Peninsula-Palo Alto WILPF Tables for Peace at Farmers Market

by Judy Adams, Cherrill Spencer
Peninsula-Palo Alto WILPF

July 2022

This Spring, in a post in the WILPF US and WILPF SMART Facebook pages, Cherrill Spencer and Ellen Thomas of the WILPF US DISARM/End Wars Committee provided ideas for actions Branches could take on and around Saturday, May 7th to advocate for a ceasefire and negotiated peace settlement in Ukraine. WILPF members were asked to go to their local Farmers Market or other plaza with lots of foot traffic and hand out their choice of flyers, posters and other resources including talking points and explanatory statements about the war in Ukraine. 

Cherrill and I chose two half-sheet flyers from peaceinukraine.org: "No More Endless War" and the 2-sided "The World Needs Peace in Ukraine" with figures on the back from the Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 (H.R. 7691), including revenue estimates for appropriations from for-profit military contractors at an estimated $17 billion.

Cherrill organized information tables May 7th and 8th at the two locations of Palo Alto’s Farmers Markets. I had previously organized a large community silent vigil for peace in Ukraine on March 6th with 130 community participants in attendance, as well as weekly Branch peace vigils for Ukraine, and although I was quickly on board with the Farmers Market idea, I chose to go to our local Menlo Park Sunday Farmers Market on its busiest summer days: in late June (the 26th), and the 4th of July weekend.

Between the two of us, we spent around 11 hours distributing more than 200 of the flyers from our tables. I was fortunately near the flower vendor and displayed a bouquet of yellow sunflowers, the flower of Ukraine, at my table. I posted flyers on the perimeter of the market as well as downtown, and distributed additional copies of flyers from my apron pockets as I approached shoppers entering or leaving the market. 

Cherrill and I engaged shoppers in conversation about ending the war and about WILPF’s petition in support of the TPNW (Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons), with the QR code prominently visible. I encouraged people to come to WILPF's weekly silent vigils every Friday, with an ongoing topic of peace in Ukraine. We both distributed flyers with information about other branch activities and meetings.

The opportunity to speak with our neighbors was important, but not always successful in getting the peace message across—some shoppers did not engage in much conversation. One Ukrainian woman with her young daughter thanked Judy for being at the market and standing for peace in her country. Cherrill spoke to two men who work at the local Lockheed weapons facility, but they would not engage on the issue of converting to peaceful research. We got only a few signatures on the TPNW petition; many said they had mixed feelings as they believe Russia certainly would not disarm, but most did respond thoughtfully to our comments that any action to reduce the world's nuclear arsenal would be a step towards reducing tensions and lowering the risk of a catastrophic nuclear attack or accident. 

Overall, the tabling went well and got the issues out to the community. We’re eager to hear how other branches brought the message of peace in Ukraine to their communities, and to continue to engage the public on social justice issues at Farmers Markets and other public gathering spaces.