Branch News

Dear Members,

ALASKA

Dee Hunt emailed the following to me: “In April 2007, we hosted Jody Dodd, U.S. WILPH leadership and outreach coordinator, who conducted workshops on non-violence and civil disobedience at local churches and at the university, in addition to speaking about water privatization and pathways to resisting the Iraq war.  She also gave us a wonderful orientation about WILPF and had great suggestions for fundraising and building membership.

San Francisco WILPF put together this Flickr slideshow of April's Jane Addams Book Awards. Click here to check it out!

More info on the JAPA Book Awards here!

The Santa Cruz branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is sponsoring a girl's soccer team to honor the memory of Alice Davis, a long time supporter of women's rights who passed away December 10, 2006. Sponsoring the team, which carries the WILPF Dove on its uniforms, also honors Title 9's bestowing of equal sports opportunities for girls which Alice strongly supported during her lifelong stuggle for justice. As part of its Water Is a Human Right Campaign, the WILPF branch also gave each team member a metal water bottle, avoiding the polluting and health-endangering risks of the usual plastic containers. The team plays on Saturdays at Branciforte Middle School. Pictured are team members Rachel Hendsbee, Claire Kempf, and Mirsa Freed. WILPF members Sandy Silver, Jennifer Pitino, and Sara O'Rourke, whose daughter Anna Marie is also on the team, attended the team's first game of this season on Saturday, September 8.

Doris of the WILPF Minneapolis chapter at the September 23 antiwar demonstration in front of the MN State Capitol Building called by Minnesota unions.

84-year-old wants government to focus on children and social services, not war

By Michelle Sklar

from mercurynews.com

Joan Wilderman has lived in downtown Campbell for 50 years. She is a mother, a grandmother, even a great-grandmother, but Wilderman is not a "typical" granny; she is a Raging Granny.

The Raging Grannies are an international group of mostly women who strive to make a difference in their communities, countries and the world by publicly proclaiming their views on important matters through song.

The Grannies are organized geographically by groups, or gaggles, as they prefer to be called.

"What I love about the Grannies," says Wilderman, "is that we aren't just standing on a corner waving a sign, which I have done in the past; we are bringing attention to important matters with songs. We think it is a different way to reach people, maybe less threatening than shouting, and maybe more memorable."

The Raging Grannies borrow tunes from well-known songs and change the words to express how they feel about pivotal topics such as immigration issues, health care and war. Right now, one of the most pressing issues for the San Jose gaggle is the war in Iraq. One of the anti-war songs the Grannies sing is sung to the tune of "God Bless America." The words are simple but clear:

Conflicted crowd gathers as Bush welcomes Putin to his family's vacation spot to mend their ties

By Lisa Wangsness and Farah Stockman, Globe Staff | July 2, 2007

KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine -- On a breezy overlook near the crest of Ocean Avenue early yesterday, curious tourists stood training field glasses and cameras in the same direction across a cove as a clutch of television cameras.

Tuesday May 3rd, 2005
Portland, Oregon

WILPF and Portland State University Women's Studies honor 90 years of Women's Peace Activism and join the Peace Parade and Celebration!

Invitation to WILPF's 90th Anniversary Rally on International Workers' Day - May 1st, 2005.