Updates from Northern Califonria Cluster Meeting

• SMART campaign planning
  
• next National Congress: summer, 2011
  
• next international Congress: August, 2011 in San Jose, Costa Rica
  
• search for Secretary General almost complete
  
• New program being developed to integrate UN advocacy with national and local activities
  
• international WILPF's website will have a new URL soon
  
• Advancing Women Peacemakers Project, celebrating Jane Addam's 150th birthday and the 10th anniversary of the passing of United Nation Security Council Resolution 1325nited
  
• update on national section: Ellen Schwartz, new US Section Treasurer (in the position less than a month). One of her primary goals is sorting out our membership records and ensuring renewal notices go out and accurate lists are available to all branches
  
• update from Jane Addams Peace Association: the Jane Addams Children's Book Awards is a great way to promote peace education and expand recognition of WILPF among librarians and parents. Branches can buy sets of the award winners at a discount and donate them to libraries, community centers, and schools. Santa Cruz Branch created bookplates that permanently explain that the books were donated by WILPF.
  
• update from Membership Council: a self-organized group of WILPF members from across the country. Concerned about the lack of accurate membership lists. Shared copies of an article that appeared in the Winter, 2009 edition of Peace & Freedom. Update was cut short by additional explanation of the roots of the Advancing Women Peacemakers Project.
  
• lunch, followed by Raging Grannies songs
  
• presentation of reasons peace activists should be vegans by Paula Rochelle, who coordinated all food for the event