Women's International
League for Peace & Freedom Boston
Our Herstory
International
"On May 12, 1919 six months after World War I ended, women met in a second congress. The Zurich Congress was the first body to publicly protest the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which sowed the seeds of World War II. The also demanded the lifting of a food blockade of Germany and Austro-Hungary; proposed that a Women's Charter be included in the peace agreement, and debated the use of violence in revolutions." ... Women in the congress pledged to dedicate their lives to peace.
- from Generations of Courage
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WILPF leads us as a global feminist, peace building organization. It is made up of six sections (regions): Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania) and each region has a delegate and alternate delegate, who attend monthly or quarterly international meetings. It has a governance Congress every three years that rotates physically to different regions. Since the COVID epidemic it has in-person
and/or virtual attendance. The values we share, aspire to live by, and act on include:
> HUMAN RIGHTS - We commit to advance freedom, human rights for all without discrimination.
> CARE & COMMUNITY - We prioritize people and planet over profit.
> ANTI-MILITARISM - We reject militarism in all its forms as a mindset that weaponizes security and gender relations, and as a leading contributor to armed conflict around the world.
> SOLIDARITY - We commit to caring for and supporting each other as equals.
> ANTI-RACISM - We oppose and strive to eliminate racism - in all its forms - in our work, in our organizations and in how we perceive, approach and interact with one another and others. See our commitment in 2022: commitment to be an anti-racist movement
> NONVIOLENCE - We do not support violence in any form
> INTEGRITY - We act with respect, responsibility and accountability, to ourselves and one another.
> ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY - We defend and uphold relationships between humans, the planet and all its other inhabitants that respect and promote the care of biodiversity and promote mutual well-being.
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We are committed to a feminist approach to peace that is built on:
> Strength in diversity.
> Intersectionality
> Centering lived experience
> Transforming power from “power over’ to “power with”
> Collaboration and participation
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We work together on three main action areas:
> We Challenge Systems and Structures of Oppression.
> We Strengthen Feminist Peace Activism.
> We Promote Inclusive and Peaceful Solutions to Conflict.
US Chapter
Boston Chapter
A 30-year retrospective by Virginia Pratt
A 30-year retrospective on the WILPF Boston Branch, by Virginia Pratt
Wonderful women and occasionally men have contributed to the Boston
Branch over the last 30 years. Some of the members who stand out for
me over my close to 30 years of affiliation with the group are mentioned
here. In the 1990s Joan Ecklein, and Audley Green worked tirelessly to
revive the Boston WILPF Branch. The were joined by May Takayanagi,
Pauline Solomon, Laurie Taymor- Berry, Nell Elphern Libby Gerlach and
Nancy Wrenn. They set up monthly meetings and activities in between
meetings. Joan brought her passion for leftist politics and organizing.
Joan opened her home to traveling guest speakers, for potlucks, and
work parties. Audley was interested in racial justice and always made
time to follow-up with new members. Pauline, also an advocate for
racial and economic justice assisted Joan with hosting potlucks and
forums. Nell and her husband Ron handled outreach tabling at events,
making sure the newsletter went out and also hosting events at their
home.
May Takayanagi was the branch treasurer for over 20 years. Her passion for justice was rooted in her experience as a survivor of the Japanese internment camps. Laurie taught us how to lobby at the state house. She was also active with workers’ rights centers, Survivors Inc, a publication promoting rights for people on welfare and the Democratic party. Virginia Pratt joined after hearing one of Nell Elphern’s presentations. Jean, Marie-Louise, and Virginia were also active with Community for Peace and Human Rights. Nancy Wrenn and Libby Gerlach were active on many fronts – environment, women’s rights, and anti-war.
About a decade later Laura Roskos emerged as a leader in the group with a strong focus on UN charters and resolutions particularly CEDAW. Laura went on to become the WILPF National president. Laura had university connections. Nancy Ramsden came to us from Salem, traveling into Boston for meetings. She was part of the Salem peace committee. Nancy was very interested in international relations and worked for many years as treasurer for WILPF International. Jean Miller
and her daughter Marie Louise Miller joined. Jean headed up the Raging Grannies. Marie Louise joined the national board. Jean, Marie-Louise, and Virginia were also active with Community for Peace and Human Rights. Claire Gosselin joined and helped with tech and motivated us to participate with other groups on racial justice. Claire also worked on trying to put an end to nuclear weapons. We joined the struggle for over 10 years against building the Boston University Bio-Lab. Pat Aaron led Congo Action to stop the terrible impact of conflict minerals. Pat O’ Brien, an artist and English as a Second Language teacher worked closely with Laura Roskos and served on the WILPF National board.
David Rothauser, Jeanne Winner, and Eileen Kurkoski joined after 2010. David, also an active member of Vets for Peace, brought his passion for antiwar activities. He promoted Article 9 from the Japanese constitution and no first use of nuclear weapons. He arranged for WILPF Boston to meet as a delegation to the Japanese consult in Boston. Jeanne wrote for Dollars and Sense and was very concerned with prevention of homelessness. Eileen put together a fund raiser and grow branch play put on by a professional group - “We Did it For You”. Joan at this time was hosting a monthly movie series at a public library in Cambridge with documentary films. Libby Gerlach was there to support Joan at each screening. Eileen went on to join the WILPF national board and is active in numerous board and issue committees. She served as branch co-chair.
Ginger Harris, Jane Brown, and Ellen Mass became active with the branch after 2017. Ginger had a long history with WILPF in Saint Louis, Missouri. She, Jane, and Ellen were all gardeners and passionate about the environment. Ellen was very interested in international affairs. From 2020 to 2023 we transitioned from in-person to virtual activities due to the COVID pandemic. Ellen urged us to set up a weekly letter writing group. Ginger is the peacemaker for the group and versed on many topics. Ginger also joined the WILPF National board. Eileen Kurkoski and Virginia Pratt currently serve as branch co-chairs with help from Jane Brown, Ginger Harris, and Ellen Mass as of 2024. We welcome new members.