WILPF EASTBAY SF NEWSLETTER JUNE

WILPF NEWS

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

East Bay and San Francisco Branches

June 2019

Get involved! Become better informed!

Work to Advance Peace, Justice and Human Rights

OUR NEXT PLANNING MEETING WILL BE Saturday July 13th from 10-12

at the Rockridge Public Library

ONE WILPF CALLS

A good way to become involved from your home is to join our Monthly One WILPF calls on the 2^nd Thursday of the month. We hope you can join us.

Next ONE WILPF Call–Thursday, June 13, 4pm

Working Together for Peace in Korea: WILPF & Women Cross the DMZ

To register link below and you only need to pre-register once. http://myaccount.maestroconference.com/conference/register/NW7UOTL6KBLOV3E

Calls are posted on the website: PAST ONE WILPF CALLS BELOW

https://wilpfus.org/story/one-wilpf-calls. Or listen here http://wilpfus.org/documents/one-wilpf-calls/OWC-May2019/5.9.19-ONE-WILPF-Call.mp3 Cindy Domingo on Cuba calls for opposing title 3 Helms Burton Act

Madia Benjamin, Code Pink, from Venezuelan Embassy http://wilpfus.org/documents/one-wilpf-calls/OWC-May2019/5.9.19-ONE-WILPF-Call-Medea.mp3

Ellen Thomas WILPF disarm committee Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Economic and Energy Conversion Act of 2019 see below NUCLEAR WEAPONS ABOLITION http://wilpfus.org/documents/one-wilpf-calls/OWC-May2019/5.9.19-ONE-WILPF-Ellen.mp3

ANTI-WAR LEAFLETING

Join us on Wednesdays 11:30–Noon at the Grove St. entrance to SF Main Library. Call Betty to confirm (415-931-1126)

BEFORE ENLISTING

WILPF East Bay and SF are proud sponsors of BEFORE ENLISTING, an active counter–recruitment group in the Bay Area. Before Enlisting launched its new website. This is excellent and filled with important information … don’t miss:

link to: https://www.beforeenlisting.org/

Before Enlisting was formed in response to the active military recruiting on our high school campuses. The group includes members of East Bay WILPF, grandmothers against war, veterans for peace and other concerned Americans. We provide information to young people and their families about the realities of military service, and non-military options that may be a much better fit for teens. We go into high school classrooms and show a film, Before You Enlist, have veterans talk to students about their personal experiences in the military, and engage students in discussion about the realities of the military and what they should consider before signing a military agreement. The mission of Before Enlisting is to support and empower all of our youth and their families to make informed decisions about the variety of options available for creating bright and self-determined futures.

Counter Recruitment Resources for Families

G.I. RIghts Hotline: Military discharges and military counseling. Do you know your rights? Call 1-877-447-4487 to get help.

Queer Trans War Ban: Queer and trans people who oppose not only homophobia and transphobia but also war, militarism, and US imperialism.

About Face: Veterans Against the War: Post-9/11 service members and veterans organizing to end a foreign policy of permanent war and the use of military weapons, tactics, and values in communities across the country.

NNOMY (National Network Opposing the Militarization of Youth): “The Pentagon is taking over our poorer public schools. Most are blind or indifferent to the problem. A few strive to protect our democracy.”

Center on Conscience & War: Extending and defending the rights of conscientious objectors to war and violence since 1940.

Breaking Cadence: Insights From a Modern-Day Conscientious Objector: Before Enlisting member Rosa del Duca’s podcast https://www.rosadelduca.com/home/podcast. Hear perspectives about the military, the Iraq War and conscientious objection you have likely never heard before.

NUCLEAR FREE FUTURE

Proposition One Campaign was founded in 1990 to bring a voter initiative for global nuclear disarmament and conversion of the war machines to the people. Lately there has been talk of using Nuclear Free funds to help finance the Green New Deal. DC’s Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton has introduced a bill each session, the “Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Economic and Energy Conversion Act.” Ms. Norton reintroduced her bill on April 30, 2019 as HR-2419. See press release Ask your Representative to co–sponsor Norton’s bill HR-2419. And ask candidates . To make it easy, we have created a sign-on letter online, which begins:

“As a constituent, I urge you to co-sponsor ‘The Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Economic and Energy Conversion Act.’ The bill has been introduced each session since 1994, suggesting we help lead the world step-by-step towards complete elimination of nuclear weapons. In addition the bill provides funding for environmental restoration and to transform our war industries to produce carbon-free, nuclear-free energy….”

In 2019 members of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom – US Section asked Ms. Norton to revise the language of the bill. Ms. Norton agreed to all the revisions, and was congratulated by Nobel Peace Prize winner ICAN‘s executive director, Beatrice Fihn, and Wallis Timmons and Vicki Elson of WILPF-US and NuclearBan.US, in this photo.

IN THE SENATE: On July 7, 2017, at the United Nations, 122 nations adopted a nuclear weapons ban treaty! At their 33rd triennial congress July 27-30, 2017, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom-US Section launched a petition to the President and the Senate asking for ratification.

Write Letters to Candidates asking their support:

HR-2419, Eleanor Holmes Norton’s much improved “Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Economic and Energy Conversion Act of 2019,” and HRes 302, a resolution “Embracing the goals and provisions of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons” introduced by Massachusetts Representative Jim McGovern.
This could provide funding and direction for the Green New Deal!
If you become President, will you sign the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons?
As a Congressional leader, will you sign the Congressional Pledge supporting this Treaty?

Let your legislators know you support a world without nuclear weapons! The Congressional Switchboard is 202-224-3121. The White House comment line is 202-456-1111.

EXPLORE WILPF TODAY

Local branch web pages

www.WILPFEastBay.org or www.WILPFSF.org