Congo Rape Action Event - October 6th, 6 p.m. - To develop our action strategy for WILPF NY Metro's Project Congo.

The meeting will be held at the 1199 SEIU Union Hall, Bread and Roses Gallery, 310 W. 43rd St. (bet. 8th & 9th Aves.) Take the A, C, E, 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, B, D, F, V, N, Q, R, or W to 42nd Street. Come hear Bibiane Tshefu speak about the situation in Congo and see assorted clips from films about Congo, some of which are part of WILPF's NY Metro's Trudy Orris Film Series.

Internships

Special Focus Projects for Interns

WILPF is currently working on two Focus Projects:

Genocide and High Tech Torture: Tales from the Congo

-- From the glamour and rarity of diamonds to the common cell phone, African resources flow out of the country through multi-national funnels. This process benefits only foreign interests while destitutes and spoils the current colony.

Militarization of Fashion: Examines societal buy-in to the War Culture.

-- If Fashion distinguishes us and uniforms unite us then dressing in a uniform as a statement of style indicates that we dress to kill, daily. This project challenges us to expose this trend and to notice the prevalence of military culture in civilian life.





Alternatively, Interns are free to create a project within the framework of the following WILPF programs.

WILPF Programs

Challenging Corporate Power; Asserting the People’s Rights

The Challenge Corporate Power, Asserting the People's Rights Program promotes understanding corporations their illegitimate use of constitutional “rights” and powers to define our law, politics, jurisprudence, work, technologies, food, communities... you name it! This program does this through learning and helping others to learn how we got into this mess through the discovery and study of hidden histories, with an eye toward rethinking WILPF activism by placing it in the context of people’s right to self and mutual governance and uncovering the meaning of real (radical) democracy along with developing its skills and practice.

Building the Beloved Community

The basis of WILPF’s Building the Beloved Community Program is the teachings of WILPF member, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Aligned with his vision, WILPF provides educational information about historical events and current issues that influence activities for change showcasing the links between racism and all other forms of oppression from poverty and economic systems to war. This program serves to encourage people to work in coalition about these issues.

Peace

WILPF began as a woman-led peace organization during World War I. The desire for peace remains the motivational core of each issue that WILPF addresses. WILPF educates communities about policy dimensions. This program works to bridge gaps, to engage diverse groups in developing a women's vision for U.S. foreign and economic policy, and to unite women in the region in order to act on the promise of the U.N. Security Council’s Resolution 1325 that promotes women's active participation in bringing peaceful, democratic resolution to the conflicts. http://www.peacewomen.org/un/sc/1325.html

DISARM! Dismantling the War Economy

The DISARM! Dismantling the War Economy Program grew out of an intensive six-year campaign, launched in 1999 with clearly stated goals: dismantling the war economy (the war profiteers, especially in the nuclear industry), and building an economy for peace. Around this, we will develop resources on disarmament issues. We relate to the United Nations disarmament efforts through WILPF International’s disarmament project entitled Reaching Critical Will, and we will closely follow disarmament legislation in the U.S. Congress and work for progress in demilitarizing the U.S. foreign policy and the global economy.

Universal Human Rights

WILPF works locally in our communities to advance the understanding and the application of international human rights instruments, with special emphasis on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). This program fosters a deeper understanding of and respect for human rights and promotes international human rights standards and process values as normative for U.S. domestic law, regulations, and policy.

Women’s Rights

Discrimination against women is prevalent throughout the United States and is, in many ways, legally sanctioned. For example, despite the Equal Pay Act of 1963, women were still earning 73 cents to every dollar that men earned in 2000. Although women’s rights are found under the umbrella of Universal Human Rights, as a women’s organization, special focus and attention is given to economic and aspects of women’s rights. This program seeks to establish security, economic and decision making roles for women on the grassroots, national and international levels.

Now accepting letters and C.V.'s for Fall 2008 interns interested in working on the following projects:

Project Congo

Militarization of Fashion

Nonprofit Administration

Militarization of Space

Martin Luther King Day Legacy Awards Planning & Filming

Candidates should send a letter of interest and a C.V. to:

WILPF New York Metro
339 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10012

Or Email it to: info@wilpfnymetro.org

WILPF is Building the Beloved Community by seeking to understand and address racism and discrimination in our society. Discussion about these issues is crucial to finding a viable solution. Add your voice and reason to the conversation.

WILPF is Challenging Corporate Power through education beginning with a six-week course developed by WILPF, which is being held across the world. A course will be held this summer. Call the WILPF New York Metro office to enroll.

WILPF is Disarming The War Economy by linking the effect of the for-profit war machine on our day-to-day lives. With the Raging Grannies and through song, art and satire we work to bring the immoral cost of the Iraq occupation home.