Women's Peace Alliance

The Women's Peace Alliance (WPA) was born around the same time as Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp. The two groups share a commitment to organizing themselves along "women's lines" - small groups where decisions are made through discussion and if possible, consensus. All women have something to bring to the group.

WPA member groups include Women for Life on Earth, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (the oldest women's peace group which grew from suffragists efforts in 1915 to end the First World War Mothers for Peace, Wages for Housework Campaign, and local Women for Peace and Greenham support groups.

Like Greenham, the alliance has grown strong roots, forming a network linking women's peace groups around Britain and overseas. Also like Greenham, the daily work of keeping it going is done by a small handful of women on a shoestring budget.

As well as supporting all member groups' efforts and circulating information round the networks via its bimonthly newsletter, the Alliance
has arranged international women's delegations - to the USA, to arms talks in Geneva and to NATO headquarters in Brussels. WILPF and Feminists International for Peace and Food organized the successful Peace tent at the UN Women's Forum at Nairobi, July 1985 and the WPA produced a special international newsletter.

"Many Visions, Many Hands," a women's peace directory giving details of groups working for peace regionally, nationally and internationally has been published in the U.K. It outlines how the women's peace movement has developed over the last five years.

(Spare Rib Issue No. 174, January 1987)

For details of Women's Peace Alliance resources, contact:

Box 240, Peace News
8 Elm Avenue
Nottingham NG3 4GF England

Copies of the Women's Peace Directory available from:

Box 308 at Peace News, Price L 3.75
Cheques to Solid Women Ltd