Breaking with ‘Normal’: Our 2021 WILPF US Congress

Join Us Through August 22

Darien Elyse De Lu
WILPF US President

     "I’m a real rebel with a cause."
                  – Nina Simone

There’s nothing normal about featuring six WILPF International members at a WILPF US Congress. And for a WILPF Congress to continue for nearly two weeks, August 9-22, yet only a few hours each day – that isn’t normal. But these are not "normal" times so we are breaking with normal for our 2021 Congress!

And I’m urging you to break with your normal by JOINING US for our first-ever virtual national Congress! We’re opening the door to a whole new variety of Congress participants with our unprecedented $30 cost for registration. We want to encourage all WILPF members, especially those who may never before have participated in a Congress, to join us. .

Our first “weekend” starts on Friday, August 13, with my brief welcome and keynote speech. We are pleased to welcome Madeleine Rees, the WILPF International Secretary General, who offers a special message for our Congress. Then be inspired by some of our national board members and continue listening for Rev. Dr. Theoharis. She’s the very distinguished Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. She was named one of the Politico 50 “thinkers, doers and visionaries whose ideas are driving politics,” 

And that’s just in our few hours on Friday! Our weekend program continues with so many important presenters in longer sessions on Saturday and Sunday. See the schedule, read about some highlights below, and you’ll agree: This is a Congress you don’t want to miss! So jump at this chance to save money on air fare and accommodations and still have a rich experience. It’s not too late to register!

We welcome to our Congress all WILPF members and so many others who care about our wide range of "causes." Spread the word about this Congress! View the Congress website and share the website link with others:  https://wilpfus34congress.org

This Congress gives us glimpses into the crystal ball of multiple WILPF options and possibilities. Only after the Congress will branch members process together their lessons from Congress and make choices about future branch and national work. At-large members, equipped with new insights and information, will seek out ways to take action on what they care about – whether by joining national WILPF committees or by bringing a WILPF perspective to other kinds of local groups,

With this year’s virtual Congress, we’re breaking distance, financial, and feasibility limits. (We’ll have closed captioning!) The WILPF Congress presentations will bring us together safely for ideas, practical guidance, and questions – and, importantly, to launch a new era for WILPF US.

I’m going through that door, won’t you come with me?

In offering the very low $30 registration rate, WILPF is giving a chance to people of all kinds to learn more about WILPF activism. You, WILPF members who’ve never attended a Congress, this is your opportunity to find out about the wider world of WILPF! Hear from our numerous speakers from WILPF International to expand your WILPF horizons. Discover what it means to be part of an international organization by seeing our international leaders and getting an overview of WILPF programs around the world. Register now to meet presenters from branches across the country, hear what the news doesn’t cover, and get how-to pointers. A fashion show for change! Oral histories for continuity! Countering military recruitment!

This Congress isn’t just for WILPFers; it’s the perfect occasion to introduce political allies and friends to WILPF. Urge those ready to have their world view shaken up a little to tune in for Vandana Shiva! More and more people are concerned about racism and White Supremacy Culture in the US; invite them to listen to the presentations from Paul Kivel and from our Philadelphia Branch. For the many progressives wondering about the moral bankruptcy of modern society, the Reverend Dr. Liz Theoharis offers moral organizing.

We’ve all heard plenty about economic effects of the pandemic. Reach out to those you know who want to understand economics better: the post-Trump inflation to the she-cession, the residues of colonialism to the high price of our cheap food, moving the money to the purpose of money.

That’s just skimming the surface for the range of topics. Think about who you might introduce to WILPF by enticing them with something from our complete buffet – familiar WILPF topics like peace camp, transformative justice, radioactive pollution, climate change, and multiple Middle East perspectives. And we explore newer areas: transgender women of color, indigenous people’s truth, and feminist foreign policy.

Then We Go Forth Anew!

What normally worked for WILPF US in the past no longer works. WILPF US is not unusual in this; we’re discovering that many aspects of US society are no longer working. Whites can no longer expect to have their "American Dream" based on the underpaid labor and stolen resources of Blacks, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC). Working people’s jobs no longer pay enough for a middle-class lifestyle, even with two full-time workers. Our society can no longer burn carbon and churn out toxic wastes without dire consequences.

WILPF US suffers from the negatives in our culture and our society. The separations between groups of people – races, ages, economic class – have made it more difficult for our branches to reach out to and incorporate a variety of people. The growing economic inequalities have meant that our members have less money and less time to support WILPF functioning and activities. And the increasingly serious political, environmental, and social problems present us with both more to work on and an onrushing deadline to make change.

No more "business as usual": We have to work much smarter now.

Many WILPFers took advantage of our recent special pre-release viewing of The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel. Many more watched our July 21 discussions about the film and WILPF work related to it. The film spelled out the connections between the immoral corporate structure – driven by only the push for profits – and the attacks on both the planet and the people, including what should be the voice and servant of the people, good government. That analysis aligns with the connections WILPF has long identified. Yet it can be helpful to be reminded, graphically and vividly, why we rebel against this accepted convention, the immoral corporate structure.

Normally, our Congresses include plenary sessions, to develop WILPF program directions for the next several years. But at our 34th Triennial Congress, we will not use our limited and virtual meeting time for plenaries or business meetings. We’ll save our time to deliver the information, how-to instruction, and inspiration – as well as a bit of re-creational cultural programming – that Zoom facilitates well. It is after the Congress that we, WILPFers, must meet locally to get down to business. With the Congress sessions we think globally. The choice of organized and effective acting locally is up to us.

We are rebels, rebelling against the established normal of war – and revolting against all the causes of war. Join me at the Congress, and then join with other WILPFers – and an ever-increasing number of other political allies – in making informed, thoughtful, and strategic action plans for our continuing rebellion.