WILPF Peace and Security
E-NEWS
I) Look below for our working agenda from now until the WILPF Board meeting in Geneva, November 19-25. Our tasks are assigned by International staff and the Executive Board. We are expected to meet by email, so let's get to work!
II) Scroll down for the Peace and Security concerns which most interest you for current action and reports from Sections on
- Human Rights
- Disarmament, demilitarization and decolonization
- Women and peace building
- Global governance
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I) Working Agenda:
This year the international working groups are asked to meet by email to acomplish the tasks below.
- prepare a report on priorities for action between November 2008 and the next WILPF COngress in 2010. This is due into the Geneva Secretariat by October 1. Priorities we set for ourselves at the Congress are here. The Executive Committee and staff also set priorities which you received earlier (I can't find them on the web site). They do not include all of our own priorities (including human rights issues) but set some different ones (like opposing NATO) so we should refer to these also. We can also lift up emerging new priorities not given in either of these prior lists.
- prepare our report and evaluation re P&S activities during the months between the Bolivia Congress and the International Board Meeting in Geneva November 19-25. Report/evaluation is due by October 1. Please send your own info to the WILPF Peace and Security listserve or to the co-conveners. If you are curious you can read our report in 2007 to the Bolivia Congress . The more input you give the better we can make our report/evaluation for the Board.
- prepare any resolutions from our Peace and Security Working Group, also to be submitted by October 1. Many of you will be involved in preparing resolutions from your Sections, but this is another opportunity to submit resolutions re our shared P&S concerns. Access all past WILPF Resolutions here.
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II. Current actions of Sections on Peace and Security Concerns
1. Human Rights
Unfortunately Human Rights did not make it into the official list of WILPF P&S priorities since the emphasis is on challenging militarism. But of course they remain a priority: no disarmament without human rights, and no human rights without disarmament. Do we want to lift these issues up?
Shadow Reporting: Currently the U.S. Section is involved in preparing, submitting and follow-up on a shadow report to the Commission on the Rights of the Child. The U.S. government and Somalia are still the only ones that have not ratified the CRC but the protocol on Child Soldiers ws ratified during the current Administration. On May 22 representatives must report to the CRC in Geneva on answers to questions raised by WILPF on behalf of themselves and 30 other U.S. NGOs. WILPF plans to have three representatives there to observe and speak with CRC staff and official U.S. representatives.
Are other Sections involved in shadow reporting? This is a powerful tool for helping to move governments into compliance with ratified treaties. Can we share information? Click here for WILPF web pages on the current comprehensive periodic human rights review, including when your country is scheduled for reporting and UN Guidelines for submitting shadow reports. Columbia and Israel are coming up for review in the thrid session of 2008. Canada and Germany in the first session of 2009. Shadow reporting, anyone?
Kirsty McKay is our new Human Rights intern in Geneva. Engage actively with her and check out the Human Rights section on the WILPF website.
2. Disarmament, Demilitarization and Decolonization
Actions on existing WILPF priorities
Keeping Space for Peace is already a WILPF priority. Six U.S. Section WILPF members and Regina Hagan from the German Section attended the international Global Network Conference Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space held in Omaha, Nebraska April 11-13, seat of Strat Com -- the most dangerous place on earth. The Global Network site is down, but here is info on Strat Com from another co-sponsor of the conference. Two WILPF members shared the annual award for their work on space demilitarization: Regina Hagan (Germany) and Carol Urner (U.S.). Best news for WILPF was the decision to make negotiation of treaties on Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space and banning weapons in space Global Network top priorities, bringing WILPF strong new allies in our own work in support of these potential treaties. WILPF sponsored the workshop on Space Law or War in Space. Brief reports on actions of WILPF Sections in Australia, Norway, Germany, the U.S. and the Geneva office in Switzerland now appear in the UN World Space Week publication. (Warning: only for a newer, fast computer. ) Read the Global Network report on Strategic Command and the conference. It is almost 9 megabytes.) Can more Sections participate in this effort, and the October 4 to 13 Keep Space for Peace Week? Can we tie the week into the no bases network and the rights of indigineous peoples. Many U.S. bases involved in the space militarization program are on expropriated indigineous lands.
No Bases Movement : Japan, German and U.S. WILPF Sections are already involved in the no bases network, which is another priority issue. Three WILPF members attended the organizing conference is Ecuador in 2007. Any reports to share from Kozue Akibayashi and her work on Okinawa, Irene Eckert in Germany or Mary Day Kent who concentrates on Columbia? Are Sections in Britain, Philippines, Italy, Norway or elsewhere involved in resisting foreign bases (nuclear, missile defense, spy sattelites or for whatever purpose)? Can we share experiences?
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Abolition of Nuclear Weapons: Read the daily News in Review with NGO articles on daily progress of the 2008 NPT Prep Com, and rejoice that we have such an able editor and spokesperson in Ray Acheson of Reaching Critical Will. You can also track your own government's statementss and positions at the NPT, NGO statements and a great deal more. WILPF RCW gives us wonderful resources for moving our governments toward nuclear weapons abolition. Let us know how your Section is using these resources.
Disclose military spending and present alternatives: WILPF did a lot of that in March at the Commission on the Status of Women and in celebrations of International Womens' Day around the world. By now I trust you've already read the report on the wonderful International Women's Day seminar in Geneva, and downloaded (and used) the flier You get what You Pay For. It is a crime that the world's military budget is now enough to fund 600 years of full UN operations! What more can we do to shift the balance? Use the new WILPF MIlitary spending tool kit. U.S. Section has joined War Resisters League and others to help start up the new Bite the Bullet War Profiteers Education and Action Network to track, expose and transfrom or shut down corporations promoting and profiting from endless wars. All of us can use resources on Reaching Critical WIll Corporate Connections on multinational corporations promoting and profiting from nuclear weapons production and space militarization.
Should other disarmament issues also be priorities?
Small Arms: Can we actively join Costa Rica Section in working for a treaty on control of the small arms trade and for an end to the illegal trade in small arms? Their government, which supports both, is now on the UN Security Council. I forwarded earlier the Costa Rican Section document on the need for the treaty on trade in small arms, and yesterday sent out their call for WILPF participation in the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence June 2 to 8. I think these issues are priorities with many sections. Do any other Sections have reports on current action against small arms violence? What about Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Albania? Should this be a priority for all of us? Can we actively join Costa Rica in support of the 2005 Firearms Protocol limiting illegal trade in small arms (many countries with WILPF Sections have not yet ratified) and support for a new treaty on the small arms trade?
Cluster Munitions: Katherine Harris continues to provide us with a wealth of information on progress on the proposed treaty banning cluster munitions even though she is no longer on the Geneva staff. Thank you Katherine, and thanks to Norway and WILPF Sections that are now working on this treaty and about to bring it to fruition. Are Sections in the United States and other Sections, where governments are now seeking to undermine the treaty, working to build support for it? Katherine and WILPF give us many tools to use.
Nuclear Free Zones: The Middle East Committee put a the proposed WMD Free Zone in their area at the top of the list of recommended priorities. Other Sections are in regions struggling to either develop or secure them. Are enough Sectins involved (or potentially invovled) to make this a priority issue?
Saving Article 9 in the Japanese Constitution: Article 9 has long been popular among many Japanese, but now those who profit frm war are seeking to remove it and develop Japan as a major military power. Ellen Woodsworht, President of the WILPF Canadian Section, Kozue Akibayashi of the Japan Section and Ellen Thomas of the U.S. Section attended the International Conference on Article 9 which WILPF endorsed. The aim is not only to save the Japanese Article 9, but to get its equivalent in every national constitution. (Shouldn't the UN Charter, ratified by all 193 members of the United Nations, serve that same purpose? Can we make it do so?)
3. Women and Peace Building
Peace and Security Working Group urged continued support of Peace Women in our recommendations at the Bolivia Congress. UNSCRes 1325 is a popular cause among WILPF Sections. Martha Jean Baker has agreed to be the contact point for Sections working on 1325. Read the editorials of Sam Cook and Felicity Hill in the April edition of Peace Women E-News.
Here is an exerpt from Felicity that I found motvating, but better to read it all:
I think we could use 1325 more as a tool to critique the organization of security itself, the culture of security, the budgets and human resources that are wasted on military security on weapons to kill and mutilate. I don’t think 1325 has been used enough in this way YET. I think we can use 1325 as a key, as a mirror and as a set of lenses on each of our campaigns against weapons, on each of our campaigns against wars. I think it is time for us to dare to be more political, to dare to enter in numbers, as women, to what is called the “hard security issues” with more confidence and determination. For me this is what 1325 was about, this was what I hoped for, and this is still what I think we must use it for.
4. Global Governance
Nothiing is said about this in current WILPF Priorities, although Edith Ballantyne has alsways kept us aware of the need for UN reforms and turned our attention to it leading up to the 2005 World Summit on UN Reform. Carole Shaw expresses interest in pursuing this at present. Please contact her if you want to join her. This is traditionally an area of key concern to WILPF.
What other priorities do we propose? What other P&S actions are concerns of our Secdtions. None of us can do everything. Surely everyone can report something.
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For further news check Peace Women, Reaching Critical Will and the Disarmament, Human Rights, Racial Justice and UN (Global governance) WILPF Geneva website.
- Please send your comments, reports and concerns on Peace and Security issues to Disarmament@wilpf.ch or reply directly to Carol Urner, Peace and Security co-convener. Co-convener for Disarmament and Decolonization issues is Edwina Hughes of Aotearoa/New Zealand.
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