WILPF BUSINESS MEETING
June 23, Thursday, starting at 7PM at Fresno Center for Nonviolence 1584 N Van Ness. This meeting is open to all members.
PEACE CORNER
June 3, 4:30 to 6PM at Blackstone and Shaw, southeast corner. (First Friday of each month.) Signs furnished or bring your own.
WOMEN IN BLACK
June 1, noon to 1PM at the Fresno County Courthouse. (first Wednesday of each month.) Wear black, bring a sign if you wish, and stand in silence for peace. Start the new year off right.
STIR IT UP ON KFCF 88.1 FM: LISTENER -SUPPORTED FREE SPEECH RADIO FOR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
June 22 (4th Wednesday of each month.) Jean Hays does outstanding interviews on subjects involving WILPF interests and activities. Let Jean know if you have ideas for a program.
ALSO ON KFCF 88.1FM WILPF member Dr. Jean Kennedy’s show Health Comes at a Premium June 20 at 8PM (3rd Monday of each month.)
RAGING GRANNIES
Meetings on selected Mondays at 7PM. Call Ellie at 229-9807 for details.
FRESNO WILPF DOES PEACE EDUCATION ON TAX DAY
Thanks to Henry Garcia, our WILPF intern, Ann Carruthers, Rose Rowe, Jean Hays, Ray Ensher, Jennifer Wohl, a new WILPF member, Ken Hudson and Camille Russell for coming out on tax day to hand out flyers at the Griffith Post Office. I think this is one of the most important actions our branch takes because we’re not preaching to the choir. We have a lot of educating to do. Many people we spoke to don’t know who their representatives are so of course, no news is good news for the elected. I hope next year more of you will help us so we can cover at least two post offices.
Joan Poss leads this action, and deserves our special thanks. Be there next year!
WILPF SIGNS WATER RIGHTS PROTEST TO UN
Almost 900 million people worldwide do not have access to clean water and more than 2.6 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation. Studies also indicate that each year about 1.5 million children under the age of five die because of water-and sanitation-related diseases. This global crisis in access to safe, sufficient and affordable water demands a solution that is equitable, transparent, and democratic.
On July 28, 2010, Bolivia introduced to the United Nations General Assembly a resolution recognizing access to clean water and sanitation as a human right essential to the full enjoyment of life and all the other human rights. Whereas the Assembly’s resolution recognized the fundamental right to clean water and sanitation as a human right, it did not specify that this right entailed legally binding obligations. The vote was: 122 in favor, none against, and 41 abstentions, including the U.S.
The question is whether the for-profit corporate sector can be held in check from wielding undue influence over the UN water agenda.
Next week the UN will consider an application to allow representatives of private water companies to be able to directly lobby the UN.
WILPF has signed onto the protest presented in shortened form here:
We, the under-signed organizations, representing civil-society organizations and social movements from around the world, call upon the members of the UN NGO Committee to reject the application of Aquafed, the International Federation of Private Water Operators, for United Nations ECOSOC consultative status at the May 11-24, 2011 session of the committee.
Aquafed is an industry lobby organization created to promote the interests of for-profit water companies. The only criterion for joining Aquafed is that you must be a for-profit private water company. The Committee on NGO’s should reject Aquafed’s application because Aquafed exclusively represents the interests of for-profit corporations and therefore contravenes the requirement that organizations to be non-profit.
WILPF SPONSORS PEACE TRAIN
Fr. Louie Vitale and Dennis Apel will appear in federal court in Santa Barbara on June 16, 9 am. They, along with Fr. Steve Kelly, were arrested at a peace vigil at Vandenberg Air Force Base/ Space Command. Fr. Steve Kelly will not appear in court because he is serving a 15 month prison sentence for the Kitsap-Bangor Trident base Ploughshares action.
Vandenberg Space Command carries out three main missions: testing Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles; testing the “Star Wars” interceptors; launching satellites, mostly military, into polar orbit for the coordination of war on earth from space.
The Catholic Worker and the Vandenberg Action Coalition members have held a regular vigil for peace for more than 15 years. These vigils are held in the designated protest area at the front gate of the base. Fr.Louie, Dennis Apel and Fr. Steve were arrested because of the lifetime “ban and bar” order issued by the base that forbids any action near the base.
The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom is sponsoring a Peace Train (Amtrak 11 south and Amtrak 14 north) from Oakland/ SJ/ Salinas/San Luis Obispo. We will go south on Wed. June 15 leaving Oakland 8:50 am, San Jose 10 am, arriving in Santa Barbara at 6:17 in the evening. Local hosts are available if you ask in advance. There are funds to help with the cost of the train
Please contact MacGregor Eddy for details and updates. macgregoreddy@gmail.com 831 206 5043 http://www.macgregoreddy.com/
