February development news

Submitted by the Development Committee of WILPF US

1. February 9 ONE WILPF Call -  4pm pacific/7pm eastern

The February 9 ONE WILPF Call—4pm pacific/7pm eastern—is for ALL WILPF US MEMBERS, not just for branch contacts.

• The guest speaker is Cindy Domingo, Chair of the WILPF US National Issue Committee on CUBA & THE BOLIVARIAN ALLIANCE, describing the work of her committee during the last year and what they have planned for 2017. It isn’t always easy to learn the details of this committee’s work, so this is a great opportunity to learn more and become more engaged. With the changes in the US/Cuba relationship, what will that mean for both countries? Lots of news continues to emerge. For example, in Florida, the governor has threatened to cut funds for the Port of Tampa and Port of Miami if they sign a trade and docking deal with Cuba, and those ports have chosen to reject the deal to retain their state and federal funding.
• The SOLIDARITY EVENT date and theme was voted on by 24 branches and at-large members and the decision on the date is April 22 (Earth Day) and the theme is PEACE & PLANET BEFORE PROFIT. Dial in to hear firsthand more about the next steps for the April 2017 SOLIDARITY EVENT we are planning across ALL of WILPF US, including a new TOOL KIT available soon to participating branches and at-large members. Please take note of our REQUESTS for MEDIA LISTS (see more below), and REMINDERS to order CLIMATE JUSTICE+WOMEN+PEACE Infographic Cards from 1wilpfcalls@gmail.com. Also, the banner/logo design for the Solidarity Event will be available the first week of February.
• THE MOST DANGEROUS WOMEN BOOK GROUP will meet in a Breakout Room to discuss the new book This Is an Uprising by Mark & Paul Engler, two community organizers who are the sons of a Des Moines, Iowa, WILPF member.
• The SUSTAINING ACTIVISM POST TRUMP group will be discussing suggestions for local actions that could be adopted by all branches and members and will continue a discussion of diversity in WILPF. Work together across the US on strategies to make WILPF stronger, using the power of Breakout Rooms to help move our work forward.

Preregistration is required, but it is easy: just click on the Preregistration link

You can call in with only your phone, or using both your phone and your computer for a fuller communication experience. All voices will be muted during the general part of the call and open during Breakout Rooms.

• PRESS 5 on your PHONE keypad if you have any technical problems.
• PRESS 1 on your PHONE keypad during Q&A to raise your hand and get on the stack, or to vote in real-time polls.

The Breakout Rooms planned so far (others may be added) include:

• SHARING RESOURCES – A starting roadmap for a website that allows branches and members to share materials and strategies will be introduced
• SOLIDARITY EVENT – Continued planning and next steps.
• SUSTAINING ACTIVISM AFTER TRUMP – Actions and tactics that could become solidarity strategies across WILPF US.

If you wish to suggest another Breakout Room topic, email us at 1wilpfcalls@gmail.com. Please use “New BOR Please” in the SUBJECT line.

If you wish to suggest guest speakers or topics for future ONE WILPF Calls, email us at 1wilpfcalls@gmail.com. Please use “CALL TOPIC” in the SUBJECT line.

2. All branches/members are asked to contribute local MEDIA LISTS by February 10 to help us effectively promote the April 22 Solidarity Event.

In order to make a “big splash” with this event and to bring it to the public’s attention, each participating branch must promote it in the local newspapers and radio stations that you typically place ads in for your events, as well as in any local blogs or peace and justice email lists or newsletters. The Solidarity Event organizers have realized that this is a good opportunity for each branch to collect a list of their local media (even researching papers and radio stations you haven’t used in the past) and to put the information in a Branch Media Contact List that will be useful to your branch in general.

Please send your completed Branch Media Contact List document to one central organizer, Cherrill Spencer, who will collect all this information for WILPF US’s future use. The national office does not have such a media list and all the information in your Word files will also be sent to the national office. We need ALL branches to complete the table in the file “BranchMediaContactList.doc”.

Even if you are doing just a level one participation in the Solidarity Event, you must still send the photo of your group and its banner to your local media with a short explanation, and so you must still prepare a list of the media you will be contacting.

This is what we want you to do, BEFORE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10:

1. Download the WORD file called “BranchMediaContactList.doc.” We suggest saving it in a SOLIDARITY EVENT folder.
2. Open the Word doc on your computer and fill in the top section with your own name, email address, phone number, and branch name.
3. Look at the table in the file and see the kind of information we want about the local media you typically send your event ads to. (An example is provided on the first row.)
4. Collect that information and type it into the table. The table cell size will increase automatically to capture all the text you type in.
5. Think about other daily or weekly newspapers or radio and TV stations in your town and surrounding area that you haven’t contacted in the past. Maybe this is the time to expand your media contacts, so add them to the table.
6. Think about local Progressive or Liberal Blogs, even political ones, whose readers may be inclined to support your work.
7. Add local or state Peace & Justice organization newsletters or email listservs and event calendars.
8. Send the completed Word file as an email attachment to Cherrill Spencer of the Palo Alto/Peninsula Branch: Cherrill@slac.stanford.edu (note there are two “l”s at the end of her name). Cherrill has kindly volunteered to collect all our media contact files and will be sending them on to the Solidarity Event organizers and the national WILPF office. Send your file to Cherrill before Friday, February 10.
9. If you do not send a media list by February 10, Cherrill will be phoning you to pester you about it. If you cannot create such a list, then write to Cherrill to tell her so.
10. Please provide in the cover email to Cherrill a list of names and emails of your members who are active on Facebook. This is important, since we will be relying on SOCIAL MEDIA to help build interest for this event. If you don’t have this list of active FB users by February 10, send the completed media document to Cherrill on time, and then please send the list of FB users as soon as possible after that, we hope, by March 1.

3. Start the New Year with a Cup of Coffee: We’ve got a LOT of work ahead!

WILPF members will have their work cut out for them in 2017, countering hate and fear and threats of war. We have a lot to look forward to as well, with an exciting and inspiring Triennial CONGRESS being planned in late July in Chicago, in the shadow of Jane Addams’s Hull House.

With so much to do, why not start off the year by becoming a monthly sustainer for WILPF US, where so much of your energy and heart already belong. Investing in peace will take care of all of us. Whatever you can afford each month—even as little as $5 a month ($60 a year)—will make a huge difference and buy WILPF some space for setting strategy and connecting across the nation.

Sign up to be a sustainer and Buy WILPF a Cup of Coffee. It’s a great way to start the new year!

4. WILPF Minigrant Program application deadline has been extended to February 15.

WILPF US minigrants of up to $2,500 are available. Program information, guidelines, and application forms are available on the WILPF US website. The new JAPA-based Miami Education for Peace Fund is also making smaller grants from $50 to $500 available to branches for peace education projects. This could include seed money for work on your SOLIDARITY EVENT, or for other peace education work. (Learn more about the Miami Fund in the Minigrant Program applications update in this issue of the eNews.)