WILPF NEWS

WILPF NEWS

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

East Bay and San Francisco Branches

November 2018

Get involved! Become better informed!

Work to Advance Peace, Justice and Human Rights

Join us for our MEMBER HOLIDAY LUNCHEON

Saturday, December 8th, Noon to 2 pm:

518 Valencia, San Francisco

Invite a friend.

RSVP to Annie by December 1st 510-501-6439

Arla Ertz will speak on

“Women and the Spirit of the New Deal”

Vicki Elson and Timmon Wallis will speak on

“The UN Treaty to Abolish Nuclear Weapons“

Reclaim Armistice Day.

November 11, 2018 is the 100^th Anniversary of WW1 Armistice “ending of arms”

Honor Veterans but No More Wars , Wage Peace

WILPF East Bay/San Francisco joins Veterans for Peace Armistice Day statement. “The armistice of 1918 ended the terrible slaughter of world War 1. The US alone experienced the death of over 116,000 solders plus many more who were physically and mentally disabled. For one moment, at the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month, the world agreed World War must be considered the WAR TO END ALL WARS.”

We Support the Human Right to a Healthy Planet campaign!!

This fall California has experienced the largest wild fire in it’s history. The list of lives lost and homes destroyed is staggering AND GROWING. And after an historic hurricane season, it is past time to face the death and destruction reality of our denial that global warming or climate change is upon us. Hopefully it is not too late to change our ways and save the earth for human life. https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/economics-nobel-highlights-climate-action-necessity/

Join our ONE WILPF National Call

The next ONE WILPF call will be Thursday, Nov 15th at 4pm. If you have not yet joined our ONE WILPF calls, add them to your calendar, the second Thursday of each month, at 4 pm. For more information or to register: 1WILPFcalls@gmail.com

The ONE WILPF Call on October 13th was devoted to reports back from our delegation and members of the International WILPF in Ghana. They summarized workshops they attended, described the hospitality and ambiance provided by our newest African Sections, and reported on the decisions made at Congress, especially regarding the new Restructuring Plan for internal governance across the world.

How to listen to the reports: The recording of this call is now posted at the ONE WILPF Call page. The call includes announcements, presentations, and questions from members. Just scroll down to the 2018 calls and click on the link for the October 13th call.

ARMS SALES $$$$$ PROFITS IS KEEPING CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT FROM DOING THE HUMANITARIAN THING IN YEMEN

by Odile Hugonot Haber
Co-Chair, Middle East Committee

The total population in Yemen is 27.4 million and 18.8 million are in dire need of food. OXFAM reports one civilian is killed every three hours.

“Over a third of [Yemenis] are at risk of starvation if Saudi and UAE bombing campaigns continue,” says Lise Grand, the United Nations coordinator for Yemen, who has warned that “the world has only 3 months to halt the slide toward catastrophe.”

The death and food insecurity numbers that you see in many media sources are conservative and, in some cases, grossly inaccurate, according to this Washington Post article.

WILPF Members, This Is What We Can Do (and Ask Others to Do)

Contact your Senators and Representatives and tell them you want them to:

1. Call for urgent immediate ceasefire
2. Suspend arms sales to the Saudis
3. Open the seaports for food and medications for the Yemeni people

You can also join Code Pink with this demand:

This is the moment to mobilize. We have a real shot at ending at ending US complicity in the Saudi-led war on Yemen. We can save millions of lives. Tell your Senators to vote yes on the Sanders-Lee-Murphy resolution S.J.RES.54 to invoke the War Powers Resolution of 1973.

PeaceAction is also supporting this legislation.

Use this number to call your Senators now: 1-833-STOP-WAR

Text of Resolutions and Amendment

Here is the full text of H. Con. Res. 138 (introduced by the House, the Senate concurring) and its sponsors:

The Murphy Amendment

Here is a press release about the Murphy amendment to the FY 2019 Defense Appropriations bill that would cut off US support for the Saudi-led coalition’s war in Yemen until the Secretary of Defense certifies that the coalition’s air campaign is not violation international law and US policy related to the protection of civilians. The amendment came in the wake of a horrific school bus bombing, which killed 44 children and 10 adults and highlighted the coalition’s repeated strikes on innocent civilian targets.

If you’d like to learn more, here is some further reading: