Susan Shaer of Women’s Action for New Directions will present Congressman Ed Markey with an award from the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability
WASHINGTON – Executive Director Susan Shaer of Boston-based national nonprofit Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND) will present Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass) with an award from the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability (ANA) in honor of his effective Congressional leadership in constraining nuclear weapons programs and championing nuclear power safety issues through a tenacious dedication to protecting the U.S. and the world.
“I am honored to receive this award from the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability as it celebrates its 25th anniversary,” says Congressman Markey. “It also is with great pleasure that I will receive the award from my great friend and constituent Susan Shaer, the executive director of Women's Action for New Directions. The ANA, WAND and all of the Association's member organizations have long been powerful and effective voices for creating a world free of nuclear weapons and the damage they inflict. Their robust grassroots work is transforming the Cold War nuclear legacy from insanity to accountability. I will continue to fight to end the spread of unneeded nuclear weapons and the wasteful spending that funds Minutemen missiles ahead of Medicare, and I look forward to working with the ANA, WAND and all of these committed groups to ensure a safe, healthy, equitable future for future generations."
The ANA is a network of three dozen organizations working together on issues of nuclear weapons production and radioactive waste cleanup. As a member organization, WAND continually works to address these concerns and redirect priorities away from the military and toward unmet human needs.
“If we could put the nuclear weapons genie back in the bottle, we certainly would, but we must deal with the reality,” says Susan Shaer, executive director of WAND. “Policy that will help keep the world safer can come from our own Congress, and Congressman Markey is the champion for that cause. For more than thirty years, he has sustained his drive to constrain nuclear weapons programs to protect the U.S. and the world. Especially in these times, when there are so many doubters about elected leadership doing their jobs, Ed Markey’s tenaciousness should be heralded. WAND is thirty years old this year, and our history with Mr. Markey has covered those thirty years. We are pleased to be able to present this award.”
WAND will join scores of ANA activists in Washington participating in nearly 100 meetings with Obama Administration and Congressional leaders as part of the ANA’s 24th annual DC Days. The Awards reception honoring individuals who have been leaders in the movement to clean up radioactive wastes, stop unnecessary weapons research and production, and address the needs of those contaminated by nuclear facilities, will take place on Tuesday, March 20 at 5:30 p.m. at the Rayburn House Office Building Room B339, Capitol Hill, Washington, DC.
About Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND)
WAND is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women to act politically to reduce violence and militarism, and redirect excessive military resources toward unmet human and environmental needs. Founded in 1982, WAND is a recognized United Nations NGO. Over the years, WAND developed a variety of successful programs, and currently consists of a 501-C3 WAND Education Fund, a 501-C4 WAND Inc. Action Center for members and chapters, WAND Political Action Committee, and the Women Legislator's Lobby (WiLL) program. For more information, please visit www.wand.org.
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