Members and supporters of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) recently gathered in Ann Arbor for a special three-hour LIVE nightclub event featuring musicians and performers in celebration of International Women’s Day.
The gathering highlighted the organization’s long history of activism and its hopes for the future—including rebuilding a local Ann Arbor–Ypsilanti chapter.
One of the longtime leaders of the effort is Odile Hugonot Haber, who has spent more than three decades with the organization. In the following interview, she reflects on her work with the international peace organization, the legacy of the local branch, and why she hopes a new generation of activists will step forward.
A Lifetime of Activism
Odile Hugonot Haber has spent much of her professional life in service—both in healthcare and in peace activism.
“I have worked as a registered nurse for about 30 years,” she said. “I have been with the WILPF organization for 33 years.”
Within the organization, she has served in numerous leadership roles.
“I have been the chair of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Branch for many years, and some by default,” she said. “When I first came to WILPF, I was chair of the Middle East Standing Committee internationally, then I became co-chair with Barbara Taft of the Middle East WILPF national committee for over ten years. Now I am part of the leadership committee.”
Although the local branch only has her as the main leader, she hopes to change that.
“The branch of Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti no longer formally exists, as most of our members passed away or retired,” she explained. “I would love to reconstitute a branch, find new members, and appoint a new chair.”
Discovering WILPF
Hugonot Haber became involved with the organization after moving to Ann Arbor in 1993.
“When I moved to Ann Arbor because my husband Alan Haber needed to be closer to his mother, I joined the branch of WILPF that was called Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti,” she said.
At the time, longtime members quickly encouraged her to take on a leadership role.
“The women then called me the youth and wanted me to be chair right away,” she recalled. “I refused because I did not know enough about the organization.”
She soon became immersed in its history and mission. “It was started by Jane Addams in 1915. It was an anti-war organization,” she said. “Maybe because we have two world wars in France, I was attracted by the idea of ending wars.” She is of French heritage.
A global peace organization
The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom has roots stretching back more than a century.
“WILPF helped to create the United Nations and now has consultative status at the UN,” Hugonot Haber said. “The consultative status gives us the right to attend international meetings at the UN and deliver our statements to ambassadors and delegates.”
The organization operates internationally with dozens of national sections and U.S. branches.
“WILPF is an international organization with some 40 sections in different countries and about 38 branches in the United States,” she explained.
Much of its work is carried out through committees focusing on issues such as disarmament, climate justice, economic justice and human rights.
“The Disarm Committee works on ending the war system, divesting from weapons and nuclear bombs, creating treaties and participating in meetings at the UN,” she said.
Local action and historic campaigns
Over the years, the Ann Arbor–Ypsilanti branch organized many public actions and educational campaigns.
“One program was called ‘A Women’s Budget,’” Hugonot Haber said. “We compared the cost of military weapons with things like scholarships and social programs.”
During tax season, members held demonstrations outside the post office.
“We would make people fill jars with pennies on the social programs they wanted to support,” she said. “At the same time, we distributed flyers explaining the cost of military hardware.”
The group also supported major international initiatives, including UN Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
“It reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts,” she said. “After a war, it is mostly women who take care of the communities, so they should have input before a war also.”
A strong local legacy
The organization has deep historical connections in Ann Arbor.
“Jane Addams used to come and speak at the University of Michigan until she was banned because she was anti-war and a pacifist,” Hugonot Haber said.
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Local members were also involved in major moments of activism.
“Women from the WILPF branch were the backbone of the first teach-in at the University of Michigan and of the first Earth Day that happened in Ann Arbor,” she said.
During the height of the Vietnam War, WILPF had thousands of members across the country.
“I think during that time, WILPF US had over ten thousand members,” she said. “Women were getting involved because their brothers, fiancés or husbands were being sent to war.”
Reaching a new generation
Today, Hugonot Haber believes it is essential to bring younger people into the organization.
“We have a responsibility toward the younger generation to change things by working collectively,” she said. “We can offer them our experience, and they will go well beyond what we have done.”
New members could help shape the future direction of the organization.
“They could join one of our national committees, call for meetings with their peers, and select a new agenda that appeals to them,” she said. “They can move into direct actions.”
She believes younger activists already show strong leadership internationally.
“Recently, the international youth in WILPF made a statement on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,” she said. “I was blown away because it was so good and so complete, and they translated it into six languages.”
Continuing the Work
Hugonot Haber remains active in international disarmament efforts, particularly campaigns for nuclear-weapon-free zones.
“There are currently five Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones covering territories in much of the Southern Hemisphere and Central Asia,” she said. “Antarctica and Mongolia also have special nuclear-weapon-free status.”
Despite global challenges, she said activism has given her hope.
“When I joined WILPF, I started meeting women I admired a lot, and they taught me a great deal,” she said. “I realized I was part of shaping a little of the future and advancing peace for the younger generations.”
She hopes that others in the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti community will consider joining the effort.
“Get involved, follow your heart,” she said. “You will learn a lot and feel less depressed because you will be doing things to make the world a better place.”
For more local information, contact: [email protected]
For more international information, contact: wilpf.org.
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
