Support the work of WILPF? Interested in volunteering? Read on…

The Executive needs the help of supporters to progress our current work.  As well as our on-going campaigns we have a Centenary Celebration  in 2015 and visiting WILPF sisters from India who are going to lead our Autumn Seminar at SOAS on Sunday October 27th 2013. We need volunteers who would be prepared to take on duties associated with these projects. Can you help in any way?

If you are interested in 2015 please contact Helen Kay 2015 UK Co-ordinator at subject line of email 2015 to scottishwilpf@yahoo.co.uk

Or in planning the Autumn Seminar, contact Anne Scott UKWILPF Secretary subject line of email Autumn Seminar 2013 scottishwilpf@yahoo.co.uk

Members wishing to join the Executive would also be very  welcome.  Anne Scott can send more information and they can be co-opted onto the Executive.

Members who wish to understand more about the work of the Executive are encouraged to come to the next meeting on Saturday September 7th at our London office 11am-4pm.

Travel expenses are paid for co-opted Executive members.

We look forward to hearing from you soon! In peace.

WILPF UK recently sent a letter to the UK government’s Foreign Secretary, William Hague. The letter outlined our clear opposition against our government’s proactive stance towards arming Syrian rebels. A copy of the letter can be found below. If you too feel that sending arms to Syria is not the correct road to peace, and are worried about the UK’s government’s actions in this direction, why not share this letter or even better write to William Hague yourself?

“Dear William Hague,

In April the UK Section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (UK WILPF) wrote to you to urge HM Government to use the United Nations processes to seek a negotiated outcome to the war in Syria.  We are shocked now to find that instead of taking the diplomatic road, you have worked with France to persuade the EU to lift its embargo on the sale of arms to rebel groups.

As a long-standing international women’s organisation, which has worked to achieve a peaceful world since 1915, WILPF attended the 22nd session of the HRC, where a committee of enquiry reported on Syria, highlighting violations of human rights on all sides and seeking the involvement of the ICC.

In June 2012, the UK Government as a member of the Action Group for Syria,  agreed to its Final Communiqué  http://www.un.org/News/dh/infocus/Syria/FinalCommuniqueActionGroupforSyria.pdf which Identified steps and measures by the parties to secure full implementation of the six-point plan and Security Council resolutions 2042 and 2043, including an

immediate cessation of violence in all its forms (our italics).  We are bound to ask how can it be possible to suggest that supplying arms to one side in this conflict can lead to an end to violence?

All weapons are used to kill, and the number of civilian deaths in this conflict continues to rise.  The quantity of displaced people is affecting the stability of the whole region.

We urge you now to use your diplomatic muscle, and powers of negotiation to bring the two sides in Syria to the conference table.  All conflicts must end with a negotiated agreement which is what is needed now.  The Action Group for Syria Communique states: ‘Women must be fully represented in all aspects of the transition.’  The UK Government is committed to UN Security Council Resolution 1325: ‘Women Peace and Security’ which must be at the heart of any agreement.

We are anxious to hear from you about the efforts of the UK to help Syria achieve a peace settlement.

WILPF UK”

 8,000 SUDANESE MOTHERS APPEAL FOR PEACE AND DIALOGUE

Sudanese Mothes for Peace  are extremely concerned about the present situation of instability, human rights and armed conflict in Sudan, particularly in Darfur, Blue Nile and Kordofan; as well as the mounting tension between south Sudan and Sudan.

Because of this we were preparing for an International Conference to raise the voices of mothers to say “No” to war.

In this conference we were intending to call all the Sudanese, the government, the opposition parties, the armed movements, to come together to try to solve the problem of Sudan by dialogue and negotiation without the interference of any outside power so as to establish lasting peace, Justice and HR in Sudan and the region Recognition of the mistakes in the past and the apology and forgiveness should be the start.

The International Community, the African Union, the Arab League, the Arab Countries Concerned, the European Union and all the Embassies in Sudan plus the International NGOs, and the International Personals concerned in Peace for Sudan will be invited.

Who is Calling for Peace

In the present situation we have research mothers in the camps, in Darfur, and Kordofan, Blue Nile and East Sudan targeting the simple mother who is the victim of the war and have collected up till now 8,000 signatures from mothers calling for peace and raising their voices against wars.

We are still preparing for this conference and giving the chance for more mothers to have their say.

According to the present situation of war braking out so severely at this moment, in South and North Kordofan and others places we postponed our conference to be next August 2013.

Now: on behalf of 8,000 mothers

We appeal to all parties to stop this nasty killing of each other right now and to sit down for peaceful political negotiation to secure peace justices HR and democracy to every citizen in Sudan.

Recalling the Unite Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and for the representation of women at all decision-making levels in national, regional and international institutions in conflict resolution and peace processes, Sudanese mother for peace will remain Supportive to this process.

Mama Khadiga [pictured]

منظمة أمهــات الســـــودان للســلام والتنميـــة

SUDANESE MOTHERS FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

Flat (4) – Story (5) – Ikwa Building – Atbara St – Khartoum – Sudan

الخرطوم – عمارة الأخوة – شارع عطبرة

الطابق (5) – شقة (4)

تلفون:  0157807462 – فاكس : 0155114089 موبايل : 0912578210

E-mail: mothersforpeacelondon@hotmail.com Web:www.sm4peace.org

Date: 16.5.2013

WILPF UK is saddened to announce the passing of fellow sister and friend, Mary Alys.

Amy Worrall offered this touching commemoration:

“Mary Alys taught me a lot during the time I knew her, although I’m pretty sure she didn’t realise it and if she did, she certainly wouldn’t have taken any credit. She taught me that the loudest voice isn’t always the one that gets heard, that diplomacy is as much about kindness as it is about compromise, and that true achievement will always be recognised by those to whom it makes a difference. Mary was an inspiration to me in the way she carried out her work; you could tell immediately that her devotion to WILPF was deep-rooted and unwavering. She was willing to overcome any obstacle to continue with what she believed in. Her calming presence (but also steely determination) will be greatly missed by all who worked with her, knew her, and loved her.”

Funeral Arrangements Friday 31^st May

Mary Alys will be buried at the Natural Burial Ground, Keyham Lane East, near Scraptoft, Leicestershire, LE7 9TA on Friday 31^st May.

The burial will be followed by a tribute to Mary at Scraptoft Village Hall, Scraptoft Rise, LE7 9TF which is a short drive back to the village.

For further information, please contact Lorraine Mirham at lorrainewilpf@gmail.com

No flowers, thank you. Contributions are welcome and these will be shared between three of Mary’s preferred organisations/projects:

• The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
• The Panama School, La Concha, Nicaragua
• The Mary Alys Trust her new charitable trust for the education of boys and girls and young people in peace and reconciliation, justice and equality bringing into account the principles of feminism.

Lorraine Mirham would like to thank Jo Uttley who has agreed to administer any donations on behalf of the family.

Donations can either be passed to Jo on the day of the funeral or please make cheques payable to: ‘Joanne Uttley’ and send direct to her: 2 Foresters Cottages, Church Street, Rhyall, Stamford, Lincolnshire. PE9 4HP

WILPF activists in South London have taken an initiative to bring together women living in and around Lambeth and to introduce WILPF to local women.  On Tuesday 14^th May eleven women (half of whom were non-members), heard Ilse Wermink and Holly Ahom talk about WILPF and the Arms Trade Treaty, and the Voices of African Women campaign.   They had an opportunity to discuss WILPF’s work and possible future local activity.

Since 2012 WILPF has successfully taken part in local events organised by the Southwark Legal Advice Network and the Friends of Brixton Windmill.  We already have WILPF members active in the local community and a convenient community centre in Brixton which we can hire.

Local members Ilse Wermink and Jean Kerrigan are ready to take this forward and WILPF will have an information and fundraising stall at the next Brixton Windmill Festival on June 22nd. Please contact the office if you want to help at this event or hear more about the South London Group.

Keep up to date with everything that happened at the 2013 NPT preparatory committee from WILPF organisation ‘Reaching Critical Will’.

The Second Preparatory Committee for the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) met from 22 April–3 May 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland. The chair of the meeting was Ambassador Cornel Feruta of Romania.

More information can be found here: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/disarmament-fora/npt/2013

Please also see WILPF member, Rebecca Johnson’s piece on the final day of the NPT PrepCom in Geneva: http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/rebecca-johnson/npt-toothless-in-face-of-real-world-dangers

As representatives of 189 governments meet to discuss strengthening the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty [10] (NPT), Kim Jong-un and David Cameron have provided stark reminders of the continuing dangers that nuclear weapons pose to human security. Rebecca Johnson, a WILPF member and co-chair of ICAN, reports from Geneva:

‘Listening to David Cameron and Kim Jong-un, it was hard not to be struck by the similarities.  Both were engaging in “nuclear deterrence” posturing, mostly for domestic political purposes.  Both posed with their respective militaries.  Both are weak leaders who are desperate to prove to the elites they depend on that they are big, strong leaders who like big long missiles.  Choosing to play the nuclear card at this time, they have different perspectives, but both seem to think that nuclear weapons enhance their status domestically and internationally. They are wrong.  Kim attracts little more than contempt in view of North Korea’s poverty and repression, and Cameron appears similarly deluded.  In a recent article on NATO in the International Herald Tribune [19], a US official was quoted saying of the UK: “They can’t afford Trident, and they need to confront the choice: either they can be a nuclear power and nothing else or a real military partner.”‘

Read more here: http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/rebecca-johnson/north-korea-and-trident-challenging-nuclear-non-proliferation-regime