WILPF NEWS
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
East Bay and San Francisco Branches
October 2019 edition
Get involved! Become better informed! Work to Advance Peace, Justice and Human Rights
JOIN US at OUR NEXT PLANNING MEETING Saturday Nov. 9, 10-12am Oakland Rockridge Library
ONE WILPF CALLS
A good way to become involved from your home is to join our Monthly One WILPF calls on the 2nd Thursday of the month. Please join us.
Next ONE WILPF Call–Thursday, Oct 10, 4pm
To register click on link below and you only need to pre-register once https://myaccount.maestroconference.com/conference/register/NW7UOTL6KBLOV3E
Past calls are available to listen to here:
https://wilpfus.org/story/one-wilpf-calls#archive
Speakers on the October call was Susanne Zwingel who wrote Feminist Strategies in International Governance, that discusses collaborative people-based treaty design. She emphasized the need for feminist strategies in making treaties whether they be treaties between nations to settle disputes or human rights treaties. Palo Alto WILPF member Cherrill Spencer spoke. She did a big research project on treaties and provided a 32 page document entitled: “Treaties Keep the Peace, Broken Treaties Lead to War” with a history of treaties, and includes WILPF’s involvement in some treaties.
https://wilpfus.org/news/latest-news/plan-your-October-treaties-solidarity-action for information on this topic from WILPF including the toolkit for events.
WILPF HONORS ANN FAGAN GINGER ON OCTOBER 27
FOR HER WORK ON HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL TREATIES
The event will be in a private home by invitation only. Members interested in attending please respond to this email or call Annie 510 501-6439. We have limited availability so your invitation is on a first come basis.
Ann Fagan Ginger is an American lawyer, teacher, writer, and political activist. She is the founder and the Executive Director Emerita of the Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute in Berkeley. CA. She has been a visiting professor of law at Hastings, University of Santa Clara, Puget Sound Law Schools and San Francisco State. She is the author of 22 books and many articles, and lectures widely. She is an expert in human rights law and peace law under the statutes and treaties of the United States and the United Nations and has argued and won before the US Supreme Court. She was the Chair of the City of Berkeley Commission on Peace and Justice from 1986-1989 and Vice-Chair from 1989-1999.
+++++BEFORE ENLISTING +++++
Members of WILPF East Bay, Grandmothers Against War, Code Pink and Veterans for Peace have their BEFORE ENLISTING website going with excellent handouts and information. As part of their presentation in high school classrooms, they are showing the excellent movie “Before Enlisting”.
See the new web site: https://www.BeforeEnlisting.org/
MEIKLEJOHN CIVIL LIBERTIES INSTITUTE PANEL
ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute is organizing a panel on their current human rights issues, including homelessness and decriminalization of sex workers on Tuesday, October 29, 11:45 am to 1:15 pm at Golden Gate University, 536 Mission St. at 1st St.
WILPF JOINS SF STATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
SFSU will be celebrating International Education Week November 18-22.
WILPF will participate on a panel on gender, sexism, and social welfare. The class uses WILPF ‘s Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey’s book, Women’s lives: A multicultural Perspective Transnational Feminism in Later Life, and invited “WILPF Organizers,” as panelists for this event. Not only will this panel align with the IEW theme, but will also be a good opportunity to showcase WILPF and its work to the students, including Before Enlisting/Counter Recruitment campaign, solidarity events, and other campaigns.
SAVE THIS DATE Saturday, November 16th, 9:30-4:30
CLUSTER MEETING IN SANTA CRUZ
The Cluster Meeting will meet at the Center for Spiritual Living 1818 Fell St in Santa Cruz. All California WILPF branches are invited. Nancy Price, National Board member and Chair of the Earth Democracy Issue Committee, will be the main presenter discussing the role of military bases in polluting water, air and soil in California.
Darien De Lu, WILPF US President, will discuss California’s new Public banking provisions, as well as information on National WILPF and San Francisco’s Children’s Climate Trust lawsuit. Sandy Thacker of our East Bay Branch will talk about her work with Before Enlisting.
Contact Ronda Solick to RSVP: rsolick@gmail.com
PEACE FLOTILLA PROTEST S.F. FLEET WEEK
and so did those of us without electricity that day.
By Kathe Burick, Susan Witka and Toby Blomé edited version
Do the Blue Angels depress the hell out of you? Does what’s in the air cause you despair? 300,000 lbs. of CO2* are released into the air during each air show, and that doesn’t count training & practice time!
On Sunday, October 13th, it was a lucky day for peace lovers on the PEACE FLOTILLA, sponsored by S.F. CODEPINK and S.F. Veterans For Peace. Have you longed for a way to express your grief over the presence of the Blue Angels over our bay? Well, next year you can join us in the 3rd Annual Peace Flotilla. Our huge banners read: “REAL ANGELS DON’T DROP BOMBS,” “STOP KILLING FOR EMPIRE,” U.S. MILITARY #1 POLLUTER,” “BOMBERS RUST IN PEACE, “AIR SHOW = MEGA POLLUTION,” and “NO GLORY IN WAR.” As the catamaran returned to the Richmond dock at the end of the day it was very disheartening for us to look back and see the extra thick layer of pollution that hung over the S.F. skyline, reminding of us of the huge contribution that the U.S. military and Fleet week contributes to the ever more serious climate crisis that we all face. Much work is needed, including a strong need to revive the campaign to SHUT DOWN FLEET WEEK from our bay! Time is running out. What will we tell our grandchildren and great grandchildren?*300,000 lbs. of CO2 is equivalent to the average annual emissions of 21 U.S. Cars!
MILITARY IS SUPPLYING LOCAL POLICE DEPT WITH WEAPONS
Since 2013 the Department of Homeland Security has provided more than $900 million in counter terrorism funds which has been used to purchase military weapons, tactical vehicles, drones, even tanks for local police departments. Arming “peace officers” like they’re ready to occupy an enemy city is totally contrary to the society envisioned by the founders. They turned “protect and serve” into “command and control”. We support the efforts of American Friend’s Service Committee to urge cities to pass an ordinance limiting police militarization. Write your city council today!!
EXPLORE WILPF TODAY
Local branch web pages
www.WILPFEastBay.org or www.WILPFSF.org
WILPF East Bay
P. O. Box 13083, Oakland, CA 94661
WILPF-San Francisco
P. O. Box 590253, San Francisco, CA 94159
http://www.facebook.com/WILPFEastBaySanFrancisco/
National WILPF www.wilpfus.org
International WILPF: www.wilpf.org
https;//www.facebook.com/WILPF