HOME ABOUT US JOIN US/ RENEW UPCOMING EVENTS NEWS RADIO BOOK CLUB NEWSLETTER PAST EVENTS WILPF NATIONAL WILPF INTERNATIONAL LINKS Contact info for elected officials David Price CH office 919.967.7924 DC office 202.225.1784 website Elizabeth Dole Raleigh office toll free 866.420.6083 DC office 202.224.6342 website Richard Burr WS office 800.685.8916 DC office 202.224.3154 website About Us The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) was founded in 1915 with Jane Addams, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, as its first president. For more history, go to www.wilpf.org. WILPF empowers women to work effectively for peace and justice in over 100 U.S. communities and 40 nations around the world. The Triangle Area Branch was one of the first in the United States (1935). We invite you to be part of it! Join your sisters in WILPF to: · UNITE in a worldwide sisterhood of peace and justice; · BUILD a constructive peace through world disarmament; · WORK for the equality of all people in a world free of sexism and racism; · CREATE lasting social change and worldwide peace and justice. ACTIVELY... MEETINGS: 2nd Saturday of each month for education, information sharing, and strategizing. 10am-12 noon, usually at Chapel Hill Friends Meeting House, Raleigh Road in Chapel Hill. Monthly steering committee meetings - 4th Saturday each month, 9am at Weaver Street Market, Carrboro. Friends and members are welcome. VIGILS: We hold monthly vigils to connect with the community on a critical peace and justice issue, 12-1 pm at the Peace and Freedom Plaza (Franklin Street Post Office) in Chapel Hill. We also participate in the weekly peace vigils on Fridays, 4:30-5:30 pm (winter) and 4-5pm (summer) at the intersection of Franklin Street and Elliott Road, Chapel Hill. ...or QUIETLY · Become an “expert” on an issue that is important to you, then keep our members informed and promote calls for appropriate action. · Write letters or make phone calls to legislators and elected officials. · Join the WILPF listserv for action alerts and timely information (email marg_wilpf@msn.com). · Write short articles for the WILPF bi-monthly newsletter. · Help publicize WILPF activities. · Represent WILPF at coalition events. Use your talents and your thirst for peace and justice at your own pace. ISSUES and ACTIONS: We support the national WILPF legislative campaigns, currently Middle East Peace and Save the Water. We are also very active on issues including the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, civil liberties and human rights, impeachment, corporate globalization, and universal health care. We are members of the Orange County Peace Coalition, and many of our members are Raging Grannies. We have a sister branch in El Salvador. GOALS for 08-09 (established at 5/07 Annual Retreat) This year we developed prioritized goals in three broad issue categories: Peace and Human Rights Anti-racism Economic Justice as well as goals (not prioritized) in the areas of: Outreach and Coalition Building Media Work Education Publicity Membership Political Power/Legislation Peace and Human Rights Do more to link with like-minded groups like Peace Action, Quakers, Vets for Peace. Invite well-known experts and coordinate with other groups (eg Col. Ann Wright) Continue to conduct political education (Vets for Peace, CITCA, Pastors for Peace). Encourage fuller participation in public witness events. Anti-racism Strengthen the Black, Brown and White Alliance on issues including immigration, jobs, education, and health and working with El Centro, El Pueblo, Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Northern Orange County NAACP, HKonJ district assemblies. Organize a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation in Chapel Hill-Carrboro along the lines of the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Address the Food Crisis and Racism, including the issues of structural adjustment, Wall Street speculators, and corn for biofuel vs. food. Continue working for a Civilian Police Review Board. Continue working with Coalition to End Environmental Racism (CEER) and the Rogers Road neighborhood to oppose waste transfer station on Rogers Road. Economic Justice Promote and deepen critique and understanding of economic system/capitalism/neo-liberalism as underpinning of U.S. political system, including: several sessions of WILPF Book Club on mainstream economics, neoliberal critique (list books on WILPF website) schedule several economic speakers on WILPF WCOM radio show partner with Balance and Accuracy in Journalism (BAJ) for films/speakers on economics sow doubts about capitalism Increase awareness about water justice action, environment, globalization, including: WILPF monthly meetings programs WCOM shows water leaflets and events Community water tasting event (WSM? Farmers Market? Earth Day? Blue Water in October) follow-up activities with stores, local governments Continue and strengthen worker solidarity with Smithfield, FLOC organize WILPF-sponsored trip to farmworker camps letters and meetings to/with local officials Outreach and Coalition Building Peace: be intentional in our partnerships (Libby, Wes, and Jane) (help in planning tabling) not just mobilization Strengthen work with Black & Brown organizations Listen and support allies across state. Both initiate and respond to others actions Email (Liza, Lori, Dorothy) internal and external listserves of our own phone banks to WILPF and allies brunch/lunch w. NAACP women and/or NAACP/WILPF HK on J followup - district assemblies Continue to assess and work with Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) Media Independent, Carrboro Citizen, Triangle Free Press try to develop feature articles expand coverage of radio and TV shows WILPF Radio show (Tana, Dick, Lori, John, Lucy) WILPF TV show on The People’s Channel - restart and retrain volunteers Public service announcements of WILPF meetings and events (Marguerite) Regular letters to editor and Op Eds (John, Miriam, Jerry, Lori) One minute comments (WCHL) and other AM (John) Education Military recruitment alternatives (WILPF & Friends & Vets) and student actions we can support Vigils - serve educational function (Lib, Miriam, Jane) better literature (WILPF issues and membership) different sites, maybe Farmers markets (Carrboro and Univ Mall) and Congressional offices Publicizing WILPF Organize WILPF Social Justice Bus Tour (Lucy) Join with allies/partners Membership Development Use Bus Tour to recruit Educational presentations Build membership development into all our activities and alliances (Dick, Lucy) Political Power/Legislation Visit new elected officials (Miriam) State Gen. Assem. short session collective bargaining for state employees House bill 1897 on NC health care HOME · ABOUT US · JOIN US · NEWS · EVENTS · NEWSLETTER · LINKS Steering Committee - Marguerite Coyle, Lucy Lewis, Dick Paddock, Ann Powers Email contact: Marguerite Coyle at marg_wilpf@msn.com