Dear Members and Friends, 

 

As Co-chairs of the Congress Program Committee, Robin and I look forward to engaging and working with you at the WILPF US Triennial Congress in Chicago, Thursday to Sunday, July 27-July 30. Your expertise and your commitment to WILPF's mission will help to ensure the Congress is productive and successful for all.  

 

Registration is open, with a deadline of 7/1 (if lodging is needed), so register today!

The Congress program was developed in consultation with Maureen Ecke, chair of WILPF US's Program Committee. The program evolves over four days. After our Thursday night opening plenary peace panel, we move into Friday with Issue Workshops which lead into the Issue Committee Roundtables, continuing with Skill-Building Workshops on Saturday to focus on the tools needed to move our work forward. We end, on Sunday, with discussions on how to realize our hopes and dreams with concrete plans for the next three years.

Program Details:

Arriving on Thursday, some of you will have the opportunity to take a bus tour around Chicago, while others will be registering and settling into your rooms.

In the evening, there will be a panel on "Peace, Protest and Policy: Women Waging Peace," with keynote speaker Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C., and WILPF US members Ellen Thomas and Leah Bolger of the Disarm/End War Committee.  "Voices," a Chicago favorite in the political-folk scene, will provide entertainment for the evening.

Friday begins bright and early when we will travel to our roots in Chicago's labor organizing with a plenary talk by Larry Spivack, President of the Illinois Labor History Society, on "Labor and Democracy: You Can't Have One Without the Other." This is followed by Issue Workshops that complement and lead into the Issue Committee Roundtables in the afternoon. The evening plenary features a robust discussion with local Chicago organizers on "What Has Peace Got to Do With It? Chicago Standing Up!" The night also features inspiring and uplifting gospel-style songs from another Chicago favorite, Harmony, Hope and Healing.

On Saturday, we'll have Skill-Building Workshops to teach us how to better engage and be more effective in our local, national and international work. In the afternoon, we'll march "Onward to Hull House," to celebrate the humanity of Jane Addams and her colleagues at the Settlement House and the immigrants and refugees that made it work.  

 

Sunday morning will be WILPF US Day when we hear from the Board and have an "all Congress" discussion that will invigorate us and lead to visioning how to engage with the issue committees, branches, and with you, over the next three years. 

 

For more details, please go to the WILPF Congress web pages, where you can read more about the program, schedule, speakers' biographies and registration details.

Register online by July 1st!
$395 Full Congress Access with Lodging - Shared Room
$425 Full Congress Access with Lodging - Single Room
$275 Full Congress Access - no lodging
Or Daily Congress Access:  $50-$100 per day w/out lodging or $35 per Nightly Panel.

We look forward to welcoming you to our 33rd Congress in Chicago.

Nancy Price and Robin Lloyd
Co-Chairs Congress Program Committee
Nancy 530-758-0726, Robin 802-355-3256