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2007
WiLL/WAND National Conference
What made it so great?
Our piece on Women
and Power at the conference here.
[by the Director of Communications]
Why
was that conference so great? Because
it was, seriously. Energy, joy, outrage, passion,
commitment, integrity -- you could just feel it in
every room. Laughter, applause, facts and figures,
warm food, serious analysis -- everyone was concentrating
on the hard work and good times. It was fun, and it
was difficult -- and somehow totally rewarding.
But
what was the formula? Some random thoughts:
-
Women
and Power.
These are women who want their seats at the tables
of power, and they work hard to get there. They're
smart, diligent, creative, and serious. What's more,
they're willing to take on the challenge not because
they want the glory or the fame, but because
they care about the people they know and love.
State Sen. Debbie Halvorson (IL) decided to run
for Congress based on the energy and encouragement
at the conference itself.
"The more I listened to these groups,
the more I talked to other people in Congress, the
more I realized this was not about me, it's not
about titles. It's about what I can do for the people
and the country," Halvorson said.
[Read more
about her here.]
Jessica Seigel, State Rep.
Buffie McFadyen (CO), State
Sen. Debbie Halvorson (IL), Susan Shaer
-
Women
and Peace. We asked hard questions,
we got hard answers, and we made a plan for progress.
-
Why
are we at war -- again?
-
Why
do we pour billions upon billions into our mammoth
military machine, while our poor children do
not have healthcare?
-
Can
we craft a new foreign policy that does not
use military strikes as its first (and, seemingly,
only) tool?
-
Returned
Iraq vet Sargeant Carolyn Schapper held us spellbound
(and in tears) as she related her experiences
in the military; and had this to say:
"True defense would be to take
care of our citizens in a way that other nations
will truly admire, as well as aspire to.
And in order to deter others hatred for our
influence in the world we need to reach out
to create viable civil societies in under-developed
nations that will help create stability and
a natural resistance to extremism and intolerance
of all kinds."
[Read more
about her here.]
Susan Shaer, Sgt. Schapper, Nan
Grogan Orrock
-
Women
and the Economy. So
if we're invested in the war machine, how do we
get out? We can do it, we must do it.
WAND public policy director Marie Rietmann (and
Dr. Miriam Pemberton of gave us two great documents
that will pave the way to a new economic, political,
and military reality:
-
Women
and Action. How much fun was it
to take our message and our women to the halls of
Congress? We headed out on Tuesday, and constituents
attended over 150 meetings with their Members
of Congress.
-
Those
halls are usually swarming with professional
lobbyists -- handsomely paid, handsomely
dressed (and, often, handsome). These guys (usually)
come armed not simply with charm and banter;
they're backed by millions and millions of dollars.
So you wonder, what can we offer? And
it's this: the power of constituency.
We can't fill their campaign coffers,
but we can deliver the votes, the people, and
the great new ideas that will change the course
of our country.
-
I
got to attend several meetings, and got the
flavor of Capitol Hill. Once you get past the
metal detector, the marble hallways, the polite
and polished aides... you get to see what your
Congressperson is about, face to face.
And you know what? The good ones want
to hear what you have to say. Our folks
covered the topics dearest to them -- from Veterans
benefits to nuclear power to the Iraq war --
and the Members listened to them.
So much of it is just about showing up and telling
your story. And so much of the conference
was about empowering the participants to do
just that.
New Hampshire delegation
with Congresswoman Carol Shea Porter (center)
-
Women
and Our Perspectives. We got a lot
to say, and we need to find a rooftop from which
to shout! We heard from articulate, powerful speakers
who shed new light on the issues of the day.
- Deb
Small gave the line that this country
regards many of us as "throwaway people"
-- the troops, single mothers, the poor.
- Jane
Fonda, Carol Jenkins, Ellen Bravo chatted
with us and each other about bringing women's
voices into the media. The right wing has long
poured millions of dollars into the effort to
find and train conservative young voices; all
three of them are finding ways to train progressive
women, and to provide them with an outlet.
- Hon.
Jeanne Shaheen, former Governor of
New Hampshire now running for the U.S. Senate,
told us about what she did with her purse when
she was governor...
- Celinda
Lake outlined vital polling statistics
about the country's mood, and broke down the
numbers by gender. Not surprisingly, women are
more concerned with issues that take care of
people...
Jane
Fonda, Ellen Bravo, Carol Jenkins
-
Women
and Women. Women came from
all walks of life: from Alaska to Maine to Oregon
to Illinois to Georgia to Vermont; from community
activists to professors to Congresswomen to movie
stars; from big cities, little towns; from age 16
to 92; across all racial and class lines.
But we all shared a similar political perspective,
and we were all delighted to be able to communicate
and strategize and celebrate and grieve -- together.
And we had fun. Because it was a joy to
find ourselves in a room filled to bursting with
smart, informed, active, creative women.
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