WILPF NEWS
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
East Bay and San Francisco Branches
Work to Advance Peace, Justice and Human Rights
OCTOBER 2021
PEACE TALK PLANNED FOR EARLY 2022
THE MILITARY’S IMPACT ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS
The San Francisco and East Bay branches are planning to host a virtual Peace Talk in early 2022. Speakers will include Jim Janko of Veterans for Peace and a young woman from the environmental community, speaking about how the military contributes to the climate crisis. We will discuss how WILPF and environmental groups can work together to educate the public about this issue and take actions to move toward a healthier and more peaceful world. Look for more details in our next newsletter.
THE COP26 COALITION
A GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION AND PEOPLE’S SUMMIT NOVEMBER 6-10
The latest round of global climate talks will take place from 31 October to 12 November 2021 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. Thousands of government delegates and people from civil society, business and the media will gather to advance climate action. The world will be watching and demanding that national leaders rise to the moment, given the mounting climate crisis and far-reaching consequences for a livable future. Science confirms we have reached a “code red” for our world.
The COP26 Coalition is a UK-based civil society coalition of groups and individuals mobilizing around climate justice during COP26. Coalition members include environment and development NGOs, trade unions, grassroots community campaigns, faith groups, youth groups, migrant and racial justice networks – to name a few. Global problems need global solutions. The decisions made at COP26 will shape how governments respond (or not) to the climate crisis. They will decide who is to be sacrificed, who will escape and who will make a profit.
So far, governments have done too little too late: colluding with corporations and hiding behind green washed ‘solutions’ that actually don’t exist yet, that don’t address the scale of the problem, and in many cases rely on more exploitation of people and the planet.
We are bringing together movements from across the world to build power for system change – indigenous movements, frontline communities, trade unions, racial justice groups, youth strikers, landworkers, peasants, NGOs, grassroots community campaigns, feminist movements, faith groups – to name a few. Wherever you are in the world, now is the time to join the fight for climate justice. We need all hands on deck: in workplaces, communities, schools, hospitals and across national borders. We will be putting indigenous, frontline and Global South communities front and centre. We need your help to amplify their voices and demands.
6 November: GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE: Join us in actions across the world so that we can be loud and clear to the world leaders discussing our future: we want climate justice now!
7-10 November: Join us for our PEOPLE’S SUMMIT FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE where the climate justice movement will be coming together to discuss, learn and strategize for system change. You can join in online from anywhere in the world, or in-person in Glasgow.
GETTING FOREIGN MONEY OUT OF U.S. ELECTIONS
Courtney Hostetler, Senior Counsel for Free Speech for People, spoke on the October One WILPF call about efforts to challenge foreign influence in elections at the local, state and federal level. There are cities and states around the country who have passed bold new campaign finance reform ordinances to ban political spending by foreign-influenced corporations (corporations owned in significant part by foreign investors). At the federal level, a provision in the newly-proposed Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act (S.5070/H.R.9029), introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Pramila Jayapal, prohibits political spending by corporations partially owned by foreign investors. All One WILPF calls are recorded and available on the WILPF US You Tube Channel.
APACHE STRONGHOLD CONVOY IN CALIFORNIA
The Apache Stronghold is in a fight to protect the sacred land of Oak Flat from being transferred to Resolution Copper, whose leaders plan to turn the site into one of the largest copper mines in the world. The government has repeatedly attempted to take the lands from the Apache nation; their case will be heard at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on October 22.
Through their form of prayerful struggle, “One Drum, One Prayer, One Circle,” the Apache Stronghold organization is seeking to lead us all back to a way of respect and love for land and for each other, and against the forces of greed and destruction that seek profit at any cost.
The Poor People’s Campaign will be supporting Apache Stronghold with online events and Bay Area actions. Here are several ways you can join in.
Prayer/rally/protest/mural action
Wednesday Oct. 20, 4–6pm
Ninth Circuit Court at 7th & Mission, San Francisco
Silent Vigil and Listening Session during hearing
Friday Oct. 22, 9–1pm
Civic Center, San Francisco
Direct links to broadcasts and livestreams will be posted at poorpeoplescampaign.org and on Facebook at Apache Stronghold/Save Oak Flat when details are known.
WAR ON TERRORISM FILM FESTIVAL
October 1-31, 2021
The War on Terror Film Festival is a month-long, public virtual event featuring 20 award-winning films made over the last 20 years that document abuses, highlight crimes, and satirize absurdities of the “war on terror.”
Each screening will be accompanied by a live discussion with filmmakers, actors, scholars, survivors and resistors, who will reflect on the challenges of living through the policies of the so-called “war on terror” and telling these stories. For more information, to see the schedule of films and discussions, and to register for free, go to the War on Terror Film Festival website.
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
https://www.facebook.com/WILPFEastBaySanFrancisco/
National WILPF www.wilpfus.org
International WILPF: www.wilpf.org