RECLAIM THE NIGHT!
WILPF Cornwall, together with Women’s Aid Penzance and SEEDS (Survivors Empowering Educating Domestic Abuse Services) are calling all women. Assert the right to walk safely at night!
Join us Friday 25th November 2016 From St John’s Hall, Penzance, 5.30 pm.
Walk, sing, dance down Market Jew Street across Ross Bridge up Chapel Street to Admiral Benbow
Songs @ Arcade Steps, Celebrations/Performances @ Admiral Benbow
Demonstrate your freedom, your concern, your power!
Bring candles in jars/lanterns, banners, placards, whistles, saucepan lids…
Bring along your mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, nieces and daughters!
Also inviting men to support from the sidelines!
WILPF (Cornwall Branch) organized a highly successful event in St John’s Hall Penzance on July 16 to witness and experience the personal accounts of four women peace activists from the Middle East and North Africa. The event began with short scene-setting speeches from: Amira Elwakil from Egypt; Muzna Al-Naib from Syria; Sahar Mediha Al-Naas from Libya; and Zaynab El Sawi from Sudan. Over seventy participants from West Cornwall then engaged in a series of interactive workshops to better understand the contributions that each of the women had made and were continuing to make toward peace-making in their countries. Representatives from several local organizations involved in peace and development also supported and participated in the event. These collaborative organizations included: Amnesty; Children of Peace; CND; Dor Kemmyn Interfaith Forum; Freedom from Torture; and OXFAM.
In the words of one participant the event provided: “invaluable information about a number of like-minded causes and the speakers – absolutely unforgettable. Moving. Inspiring. Engaging. Heart-breaking too”.
Peace Activism in the Middle East: extraordinary women share their stories – Saturday 16 July at 1330, St John’s Hall – Alverton Street, Penzance, TR18 2QW
We are honoured to share with you this extraordinary opportunity to join five women from the MENA Region who are coming to Penzance to share with us their own accounts about the uprisings and situations in their countries.
These are womens’ stories. Stories of resistance and courage to bring about change. They will share the challenges they face and how they are overcoming them. There will be an opportunity for interactive question and answer sessions, refreshments, and information stalls from local organisations. Tickets available [£4.50-£6.50] from Eventbrite.
Conscientious Objectors Day Peace Vigil – Sunday 15 May 2016, 3-4 pm
Held in the Morrab Gardens, Penzance, the vigil is organised by the Cornwall Branch of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. WILPF was founded in 1915 by 1200 women from 12 countries who braved the dangers and difficulties of war-time travel to meet in The Hague to discuss how the war – and all wars – could be ended, promoting international co-operation rather than patriotic militarism. Please wear something white and bring a banner or placard. For more information about the vigil or to join our group or mailing list, please contact us: brigittemorrigan@talktalk.net phone 07909617558 http://www.wilpf.org.uk/get-involved/cornwall-group/
More information about Conscientious Objectors in WW1 is available here.
STOP TRIDENT demonstration in Penzance in support of national rally in London – Saturday 27 February 2016
We will be outside Lloyds Bank, Market Place, Penzance. There will be music and poetry. Please bring your family and friends. Flyer available here for download and distribution.
27 November 2015 (7.00pm)
Reclaim the Night Walk
WILPF Cornwall Branch in cooperation with
- West Cornwall Women’s Aid (WCWA) Penzance
- Women’s Rape And Sexual Abuse Centre (WRSAC)
- Bodmin Cornwall Rape And Sexual Abuse Centre (CRASAC) Truro
- Survivors Empowering Educating Domestic Abuse Services (SEEDS)
We are organising a women only walk through the streets of Penzance to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women as part of the 16 days of activism 2015. We invite all women to join our walk demanding
- An end to men’s violence against women.
- Women to be able to walk the streets safely by night and day.
- More governmental funding for refuges and for women and children fleeing domestic violence.
- Better investigation of the crime of rape
Assembly point: St John’s Hall, Alverton Street, Penzance at 7.00pm
Men are invited to support the elimination of violence against women and our walk by lining the streets and cheering us on.
14 October – 11 November 2015
Five Films on ‘Women, War and Peace’
WILPF Cornwall will be hosting a public screening of a series of five films under the heading ‘Women War and Peace’ as part of our campaigning on Gender and Militarism.
The films represent the work of three women film makers to address the omission of women’s stories from wartime reporting. The films illuminate the complex, nuanced and global experiences of women in conflict settings and were first screened on American television in the Autumn of 2011.
The films feature the stories of courageous women who are changing the rules of engagement and working for peace and justice in Afghanistan, Liberia, Colombia and Bosnia. By placing women at the centre of a discourse about global security, the series offers a critically important perspective on war today.
- 14 Oct – Pray The Devil Back to Hell (Liberia)
- 21 Oct – I Came To Testify (Bosnia)
- 28 Oct – The War We Are Living (Columbia)
- 4 Nov – Peace Unveiled (Afghanistan)
- 11 Nov – War Redefined (Overview)
Each film runs for approximately 45 minutes and there will be a general audience discussion after its screening.
Venue: Redwing Gallery in Penzance
Doors open 7pm for 7.30pm screening.
Free event – donations welcome.
Cafe will be open for hot and cold drinks and vegan/ vegetarian refreshments.
Women War and Peace invites you to see war through women’s eyes. Their hard earned wisdom will change the way you look at war forever.
Monday 5 October – 17 October
WILPF’ s Centenary Exhibition
WILPF Cornwall invites the public to celebrate WILPF’ s Centenary at an exhibition that tells the story of the events leading up to the Women’s Congress in The Hague in 1915. Information and pictures relating to WILPF’ s current work will also be on display.
Venues:
5-10 October – Marazion Quaker Meeting House, Beacon Road, Marazion
13-16 October – Morrab Library, Morrab Road, Penzance
A special opening event will take place at the Marazion venue Monday 5th October, 7pm – 9.30pm where we will show the film ‘These Dangerous Women’ about the attempt of women to reach the Hague in 1915. Sahar Mediha Al-Naas (University of Exeter) will then give a talk, followed by a discussion, on the plight of Libyan Women. Songs for Peace, led by Pip Wright and Singers will be sung.
This is a free event. Donations are welcome and refreshments will be available.
Free Parking at end of King’s Road by kind permission of St Aubyn Estates, mention you are parking there for an event at the Quaker Meeting House.
Saturday 20 June 2015
Supporting the National Anti-Austerity Rally
WILPF Cornwall branch invited those unable to travel to London to support the National Anti Austerity Rally, called by the People’s Assembly on Saturday 20 June, to gather in Penzance from 1.00-2.00pm to show their support and belief that the cuts are unfair, unjust, unnecessary. We also made a strong demand to Scrap Trident nuclear missiles and and cancel their replacement.
A spokeswoman said: “Our government is devastating peoples lives by making billions of pounds of cuts to health, education and welfare. Yet at the same time it is spending billions every year on nuclear weapons and plans to spend over £100 billion on a replacement for the unsafe, life threatening Trident nuclear weapons system.”
Another woman said: “The cuts are hitting women hardest: women are 2/3 of public sector workers losing jobs in the cuts, over 2/3 of the money from planned changes to taxes and benefits will come from women, many women have to become the carers when welfare services are cut. We need to invest to create jobs and halt unemployment. Money could be raised from £120bn tax evasion, avoidance and non-payment by the rich”.
WILPF were delighted that Sue James, Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor for St Just-in-Penwith attended. Sue said “I was pleased to support the local anti austerity demonstration. I feel that when talking of balancing the books at local and National level, the easiest cuts and savings to find affect the poorest in our society and we have to find fairer more progressive solutions. I for one cannot understand why we continue to spend billions on renewing Trident, that no sane person would ever launch, at a time that Councils are being starved of funding for basic services.”
WILPF were also delighted with the turnout and the presence of local organisations: ‘Amazing Leftie Women’, ‘Cornwall Anti-Cuts Alliance’, ‘Cornwall Against the Tories’, ‘Unite’ and others who did not wish to be named.
Monday 13 April 2015
Link Arms Against the Arms Race
13 April is the Global Day of Action Against Military Spending
Join us in solidarity with the Scottish protest against Britain’s nuclear arsenal
and with many others across the world, protesting about military spending.
Where: Outside Lloyds Bank, Market Place, Penzance at 1.30 pm
Photos taken at the Link Arms Against the Arms Race event that was attended by 40-45 protesters
