Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

Section President: Dagmar Soerboe
Address: Sakariasvei 17
City, State/Province: Oslo
Postal Code: 0758
Telephone: + 47 2249.4884
Work and/or Mobile Number: + 47 9522.0223
Email Address: d-sorboe@online.no

Section IEC Member: Until August 2007: Liss Schanke
Address: Oscarsgt. 67
City, State/Province: Oslo
Postal Code: 0256
Telephone: + 47 2413.2754
Work and/or Mobile Number:
Email Address: lissschanke@hotmail.com

Section IEC Member: from August 2007: Lene Nilsen
Address: Akersbakken 11
City, State/Province: Oslo
Postal Code: 0172
Telephone: + 4745450741
Email Address: elvisnilsen@yahoo.no

Section Fundraising Contact: Mari H. Ruge, IKFF Norway
Address: PO box 8810 Youngstorget
City, State/Province: Oslo
Postal Code: 0028
Telephone: + 47 2301 0340
Work and/or Mobile Number: +47 4812 4664
Email Address: ikff@ikff.no

Number of members:     400       (Fill in the blank or amend)
Section website: www.ikff.no
Section 2006 Income:     NOK 270.000                           Expense: NOK 300.000
Committee or Working Group that your IEC Member participates in: None

What does your Section need from the 2007 Congress and what are the specific decisions that you would like to see this Congress make to further your work? Please place an X beside those that apply.
_x__ Development of 3-year Programme
___ Development of Committee or Working Group. Please specify.
__x_ Adoption of Policy. Please specify. (1325, uranium munitions, cluster munitions, environment, sustainability, violence against women, trafficking)
___ Adoption of Resolution. Please specify.
__x_ Adoption of Constitutional Amendment Please specify. (See our proposals sent in March)
___ Specific Proposal from your Section. Please specify.
___ Other. Please list below:

Geneva Office
We would like some feedback on the section mailing. Do you like the frequency and length? What topics would you like to see covered?
The sections mailings should come more regularly each month. We need more political visibility including comments on current issues from the Officers as guidance for the sections. The reports on UN cxonferences are important, but we also need wilpf-related political analyses. Could the reports from the disarmament and HR discussions serve as background material for our focal points or working groups on these and other issue areas ?

We hope it will be possible to publish IPU more regularly in the future. It is difficult to rcruit the members to become subscribers or remind subscribers to pay when – as in the previous year – issues have appeared infrequently. Maybe it should be considered to change the IPU into an e-mail newsletter similar to the 1325 newsletter. The competetion among paper magazines is very hard and the production is expensive.

What information from the Geneva Office would be helpful to you?
Updated information on

What do you see as priority issues for the work of the Geneva Office?
To be more responsive to initiatives from sections.

How could we improve communication between us (E-Mail, Conference Calls, Section Visits)?
We need more structured e-mail systems to avoid information drowning.

UN Office (New York)
What information from the UN Office would be helpful to you?
Much of our comments to the Geneva office apply also here.

Do you use the Reaching Critical Will website? Yesx xNo
If so for what? What is the most useful? What would make the site more useful for you?
Yes - Individual members concerned with disarmament use this website.
No - The section would need more political comments to make it useful for us. Se my comments above. The

Do you use the Peace Women website? Yes x
If so for what? What is the most useful? What would make the site more useful for you?

It is very useful for in-depth knowledge of gender perspectives and peace and war. And an important tool for us in lobbying the Norwegian government.
Do you read the Peace Women E-news?

Yes, also important for us in order to learn more and it gives us important input in the work for implementing resolustion 1325.

Does the work of your section relate to the United Nations? Yes X
If so how?

WILPF Norway is engaged in several processes in the UN, especially related to women’ issues, disarmament, and sustainable development

We know that each Section is involved in many important areas of work and are extremely excited to hear about that work. Please do not feel that you must answer all of the areas listed below.

Does your section work on WILPF’s International Program? xYes
What is your main focus?
Peace and security (1325, nuclear disarmament, uranium bombs, nuclear energy, anti-war protests))
Sustainable development (military effects on environment and development)

Global Economic Justice? xYes
How?
WILPF Norway is member of Norway Social Forum and participates in conferences, seminars and rallies

Environmental Sustainability? xYes
How?
Published a book in Norwegian and Englich on uranian ammunition
Working on a book on nuclear power
Active in side events relation to CED sessions

Disarmament and Demilitarization xYes
How?
Active in the movement for a ban on uranium ammunition
Active in the public debate in Norway on nuclear weapons, space weapons and cluster ammunition

SCR 1325/Women and Peace and Security Issues? xYes
How?
We have been lobbying for a Norwegian plan of action which the government finally decided in 2006. In 2007 seven we have been arguing for activities which can be part of the implemtation of the national action plan. We have been an initial force for establishment of an NGO forum for 1325 and have started a website – www.fn1325.no. We have also applied for resources to coordinate the work of the NGOs in Norway related to 1325. WILPF Norway have also played an important role in making the resolution known for other women’s organizations – both in Norway and abroad.

Sexual and Gender based violence issues? xYes
How?
WILPF Norway is member of a network against trafficking and prostitution and has lobbied for criminalizing the buyer. This year or from 2008 Norway has decided to do so. We are also working with connection gender based and sexual violence in times of peace to what happens in times of war and conflict. Resolution 1325 gives us a good framework for handling these issues.

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