The oldest ancient women's peace organisation has been turned over just in time for their forthcoming Jubilee Congress in The Hague on April 22nd to 27th . Lack of political analyses and wisdom make them congratulate themselves for an incomprehensible step that will lead to the abandonment of disarmament and peace work altogether and narrow down the WILPF to defend middle class women's interests. This is yet another move back in history, in times round about 1915, when the international women's movement split over the issue of war and peace. The majority of the middle class suffrage movement sided with their male counterparts who were responsible for the WAR. Right or wrong it is my country, this was their slogan. A minority of academic women under the leadership of Jane Addams decided to challenge the notion of male militarism and to speak out against the war. After the first World War had come to an end these women met again Zurich. They closed their rank and file and founded and international organisation in order to study the root causes of war and conflict, They pledged to work for another international world order and help overcome an unjust economic system that was understood to prepare the womb for further wars. The newly born WILPF supported the League of Nations the predecessor of the United Nations, which was founded after another round of atrocious wars, later named World War II.Today we are in the midst of what will be called World WAR III by future generations.
The younger WILPF generation seems to have forgotten the lessons of their foremothers.
But some of the mothers are still around and they raise their voice against such unwise policies. They speak out in defense of the UN-Charter and in defense of the UN spirit. They point out to those powers who bear the responsibility for blocking any peace and disarmament work within and without the UN-system. Instead of walking out and by doing so giving way do so promote the imperialist business, they continue their educational job. They advocate for nations under attack and speak out for solidarity with the victims of aggression, knowing that without such solidarity those nations will be at loss. They are those who defend up to this very day an alternative world order that will help to establish peace eventually.
To call the UN "a citadel of nations" is unwise and helps support those, who do not accept the notion of sovereignity as enshrined in the UN constitution that forms the bases for this internationally irreplacable organization. The UN-Charta treats all nations as equal, be they
small or large and so supports the non-interference into their national affairs. (Irene Eckert)
See article:
http://www.pjcvt.org/dbpjc/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/AprilMayJune2015.pdf
Speaking Truth to Power at the United Nations
BY Robin Lloyd
“...this may be the last time our voice is heard here......”
— excerpt from Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
(WILPF) Statement to the UN‘s Conference on Disarmament on International
Women’s Day 2015, prepared and delivered by Reaching Critical Will, a program of WILPF
BY Robin Lloyd
“...this may be the last time our voice is heard here......”
— excerpt from Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
(WILPF) Statement to the UN‘s Conference on Disarmament on International
Women’s Day 2015, prepared and delivered by Reaching Critical Will, a program of WILPF
T he UN has become a citadel of nations, ruled over by five nuclear potentates with veto power in the Security Council. Periodically the fortress is besieged by civil society organizations knocking on the door for entry, raising their banners for peace and justice. This is most observable at the meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women during the first two weeks of March. Women flood the Church Center across the street from the UN, overflowing into the Armenian Convention Center down Second Avenue, sharing issues, strategies and concerns. Members of each women’s NGO share a limited number of passes to the UN building itself. This year, in a different UN-body, on International Women’s Day, something
unprecedented happened. It was a David and Goliath moment. It’s been a long time
coming – and, though largely symbolic, it made me proud
that my organization, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, took a stand in an environment that has become painfully oppressive.
More precisely we resigned from monitoring and engaging with the Conference on Disarmament.
We, who are proud of being the first NGO to be affiliated with the UN through the Economic and Social Council back when the UN was getting started in 1946; we who see – or saw – the UN as a feminist organization dedicated to saving ‘succeeding generations from the scourge of war;’ we who recognized it as one of the few places where small nations could have a voice; in short, we who have tried to engage with this body that has been hijacked by corporate and nuclear powers, we said enough is enough.
unprecedented happened. It was a David and Goliath moment. It’s been a long time
coming – and, though largely symbolic, it made me proud
that my organization, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, took a stand in an environment that has become painfully oppressive.
More precisely we resigned from monitoring and engaging with the Conference on Disarmament.
We, who are proud of being the first NGO to be affiliated with the UN through the Economic and Social Council back when the UN was getting started in 1946; we who see – or saw – the UN as a feminist organization dedicated to saving ‘succeeding generations from the scourge of war;’ we who recognized it as one of the few places where small nations could have a voice; in short, we who have tried to engage with this body that has been hijacked by corporate and nuclear powers, we said enough is enough.
Didn’t read about it in the NY Times? OK here’s the story, with a bit of back- ground. The Conference on Disarmament roadblocks, termed indignities, are not experienced at other disarmament forums—not, RCW said, “at the First Committee, not at meetings of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, not at meetings of the Non- Proliferation Treaty.”
For the last few years, WILPF has been permitted to deliver a statement to the
Conference on Disarma- ment (CD) to mark International Women’s Day. This is the only time of year that any voice from civil society is allowed inside the CD chamber.
Gandenberger went on to say, “This may be the last time our voice is heard here...This is a body that has firmly established that it operates in a vacuum. That it is disconnected from the outside world. That it has lost perspec- tive of the bigger picture
of human suffering and global injustice.
Maintaining the structures that rein- force deadlock has become more important than fulfilling the objective for which it was created: negotiating disarmament treaties.”
We can no longer invest effort into such a body. Instead we will continue our work elsewhere. There is much work to be done....”
Indeed. WILPF is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. It was founded in 1915 at a conference at The Hague dedicated to stopping WW1, by women is the forum that has been used by its member states, currently numbering 65, to negotiate the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention. Since 1996, it has not negotiated any treaties or even agreed on which treaty to next negotiate, and it has put roadblocks in the way of any substantive conversation with civil society.
Conference on Disarma- ment (CD) to mark International Women’s Day. This is the only time of year that any voice from civil society is allowed inside the CD chamber.
Gandenberger went on to say, “This may be the last time our voice is heard here...This is a body that has firmly established that it operates in a vacuum. That it is disconnected from the outside world. That it has lost perspec- tive of the bigger picture
of human suffering and global injustice.
Maintaining the structures that rein- force deadlock has become more important than fulfilling the objective for which it was created: negotiating disarmament treaties.”
We can no longer invest effort into such a body. Instead we will continue our work elsewhere. There is much work to be done....”
Indeed. WILPF is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. It was founded in 1915 at a conference at The Hague dedicated to stopping WW1, by women is the forum that has been used by its member states, currently numbering 65, to negotiate the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention. Since 1996, it has not negotiated any treaties or even agreed on which treaty to next negotiate, and it has put roadblocks in the way of any substantive conversation with civil society.
Reaching Critical Will (RCW) is a WILPF program that monitors the UN on disarmament issues. Mia Gandenberger, staff person for RCW, delivered a statement this year that said these research policy action
who were global activists even before they had the vote. Before any super- national organizations such as the League of Nations or the UN existed, they used grassroots diplomacy to reach the men in charge: travelling from belligerent to neutral governments and knocking on the doors of power. We are still knocking on doors. Despite a UN resolution that mandates women’s role at the table when peace settlements are negotiated, Syrian women (the latest example) were denied a seat at the failed talks in 2013.
Women are frustrated. We are impa- tient at watching wars metastasize around the planet, watching the elements of our sacred earth mined and melted into bullets and missiles.
We will be bringing our energy together at our 100th anniversary confer- ence Women Stop War from April 27-29.
We women from the USA, the largest exporter of bullets and missiles in the world, will be meeting together with women from the front lines of violence, women living in communities that have been decimated by war and rape and dislocation. We will be inspired by our
democracy triumph over this corruption. What can we do to fight this? How can our voices counteract those of multi- billion dollar corporations?
By stamping the message to get money out of politics people are speak- ing with their dollars. The average dollar exchanges hands 875 times. If 1,000 people stamped one dollar a day, the message would reach three million people. Stamping money is totally legal and ironically is rigging the corporate system to get out a message out of fairness and equality.
Politicians are jumping through hoops to please big donors, as citizens it is our duty to insist democracy and strive to create a more just and equal world. Now is the time to demand change to get money out of politics and restate that people are people and corporations do not deserve the same rights as people.
Women are frustrated. We are impa- tient at watching wars metastasize around the planet, watching the elements of our sacred earth mined and melted into bullets and missiles.
We will be bringing our energy together at our 100th anniversary confer- ence Women Stop War from April 27-29.
We women from the USA, the largest exporter of bullets and missiles in the world, will be meeting together with women from the front lines of violence, women living in communities that have been decimated by war and rape and dislocation. We will be inspired by our
democracy triumph over this corruption. What can we do to fight this? How can our voices counteract those of multi- billion dollar corporations?
By stamping the message to get money out of politics people are speak- ing with their dollars. The average dollar exchanges hands 875 times. If 1,000 people stamped one dollar a day, the message would reach three million people. Stamping money is totally legal and ironically is rigging the corporate system to get out a message out of fairness and equality.
Politicians are jumping through hoops to please big donors, as citizens it is our duty to insist democracy and strive to create a more just and equal world. Now is the time to demand change to get money out of politics and restate that people are people and corporations do not deserve the same rights as people.
April/May/June 2015
Manifesto,
the result of three years of work and editing by women from the 36 country
sections we have around the world, which reads:
Militarism as a way of thought, and the militarization of societies, such that perceived threats are likely to be met with weaponry rather than words;
The capitalist economic system, involving the exploitation of the labor and resources of the many by the few, wantonly harming people and the environment, generating conglomerates of global reach and unaccountable power;
The nation-state system as it is today, involving dominant states, imperialist projects, inter-state rivalry, contested borders, and inside those borders, all too often, failure of democracy, resulting in political repression and intolerance of diversity;
Social systems of racist supremacy, cultural domination and religious hierarchy (this gives way to R2P/ failed nations concept of the imperialist aggressor, I.E.)
Patriarchy, the subordination of women by men, in state, community and family, perpetuated by the social shaping of men and women into contrasted, unequal and limiting gender identities, favoring violent masculinities and compliant femininities.
We understand these as intersected and mutually reinforcing systems of power, all founded on violence and together productive of war.
I encourage you to read our Manifesto (which will be made public on April 29th) at http://www.womenstopwar.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Draft-6-edited_1.pdf
to find our creative 100 year plan. It ends with this challenge to the next generation:
Violence is not inevitable. It is a choice.
We will implement peace, which we believe to be a human right.
The Burlington Branch of WILPF meets the 2nd Thursday of the month at the PJC at 5pm.
Footnotes:(1) McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, (2014), a US Supreme Court landmark case which allows for
unlimited spending on candidates for federal office, political parties, and political action committees.
(2)Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, (2010), a US Supreme Court case that de-regulated of campaign spending by organizations. The PJC’s “Corporations are Not People” campaign supported dozens of Vermont towns to pass Town Meeting Day resolutions opposing Citizens United.
Manifesto,
the result of three years of work and editing by women from the 36 country
sections we have around the world, which reads:
Militarism as a way of thought, and the militarization of societies, such that perceived threats are likely to be met with weaponry rather than words;
The capitalist economic system, involving the exploitation of the labor and resources of the many by the few, wantonly harming people and the environment, generating conglomerates of global reach and unaccountable power;
The nation-state system as it is today, involving dominant states, imperialist projects, inter-state rivalry, contested borders, and inside those borders, all too often, failure of democracy, resulting in political repression and intolerance of diversity;
Social systems of racist supremacy, cultural domination and religious hierarchy (this gives way to R2P/ failed nations concept of the imperialist aggressor, I.E.)
Patriarchy, the subordination of women by men, in state, community and family, perpetuated by the social shaping of men and women into contrasted, unequal and limiting gender identities, favoring violent masculinities and compliant femininities.
We understand these as intersected and mutually reinforcing systems of power, all founded on violence and together productive of war.
I encourage you to read our Manifesto (which will be made public on April 29th) at http://www.womenstopwar.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Draft-6-edited_1.pdf
to find our creative 100 year plan. It ends with this challenge to the next generation:
Violence is not inevitable. It is a choice.
We will implement peace, which we believe to be a human right.
The Burlington Branch of WILPF meets the 2nd Thursday of the month at the PJC at 5pm.
Footnotes:(1) McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, (2014), a US Supreme Court landmark case which allows for
unlimited spending on candidates for federal office, political parties, and political action committees.
(2)Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, (2010), a US Supreme Court case that de-regulated of campaign spending by organizations. The PJC’s “Corporations are Not People” campaign supported dozens of Vermont towns to pass Town Meeting Day resolutions opposing Citizens United.
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