This
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We
Need Members and More Members!
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We need members and
more members!
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WILPF in its
long history has been in the forefront of NGO work for peace and
human rights.
At last count
there were 41 sections, but some of these are very small and are
finding it tough to maintain membership numbers.
It does not
mean that WILPF members are not doing very good work, but it does
mean that some of the planned work at the International level will
have to be curtailed if we do not manage to increase membership
and so have more income from subscriptions to carry out this very
important work.
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by Mary
Ziesak, WILPF Australia Joint National Coordinator
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We need more staff
at Geneva and in New York, but in the present situation we do not have
the funding to employ more women. Our International staff in these offices
is overworked and we need to lighten their load.
To work fully and
effectively on our Political and Philosophical Programs at international,
section and branch levels as planned at the last Congress in Baltimore
and re-affirmed in Costa Rica and Berlin at the subsequent IEC Meetings
we must have more money. Funds are required for the most basic things
such as office requirements, printing and postage.
In Australia, after
we have paid our fees to the international office we have no money left
to run the section and except for donations we would not be able to function.
This is a shaky way to be.
Our
main areas of work on are in:
1 HUMAN RIGHTS: we
need to revitalise the discussion on ‘state sovereignty’ versus human
rights.
2 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
JUSTICE: we need to continue and deepen the work we have done on globalisation
and at the UN. This could be the base for our next Congress.
3 DISARMAMENT: there
is growing revulsion to the madness of weaponry and militarism. We can
build on this loathing by making visible the real costs of wars in the
20th century: costs in human lives, destroyed civilisations,
environment, intellectual and financial resources We all can start this
list, compile it and use it in our education work.
4 WOMEN AND PEACE:
based on WILPF legacy, we need to present fundamental and realistic alternatives
to the militaristic, escalating, confrontational modes of addressing conflicts.
Creating a culture of peace cannot be only an interesting catch phrase,
but an all-permeating reality. We cannot achieve enduring peace without
political, social and economic justice, and we need to bring these strands
together.
5 PEOPLE CENTRED
GOVERNANCE: this is the long-term work of making the citizens of the world
the centre, the actors, the beneficiary of all governance. How do we debilitate
the institutions that impede this from happening and how do we strengthen
and legitimise those which facilitate it?
We
cannot effectively or credibly talk about representing a large portion
of the citizens of the world with our declining membership. We need members
who can give varying degrees of time and effort to WILPF work. Every WILPF
member is equally valued and honoured.
Members fall into
roughly three groupings which often overlap and change.
1 A large group of
members with a low level of involvement fall into this group because of
health, family situation or other reasons, but they pay a subscription
and receive and possibly disseminate WILPF information. Some call these
group chequebook members – they are very important!
2. Another group,
smaller and constantly rejuvenated by the previous one, is a group of
WILPF members who are engaged and committed on specific, and often local
issues dealing with social justice, disarmament, women’s role in society
and education.
3. Women who are
committed to the overall objectives of WILPF form an even smaller and
also fluctuating group, often replenished by the membership of the other
two groups. They engage consistently in different actions, at different
local, national or international levels because they are deeply convinced
of the interrelation of all the issues that WILPF deals with.
Our International
President Bruna Nota, in her report to the recent IEC meeting gave this
schematic plan. For every women engaged at the global level, there should
be fifty engaged on specific issues at local and national levels and 500
who, even if less active, give their on going support. On the assumption
that the essential international and organisational work needs a stable
base of probably 200 women, the total membership of WILPF, calculated
conservatively, would be around 100,000. She says they are out there waiting
to be asked.
At the IEC Meeting in Berlin I took part in a membership building workshop!
Laura Partridge,
a vital American Wilpfer, from the Theatre of the Oppressed, performed
a playette that emphasised that we need to be open and friendly; we need
to be visible; we need to be meaningful and relevant and we need to be
more ‘sexy’. (We think the latter means brighter, lively and outgoing)
From that workshop
and one we ran subsequently in the Queensland Branch we have come up with
the fact that people do not know about WILPF. WE need to talk about WILPF,
that is to individuals and also have speakers available to speak to groups
or on radio.
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is important to carry WILPF leaflets (colour if possible) or cards
with you all the time so if you engage someone you can hand them information
immediately. Place leaflets at information desks or on notice boards.
Better still have a WILPF poster made – repetitive exposure works!
Wear a WILPF badge or T-shirt – they are great talking points! |
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Seek out journals
that will carry articles about WILPF – add some photos of specific
projects to create interest. Draft a letter of introduction and
have a supply ready and have a small leaflet on single projects/campaigns
(as we did for the World march of Women)
Assemble a
tool kit with information on current work, history, constitution
etc.
Don’t be backward
in asking for donations
– people like to give!
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WILPF
t-shirt with Picasso's drawing on the front. 'women's
international league for peace and freedom' on the back.
WILPF
members around the world have used this image as a symbol of their
work for peace.
To
read the story or find out more about the t-shirt, read make
your money work for peace.
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Be generous and give
a gift membership! Have a "peace lunch’ and invite people who have never
heard of WILPF.
Elect a membership
committee and recognise that we do peace work in many different ways.
Importantly, join
other groups, particularly in your own locality and identify yourself
as a WILPF member. You will be surprised at the interest shown when you
talk about an organisation that is 85 years old.
Remember, be willing
to change, value everyone's contribution, and do not overload new members.
Mentor members who
take up new positions; take the opportunity to socialise and get to know
each other. Keep meetings as informal as practicable
It goes without saying
that we need to network and I think we do that well in most Australian
Branches. Remember there is strength in unity. (Was that from Karl Marx?)
In most states of
Australia there are grants that we can apply and a catalogue listing these
is available at Commonwealth bookshops.
At our meeting we
wanted to find a definition of a WILPF woman, but came up with good statement:
"WILPF provides an avenue to channel your energies effectively."
So let us start working
on gaining members and set our Branch a realistic goal!
Good Luck!
from Mary Ziesak,
WILPF Australia Joint National Coordinator, with thanks to International
President, Bruna Nota for her Report to the IEC 2000 Berlin, 31 July –4
August.
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