Annual Report for the Canadian Section of WILPF

EXECUTIVE MEMBERS

President/Corresponding Secretary: Joanne Whitney

#901 6659 Southoaks Crescent

V5E 4M9 Burnaby, B.C

joandgord@shaw-ca
Tel: +1 604 517 0581

Treasurer: Colleen Burke

125 Brandon Avenue

M6H 2E2 Toronto ON

Colleen.burke@sympatico.ca

Tel: 1+ 416 535 6586

IEC Member: Barbara Cullen

Contact Person for Members at Large:

#1204 1239 W. Georgia Street

V6E 4R8 Vancouver B.C.

sefton@telus.net

Tel: 1+604 647 1062

BRANCH CONTACTS

Toronto Bruna Nota
#90170 Mill Street

M5A 4R1 Toronto ON

bruna.nota@utoronto.ca

Tel: 1+416 203 1402

Vancouver
Mary Rawson

1406 Woodland Drive

V5L 3S6 Vancouver B.C.

Tel: 1+ 604 251 2908

Nanaimo
Trish Boyden

5765 Alder Way

V9T 5N4 Nanaimo B.C.

tralboyden@shaw.ca

Tel : 1+250 762 0252

Number of Members : 47

Sheri Gibbings, the Toronto Branch Representative and Elizabeth Raymer, the Newsletter Editor are doing Peace-related work abroad for a year.

CANADIAN SECTION REPORT 2006

We’ve seen our numbers fall from 57 members in 2005 to 47 members in 2006. Undoubtedly, for all 3 Branches increasing the membership numbers has to be the number one priority for 2006-2007. Our IEC Representative, Barbara Cullen, has taken on the additional job of being the Contact for Members at Large and there has been some growth here (5 members to be exact).

Thanks to our hard-working Treasurer, Colleen Burke, we now have a new updated brochure for the Canadian Section. The new brochure will help form the basis of a Canadian Website, which we are striving to complete within the next year.

Much of the energy of the Vancouver Branch has gone into planning the program for the “Women’s Working Group” of the World Peace Forum, held in Vancouver, B.C. from June 23-28, 2006. This group was co-chaired by Elsie Dean and Marion Pape whose efforts have been prodigious. Ellen Woodsworth, former Vancouver City Councilor, who persuaded the City Council to endorse the idea of the World Peace Forum, has been elected the new President of the Vancouver Branch. I think the hard-working Women’s Working Group was the only group that came close to reaching its financial target. The money raised was used to bring women from developing countries to actively participate in the WPF and most of the women sponsored, proved to be extremely competent. At the end, the Vancouver Branch hosted a dinner for Susi Snyder, Jennifer Nordstrom and Dr. Roula Zoubiane. How delighted we were to have these most-welcomed of guests attend along with quite a large number of American delegates. We also had the World Urban Forum (WUF III) happen here just before the World’s Very First Peace Forum. Vancouver most certainly was the place to be this summer.

With a new Conservative government in the House of Commons, we’ve had to face many disappointments, particularly, marked increases in military expenditures and our former Peacekeepers being forced into a dangerous combatant mission in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan. We’ve certainly increased the number of letters we’ve written to M.P.’s and, if Harper tries to integrate us into BMD, I think there’ll be more than Peace groups taking to the streets to protest. This new government is not open to questioning even by journalists. Our media is being muzzled in a way that many Canadians find disturbing.

Canadians are very upset about Harper’s refusal to sign onto the Kyoto Protocol. Whereas previous governments from Trudeau onward strove towards energy self-sufficiency, suddenly the flow of our immense resources is increasingly southward, with heavy tariffs slapped on in the process. Young people, who will suffer the consequences of insufficient environmental safeguards down the road, can be appealed to on this basis. This is the group we most need to attract and perhaps Environmental and Economic Sustainability needs to be emphasized more in our goals.

Joanne Whitney, President WILPF Canadian Section

WILPF VANCOUVER 2006

The highlight of the year for us was our 90 year celebration of WILPF, which took place in early December. It was extremely well organized and invitations were sent out to long time members, who were no longer active and a surprising number turned up for the event. Crystal Bergman’s Beata Ensemble sang seasonal songs from other cultures and long-time members of WILPF related interesting highlights from WILPF’S history. The food served even represented the holiday traditions of many cultures. At the end, we all got a chance to see the “Raging Grannies” in full regalia strutting their stuff and what a blast that was..

This past year for us has been all about planning for the WORLD PEACE FORUM, June 23-28, 2006. Many members of the Vancouver Branch have served in some capacity on the “Women’s Working Group”, co-chaired by Marion Pape and Elsie Dean, with Ellen Woodsworth, an ex-Vancouver Councilor, frequently sitting in. Such a colossal undertaking hasn’t been without its problems; the program co-ordination has been extremely draining for both the volunteer and paid staff. However, things are nicely falling into place now and we’re hoping that many members of WILPF worldwide will log onto www.worldpeaceforum.ca and register. Susi Snyder, the Secretary General of WILPF will be participating in the “UN Resolution 1325 Round Table”, Monday, June 26th, 1-5p.m. in UBC’s Student Union Building.

The most unpleasant fact that we’ve had to face is diminishing numbers coupled with escalating Section Fees. Barbara Taylor wrote a letter on behalf of the Branch urging WILPF International to come up with a more equitable formula that doesn’t penalize small Sections in Developed countries for presentation to the 2007 Congress. We are an aging Branch and, for many, that has meant less involvement and in some cases dropping out altogether.

The Vancouver Branch runs from September to June, meeting on the 4th Saturday of each month. New members are most welcome.

Joanne Whitney, President WILPF Canadian Section

WILPF TORONTO 2006


WILPF Toronto participated at International Women's Day in Toronto. On March
11th WILPF members participated in the rally and hosted an information table at
the International Women's Day Fair at Ryerson University.

. WILPF Toronto held a fundraiser on February 2006 at the Tarragon Theatre. The
play for the fundraiser was Leo by Rosa Laborde. The play traces a relationship
among three young people in Chile when the country was experiencing a coup
supported by the United States. We had a great turn-out with over 40 tickets sold.

. During PeaceWeek at the University of Toronto (November 6th-12th), WILPF
organized the showing of a film on November 7th called "Diamonds, Guns and
Rice". The film is about the women's peace movement in Sierra Leone and tells
the story of the Civil War through their eyes. Approximately fifty participants
showed up for the event.

. WILPF Toronto displayed the Clothes Line Project at the showing of the Vagina
Monologues 2005 (V-Day). V-Day is a global movement to end violence against
women and girls.

. During the months leading up to Remembrance Day, WILPF Toronto organized a
White Poppy Campaign. The White Poppy Campaign was a huge success, garnering
media attention from campus newspapers and selling all the white poppies within
a week.

. WILPF Toronto contributed to event promotion and outreach for International
Day of Action against the War in Iraq, March 18th 2006.

. WILPF Toronto participated in the planning of WILPF's international meeting on
"Voices for Peace, Ecology, Life" Havana, Cuba November 22-26, 2006. On December
2nd, 2005 WILPF Toronto co-organized a silent auction fundraiser for the
conference. Some members participated in conference planning sessions that
occurred over the weekend.

. The Voice of Women (VOW) organized a panel discussion on UN Security Council
Resolution 1325 on March 16th 2006. A member of WILPF gave a talk on the history
of Resolution 1325 and its implementation process.

Sheri Gibbings, Toronto Branch Representative

WILPF Nanaimo 2006

We continue to have our meetings once a month.  Our attendance is about 5 to 7 members. 

We continue to distribute our anti-war toy leaflets in the pre Christmas period.  We produced WILPF Greeting card packages which we sold during December. 

Wilpf members took part in Anti Iraq war demonstrations in March, joining the People's Participation Movement in a concert in Nanaimo's downtown.  Later members supported the same group in May Day festivities.  Several members have written to our members of parliament regarding the vote to renew Canada's presence in Afghanistan.

We had a table display about WILPF at the "fair" during Malaspina College Alternate Film Festival and sold cards and baked goods to raise funds for a child based charity operating in Central America. The festival raised funds for a scholarship to be given to a Malaspina student filmmaker who is doing a film about the effects of the funding cuts to women's programs. 

Several members will be attending the World Peace Forum this month.  At the same time we will have a WILPF display table at the Nanaimo Miner's Picnic.

Trish Boyden, Nanaimo Branch Representative   

There were a number of questions that WILPF International put to the Sections and I regret that I’m late at getting to these.

What does your Section need from the 2006 IEC and what are the specific decisions that you would like to see this IEC make to further your work?

To come up with a fairer way of assessing International fees and to reduce considerably the “entry” fees for joining Intl. We see the latter as a real obstacle to the development of new Sections, particularly young sections. The current formula for assessing Intl. fees penalizes small sections in developed countries.

GENEVA OFFICE

Feedback on the section mailing…

We would like 2 hard copies of the Intl. monthly new bulletin. Some of these are quite long and expensive to print and copy. Not all members of a Section necessarily e-mail.

What Info. would be helpful to you…

How to go about setting up a separate Section “website” to attract new members.

What do you see as priority issues for the work of the Geneva Office?

Enlarging WILPF worldwide…a more equitable fee structure and a considerably reduced entry fee may help towards that end.

To the many worthwhile projects that you are already working on, add lobbying for more foreign aid from developed nations…this is perhaps the biggest obstacle to realizing the goals of 1325. Maybe also joining with other NGO groups worldwide to select the country that each year contributes the highest percentage of its GDP to foreign Aid. A prominent philanthropist could then present that country with an award, perhaps even at an International ceremony. At the same ceremony the country that comes closest to achieving a 50:50 male/female ratio in its national general assembly could also be rewarded in some similar manner.

How to improve communication between us…

See Feedback above.

NEW YORK U.N. OFFICE

What do you see as priority issues for the work of the U.N. office?

Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons (all countries, including U.S. and Israel)

Non-proliferation of small weapons, pressure on manufacturers to stop exporting these

Cancellation of the North Am. Ballistic Missile Defense shield

SANCTIONS are an Act of War (U.N. Charter) why is this never cited?

Getting all countries to sign on to the Kyoto Protocol and reduce emissions accordingly

Striving for economic and environmental sustainability and energy self-sufficiency

All Countries within a desert region should equally share water and land resources

Stand opposed to trade blocks and practices that exclude undeveloped countries.

Note that the above may not reflect the priorities of the Canadian Section as a whole

REACHING CRITICAL WILL WEBSITE
Do you use the Reaching Critical Will website?

No, admittedly, I just read the e-mails. I like the Table of Contents at the beginning and often then go to those Headings that seem important. In some cases, I’ll copy a paragraph or two for my Branch.

PEACE WOMEN WEBSITE
Do you use this website?

No, but I read Peace Women e-news in the same manner as I read RCW above

GENERAL QUESTIONS

Does the work of your Section relate to the United Nations?

We were highly involved in the very successful World Peace Forum and when the final plenary report is completed, it will hopefully provide useful input into the U.N. process itself as well as providing a useful blueprint for both Peace Groups and NGO’s worldwide.

What is your Section’s main focus?

In the past, the Vancouver Branch has been mainly raising public consciousness with respect to peace and justice issues. The Toronto and Nanaimo Branches are more involved in direct action. Vancouver’s aging membership no longer has the energy for such intense involvement. Perhaps the answer is starting up a separate Youth Branch, which individual Vancouver Branch Members could mentor until the Youth Branch could carry on independently.

Do you work on Global Economic Justice?

Although we state it as a goal, nothing concretely has been done in this regard to my knowledge.

Environmental Sustainability?

The Nanaimo Branch has done some direct action in this regard: joined logging stand-offs, and picketed both the Nanoose Bay American. nuclear submarine base and the Esquimalt Military base to protest large military practices that have occurred there. They also protested the proposed Duke Point Nuclear Reactor and, along with other groups active on Vancouver Island, managed to get it cancelled. Their environmental activism may have to do with their closer association with First Nation’s groups and the very fact that they are much closer to nature than the two large city Branches.

Disarmament and Demilitarization?

We participate in a few large peace marches that take place here annually. We have been increasing our output of letters to Prime-Minister Harper and other M.P.’s. We especially have been protesting the way the newly-elected Conservative government is integrating our military, security and trade policies with those of the U.S. If the Americans go ahead with BMD, Harper will definitely have us in there too and justify it by means of our NORAD commitment. Fear-mongering as a way of brainwashing your electorate to accept increased military expenditure and deployment is happening here just as in U.S.

Water?

Water is beginning to be an issue with Canadians so the Can. Section of WILPF may also someday address it. The two aspects that affect us directly is the practice of diverting rivers in U.S. which is suspected of causing back-up flooding in Manitoba’s Red River Basin and shipping our Hydroelectric Power south of the border leading to power-outages in southern Ontario. Remember that Canada has one-fifth of the world’s fresh water supply. Bottling and shipping water to needy populations wouldn’t be a concern if it was done by our government, but unfortunately private bottling companies are making a profit on the backs of the poor; which the Council of Canadians has strongly objected to.

Security Council Resolution 1325?

It was certainly addressed by the Working Women’s Group of the WPF at the World Peace Forum. Our members have been educating themselves on the resolution and its ramifications. The Nanaimo Branch has been actively improving conditions in the city for First Nation Women; e.g., eliminating surveillance cameras in women prison cells; a high percentage of women prisoners are aboriginals.

What is the political situation in your country?

It has declined rapidly since Harper’s Conservatives took power. His government is autocratic, often not even allowing parliamentary debate on important issues. He has angered journalists for refusing to allow them to question his M.P.’s. Most of the Canadian Newspapers are letting Harper call the shots, they strongly supported his Political Campaign. Most of our papers are owned by a single right-leaning Monopoly.