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War
and Peace |
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"Never has there been a good war or a bad peace."
--Benjamin Franklin
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- STARS: Students Taking Action for Real Security!
Baltimore STAND hosts a Federal Budget Workshop!
- If you don’t know, now you know-
New War Dangers: Iran,
the U.S.
and Nukes in the Middle East
- Ways to STAND and take action-
Historic
march for Peace 4/29 in NYC
- Heads Up! On some organizations putting in some Major work
IRAQ: CPT
works for the human rights of Iraqi detainees
- On the News
AFSC
Commentary: Three Years of Failed U.S.
Policy in Iraq
Not One More Death - Not One More Dollar: Letter
to Congress
Ten Reasons Why the US
Must Leave Iraq
- Update from National WAND
A
Three-Year Old War
- Announcements/Internships
1)
STARS
Baltimore STAND hosts a Federal Budget Workshop!
On March 10, 2006 Baltimore STAND held a successful Federal
Budget Briefing at Coppin State University. Chapter President Chantel
Morant says, "I was happy that the training was
so well attended. This really demonstrates how eager
young women are to be involved in the political process."
During the workshop the students learned about how
a bill becomes law, the federal budget process, the
impact of the President's budget on the state of Maryland,
and how to lobby their legislators. Field Outreach
Associate Jennifer Iliana Ortiz says, "I am really
proud of Baltimore STAND. They truly embody the type
of future leaders this country needs." Kudos
to Baltimore STAND for being women of action!
2.
If you don't know, now you know.
New War Dangers:
Iran, the U.S. and Nukes in the Middle East
By Phyllis Bennis, Institute
for Policy Studies, March 15, 2006
** Escalating rhetoric, continued losses in Iraq,
Bush's political problems, and an ideologically-driven
pursuit of power make the possibility of a U.S.
military attack on Iran - however reckless and however
dangerous its consequences - a frighteningly real
possibility.
** Iran
is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty and has not violated the Treaty. While there
appear to be unresolved issues regarding full transparency,
its nuclear program, including enriching uranium,
is perfectly legal under NPT requirements for non-nuclear
weapons states.
** Iran
does not have nuclear weapons; even if it is trying
to build a nuclear weapons program, it could not
produce weapons for five to ten years or more.
** There is a dangerous, unmonitored and provocative
nuclear arsenal in the Middle East; it belongs to
Israel,
not Iran.
U.S.
hypocrisy and double standards in nuclear policy,
accepting Israel's
unacknowledged nuclear arsenal and rewarding India's
nuclear weapons status while threatening war against
Iran
and denying its own obligations under the NPT, has
undermined Washington's claimed commitment to non-proliferation.
** U.S.
officials claim they are not considering an invasion
of Iraq
but "only" surgical air strikes against
known nuclear facilities; they have not explained
what their military response will be when Iran retaliates, whether against U.S. troops in Iraq
or elsewhere in the region, against U.S.
oil tankers in near-by shipping lanes, or against
Israel.
** Global suspicions remain regarding U.S.
claims because of Washington's
lies leading to the invasion of Iraq,
but international conditions regarding Iran
are significantly different; many governments appear
more willing to consider Iran a "threat."
** The only solution to the crisis is to move towards
a nuclear weapons-free, or even weapons of mass destruction-free zone
across the entire Middle East.
(For two-page summary versions of Iraq
Exit Strategy and Costs
of War reports, see the Iraq Index page.)
3.
Ways to STAND and take action!
Dear
Sisters and Brothers,
An historic March
for Peace, Justice and Democracy is taking place on
April 29th in New York City.
We are writing as environmental activists to urge
you to join us in helping to spread the word and make
this a huge success. A unique coalition of labor,
peace, environmental, environmental justice, women's,
civil rights, community-based, veterans and youth/student
groups initiated the organizing for this action. It
is being organized because our lives depend on it.
In 2006, Bush's policies of lying and spying, of war,
increasing poverty, budget cuts and environmental
destruction will be put to a referendum all around
the country in the midterm congressional elections.
By marching in large numbers we will send a clear
message to the policy makers of this country: either
stand with us or stand aside! We are coming together
to march, to vote, to speak out and to turn our country
around!
As people who care about the environment we are encouraged
that this coalition, while prioritizing a call to
end the war in Iraq, agreed to include as a major demand, "Act
now to reverse the climate crisis and end the war
on nature." There is no question but that
environmental issues are directly connected to the
issue of the war, a war being fought for oil and control
of the oil-rich Middle East.
We say:
*End the war, and stop the long-term nuclear poisoning
of Iraq via the widespread use
of depleted uranium.
*Get serious about conservation and efficiency and
dramatically accelerate the urgently needed transition
to a clean and sustainable energy economy.
*Support environmental justice for Indigenous, low-income
and people of color communities most affected by community-destroying
energy policies.
There are many things you can do to support this mobilization--endorsing
it, circulating this email, making a donation, reproducing
and circulating leaflets, ordering buttons, stickers
or posters to distribute, talking to friends, neighbors
and co-workers, and announcing it at meetings you
attend.
Please go to www.april29.org
to find out more or call 212-868-5545.
Let's unite for change to turn our country around!
4.
Heads up! Some organizations putting in major work
IRAQ: CPT
works for the human rights of Iraqi detainees
Working for the human rights
of the detainees of the illegal occupation has been
the primary focus for Christian Peacemaker Teams
(CPT) in Iraq since the invasion of March 2003. In the
first video recently released by the Swords of Righteousness
group, CPTers Tom Fox
and Norman Kember repeated
their long-standing commitment to Iraqi freedom.
They called for an end to the occupation and freedom
for all Iraqi people
In May 2003, Iraqis began
asking CPT for help in locating missing relatives. Some Iraqis reported that
their loved ones vanished during the war; others
reported that family members detained at checkpoints
or during house raids by US soldiers had disappeared.
Families had no way of locating their relatives
and found that the US
military dismissed their inquiries. CPTers
worked to secure information for families, and accompanied
family members on visits to detention centres.
As the occupation continued, CPTers noticed an increase in the number of detainees and
that few were being released. These actions of the
U.S. military--specifically detaining people without
formal charges, and for indefinite periods of time--are
a violation of international law. CPTers
in Iraq
demonstrated alongside Iraqis, calling for human
rights of detainees, while supporters at home lobbied
their governments.
Christian
Peacemaker Teams: www.cpt.org
5.
ON THE NEWS
6.
Update from National WAND
A
Three-year-old War
March 19, 2006, by Amanda Hendler-Voss
It
is Lydia's third birthday on March 19th. I never
forget her birthday; she’s the second daughter
of a dear friend, and it's easy to remember
how my friend went into labor just as the Shock
and Awe campaign of 2003 began raining down
bombs in Baghdad.
It
was a hard labor, but Lydia did just fine. And
it's hard to believe how much she's grown in
three years. Her blonde curls seem to float
as she does yet another rendition of "Ba,
Ba, Black Sheep" in her hand-me-down cowgirl
boots.
Like
Lydia, the war in Iraq is three years old, and
I wish I could agree with our President and
say there's been some progress-that we've gone
from crawling to walking.
Instead,
Iraq dances along the brink of civil war, as
the cost of the war rises. And I'm not just
talking about the $245 billion taxpayers have
spent on the war, but the 2,318 U.S. soldiers
who have died and the more than 33,500 Iraqi
civilians who did not live to see a "liberated"
Iraq.
Scott
McClellan has one thing right. The vision for
this war most assuredly belongs to President
Bush. Unfortunately, the American public does
not share his sentiments about a war that shows
no sign of an exit strategy any time soon.
The
truth is the American people envision progress
differently than the President. Many of us believe
that progress will be achieved when we no longer
resort to pre-emptive strikes as a solution
to conflict around the world. Progress is smart
security-working with the international community
to reduce nuclear weapons, rather than sharing
nuclear technology. Progress is ensuring our
ports are safe and our first responders are
fully funded. Progress is utilizing a wide range
of tools to prevent root causes of terrorism.
American
progress is rooted in our values. We value the
future for Lydia's generation more than this
war. We value access to health care and a quality
education for children more than bombs, increasing
affordable housing more than a new generation
of nukes. These values are not shared by the
Bush administration, and our nation is headed
in the wrong direction.
To
continue waging war without sufficient public
support is a mistake. National consensus says
let's create a path out of Iraq. That's progress.
7.
Announcements/Internships
Wellstone
Action's Schedule Continues to Grow: 27 Trainings
From Now to June!
Wellstone
Action is bringing our work to a large national
scale so we can meet the growing demand for
effective, practical training for the progressive
movement. We now have 6 established training
programs that we are bringing across the country
this year:
- Camp Wellstone - our flagship program - provides
a mass, popular introductory training for
people interested in working in campaigns,
on issues or in being candidates for elected
office.
- Advanced Campaign Management School provides skills and leadership
development for individuals interested in
or already employed as senior staff in electoral
campaigns.
- Campus Camp Wellstone provides young people access
to the organizing skills necessary to conduct
more effective issue-based campaigns on campuses
and in communities, as well as to be key volunteers
and staff in electoral campaigns.
- Labor Training Program provides union workers with
the skills and perspective necessary to run
strong internal organizing campaigns, as well
as to win on ballot measures and elect candidates.
- Camp Sheila Wellstone provides advocates and supporters
in the domestic violence and sexual assault
movements with the skills necessary to expand
their base and win victories in the legislative
arena.
- Voter Engagement Schools provide skills and leadership
development that help nonprofit, community-based
organizations engage their often under-represented
constituencies in nonpartisan political organizing.
http://www.wellstone.org/camp/index.aspx
There is a NEW Missouri WAND Chapter!!!
YOU CAN GET
IN ON THE ACTION!!!
Who: Contact Alice
Thompson AThompson@mbsbooks.com
or (573)214-2915
What: OUR FIRST MEETING
Where: UU Church @
2615
Shepard Boulevard, Columbia,
MO 65201
When: Saturday April
1st @ NOON
If you are unable to
attend this meeting, consider attending our
table at the COLUMBIA MISSOURI EARTH DAY The
Festival will be held Sunday April 23 in MU’s Peace Park
between 6th and 8th St. on Elm In the event of bad weather we
will move the Festival to Sunday, May 1.
Beyond these walls: Promoting Health and Human Rights of Youth
in the Justice System
SATURDAY, April 8, 2006, 11 am - 4pm
Registration begins at 10 am
Yale Law
School
Sterling Law
Building, Room 127
127 Wall
Street, New Haven, CT
Questions? Contact Tasmin Din at tdin@phrusa.org or call 617-301-4200.
Keynote Speakers
·
David Fassler, MD,
Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry,
University of Vermont
·
State Representative Toni E. Walker,
Deputy Majority Leader, Connecticut General
Assembly
·
Youth Rights Media (invited)
The
Southern Education Foundation (SEF) Internship
Program
SEF initiated a unique program of outreach to young people.
The aim was simple: expose a new generation
of highly motivated and gifted college juniors
and seniors and graduate students to the importance
of improving education for all, especially
low-income people who need help the most. By
placing students in leading corporations, foundations
and non-profit organizations concerned with
fairness and improvements in education policy
and practice, SEF sought to create new leaders
to help the South continue its progress in improving
education opportunity.
The selection process for interns is competitive. The
placement sites are leading southern corporations,
foundations and non-profits involved in cutting
edge efforts to address education issues, needs
and challenges. SEF's
website, www.southerneducation.org
and the attachments provide additional information
about the internship.
The Goi Peace
Foundation 2006 International Essay Contest
for Young People
http://www.goipeace.or.jp
Sponsored by The Goi
Peace Foundation and The World Peace Prayer
Society (UNESCO's Partners
for the International Decade of a Culture of
Peace and Non-Violence
for the Children of the World)
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