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#Abolition

New ePub Released: Abolition by Ray Acheson

As the end of this extraordinary year draws to a close, we are thrilled to announce the release of the first ePub in WILPF’s new Thoughts for Change series: Abolition by Ray Acheson, Director of WILPF’s Disarmament Programme known as Reaching Critical Will.

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  • 2 min
WILPF International Secretariat
17 December 2020

As the end of this extraordinary year draws to a close, we are thrilled to announce the release of the first ePub in WILPF’s new Thoughts for Change series: Abolition by Ray Acheson, Director of WILPF’s Disarmament Programme known as Reaching Critical Will. 

Compiling and expanding upon Acheson’s series of articles exploring the theme of abolition, this long-read ePub offers deep feminist analysis of topics ranging from disbanding police to decommissioning nuclear weapons. 

With an aim to inform, educate, and ignite dialogue – and action – on the urgent need to abolish the structures and systems that cause harm, Abolition invites readers to take a break from the 24/7 news cycle, set aside the noise of social media, and engage in a bold examination of some of the most critical issues impacting people and planet today. 

“As feminist, queer, and BIPOC activists have taught us for decades, abolition is not just about dismantling institutions that oppress, but about building a new world of justice, equity, and care for all,” explains Acheson. “It’s about facing the reality that we cannot continue the way that we’ve been going – that the myths of weapons and wars, prisons and police, borders, capitalism, and so much more have made the world a dangerous place – but also that we have the capacity to change it all. I hope this series of essays provides some inspiration for action, and for collaboration across movements.” –


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How to access WILPF’s ePublications

Abolition is free to access and can be viewed as an ePub file on any device. 

Examples of programs or platforms you may want to use to view Abolition include: 

For more information about downloading and viewing EPUB files on your device, please visit this useful online resource from Acepub. 

About the Thoughts for Change ePub Series 

Thoughts for Change is a new series of free ePubs published by WILPF offering in-depth feminist analysis on a range of issues impacting the world today. Abolition is the first publication in the series.  

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WILPF International Secretariat

WILPF International Secretariat, with offices in Geneva and New York, liaises with the International Board and the National Sections and Groups for the implementation of WILPF International Programme, resolutions and policies as adopted by the International Congress. Under the direction of the Secretary-General, the Secretariat also provides support in areas of advocacy, communications, and financial operations.

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Melissa Torres

VICE-PRESIDENT

Prior to being elected Vice-President, Melissa Torres was the WILPF US International Board Member from 2015 to 2018. Melissa joined WILPF in 2011 when she was selected as a Delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women as part of the WILPF US’ Practicum in Advocacy Programme at the United Nations, which she later led. She holds a PhD in Social Work and is a professor and Global Health Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine and research lead at BCM Anti-Human Trafficking Program. Of Mexican descent and a native of the US/Mexico border, Melissa is mostly concerned with the protection of displaced Latinxs in the Americas. Her work includes training, research, and service provision with the American Red Cross, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Centre, and refugee resettlement programs in the U.S. Some of her goals as Vice-President are to highlight intersectionality and increase diversity by fostering inclusive spaces for mentorship and leadership. She also contributes to WILPF’s emerging work on the topic of displacement and migration.

Jamila Afghani

VICE-PRESIDENT

Jamila Afghani is the President of WILPF Afghanistan which she started in 2015. She is also an active member and founder of several organisations including the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organisation (NECDO). Elected in 2018 as South Asia Regional Representative to WILPF’s International Board, WILPF benefits from Jamila’s work experience in education, migration, gender, including gender-based violence and democratic governance in post-conflict and transitional countries.

Sylvie Jacqueline Ndongmo

PRESIDENT

Sylvie Jacqueline NDONGMO is a human rights and peace leader with over 27 years experience including ten within WILPF. She has a multi-disciplinary background with a track record of multiple socio-economic development projects implemented to improve policies, practices and peace-oriented actions. Sylvie is the founder of WILPF Cameroon and was the Section’s president until 2022. She co-coordinated the African Working Group before her election as Africa Representative to WILPF’s International Board in 2018. A teacher by profession and an African Union Trainer in peace support operations, Sylvie has extensive experience advocating for the political and social rights of women in Africa and worldwide.

WILPF Afghanistan

In response to the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and its targeted attacks on civil society members, WILPF Afghanistan issued several statements calling on the international community to stand in solidarity with Afghan people and ensure that their rights be upheld, including access to aid. The Section also published 100 Untold Stories of War and Peace, a compilation of true stories that highlight the effects of war and militarisation on the region. 

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WILPF Germany (+Young WILPF network), WILPF Spain and MENA Regional Representative

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Demilitarisation

WILPF uses feminist analysis to argue that militarisation is a counter-productive and ill-conceived response to establishing security in the world. The more society becomes militarised, the more violence and injustice are likely to grow locally and worldwide.

Sixteen states are believed to have supplied weapons to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2020 with the US supplying 74 % of weapons, followed by Russia. Much of this equipment was left behind by the US military and is being used to inflate Taliban’s arsenal. WILPF is calling for better oversight on arms movement, for compensating affected Afghan people and for an end to all militarised systems.

Militarised masculinity

Mobilising men and boys around feminist peace has been one way of deconstructing and redefining masculinities. WILPF shares a feminist analysis on the links between militarism, masculinities, peace and security. We explore opportunities for strengthening activists’ action to build equal partnerships among women and men for gender equality.

WILPF has been working on challenging the prevailing notion of masculinity based on men’s physical and social superiority to, and dominance of, women in Afghanistan. It recognizes that these notions are not representative of all Afghan men, contrary to the publicly prevailing notion.

Feminist peace​

In WILPF’s view, any process towards establishing peace that has not been partly designed by women remains deficient. Beyond bringing perspectives that encapsulate the views of half of the society and unlike the men only designed processes, women’s true and meaningful participation allows the situation to improve.

In Afghanistan, WILPF has been demanding that women occupy the front seats at the negotiating tables. The experience of the past 20 has shown that women’s presence produces more sustainable solutions when they are empowered and enabled to play a role.

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