Branch Happenings: Maine and Pittsburgh

The #NuclearBan Banner recently visited Suzanne Hedrick (top image), 38 years after she crisscrossed Maine with a mock missile to protest their proposed testing in Maine. Christine DeTroy (bottom image) launched the #NuclearBan Banner Campaign in January to celebrate the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapon’s entry-into-force with Mainers.

April 2021

Stop the Militarization of Space!

By Martha Spiess
Maine WILPF

Maine WILPFers, collaborating with four other Maine peace groups, organized a St. Patrick’s Day Zoominar on March 17 about The Space Force. It was one of our most well-attended talks ever. Bruce Gagnon of the Global Network against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space spoke about the militarization of space.

Of particular interest to us was Bruce’s description of the Aegis Ashore Weapons Systems which effectively turns the entire US into a “target.” Bath, Maine, is the location of General Dynamic’s Bath Iron Works, where some of Maine’s best-paid jobs are found in building Aegis Destroyers. Ellen Thomas co-hosted this webinar and she also helped us coordinate it to be our first ever livestream as well!

Our #Nuclear Ban Banner Caravan visited the decommissioned Maine Yankee Atomic Power Plant to emphasize the two faces of nuclear weapons and to remind ourselves of the inevitable Climate’s Sea Level Rise and of nuclear power’s dependence on our rivers and waters for cooling. The #NuclearBan Banner Campaign was initially launched by Christine DeTroy in January to celebrate the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapon’s Entry-into-Force with Mainers. Just recently the #NuclearBan Banner visited Suzanne Hedrick, 38 years after she crisscrossed Maine with a mock missile to protest their proposed testing in Maine.
 

Learning from Liberian Women in Pittsburgh

By Susan Smith
WILPF Pittsburgh Coordinator

WILPF Pittsburgh hosted a rich discussion after a showing of Pray the Devil Back to Hell, a documentary directed by Gini Reticker. The film follows Leymah Gbowee, Asatu Bah Kenneth, and Vaiba Flomo as they lead other Liberian women and their supporters in a grassroots peace movement to end the long civil war in their country. The online showing enabled a small group of women from California, Canada, the UK, and of course Pittsburgh, to share ideas about their successes and tactics and ways those could apply to current work being undertaken.

Our discussion group was moved and inspired by the strength and persistence of the women in the film. They faced such an extreme survival situation for themselves and their children that they galvanized to focus all their efforts on one objective: peace. Our group agreed that it is much more difficult today to generate that level of commitment and organization in our countries because most of us do not experience such drastic threats in our daily lives.

Even those of us participating in the discussion prioritize different primary goals: environment, climate change, health care, nuclear weapons, a living wage, and money in politics. We discussed what impact rallies do, or do not, have on policy making. We agreed that the problems are interconnected and that the most effective movement will come from those who have nothing left to lose – through organizations such as the Poor People’s Campaign, Put People First, and the National Union of the Homeless. We must continue to educate ourselves and to watch for ways to support and encourage the inspired leaders who are emerging around us.

We encourage you to watch Pray the Devil Back to Hell, found various places online. To learn more about the film, go to: https://www.forkfilms.com/pray-the-devil-back-to-hell/. For more information about our branch see our Facebook page.

Photo: Official graphic for the documentary film Pray the Devil Back to Hell, directed by Gini Reticker, Fork Films LLC and ro*co films International.