Raising Our Strong and Persistent Voices

Published on May, 26 2019
May 1, 2019
 
Raising Our Strong and Persistent Voices
Darien Elyse De Lu
WILPF US President
 
Happy May Day! This holiday reminds us of the persistence of workers, claiming their rights, and the continuing power of fertile nature, blossoming after the dark and cold of winter! 
 
WILPF history is about voices -- most often women's voices -- rising above the clamor. Today -- with the onslaught of social media, corporate-controlled news, and morally bankrupt leadership -- that clamor is louder than ever. Yet we must remember: WILPF US has seen dire political times before, and we persist.
 
Our WILPF voices continue to surmount the noise, carrying a strong message that speaks to most of the world: Peace for the planet; justice for the people; sustainability for the children! WILPF US is on the move.
 
In early April, the first of our two open-to-all Program Committee conference calls presented an overview of the many actions our issue committees are undertaking. The next call, again open to all WILPF members, will focus on program actions. It's on Tuesday, May 7. (Please save that date and look for the related article in the May eNews -- and in the April eNews article.) 
 
Our issue committees are reaching out to involve more at-large WILPF members and branch members. Are you interested? There's the Corporations v. Democracy Committee, which recently partnered with Ricky Gard Diamond. CvD is proud of the links to WILPF US in Ricky's "Unscrewnomics" series in Ms. magazine online, about improving our economic system. The CvD committee next meets on May 28. Also, the Disarm and the Middle East committees meet monthly. Contact any of the issue committee chairs directly to ask about upcoming meetings.
 
I'm glad to report that, at this critical time, WILPF is finding new ways to connect and work with individuals and other organizations. If you saw the last President's Corner, you may remember we sent a delegation to the Women's Peace Initiative conference on March 22. We found lots of common ground with our sister women's peace groups! Watch for more on them, including in the upcoming May eNews. Our collaborative work will inform our members and increase WILPF's visibility.
 
WILPF's work and visibility are needed! On March 16, I arrived back in San Francisco from Venezuela, via Colombia. Unlike most of the rest of the peace delegation, I was able to return on time. The other flights, flying Caracas-Miami, had all been cancelled by the US airline company, their pretense being fear of civil unrest. I had traveled the streets of Caracas for days, without seeing any unrest.
 
I saw long, patient lines at buses, since the electricity blackout (most likely caused by the US) had shut down the subways. In Colombia, I frequently saw heavily armed soldiers on the streets. In Venezuela, I only occasionally saw uniformed men and women, lightly armed. As the power came back, I saw lines for blocks at ATMs; they were orderly. I did see one of the opposition demonstrations, called for by claimed-president Guaido -- with about 10-20 participants!
 
Now the US government has supported a blatant coup attempt against the elected Maduro government. This time the pretense is that Venezuela's May 2018 presidential election did not provide complete electoral fairness. I challenge that claim and firmly believe it's as false as the March claims of civil unrest! (Is US attention attracted by election irregularities -- or by Venezuela's world's largest oil reserves?)
 
The people of Venezuela do not want violence. They have a Constitution to be followed! Call in on May 7 for the latest actions to support the people of Venezuela.  
 
Let's ask ourselves, "What can WILPF contribute, by being more action focused?" The increasing activity among our national committees, translates to more effective program work, better organization, improved support for branches, and a more vibrant WILPF. Imagine how much WILPF can contribute with mobilized members and committees winnowing political and movement trends and options, sourcing our women's peace movement power, and focusing our work!
 
So much! This is an exciting time for our Program Committee and our work.
 
Many of you readers are already very busy in branches. At-large members, would you like to be working with a like-minded group? In addition to the national WILPF issue groups I've mentioned, we also have organizational committees -- Communications, Membership Development, Bylaws, and more. Participants act as a team, giving projects and plans enough time and flexibility so others can join in and work in their own ways. Chairs seek to coordinate and delegate, rather than trying to do everything.
 
Our goal is to look for ways to involve and draw forth the best from group members. If you're interested in finding out more about our organizational committees, please email me at President@WILPFUS.org. Of course, there's also room in these committees for branch members!  
 
We, the women and men of WILPF, articulate the wisdom of the elder council, the guardian grandmothers. Like loving grandmothers, we take action to protect the human family, the children of the future, the Earth, our home -- from the danger of those who would rush onward, with short-sighted thinking and callous disregard for others. I am calling on you to support WILPF's work! Support now, with your time, and -- as you open our Spring donation appeal -- with your money.
 
Some indigenous people say that it is the women who tell the men that the community has enough, so they can stop the hunt. Today, the hunt is the push for increased arms sales, the call to "Drill, baby, drill!", the grabbing of private profits at public expense, the quest for "a new generation of nuclear weapons", the building of ever higher walls -- to imprison and to exclude.
 
Today, it is we WILPFers who speak up. Now, with the deep-rooted and persistent power of grandmothers, we WILPFers -- women and men -- say enough!  
 


Darien Elyse De Lu 
WILPF US President