WAND DC Reception on Capitol Hill
February 2007

Even though it snowed just a bit and shut down the city, dozens of folks turned out for the WAND DC Reception on Capitol Hill on February 7, 2007. We were delighted to celebrate the newest Congresswomen at the tables of power, and to provide networking opportunities for all of us in the peace and security community.

Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to put together this event, and to everyone who showed up! More photos here.

Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (KS) with Congresswoman Carol Shea Porter (NH) and WAND executive director Susan Shaer.

Boyda delighted the crowd when she reported that Nancy Pelosi is doing well as Speaker of the House because she's behaving like a real mom: She asks for directions, and she makes lists.

Actually makes one hopeful...

Capitol Hill Briefing on Balancing Security Spending

(l to r): Bill Johnstone-9/11 Commission staff and currently affiliated with Partnership for a Secure America; Miriam Pemberton-Foreign Policy In Focus, Institute for Policy Studies;Christopher Hellman-Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation; Marie Rietmann-Women’s Action for New Directions

WAND sponsored a briefing February 16, 2007 on “A Unified Security Budget for the United States." The budget shows how a rebalanced security strategy would put new emphasis on cost-effective preventive medicine, reducing the need for expensive military cures.

This budget has been written for several years now by Dr. Pemberton and Larry Korb, assistant secretary of defense for President Reagan. Mr. Johnstone and Mr. Hellman are assisting in its preparation for FY08.

WAND Atlanta "REAL State of the Union" Event
February 13, 2007 | First Iconium Baptist Church

Jay Bookman, the deputy editorial page editor of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and outspoken civil rights activist the Reverend Joseph Lowery delivered the 5th annual talk reflecting on the President’s FY08 Federal Budget, the war in Iraq and the health of our country.
More pictures here.

From her last column:

“We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders. And every single day, every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war.”

If ever a woman spoke truth to power, it was Molly. And she kept on doing it, with great skill and humor, til the end.

Molly spoke at our WAND/WiLL conference in 2003, and brought down the house. When she passed last month, a lot of us had a lot of fond memories of her wit, her courage, and her passion.

(Molly in the middle)

A few snippets:

Raise hell - and have fun doing it
By Aria Seligmann | February 2, 2007 |Eugene Register Guard
Full article, click here.

A simple message in my spam folder: Molly Ivins has passed. Tears immediately rolled down my cheeks, remembering how Molly, when she came to Eugene in October 2003, changed my life.

From WAND executive director Susan Shaer; read the whole piece here.

She was a natural. A beer loving, cigarette smoking, down-home girl. I envision her gamboling with her fellow journalists in a bar outside the State Capitol in Texas and taking in all the gossip, then flinging it out to the world in her popular column. The antics of the Texas leg (as she fondly called it) made them all seem silly and petty and also quite venal. It was always funny, but you could take very seriously the criticism she penned.

Remembering Molly Ivins
By John Nichols
John Nichols remembers Molly Ivins telling crowds, "even when she was battling cancer and Karl Rove, that they should relish the lucky break of their consciences and their conflicts. Speaking truth to power is the best job in any democracy, she explained. It took her to towns across this great yet battered land to say: 'So keep fightin' for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't you forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin' ass and celebratin' the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was.'"

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/020107J.shtml

Once again the UN comes to the time of year for evaluating what progress women have made around the world. From February 28 to March 9 the Commission on the Status of Women will be meeting. WAND will be represented by the Working Group for Women, Peace and Security which will be holding round-table meetings and trainings for increasing women's presence in peace-keeping and conflict prevention.

You may have seen the photograph of the all-female group of peacemakers assigned to Liberia made up of 100 women from India. A first -- but the fact remains that only 1% of all peacekeepers are women at present. This year's status of women meetings will focus on protecting girls from violence and in Liberia itself there have been many rapes of young girls which as yet go unpunished, so difficult is it to enact new laws after years of war.

On a more cheerful note, we at home may be debating whether we can elect a woman president but women in leadership positions around the world are increasing.

Oregon flags represent the fallen in Iraq
It looks like snow...but it is flags
February 2007

Oregon WAND contributed to the purchase of flags and members worked to set up the exhibit. The Iraq Body Count Exhibit is set up on the U. of Oregon campus. From a distance, it looks as if an early thaw has arrived on the University of Oregon campus, as hundreds of thousands of red and white flecks stand out brilliantly like new tulips against the green grass.
Full story here.