Members Update 6th May

            Letter from Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

One of the aims of Gude Cause was to rekindle women's involvement in the political process for peace, and women at Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre have succeeded in re-establishing the Scottish Branch of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), the oldest international women's peace organisation.  WILPF was co-founded in 1915 by Edinburgh suffragist, Chrystal Macmillan, and it has just been approved for accreditation to the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference (NPT) in New York in May 2010.

 
The Scottish Branch is requesting financial contributions to send a representative to give Scottish women a voice, and UK WILPF committee supports the Scottish proposal to send Janet Fenton.
This is an incredible opportunity to have a voice for Scottish women at a time when Obama and Medvedev have put nuclear disarmament back on the world's agenda.

This NPT Review is crucial in assessing the nuclear disarmament targets which have already been outlined but not yet met. As Janet has a wide knowledge and experience of nuclear disarmament issues she will be able to contribute to the discussions in New York: she will also come back with ideas and information to move the campaign forward by speaking to groups throughout Scotland, at all levels from local grassroots to X-Party groups at Holyrood. She feels that international participation in New York will increase women's credibility with decision makers here.

Please send a contribution to the fund for travel and accommodation expenses for sending Janet to NPT Review Conference. As time is short, and we have not yet completed setting up a Scottish WILPF bank account, please make cheques payable to Janet Fenton at Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre (see address details below).
If you have any questions, please contact me or Janet by email or give us a phone call.