April 10, 2015

Greetings Fellow Travelers,

We are having a nice, quiet spring shower with all the clichés popping up — first robin, first crocus, first tulip, and for Iowa, the last snow.  There are certainly other matters popping up that bode well for WILPF US in particular.

UPDATE JAPA/WILPF - On April 1, the WILPF US Board, Steering Committee, agreed to withdraw the complaint against the Jane Addams Peace Association (JAPA) which had been filed in 2013 with the New York Attorney General's Office — Charities Division.

Following is the text of the letter, drafted by Millee Livington, Treasurer, WILPF US, which was sent to Eric T. Schneiderman, Attorney General, and Karin Kuntsler Goldman, Assistant Attorney General:

Re:      Complaint dated November 1, 2013, Against Jane Addams Peace Association
(Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, United States Section)

At a special telephonic session of the board of directors of the United States Section of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF US), held on April, 1, 2015, the members of the 2015 Steering Committee of the WILPF US Board came to consensus to agree in principle that this organization no longer supports pursuing any of the claims remaining in this Complaint against the Jane Addams Peace Association (JAPA).

We will propose to JAPA working jointly to resolution of any questions either organization has that might have been raised during this process.

Please advise us, if necessary, of any additional steps this Board needs to take to effect the dismissal or closure by your office of this matter.

Please contact the undersigned via email or USPS mail to our national office address with any questions you may have as well as with any other correspondence. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

The letter was signed by Millee Livingston and myself and supported by the Steering Committee of the Board.  I appreciate that support and the spirit in which it was given. 

Since being elected as President of WILPF, I have been committed to resolving the outstanding financial and organizational issues between WILPF and JAPA.  As many of you know, WILPF US has invested substantial resources, both human and financial, in the process of the complaint.  Some of the issues or questions have been answered; some of them have not.  However, I believe that we had reached an important decision point where we needed to evaluate what we have to gain and what we potentially lose in continuing this process.

This issue has divided and damaged our WILPF community and has, in my opinion, the potential to bring us down.  We have a chance now to move on from animosity to resolution or healing.  JAPA has agreed to release WILPF's share of the Sanjines monies (which they agree is about $100,000) as soon as this is settled.  In my view, there was too much risk, too much to lose and not enough potential gain to warrant pursuing this further.   Considering the long history of our two organizations and the common mission and committed supporters that we share, I recommended that we free ourselves from conflict and negativity; that we choose peace rather than adversity.

However, this proposal does not address whether or not we will turn back to JAPA as a fiduciary agent for WILPF US.  There will need to be further discussions in which both organizations consider whether this would be in the interest of both organizations. We would need to ensure that accounting practices and policies are clarified and set down in a clear agreement if indeed we are to turn back to JAPA as a fiduciary agent for WILPF US.

If you have questions or comments, please send them to president@wilpfus.org.  However, some of the members of the board and I will not be able to answer your questions immediately.  We will be going to The Hague next week and most of us will be back the first week of May. 

I'll have much more to tell you when I get back!

Travel safely EVERYONE!

Mary Hanson Harrison

President   WILPF US SECTION

Next Board Meeting:  Tuesday, April 14th call in: 857-232-0158  921818  to receive all materials/reports and attend the meeting, please send RSVP to secretary@wilpfus.org

OPEN POSITION: At Large Member — please check the recent email for job description and application — Deadline MAY 2 — or contact Barbara Nielsen bln.sf.ca@gmail.com