Women's Environment and Development Organization records, 1980-2006, bulk 1994-1998

Summary Information

Abstract

The records of the Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) document its political advocacy for women's equality in formulating global policy, and highlights founders New York State Representative, Bella Abzug (1920-1988) and feminist activist, Miriam "Mim" Kelber (1922-2004).

At a Glance

Call No.:
MS#1430
Bib ID:
5685941 View CLIO record
Creator(s):
Women's Environment & Development Organization
Repository:
Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Physical Description:
17.75 linear feet (39 document boxes; 1 record carton; 1 oversized folder)
Language(s):
English , French , German .
Access:
You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

This collection has no restrictions except for one folder. This folder is located in Box 12, Folder 5 and is restricted until 2035.

Description

Summary

The records of the Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) document its political advocacy for women's equality in formulating global policy, and highlights founders New York State Representative, Bella Abzug (1920-1988) and feminist activist, Miriam "Mim" Kelber (1922-2004).

  • Series I: Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), 1980-2006, undated, bulk 1994-1998

    Series I primarily contains WEDO organizational records and is divided into five subseries. The series holds administrative files of WEDO and its predecessor, the Women USA Fund, Inc., Board of Directors minutes and correspondence, subject files, and numerous materials including correspondence, reports, and brochures gathered from conferences attended by WEDO, campaigns organized by others in which WEDO contributed, and other organizations with which WEDO collaborated in some fashion.

  • Series II: Women's Foreign Policy Council, 1985-1990

    The Women's Foreign Policy Council series includes a copy of the original Council proposal, some correspondence, materials on two conferences attended by the Council, an environmental fact sheet developed by the Council, and a copy of the 1987 Women's Foreign Policy Council Directory.

  • Series III: United Nations, 1972-2000, bulk 1994-1996

    Series III: United Nations is divided into three subseries. The series focuses largely on WEDO's (and to a smaller extent, Women USA Fund and the Foreign Policy Council's) work with and at the United Nations in developing policy, WEDO attendance at major conferences sponsored by UN offices, and tracking subjects of interest regarding the UN including its reform and operation. In addition, there is extensive documentation on the United Nation's monumental World Women's Conference held in Beijing, China, attended by Abzug, Kelber, and several WEDO members, in 1994.

  • Series IV: Abzug, Bella, 1984-2000, bulk 1992-1998

    The WEDO records contained files pertaining directly to Bella Abzug throughout the collection. These materials were pulled together in order to form a comprehensive series of documentation related to Abzug, particularly her death in 1998 including condolence correspondence and Abzug anecdotes (sent to WEDO and Kelber), memorial service arrangements and the establishment of a memorial fund and leadership award in her name. Articles and speeches written by Abzug herself or by Kelber for Abzug, were placed in this series. Also included is a transcript of the 1999 Lifetime Television documentary on Abzug entitled, Intimate Portraits--Bella Abzug and the unpublished manuscript and research of a children's book (1984) on Abzug written by Beatrice Siegel.

  • Series V: Publications and Printed Matter, 1974-2000, bulk 1994-1998

    The collection contained a variety of pamphlets and brochures, newsletters, journals, magazines and newspaper clippings produced both by WEDO and other organizations. The great majority of these materials have been pulled together in Series V, which is divided into three subseries: V.1: WEDO, Women USA Fund, Inc. and the Women's Foreign Policy Council; V.2: Other organizations by subject and V.3: Oversized Printed Matter. Some printed materials were kept in their original locations. The materials contained here were either filed on their own accord or sprinkled throughout the collection. They are filed together for easier retrieval and organization.

  • Series VI: Audio Visual Material, 1991-2005

    Audio visual materials include VHS tapes and DVDs of WEDO public relations reels, Bella Abzug memorials, and interviews conducted by Lee Grant of Mim Kelber for Intimate Portraits-- Bella Abzug. Audio materials include two microcassettes of interviews conducted by Libby Bassett in 2000 for a history of WEDO. Rounding out this series are speeches by Harry Kelber, the husband of Mim Kelber and noted AFL-CIO leader, produced by the AFL-CIO in honor of his union leadership and service.

  • Series VII: Archived Web Site, 2013-present

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into 7 series. The files are arranged in alphabetical order.

Using the Collection

Restrictions on Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

This collection has no restrictions except for one folder. This folder is located in Box 12, Folder 5 and is restricted until 2035.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Women's Environment and Development Organization records; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Related Materials

Other Finding Aids: Bella S. Abzug, 1920- Papers, 1970-1976

Accruals

Since this finding aid was prepared, RBML has received additional material that remains unprocessed. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was donated to the rare Book and Manuscript Library in three donations. The first and largest was donated by: Source of acquisition--Mim Kelber in. Date of acquisition--2003.

DVDs, VHS tapes, and books were donated by: Source of acquisition--Joan Nixon and Harry Kelber in. Date of acquisition--2006.

DVDs, VHS tapes, and books were donated by: Source of acquisition--Leandra Zarnow in. Date of acquisition--2007.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Tanya Elder and Lea Osborne.

Finding aid written by Tanya Elder in December 2007.

Finding aid updated by Lea Osborne in February 2008.

Collection is processed to folder level.

Revision Description

2008-11-07 File created.

2009-01-13 xml document instange created by Patrick Lawlor

2009-06-10 xml document instange created by Catherine N. Carson

2017-03-30 Archived Website series added by Jane Gorjevsky

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

Biographical / Historical

The Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), is a non-governmental organization (NGO) founded by former New York State Representative Bella Abzug (1920-1988) and Miriam "Mim" Kelber (1922-2004), among others. Its goal is to advocate for women's equality in global policy.

Abzug and Kelber were high school friends and classmates at Hunter College in New York City. Both were feminists and activists from their early years. Kelber was the New York news editor for the labor-syndicated Federated Press from 1943-1955 while Abzug, after graduating from Columbia University Law School in 1947, became one of a few privately practicing female lawyers. Abzug and Kelber (among others), co-founded the "Women Strike for Peace" campaign, one of the first groups of the 1960s to protest the Vietnam War.

When Bella Abzug was elected to the New York State House of Representatives in 1971, Kelber became her executive assistant and speech writer until Abzug left office in 1978. Kelber also chaired the National Women's Political Caucus media committee. President Jimmy Carter appointed Abzug to the chair of his National Advisory Committee for Women, and Kelber served as its policy consultant and writer. When Carter fired Abzug as head of the advisory committee in 1979 after it actively criticized Carter for budget cuts, both women left the administration. Together they went on to establish the organization that would eventually become WEDO: the Women USA Fund., Inc.

Women USA Fund was incorporated in 1980 as an action and information network for the "woman who wants to help win equality and justice for all women." The Fund established a 24-hour hotline for action alerts, lobbied for women's representation in Washington, DC government, and sponsored and organized educational forums, symposiums, and conferences. In 1985, the Women USA Fund developed a proposal (written by Kelber) to establish the non-partisan Women's Foreign Policy Council. According to the original proposal, the Council aimed to enhance the visibility of women in public debate formulation and the conduct of American foreign policy on a variety of issues; encourage the opening of national and international political roles for women as foreign policy leaders; and to serve as a "Women's 'Shadow' State Department" in order to propose alternative, peace-oriented policies and analyses of constructive solutions to world problems. A major goal of this fledgling organization was to develop and write the first-ever comprehensive directory of women foreign policy specialists and organizations working in the realm of International Affairs. Abzug served as the policy chair of the directory and the group, while Kelber served as its Editorial Director (a position that she would later assume at WEDO as well). "The Women's Foreign Policy Council Directory" was published in 1987 and included a picture, areas of expertise, recent professional experience, professional appointments and memberships, and contact information. Additional listings included contacts for female members of the U.S. Congress, foreign heads of state, organizations working on war and peace issues, United Nations and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) leaders and other contacts. The Council also established an aggressive public relations campaign and aimed to sponsor public debates on major issues with both male and female participants.

The Women's USA Fund began planning a major conference in 1990 under the title, the "World Women's Congress on a Healthy Planet." The project was launched under the name of the "Women's Environment and Development Organization" or "WE-DO." The Congress was held in Miami, Fl. in 1991 and prepared the way for women's involvement at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED Earth Summit, 1992, Rio de Janeiro) by producing a Women's Action Agenda 21 to help shape the dialogue of the UNCED from a woman's perspective. While closely related to the United Nations' own "21st century agenda" known as Agenda 21 (a sprawling, 900-page all-encompassing action document) produced at the Rio summit, WEDO's Women's Action Agenda 21 provided a uniquely woman-centric perspective regarding the environment, poverty, war, and disease. The Miami Congress itself became known as a major event in women's international organizing history and established a strong network of women working on environmental and development issues.

In 1994, the Fund published "Women and Government: New Ways to Political Power" edited by Kelber. This work, sponsored by the Stanley Foundation, was a survey of six European countries analyzing the success of their women's movements and the advancement of women in their governments, and how these successes could be applied to American politics. On January 27, 1995, Women USA Fund, Inc., officially changed its name to the Women's Environment and Development Organization.

WEDO's mission was similar to the Women USA Fund, Inc., in that WEDO would serve as an organ to disseminate general information to the public, though WEDO established a broader mission to encourage academics and other communities to research and write on women's policy issues, provide technical assistant and training to empower women and develop leadership skills, and like the Women USA Fund, to sponsor conferences and symposiums. Beginning in 1991, WEDO organizers served on the United Nation's Commission on the Status of Women, in preparation for the UN's Fourth Woman's Conference (1995), held in Beijing, China. WEDO worked after the conference to disseminate conference information, track government and UN commitments, hone the language of the Conference's "Platform for Action" lobby politicians, and attend follow-up sessions (Beijing +5, 2000). In 1996, WEDO developed the "Contract with Women of the USA" campaign as a counter to Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America." The WEDO Contract adopted key elements of the Beijing Platform for Action and applied them to American women as a feminist response to the Republican Contract.

After Abzug's death in 1998, WEDO helped to establish a memorial fund in her name, the Abzug Leadership Award. Kelber left her position as editorial director at WEDO the same year and continued to work with WEDO as a non-staff member. Mim Kelber died in 2004 and was survived by her husband, AFL-CIO leader, Harry Kelber, and daughters Karli and Laura.

The organization has consistently been involved with world politicians, activists, feminists, and other notable and "ordinary" women who have helped with WEDO projects or served on the Board of Directors. Prime among these women is Wangari Maathai, a WEDO board member and co-founder, who was the first president of the African Union (2005) and Nobel Prize (2004) recipient "for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace." WEDO continues its work on behalf of women in the memories of Bella Abzug and Mim Kelber.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Name
Abzug, Bella S., 1920-1998 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Earth Summit Watch (Organization) CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Kelber, Mim CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Maathai, Wangari CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Siegel, Beatrice CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992 : Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Women USA Fund, Inc CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Women's Foreign Policy Council (U.S.) CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
World Conference on Women (4th ) (Location of meeting: Beijing, China). Date of meeting or treaty signing: 1995 :.) CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women (Location of meeting: Nairobi, Kenya). Date of meeting or treaty signing: (1985 :.) CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
World Women's Congress for a Healthy Planet CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Subject
Sustainable development CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Women in sustainable development CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID