minister, a Women’s Cancer Researcher, and Health Care Consultant/Provider in the Medical Field. She serves as Personnel Committee Chair for WILPF. As a Healthcare Manager/Administrator with Public Health DHA/DHM/DPH degrees, she is knowledgable about connections among human health, the environment and climate. She is a former RN and Special Ed Teacher.
She is currently a Mediator for Clayton/Fulton Counties and is a founder of the Finding Alternatives For Safety and Treatment of Juveniles. She is a Life Member of Peoples Agenda, Ga WAND, NAACP, SCLC and USCAN among others.
As HR and Quality Control Administrator, she has experience in getting clients and employees on the right path for several businesses. She has worked diligently with the Pardon & Parole Board to advocate justice for Inmates across the State of Georgia. Several Inmates have been pardoned and released due to her advocacy.
She has made strides through Georgia WAND to combat the environmental injustices at the Savannah River where Augusta, Georgia & South Carolina connect. She’s traveled across the State of Georgia and nationally to share her passion as well as her expertise in Public Health, advocating for radiological environmental monitoring as well as strengthening radiation standards so that the standards reflect the differences in vulnerability to radiation in women’s and children’s bodies.
Lastly she’s advocating for mortgage companies to save homes from foreclosure.
Nominating Committee Chair: Ellen Schwartz (Sacramento, CA)
Term ends: January 2025
nominatingchair [at] wilpfus.org
When she joined WILPF in 1969, Ellen was the youngest member of the San Jose branch. Now she is nearly the oldest member of the Sacramento branch, and can’t figure out how that happened.
In between, she has served as branch chair, branch newsletter editor, chair of WILPF US Policy Committee, WILPF Western Region newsletter editor, occasional Triennial Congress newsletter editor, Congress Registrar, chair of Congress Committee, WILPF US Treasurer for ½ a term (finishing an unfinished term), WILPF US Program Chair (finishing another ½ term) and starting in 2024, chair of the WILPF US Nominating Committee (finish-ing another unfinished term!).
Ellen was born in Chicago, and while in college was involved with the cam-pus chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality. Her greatest admiration was for an artist named Sophie Wessel, who produced silkscreen designs for protest signs. Ellen would think, “Look, Sophie makes these signs, everybody worships her, and she doesn’t have to actually go to the pro-tests, never mind the planning meetings. That’s what I want to be when I grow up.” It hasn’t worked out that way, but it is still her ambition.
Membership Development Committee Chair: Eileen Kurkoski (Boston, MA)
Term ends: January 2025
membershipchair [at] wilpfus.org
My activism started through the Social Action (S.A.) committee in my Unitarian Universalist (U.U.) society. A group of us brought food and prepared it for dozens of woman, some unhoused, all struggling to survive in Boston. During this time, Nancy Wrenn, a WILPF member also in the S.A. group, began educational meetings on the unjust prison system in Massachusetts. I admired and liked Nancy.
When she invited me to a weekend WILPF Boston retreat in 2015, I immediately joined WILPF because I met so many other women like her- friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about matters I cared about. I immediately volunteered for the job as secretary.
Two years later, when the WILPF national office was moving from Boston to DesMoines, Jan Corderman asked me to apply for the WILPF US secretary position. Since the end of my three year term I’ve been involved in a number of WILPF administrative and issue committees. My other WILPF activities include attending the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women four times and, in 2023, being a representative in our WILPF U.S. Local to Global program. In 2024 I worked on the program committee for the WILPF 35th Triennial Congress: Water on the Frontiers for Peace.
Locally, I am co-chair of my Boston WILPF branch, and am active on anti-nukes, drones & war, and environmental issues.
At-Large Board Member: Phillip Cole (Brisbane, CA)
Term ends: January 2025
at-largebdmemberPhillip [at] wilpfus.org
My name is Phillip Cole, and I am a member of the San Francisco Branch, and an active member of the East Bay-San Francisco branches joint policy planning committee; I am looking forward to my three-year term of service to our membership (2022 – 2024) as an At-Large Member of the USA Section National Board.
I was born into a family of social activists. My first memories of activism include watching the adults in the house preparing to be arrested for integrating a lunch counter, and their discussion of who would be guardians of the kids left behind. We move to San Francisco when I was still a child, and when I was age 10, my mother took us kids to what turned out to have been the largest anti-war march that had ever taken place in the city, where I had a huge wake-up call , as I saw my schoolteacher there, playing a guitar while standing on the back of a flatbed truck in the march. I then realized that everyone has a part to play in stopping war.
When I was a child, every single day, my mother would sing the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” As I join our USA Section Board, I say to all of our WILPF members, everywhere, together let us Lift Every Voice!
At-Large Board Member: Tina Shelton (Philadelphia, PA)
Term ends: January 2027
at-largeBdMemberTina [at] wilpfus.org
Tina Deshotels Shelton grew up in Louisiana and has lived in Texas, Oregon, and in Pennsylvania, where she learned about WILPF. She works in the mental health field, and is an advocate for better services. In addition to WILPF, she is active in her com-munity, with Girl Scouts, and local community activism.
She and her husband have three children, and they have been involved in Scouts, band, and other activities. She enjoys gardening, teaching rational thinking skills, and helping people make connections.
Finding WILPF after 9/11, she has been active in the local branch along with many passionate and interesting women and men. As most WILPFers, she is grateful for the leadership, mentorship, and progress of those who worked before. She continues to have a leadership role in the Greater Philadelphia Branch, including coordinating with coalitions and bringing the strengths of WILPF into these areas.
She is passionate about living peaceably, anti-militarism, anti-racism, immigration concerns, sustainability, creating a nuclear-free world and building relationships to sustain us and move us toward our goals. She is excited about the transformative movements we see all around, especially those that are women-led and build on our feminist strength.
In addition to the Board members, WILPF US has several important “Internationals” who serve important governance positions. These positions are all established by the WILPF International Constitution and By-Laws, and their terms of office are about three years, with starting and ending dates related to the WILPF International Congresses
The WILPF US Liaison to the Americas Region Representative (generally referred to as “WILPF US Liaison”): Jane“Cricket” Doyle (Santa Cruz, CA) IntlLiaison@wilpfus.orgcricket.wilpf@gmail.com
I’ve been hearing from a number of branches about plans for commemorating International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament on Thursday, May 24. This day began in Europe in the early 1980s, when hundreds of thousands of women organized against nuclear weapons and the arms race, and offers a perfect opportunity for raising awareness about WILPF’s agenda for structural change and vision of human security. Kudos to those who have chosen to observe this rather obscure holiday with local vigils and events, and I hope that in the years to come it will have greater recognition and be a catalyst for coordinated WILPF action around the world.
But the purpose of this communication is to share important information about our organization!
I am thrilled to announce that Ria Kulenovic has joined our National team as Director of Operations. Ria is originally from Sarajevo and was attending college there during the siege; she moved to the U.S. obtaining refugee status in 1995. She has worked with the International Rescue Committee in several different capacities and most recently she served as the executive director of the Center for Balkan Development. Ria has served on the Boards of Directors and the Executive Committees of Refugee Women’s Network and Women's Refugee Commission. Ria comes highly recommended for her attention to detail, ability to grow organizations and interpersonal communications. You can see her professional profile on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ria-kulenovic/6/565/180. Ria has managed budgets ranging from 300K to 2M and is expert at negotiating the accounting rules governing 501c3 and c4 corporations; she has recently completed requirements for a masters degree in Public Administration with a emphasis on non-profit organizations, at Suffolk University's Sawyer School of Management.
The Director of Operations is responsible for managing WILPF’s membership database, financial transactions, internship program, and organizational infrastructure. Ria can be reached at rkulenovic@wilpfus.org or by calling 617-266-0999.
Other News of Importance to WILPF Members:
The WILPF National Board will be holding a meeting via conference call at 5 p.m. EDT on Sunday July 22. Decision items on the agenda for that meeting include: continuance of the Local2Global program for seasoned WILPF members; continuance of the Practicum in Advocacy at the United Nations program for college women; and at least one (but possibly more) proposed changes to WILPF’s By-Laws (check www.wilpf.org/bylaws for details). Meetings of the National Board are open to all WILPF members. If you would like to participate, please email dialogue@wilpfus.org for dial in information; if you are unable to participate in the call itself but would like to weigh in on any of the agenda items, please send your comments to dialogue@wilpfus.org no later than July 15 so that they can be shared with all board members prior to the meeting.
The survey collecting data for possible re-invention of our WILPF Triennial National Congress will close on June 30. If you haven’t already responded, please take a few moments to do so now by visiting https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WILPF_NCPS or by filling out the paper version on p. 24 of the spring 2012 issue of Peace and Freedom. Your ideas and thoughts are essential to inform the National Board’s decision-making process. In addition, if you believe that WILPF Congresses serve an important function in connecting our members and deepening our shared learnings, are adept at negotiating change and an organizer at heart, consider volunteering as Chair of the National Congress Committee (NCC). The Chair of the NCC does not serve on the National Board and has a term of service that will extend until six months after the next National Congress. If interested, you can write directly to the nominations@wilpfus.org or down load a full job description and application at http://wilpf.org/JoinCommittee
Deep appreciation to all those members and branches who supported our spring call to GROW WILPF by reaching out their families and friends with warm invitations to join WILPF. We hope that all the opportunities for involvement offered here will strengthen your engagement and help strengthen WILPF as a national and international organization.
Sincerely,
Laura Roskos
President, U.S. Section
P.S. Don’t forget to use WILPF’s Facebook page to communicate with other WILPF members and share your activism with the world!
On Wednesday, June 6, 2012, WILPF, U.S. convened a Roundtable Discussion in conjunction with Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30) and Congressman Russ Carnahan (MO-3) on implementation of the U.S. National Action on Women, Peace and Security. The purpose of the discussion was to raise critical issues necessary to ensure that the U.S. NAP adhere to the original purpose of the SCR1325 as a tool to advance peace and to secure the role of women as equal partners in preventing conflict and building peace. Read WILPF U.S. Statement on the U.S. NAP here.
In accord with the mandate of the Resolution 1325 that requires civil society participation in national implementation, the Roundtable brought to the table over 20 representatives from U.S. based and international women’s groups with key Members of Congress and Congressional Staff, and a panel that included; WILPF National Director Tanya Henderson; SCR1325 architect Sunam Anderlini; Ambassador Swanee Hunt, founder of The Women Waging Peace Network, and Ambassador Melanne Verveer from the Office of Global Women’s Issues at the U.S. Department of State to dialogue, as equal partners, to fully establish and institutionalize the role of women in all matters of securing peace. Laura Roskos, WILPF Board President and Susan Shaer, Executive Director of WAND, WILPF’s partner organization, co-facilitated the discussion. For a complete list of panelist bio’s click here (pdf). For a complete list of Rountable participants click here (pdf).
Speaking to a packed house (standing room only), WILPF, U.S. National Director Tanya Henderson made 5 key points in her remarks, based on findings published in WILPF’s Report on Civil Consultations:
Domestic application of the U.S. NAP: Based on testimony from our civil consultations, we found that there is nothing that the U.S. government does externally that does not affect women and families at home. Therefore, to fully address the multiple ways women experience discrimination and inequality, particularly as it is linked to a continuum of physical, structural and armed violence, the U.S. NAP must be integrated into all facets of the U.S. government, including U.S. agencies, such as the Departments of Justice, Education, the Environment, Labor, Trade, Immigration and Homeland Security. In essence, whenever a law is being made, we must ask the question: “How does this policy affect the women?”
Reduction in military spending and greater investment in peace: A key finding from our consultations was the absolute necessity of a reduction in military spending and greater investment in need based security such as education, healthcare, social safety nets – both at home and abroad. Poverty is a source of structural violence that women face worldwide. Domestically, military spending is draining our budget (700 billion annually) and militarism has saturated daily life. If we are truly committed to building peace and advancing the status of women, then we must ensure that our federal and state spending reflects such goals. Our current budget does not.
A collective and concerted effort to increase women’s political participation in the U.S.: Fundamental to UN SCR 1325 and the U.S. NAP is the necessity of women’s meaningful participation in the political decision making process. Women in the U.S. comprise only 16.6 percent of the seats in Congress (Afghanistan is 27.7 percent and Iraq is 25.2 percent). In 2010, the number of women in Congress dropped for the first time since 1979. Consultation participants reported “Women are losing ground on their rights domestically,” pointing to the ongoing threats to reproductive rights, slashes to social safety nets, such as welfare, child/elder care, and the seemingly intractable pay inequity between women and men’s earnings. If we want to truly institutionalize the women, peace and security agenda as part of U.S. policy, we must support and encourage more women to take formal leadership positions, particularly marginalized women and women of color, so that our commitment to implementation of the U.S. NAP is relevant to the diverse spectrum of women’s experiences.
The U.S. must codify its commitments to women’s right and gender equality through ratification of international human rights laws, specifically the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW): While this is not an issue for Congress, it is an issue for the constituent women’s groups represented here today, and for the U.S. Senate. As Congresswoman Johnson strongly stated, and Ambassador Verveer affirmed, the U.S. must begin to “walk the talk." How can we continuing preaching to other countries about women’s rights, when we haven’t even secured our own rights at home?
Protection of women from violence, both at home and abroad, must be paramount to the U.S. NAP, particularly as violence is linked to the impact of U.S. militarism, such as the challenges faced by women serving in the military: A 2011 survey found that 1 in 5 women serving in the U.S. Air Force are victims of sexual assault. A consultation participant who runs a homeless shelter for women vets reported that every woman that she deals with has been a victim of sexual assault by her “battle buddies,” but there are no services in veteran’s programs that deal with sexual abuse. The NAP must address the unique impacts of women in the military and must commit to a zero tolerance policy for the abuse of women in armed service. While the U.S. must support the full equality of women globally, we must begin with ensuring the equal rights and protection of women at home.
In conclusion, Tanya Henderson stated the following:
Susan Shaer (far left) and Tanya Henderson (far right) with participants at the June 6 Roundtable Discussion
“While the U.S. NAP is a milestone in the history of U.S. international commitments on issues regarding women and peace, it is largely focused on addressing the rights and needs of women living in a conflict affected environment through a foreign policy lens and military based approach to security. WILPF advocates for a broader understanding of what constitutes a conflict affected environment, recognizing that countries such as the U.S. are engaged in conflict and post conflict reconstruction through the provision of financial resources, weapons, and military or peace keeping forces. Whether at home or abroad these conflict affected environments suffer severe economic, social and environmental consequences that impact women in multiple and unique ways. Our commitment to women and peace must begin at home.”
at the Film Society of Lincoln Center Walter Reade Theater
The Invisible War is a groundbreaking investigative documentary about the shameful and underreported epidemic of rape within the US military. With stark clarity and escalating revelations, The Invisible War exposes the rape epidemic in the armed forces, investigating the institutions that perpetuate it as well as its profound personal and social consequences.
Be sure to also check out Women, War & Peace: War Redefined Film Screening and Panel Discussion on June 19. For more information, click here. WILPF International staff member, Petra Totterman Andorff, will be speaking at this event.
I am thrilled to announce that Ria Kulenovic has joined our National team as Director of Operations. Ria is originally from Sarajevo and was attending college there during the siege; she moved to the U.S. obtaining refugee status in 1995. She has worked with the International Rescue Committee in several different capacities and most recently she served as the executive director of the 
