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Founded
in 1915, WILPF empowers women to work for peace and justice in every
Australian state and territory, and in 45 countries around the world.
WILPF women stand for...
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Political
solutions to international conflicts
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Disarmament
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The
promotion of women to full and equal participation in
all society's activities
- Respect
for fundamental human rights and the right to development
in a sustainable environment
- Economic
justice within and among states
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Elimination
of racism and all forms of discrimination.
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http://www.wilpf.int.ch http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org http://www.peacewomen.org
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Statement for WILPF's 94th Anniversary
28 April 2009
On 28 April 1915 while war raged in Europe, over one thousand women from
a diversity of cultures and languages came together to study, make known
and eliminate the causes of war.
The organisation they formed, the Women's International League for Peace
and Freedom, continues to assert the right and the responsibility of women
to participate in decision-making on all aspects of peace and security.
Celebrating its 94-year history on 28 April, the organisation continues
to empower women and work towards the elimination of war, racism, discrimination
and violation of women's rights. WILPF women have contributed with other
non-governmental organisations to see human rights recognised and codified,
landmines banned, and an end to apartheid in South Africa. All this is
detailed in an exhibition being launched around the world as part of the
anniversary.
While WILPF has witnessed progress over its 94 years, we live in a tense
world of increasing military expenditure, of increasing investment in war,
and still using war. Gaza and the West Bank remain occupied; the violence
in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues; in Sri Lanka, Tamil civilians
remain trapped in a military conflict; deaths in Afghanistan go on and
on; and the burkhas in Afghanistan stay on and on. The killing in Iraq
continues, as does the corporate welfare of Halliburton, Parsons Corporation
and Bechtel to name but a few of the profiteers in Iraq who have perfected
organised crime.
While words such as "security" and "terrorism" are
manipulated to leverage a reduction in civil and political rights, and
human and financial resources are drained from delivering economic, social
and cultural rights and security for all, three interlocking crises are
faced: climate change, peak oil and an economic depression.
Military security concepts and weapons profiteers bear enormous responsibility
in killing our planet, impoverishing its people and changing our climate.
The US Pentagon is the biggest single user of oil in the world (320,000
barrels per day), and generates 750 million tons of toxic waste per year.
While more people become impoverished, governments are wasting enormous
resources on weapons and preparation for war. During a so-called financial
crisis, governments are annually spending 1339 billion, the equivalent
of 600 years of the UN's budget, on military expenditure. Bombs, guns and
landmines cannot be eaten, will not hinder a tsunami, a hurricane, a flood,
a bushfire, a virus, or a water shortage. These are our real security threats.
We can face and address them, but only if we organise, cooperate and put
the human and economic resources currently going into weapons and war into
human needs.
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is the oldest
women's peace organisation in the world, established in 1915 to oppose
the war raging in Europe. It has been working ever since to study, make
known, and abolish the causes of war, and to support human rights and general
and complete disarmament.
www.wilpf.int.ch
All five of the Australian National Section branches have planned events
to mark WILPF's 94h birthday:
* Our branch in the Australian Capital Territory is also planning a celebration
on Tuesday April 28th. Members are invited to bring along a friend
and celebrate over a pot-luck dinner from 6.30pm. This event will be
held at the home of one of the branch's members.
* On the morning of Tuesday 28th April, our Tasmanian branch will have
a morning tea to celebrate the 94th anniversary. The venue is yet to
be decided. They will also establish a music scholarship in memory
of WILPF member and one-time Secretary of the Australian Section, Lesley
Alcorso who died recently. The scholarship will be a music award for
a first-year female student at the Tasmanian University's Conservatorium
of Music.
* Our branch in the Australian Capital Territory is also planning a celebration
on Tuesday April 28th. Members are invited to bring along a friend
and celebrate over a pot-luck dinner from 6.30pm. This event will be
held at the home of one of the branch's members.
* Our New South Wales branch will hold a "birthday" meeting
on Saturday 9th May. This will be a triple celebration marking WILPF's
94th birthday, the 100th birthday of Margaret Holmes, one of the branch's
founding members, as well as reporting on the Section's work around developing
a national action plan for UNSCR1325.
* Also on 9th May, our South Australian branch will have a 94th birthday
cake and celebration as part of the singing protest workshop at the Quaker
Meeting House, 40A Pennington Terrace, North Adelaide. Time: 1.30pm to
4.30pm
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