WomenPowerPeace

November Forecast: Women Losing Ground in Congress

Despite what you may have heard about the “Year of the Woman” or Mama Grizzlies, 2010 is shaping up to be a bad year for women members of Congress. For the first time since 1978 -- according to the Los Angeles Times -- the number of women serving in Congress is poised to drop.

 

As writer Lisa Mascaro calculates:

If large numbers of Democratic incumbents lose in November, as expected, many women could be replaced by men. Female candidates tend to do better in Democratic years, and 2010 is shaping up as a successful year for Republicans.

 

Currently, women hold 90 seats in Congress, 69 belonging to Democrats and 21 to Republicans. However, it is predicted that as many as 10 of those women could be replaced by men in November. Among the notable candidates in danger are Betsy Markey of Colorado, Patty Murray of Washington, and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.

Studies have shown that women legislate differently than men, often acting more collaboratively, seeking long-term results, and tending to take fewer risks. Further, as noted by the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission and the UN Department for Disarmament Affairs, women play a crucial role in promoting global disarmament, as gender perspective affects the way society views weapons, war, and militarism.

With the change in tide allowing many more conservative Republicans to pick up seats in the House and Senate, it seems November’s midterm elections may be a regressive event on two crucial fronts. Given our nation’s current economic crisis, involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, and declining environment, there is no question that Congress would benefit from having more women in its chambers. Unfortunately, if the November forecast is any indication, a political season hailed for women’s advancement may turn out to be just the opposite.

Lessons Learned? Five Years after Hurricane Katrina

As we mark the fifth anniversary of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, now is a good time to take stock of what we have and have not learned since those terrible days. Our military budget has continued to skyrocket since 2005. In fact, we’ve seen a total 67% increase in military spending since 2001 -- from $432 billion to $721 billion. That doesn’t include over $1 trillion we’ve spent fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Meanwhile, we are underfunding programs at home that help keep us safe. Take our nation’s infrastructure. We saw levees fail tragically in New Orleans when Katrina struck and yet the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) still gives our nation’s levee system a dismal grade of D-.  They estimate we will need $2.2 trillion over the next 5 years to adequately improve our nation’s infrastructure. So have we learned anything since Katrina? Sadly, when we look at our nation’s budget priorities, it seems the answer is a resounding no. Hurricane Katrina should have served as a wake-up call to the consequences of failing to invest in our safety at home. Instead, we continue to pour more and more money into the military-industrial complex. To see how we can responsibly reduce our military budget to free up money to be used at home, check out WAND’s resource page on the federal budget and then take a look at ASCE’s state by state Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. How is your state doing? Could it make improvements that would make you feel safer? Tell your elected officials that you want them to make investments in our safety and security here at home!

Valerie Plame Wilson at opening of Countdown to Zero gives her thoughts on the movie and nuclear responsibility

From Suffrage to CEDAW- Celebrate Women's Equality Day

WAND wishes Happy Birthday to the 19^th Amendment!

Believe it or not, it’s only been 90 years since the 19^th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote in our democracy was made part of the Constitution. Since 1971, we’ve celebrated the anniversary of August 26, 1920, as Women’s Equality Day.

One great way to celebrate would be to make sure that every eligible woman is registered to vote. That includes women turning 18 and those who have recently become naturalized citizens. After all, as important as the right to vote is, it’s even more important to use the vote to help shape the direction of our nation. So make sure you’re registered and encourage everyone you know to do the same.

Women’s Equality Day is also the perfect time to consider what the United States can do to advance women’s rights as human rights. A good place to start is with CEDAW – the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

CEDAW, also known as the Women’s Treaty, is a landmark international agreement that affirms principles of fundamental human rights and equality for women around the world. CEDAW helps women and girls by offering a practical blueprint for ending discrimination, stopping violence against women and trafficking of women and girls, ensuring education and vocational opportunities, and increasing political participation including the right to vote and to hold political office. 

The United States played an important role in drafting CEDAW, which the United Nations adopted in 1979. But the U.S. remains one of only seven countries, including Iran, Sudan, Somalia, and three small Pacific Island countries (Nauru, Palau and Tonga), that have not yet ratified CEDAW.

That could change this year. It takes the votes of 67 senators to ratify a treaty, and President Obama and over 100 national organizations have expressed their support for the treaty’s ratification.  WAND fully supports CEDAW and wants the U.S Senate to support it too!

Ratifying the CEDAW treaty would continue America's proud bipartisan tradition of promoting and protecting human rights, and it would strengthen the United States as a global leader in standing up for women and girls in countries around the world.

The CEDAW website – www.cedaw2010.org – has more information about CEDAW along with practical suggestions on how you can help the treaty become ratified. WAND also has an action item on our action site that you can take to promote CEDAW.

The fight for women’s suffrage took more than 70 years of persistent advocacy, organizing and education and was only secured when a 24-year-old member of the Tennessee legislature, acting on a note from his mother, changed his vote from “no” to “yes” so Tennessee became the final state needed to ratify the 19^th Amendment.

So let’s make history again – and help ratify CEDAW.

Thanking Secretary Gates

The idea of WAND thanking a Secretary of Defense might seem improbable. I’m quite sure we have never done it. But this time maybe we should.

 

True our defense budget is the highest it’s ever been. And true although Gates has announced cuts, he is not lowering the actual size but moving money around within the present budget. Also true he is trying to dodge larger cuts that Congress is threatening to make by getting there first with smaller ones.

 

So why should he be thanked? Because for perhaps the first time in our history he is trying to reduce the size and scope of our military.

 

On Secretary Gates’ to-do list:

 

 Eliminate the large Joint Forces Command, started in 1999 to unify individual military forces. (It hasn’t.)

 

Reduce funding for contractors by 10% each of the next three years.

 

Freeze new positions, eliminate many existing positions, consolidate non-essential studies and boards.

 

“The culture of endless money that has taken hold must be replaced with a culture of savings and restraint,’ he said when proposing the changes.

 

He might like making  these cuts so much that he will go on to do better and bigger ones.

 

Which is why WAND needs to thank him, encourage him to keep on cutting, and give him some of our own suggestions.

 

Sayre Sheldon, WAND Ed Fund Board

Thanking Secretary Gates

The idea of WAND thanking a Secretary of Defense might seem improbable. I’m quite sure we have never done it. But this time maybe we should.

 

True our defense budget is the highest it’s ever been. And true although Gates has announced cuts, he is not lowering the actual size but moving money around within the present budget. Also true he is trying to dodge larger cuts that Congress is threatening to make by getting there first with smaller ones.

 

So why should he be thanked? Because for perhaps the first time in our history he is trying to reduce the size and scope of our military.

 

On Secretary Gates’ to-do list:

 

 Eliminate the large Joint Forces Command, started in 1999 to unify individual military forces. (It hasn’t.)

 

Reduce funding for contractors by 10% each of the next three years.

 

Freeze new positions, eliminate many existing positions, consolidate non-essential studies and boards.

 

“The culture of endless money that has taken hold must be replaced with a culture of savings and restraint,’ he said when proposing the changes.

 

He might like making  these cuts so much that he will go on to do better and bigger ones.

 

Which is why WAND needs to thank him, encourage him to keep on cutting, and give him some of our own suggestions.

 

Sayre Sheldon, WAND Ed Fund Board

Visit with Isakson

Congress Meets The Community!
In late July members of the National WAND staff, Georgia WAND, and other partner peace and security groups held a meeting with Senator Isakson's Chief of Staff. The meeting was to inform Sen. Isakson of the benefits of the New START Treaty.

Below are a few selected pictures from the meeting and the lunch that followed.

Thank you to Susan Goodman who attended the meeting and provided these photos.

From Left: Tracy- Ann Nelson, Executive Director of League of Women Voters of Georgia with Chris Carr, Sen. Isakson's Chief of Staff

From Left: Dr. Ira Helfand, co- founder and past President of Physician's for Social Responsibility, and currently serves on Board of Directors with GA State Sen. and WiLL President Nan Grogan Orrock.

From left: Holly Lindamood, Program Director for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament at Daisy Alliance with GA State Sen. and WiLL President Nan Grogan Orrock

From left: Juliana Illari, GA WAND Board Member; GA State Rep. Simone Bell; and Chisa Yarde, former WAND Staff

The hype is all right- see Countdown to Zero

If you are a frequent visitor of the WAND blog, receive our emails, or are involved with any of WAND’s partner organizations, you probably realize that the long-awaited film, Countdown to Zero premiered last week in theaters throughout the United States. The film originally debuted at the Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. It later went on to overwhelming response at both the TED Festival and the Cannes Film Festival. Countdown to Zero is a documentary produced by Lawrence Bender (of An Inconvenient Truth) and directed by Lucy Walker. The movie clearly outlines the dangers associated with nuclear weapons. The movie’s central theme continues to circle back to a speech given by John F. Kennedy to the United Nations General Assembly in 1961: "Every man, woman and child lives under a nuclear sword of Damocles, hanging by the slenderest of threads, capable of being cut at any moment by accident or miscalculation or by madness. The weapons of war must be abolished before they abolish us."

I saw the movie at its Cambridge, MA premier last Friday and the film is scary, there is no doubt about that. From graphic descriptions of what would happen during a blast (if your mouth was open your head would literally explode) to detailed discussions of how easy it would be to transport nuclear materials undetected into the United States (hide the material in kitty litter) the film repeatedly reminds you of the impending doom associated with nuclear weapons. Thinly disguised symbolism playing on post-9/11 fears of terrorism also plays a central role.

Many groups in the peace and security or the non-proliferation community have been pushing hard for the public to go see Countdown to Zero. WAND, Peace Action, American Friends Service Committee, and dozens of other organizations have sent countless emails, web updates, and press releases to encourage attendance at the viewings.  The thought that this movie could bring the nuclear danger into the public light is foremost on everyone’s mind.

However, despite the promotion of Countdown to Zero by the peace and security community, there are some on the far left who claim the movie isn’t getting it done. The arguments have centered on a few aspects of the film:

1)   The movie doesn’t do a good enough job of explaining the history of nuclear weapons and how they were researched and developed in the U.nited States.

2)   The movie barely mentions Israel and its growing nuclear arsenal.

3)   The movie focuses heavily on the threat of terrorism in a manner that could be construed as racist.

 

While it’s true that the three arguments above are not completely unwarranted -- to advocate against seeing Countdown to Zero based on those arguments would be foolhardy. What the film does successfully is more important than those small sticking points: Countdown to Zero brings the nuclear threat into the public eye. Suddenly, all sorts of people who have not thought about the threat of nuclear weapons in years are being reminded of real and present dangers. Even more important is that a new generation -- one that has never experienced fear of nuclear weapons -- is being made aware that nuclear weapons did not disappear after the Cold War.  The benefit of this movie -- the fact that it could bring nuclear danger into the popular consciousness -- far outweighs any of the other issues. What if nuclear weapons became the next hot topic? What if people started rallying and working for disarmament in the same waves and numbers in which they work on climate change? What if it got to the point where just about every one considered themselves an activist in non-proliferation, the same way over 80 % of Americans consider themselves either actively involved in, or at least sympathetic to environmentalism.

This shift in attitudes couldn’t come at a better time. In mid-September, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to vote on the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The New START will reduce U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons surplus and ensure a more stable nuclear relationship. The new agreement limits deployed strategic missiles and bombers as well as deployed warheads. The verification system allows the U.S. to look into Russian missiles and count actual numbers of warheads. The New START will improve U.S. and Russian relations and help set the stage for discussions about further nuclear arms reductions.

In the current Senate Foreign Relations Committee the votes of some minority members are still undecided. These votes are crucial to get this treaty out of committee and onto the Senate floor. Once on the floor, the treaty will need a ‘super majority’ to ratify. Right now the conversations about New START are dominated by party politics. If Countdown to Zero highlights nuclear danger in the public eye, it could start to change that. The threat of nuclear weapons can no longer be seen as the concern of a few  small groups in the peace and security world. When we all demand a more secure future free from nuclear weapons -- Congress will have to act.

So what’s my review? Well, see the movie. And tell others to see the movie. Even if you take issue with a few of the minor aspects of the film, you can’t deny that the nuclear threat is real. And it’s time more people realized that.

Countdown to Zero

An intern's perspective...

  After almost two months at WAND, I can’t believe that it’s time to go back to Mississippi. I have been working in an exceptionally comfortable and nurturing environment and it almost pains me to go back home.

When I started this internship, I knew very little about the new START or any non-proliferation measures for that matter. While it was a lot of information and I was a little intimidated by the amount of information that I was being given, I was ecstatic to begin. I have spent two months building relationships and fine-tuning my skills.

If time flies when you’re having fun, this felt like it only lasted about a day rather than two months.

I was lucky enough to not only get a behind the scenes look at what WAND does, but also to take on the role of committed activist. On July 22, 2010, I met with Sarah Drake in Roger Wicker’s office on behalf of the New START. I was thoroughly impressed with her extensive knowledge of the New START. With the help of Kingston Reif, Drake’s questions concerning the financial side of modernization and the regulation of tactical weapons were answered. The main concern in Wicker’s office is that of time. Drake expressed concern over the small window of time that congress has been given to hopefully ratify the treaty. After citing that START I actually only spent around four months in congress anticipating ratification [after the fall of the USSR], Drake made a note and appeared very interested in this fact. Wicker’s office does not appear to have made a decision on whether to vote in favor or not of the New START. Wicker and many of the other congressmen and women that are on the fence are still waiting on many questions to be answered.

The most recent reports say that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee may be voting on New START sometime this week. By helping to provide information to these congressmen and women in a friendly and helpful way, we can hopefully persuade them to vote in a timely and favorable manner.  Although I can’t say for sure what kind of impact my visit to his office will have on Senator Wicker’s decision, I know that it certainly must have made an impression. As one of Mississippi’s young voters- I care about New START and hope for a more secure future. I hope Senator Wicker realizes how important this issue is to all of us.

I look forward to working with WAND in the future when help is needed in Mississippi.

 

New START, Old Opposition

First thing I saw today in my inbox was a letter from a colleague in the anti-proliferation movement. His email included a link to a few recent internet blog posts and action items. He went on to explain how the opposition to New START appeared to be growing. Needless to say, this is not exactly the way I wanted to start my morning.

 

After glancing over the articles I came to a two conclusions:

 

First, the arguments offered in the anti- New START materials are similar to the arguments that were offered up by Mitt Romney a few weeks ago in the Washington Post.  Much like Romney’s arguments, these will be easy to debunk. Let’s start with the fact that military leaders and national security strategists stand behind New START. It’s awfully hard to claim this treaty threatens our security when the very people in charge of security support it. 

 

Second, the timing of this growing opposition is extremely well planned and by no means coincidental. This weekend, and again next weekend, the Sundance Film Festival favorite Countdown to Zero will be premiering at theaters throughout the country. The movie traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs. The movie has been called a “nuclear wake-up call about the real threats we face and the urgent need for action” by the Huffington Post.  More importantly, what Countdown to Zero will do is bring to the public eye the threats that many of those in the peace and security community have always known about. There are countless numbers of nuclear weapons throughout the world, and the possibility of these weapons falling into the wrongs hands is real.  Countdown to Zero makes an impressive argument for disarmament.  Countdown to Zero also makes a clear argument for the need to ratify New START.  

 

So, just as Countdown to Zero is about to bring New START and the dangers of nuclear weapons into the spotlight, conservative groups have reared their ugly heads in opposition. 

 

What should we do?

First: Go see the movie. Support Countdown to Zero in its’ premier cities and hopefully it will eventually open nationwide. Everyone deserves a chance to learn about nuclear danger.

 

Next: don’t listen to illogical arguments. When military and security experts on both sides of the aisle claim a treaty is good for security, it stands to reason that it is. No matter their part affiliation, all Americans want a safe and secure future. We can take the first steps toward this goal by ratifying New START.

 

 

Countdown to Zero- Play Dates

Opening Today:
Rockland, ME: Strand Theatre
New York, NY: Empire 25 Theaters
New York, NY: Angelika Film Center (6)
Washington, DC: E Street Cinema

Opening Soon:

7/30/2010
Berkeley, CA: Shattuck Cinemas 10
Hollywood, CA: Pacific ArcLight Hollywood 15
Irvine, CA: University Town Center 6 Cinemas
San Diego, CA: Ken Cinema
San Francisco, CA: Embarcadero Center Cinema 5
West Los Angeles, CA: The Landmark 12
Denver, CO: Mayan Theatre
Atlanta, GA: Midtown Art Cinemas 8
Chicago, IL: Landmark's Century Centre Cinema
Cambridge, MA: Kendall Square Cinema
Royal Oak, MI: Main Art Theatre
Minneapolis, MN: Lagoon Cinema
University City, MO: Tivoli Theatre
Portland, OR: Cinema 21 Theatre
Philadelphia, PA: Ritz at the Bourse
Austin, TX: Arbor Cinemas at Great Hills 8
Seattle, WA: Varsity Theatre

8/6/2010
Mountain View, CA: Century Cinema 16 - Mtn View
Sacramento, CA: Crest Theatre
Miami Beach, FL: South Beach 18
Santa Fe, NM: CCA Cinematheque
Cleveland Heights, OH: Cedar Lee Theatres
Pittsburgh, PA: Harris Theatre
Salt Lake City, UT: Broadway Centre Cinemas

8/13/2010
Huntington Beach, CA: Century 20 - Bella Terra
Orange, CA: Century Stadium 25 Theatre - Orange
Rancho Mirage, CA: Century @ the River 15
Santa Rosa, CA: Rialto Cinemas Lakeside 5
Ventura, CA: Century Downtown 10
Sarasota, FL: Hollywood 20 - Sarasota
Winter Park, FL: Winter Park Village 20
Kansas City, MO: Tivoli @ Manor Square
Charlotte, NC: Park Terrace 6 Cinema
Las Vegas, NV: Village Square 18
Madison, WI: Sundance Cinemas 608

8/20/2010
Little Rock, AR: Market Street Cinema
Tucson, AZ: Century El Con 20 Theatre
Albuquerque, NM: Century 14 Downtown
El Paso, TX: Cielo Vista 14
Olympia, WA: Olympia Film SocietyCapitol Theatre

8/27/2010
Des Moines, IA: Fleur Cinema

9/3/2010
Tallahassee, FL: Tallahassee Film Society, Inc
Nashville, TN: Belcourt Theatre
Montpelier, VT: Savoy

9/10/2010
Tempe, AZ: Valley Art 1 Theatre