Actions You Can Take NOW
To add your action, send email with all the particulars to MarthaL@california.com
or call her at 510-548-7239
Actions You Can Take NOW
Call your senators and
representatives NOW (click
here) in support
of the legislation introduced by Peter DeFazio
(D-Ore) and Ron Paul (R-Tex) to
Repeal
the Iraq Use of Force
Legislation.
Cosponsors: Paul, Woolsey, Kucinich, McDermott,
Sanders, Baldwin, Lee, Grijalva, Owens, Tubbs
Jones, Oberstar, Waters, Schakowsky, J. Carson,
Conyers, Towns, Farr, Olver, Norton, Serrano,
Watson, Kleczka, D. Davis, Filner, Frank, Rush,
Jackson Jr., Capuano To read about the
legislation, go to latestnews.htm
or go to http://www.house.gov/defazio/020503DERelease.shtml From: Janet & Ed
Gibson ejgibson@earthlink.net
(3/14/03) Special
Alameda City Council meeting to address the issue
of passing a Resolution for
Peace will be held
on Sunday, March 16, 2pm at the Elks Club,
2255 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda. The word is that
Don Taylor, pastor of Central Baptist Church, has
mobilized a force that has been emailing the City
Council members urging them to vote No on a
Resolution declaring Alameda to be a City for Peace
(reference www.citiesforpeace.org).
As of Wed, Mar 12, the count is 3 to 1 against the
Resolution. There
are several things we can do: Thanks so much for all of
your efforts to promote peace in our community and
hopefully prevent an unnecessary war. Here are the email
addresses & phone numbers of our City Council
members: From: John Sieber
john@sieberspace.com
(3/10/03) This is a really quick one
to support, though it's a long shot. But who
knows. A few days ago I asked you
to send an email to His Holiness Pope John Paul II,
asking him to personally intervene in the conflict
with Iraq by traveling to Baghdad, and to invite
other religious and spiritual leaders to join him.
I believe that this would immediately halt plans by
the US government to begin bombing the Iraqi
people, giving the UN inspectors and world
politicians more time to find a peaceful
solution. We are now going to take
this a step further. I am asking for at least a
million people to add their names to a petition
that I can present to His Holiness as quickly as
possible, imploring him to help save the lives of
hundreds of thousands of innocent people in Iraq.
We will also present the same petition to His
Holiness the Dalai Lama through an emissary, asking
him to join the Pope. (They have been partners in
peace before, most notably at the historic peace
gathering that took place in Assisi in
1986.) A
MILLION NAMES FOR PEACE IN ONE WEEK! We do not have much time,
and so I am asking that you add your name today,
and pass this email to as many people as you can. I
am personally sending it to 100,000 people, so the
goal is well within our reach. If the Pope and the
Dalai Lama hear the voices of so many dedicated
Spiritual Peacemakers calling for their presence,
they may actually respond. Simply go to
http://www.emissaryoflight.com
and click on the link at the top of the page. You
will then be asked to read the following statement,
and if you agree, add your name: "We believe that a
spiritual solution is required to peacefully
resolve the current political situation in Iraq,
and we believe that the presence in Iraq of His
Holiness Pope John Paul II, His Holiness the Dalai
Lama, and other spiritual leaders from around the
world, would shift the current tide toward lasting
peace. We humbly ask you to please consider this
heartfelt request from a million Spiritual
Peacemakers to take time from your schedule and
travel to Baghdad. The lives of hundreds of
thousands of people, and the hope of world peace,
may lie in your hands." There is no time to waste.
The war could begin almost any day, and so we hope
to have all million names by March 18. Help us
reach our goal in one week!!! In the event that the war
breaks out before I am able to personally deliver
this petition, we have two contingency
plans: 1.
Each day we will
forward the names that are posted on the site to
the Pope, the Dalai Lama, and GEORGE BUSH himself.
We don't want these men to become aware of this
important campaign after it happens, but while it's
in full force. Imagine them getting 200,000 names a
day, or more, on a file. We will also post the name
count we have collected and sent each day at
www.emissaryoflight.com so you can check in and
monitor our progress. 2.
We will
immediately forward all million names (via
Internet) to an emissary in Rome who will copy and
deliver the document to the Pope. We will do the
same for the Dalai Lama. Please hold the success of
peace and this mission of peace in your hearts. But
most of all, please add your name today, and pass
this email to everyone you know. Peace Prevails on Earth
NOW! James Twyman -------------------------------------------- A nation that
continues, year after year, to spend more money on
its military than on programs of social uplift is
approaching spiritual death. --Rev. Martin
Luther King, Jr., April 4, 1968 From: Mary Quijano
Basqueitcase@aol.com
(3/12/03) Use
the International Criminal Court in the Hague to
Stop the War Please read the attached
letter I sent to all members of the UN Security
Council. Please send your own version or even a
copy of this one. The ICC, just formed, is the
instrument for trying war criminals. USA refuses to
acknowledge or be a part of it...out of fear our
'soldiers" ( or statesmen) will soon be on trial
there. all the more reason to do as this letter
suggests. thanks ---------- From: Basqueitcase@aol.com
(3/12/03) To: Esteemed Members of
the UN Security Council Dear Sirs, If you do not stop the US
and UK's plans to wage this unjustified war with
Iraq, you will have given the green light to all
such future wars and takeovers in the name of
"democracy" or "pax Americana". This war is a
testof your resolve to keep the peace. You have
been accused - by the US - of becoming irrelevant
if you do NOT go along with their plans to wage
this brutal and unnecessary war: The truth is,
gentlemen, that if you rubber stamp the US/UK plan,
you will have indeed become irrelevant and may as
well go home. Please do not allow
yourselves to be bought, and do not allow
yourselves to be bullied. The arrogance,
shortsightedness and stupidity of our leaders
shames me, and I apologize for them. Please do not
think they truly reflect the American
People. As keepers of the world
peace,I believe there is only one step left that
can and must be taken in order to deter the United
States and their allies from their plans to attack
the sovereign state of Iraq, an attack that will
create an instant humanitarian and environmental
catastrophe and destabilize the entire Middle
East,if not the entire world. The step called for
requires courage, commitment and unity between
those of you strong enough to stand together
against the bullying, badgering, threats and
insults of the American "superpower". The step is this: File a
formal UN motion with the newly formed
International Criminal Court in Hague, which will
put the American and British war mongers on notice
that the moment the United States and its allies
attack Iraq, (or any other country that has not
been proven an imminent threat) charges will be
brought against the primary leaders of these
aggressor countries for war crimes. These leaders
should include, but not be limited to: George W.
Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, Richard
Cheney, John Ashcroft, Condaleeza Rice, Paul
Wolfowitz, Tony Blair, Jack Straw, and any others
who you may determine have been key figures in
planning and/or carrying out this war. It is my hope and belief
that when these who beat the drums of war find they
are facing a very personal risk - the loss of
power, prestige and personal freedom - if they go
ahead with their plans, they may decide to stand
down and let the UN inspectors do their
job. The fate of the entire
world is in your hands. Do well. A Call
To Action From United for Peace and
Justice (3/9/03)
from: People's Nonviolent Response Coalition
(PNVRC) United for Peace and
Justice, at a national meeting Today unanimously
adopted the proposal below. We urge you to 1) get
this call out as widely as possible and 2) do all
that you can beginning now to bring pressure to
bear on Congress at this critical time, as outlined
in the Call to Action. Step Up the Struggle for
Peace! Reclaim Our Capitol, Take Back Our
Democracy! Beginning Now: An
Emergency Campaign of Lobbying and Nonviolent
Direct Action to Stop the War and Fund Schools,
Jobs, Health Care and Other Human Needs! Starting Now: An Immediate
Campaign of Sustained Action for Peace and
Justice It is clear that we are
entering the final stages of the struggle to stop
an all-out war on Iraq. The world peace movement in
the tens of millions has delayed it and profoundly
transformed the political context of the Bushites'
decision. War, though very close, is not a
certainty. The question is, what do we do in the
United States with this last chance for
action? Millions around the world
have said "No!" to war on Iraq--and still Bush
won't turn back. We have written letters, sent
email, made phone calls, participated in
delegations, rallied, marched, walked out--and
still the Congress refuses to uphold their
constitutional duty to decide on matters of war as
representatives of the people. Resources for human
needs are being cut, our rights are under attack,
and our democracy is being betrayed. We have no
choice but to Raise The Bar Of Our Resistance and
rise up to the challenge of reclaiming our
democracy and defending the promise of freedom from
tyranny--including the greatest tyranny of all:
War. We must take action to demand that our
elected officials represent our interests and vote
no to war. The time has come to bring the new
voices of democracy to the Congress: if they won't
uphold the Constitution and represent the people,
We Will. Thus, we call upon the
hundreds of thousands of people who have actively
participated up to now in this historic, nonviolent
uprising for peace to take part in an: Emergency Campaign of
Lobbying and Nonviolent Direct Action to Stop the
War and Fund Schools, Jobs, Health Care and Other
Human Needs. Our demands are
clear: Our plan is
clear: 1) March 10-14: Week of
Lobbying and Preparation: 2) March 15-21: Week of
Sustained Action for Peace and Justice, Including
Nonviolent Direct Action In Washington,
DC Nationwide (if you
can't make it to D.C) Send An
Email Message To Every Member Of The UN Security
Council
(3/9/03) Urge them not to vote for
a resolution authorizing an attack on Iraq. Just go
to http://www.voice4change.org/stories/mailUNSC.asp posted 1/27/03 Repeal
The Patriot Act - Do Not Expand
It
(3/9/03) Send an email to members
of the Senate Judiciary Committee. We must let them
know that we will not surrender any more of our
civil liberties. Go to: http://www.voice4change.org/stories/mailJudiciary.asp posted 1/29/03 ANSWER also needs
volunteers, especially youth and student
volunteers, to do outreach for this meeting as well
as the week of resistance. Please come into the
office any day between 10 am and 9 pm to help us
mobilize. Info: studentanswer@actionsf.org,
415-821-6545 posted 1/27/03 Peacedemo.org is a website
that allows EVERY demonstration and EVERY
demonstrator to be counted and totaled. Imagine the
impact when our "leaders" see the total number
demonstrators in all the demonstrations in the
entire country. PLEASE help with this
great project; it takes only a few minutes and it
could change history. If you know how many people
attended a demonstration or demonstrations, go to
www.peacedemo.org Click on the State to see if that
attendance has already been entered. If not, please
enter it. Enter only demonstrations that have
occurred since January 15, 2003 and take care to
enter attendance numbers that are accurate and
supportable. Please repeat as new demonstrations
occur. Looking
For Interns for Sri Lanka (Posted
January 10, 2003) Peoples Peace Front
looking for international and local interns to work
at their office and in the field. Peoples Peace
Front is an organization with nearly 150 partner
organizations all over the island of Sri Lanka. We
conduct programmes, rallies, workshops, protests
and visits on peace and human rights. Our office is
fully equipped office with three full time staff
members. There is a governing body with 35 members
from partner organizations. We are looking for
interns from any part of the world who possess
below given qualifications Please apply to: Lakshan
Dias, Co Coordinator, Peoples Peace Front, 16/1/1
Robert Gunawardana Mawatha, Colombo &endash;05, Sri
Lanka, Tel/FAX 0094-1-512596, ymca@kandyan.net The Top
Ten Reasons to Oppose the War in Iraq
Click
Here.
(posted 1/2/03) Contact
Your Government
Representatives to
urge them NOT to support the war. In California,
your senators are: Senator Barbara
Boxer Senator Dianne
Feinstein You can find out who
represents you at www.congress.org You can reach your member
of Congress by calling the congressional
switchboard: 202-224-3121 You can also phone the
White House at 202-456-1111. A machine will detain
you for only a moment and then a pleasant live
operator will thank you for saying, "I oppose the
proposed war against Iraq!" Support
New Legislative Initiatives To Slow The Rush To War
(posted
1/10/03) On January 7, Rep.
Jackson-Lee (TX) introduced a resolution in the
House (House Concurrent Resolution 2) to express
the sense of Congress that the 2002 war
authorization against Iraq should be repealed.
On January13, Reps. Brown
(OH), Kind (WI), Wexler (FL), and Doggett (TX)
circulated a Dear Colleague letter to all members
of the House asking them to sign a letter to Pres.
Bush in support of continued diplomacy in Iraq. The
text of the Dear Colleague letter is available at
http://www.fcnl.org/issues/int/sup/iraq_house-ltr116-03.htm These two new legislative
initiatives in the House offer renewed and
much-needed leadership in Congress to help pull the
Administration back from the brink of war. As the
Administration continues a massive military
build-up in the Persian Gulf, these congressional
calls for diplomacy in Iraq come at a critical
moment. Both legislative initiatives need strong
public and congressional support. Action:
Please contact
your representative before Jan. 23. Urge her or him
to take the following two actions to help pull the
Administration back from the brink of war. (1)
Cosponsor H. Con. Res. 2, calling for the repeal of
the war authorization act against Iraq. (2) Sign
the Brown-Kind Dear Colleague letter urging Pres.
Bush to commit to continued diplomacy and weapons
inspections in Iraq. (The deadline for signing the
letter is Jan. 23.) If your representative is
already a co-sponsor of the repeal resolution or
has signed the Brown-Kind letter, please express
your thanks. Make Letter-Writing
Easier: Start with the sample letter posted in
FCNL's Legislative Action Center, personalize the
language, then email or fax your message directly
from their site. You can also print it out and mail
it. To view the sample letter, click on the link
below, then enter your zip code and click
<Go> in the <Take Action Now> box. Here
is the link: http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=1232076&thpe=CO Contacting
Legislators Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
or 800-839-5276 or go to Govt
and Congressional Contacts Contacting The
Administration White House Comment Desk:
202-456-1111, Fax: 202-456-2461, Email:
president@whitehouse.gov,
Web Page: http://www.whitehouse.gov Pass a
City Council Resolution Against the
War, (posted
1/10/03) More than 35 U.S. city
councils from Baltimore to Detroit, from
Philadelphia to Kalamazoo, have passed resolutions
opposing war in Iraq, with resolutions pending in
many more communities. Info: Cities For Peace,
Karen Dolan, 202-234-9382, ext. 228,
www.citiesforpeace.org. Distribute
bumper stickers.
(posted 1/10/03) "America's Problems Won't
Be Solved in Iraq." Free. To order, contact: Linda
Cato, 212-870-2598, lcato@ncccusa.org Call
for a General Strike Against the War on Iraq
(posted
1/29/03) I have started a new
maillist, genstrike@topica.com.
To subscribe send an email to genstrike-subscribe@topica.com.
This list is for communication for the exchange of
information re efforts to organize a national
"General Strike" or "Day of Reflection", or "walk
out" in response to the planned war in Iraq. It is
not moderated, has no organizational affiliation -
it is an open list. If one just does a Google
Search on "general strike" & Iraq these days,
one will discover a lot of voices out there talking
about a general strike against the war- voices from
across Europe, and the rest of the world, and from
folks here in the US. I am not sure of any of the
larger antiwar groups have put out such a call
yet,- hopefully it will happen soon. There is an
understandable reluctance for established groups to
go "out front" on something like this, of
course. some existing calls for a
General Strike: there may be some unions
out there that are prepared to support
it many students support it,
there have been dozens of local walk-outs across
the country already, and lot's more are in the
works religious groups may call
for a "day of reflection", and gathering in
churches or elsewhere If we are to believe the
polls, (and our own eyes) we MUST realize that the
MAJORITY of the people in this country oppose the
war. Are we not now prepared to
be ungovernable? If only for one day? Every church
open for gathering as a place of prayer, and
community. A public space in every city & town
as a place of gathering, and protest. If your union
can't support it, it becomes a mass sick day. We
may not shut down every Mcdonalds on every strip
mall, but we will likely have an impact, and will
probably surprise ourselves if we have the courage,
and ambition to attempt it... Info: Kevin S, NYC,
http://nycpeaceteams.org Sign
the Move-On petition to Let The Inspections
Work at
http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar
(posted 1/10/03) MoveOn, a national network
organization, is working to connect people in local
communities who want to make visits to their
members and to coordinate meetings at district
congressional offices. You can register to join in
the MoveOn visits by going to http://www.moveon.org/inspectionsmeetings.
Demand may be high and groups are limited to 20
persons per meeting, so if you want to be part of
one of these groups, be sure to sign up early.
Don't worry if the MoveOn visit for your
congressional district fills up, though. You can
always organize your own visit, individually or in
coalition with others in your community, by
contacting your local congressional
offices. To find the phone numbers
of your district offices, go to the Friends
Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) at
http://capwiz.com/fconl/dbq/officials.
Select your state and click <Go>. Select your
member and click <Go>. While Members of Congress
are home in their districts, they also need to see
a strong public presence for peace. Bumper
stickers, yard signs, placards, and window signs
are a great way to demonstrate every day against
war on Iraq. FCNL has free "War is Not the Answer"
bumper stickers available which can be placed on
your car or bike. Order yours today at
http://www.fcnl.org/iraq_bumstker_info.php Support
Global Warming Legislation
http://www.ucsaction.org/index.asp?step=2&item=2389
(posted 1/10/03) Senators John McCain
(R-AZ) and Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) will soon
introduce groundbreaking legislation requiring cuts
in US emissions of the heat-trapping gasses that
cause global warming. The bill stands in sharp
contrast to President Bush's "too little, too late"
policy of voluntary-only cuts in global warming
pollution from power plants, and his decision to
pull out of the Kyoto Protocol, an international
treaty to curb global warming. As the world's
number- one emitter of global warming pollution,
the United States must do better. Please urge your
Senators to co-sponsor the McCain-Lieberman global
warming bill by going to http://www.ucsaction.org/index.asp?step=2&item=2389
where you can customize the letter
below: . private dentist, tooth implants London, dental veneers. ***************** Dear Senator, It is time to take
responsibility for this human-caused problem that
poses serious threats to the quality of life for
our children and grandchildren. The good news is
that the United States has the technological
ability to cut our emissions of global warming
pollution by producing more electricity from clean
renewable sources, limiting carbon pollution from
dirty coal-fired power plants, increasing energy
efficiency in the public and private sectors, and
making cars that go further on a gallon of gas. As
the world's number- one emitter, we have a duty to
implement these solutions. Unfortunately, our
country's reliance on voluntary emission-reduction
measures has failed to bring cuts in global warming
pollution. In fact, US emissions are nearly 12
percent higher than they were in 1990. The McCain-Lieberman bill
would put us on the right track by cutting US
global warming pollution to 2000 levels by 2010,
and 1990 levels by 2016. The bill caps the total
global warming pollution that the electric utility,
commercial, industrial, and fuel sectors can
produce in a given year. Companies can buy and sell
their emission permits, ensuring that they will
meet the cross-sector limit through the least
expensive emission cuts. The McCain-Lieberman bill
excludes the public and small business from the
required cuts in global warming pollution. It also
uses government funds generated by the sale of
emission permits to offset increases in electricity
rates for consumers and provides aid to workers
such as coal miners who might be negatively
affected by the bill. By encouraging investment in
clean technologies that support increases in
renewable energy production and vehicle fuel
efficiency, the bill would create new jobs and
boost the economy. The bill complements necessary
efforts to increase vehicle fuel economy standards
and set a strong national standard requiring
utilities to increase generation of clean renewable
electricity. The United States should
act as a leader in the fight to curb global warming
instead of trailing behind the international
community. Please demonstrate your commitment to
addressing the most serious environmental problem
of our time by co-sponsoring the McCain- Lieberman
global warming bill. I look forward to hearing from
you about your support. Sincerely, If you have questions,
comments or concerns about this action, send email
to action@ucsusa.org. (Posted 1/26/03) Check out
a website for American Jews and other people
seeking peace with justice for both Israelis and
Palestinians http://www.peacemideast.org Find out who we are and
how we came about. Read the Open Letter
[printed below] to our government signed by
over 3200 American Jews. Also available in
languages other than English. Add your signature
(if you are an American Jew) and/or put yourself on
our e-mail list to receive updated information.
View the Open Letter as published in the New York
Times (July 17, 2002) and several other newspapers.
Contribute to help publish the Open Letter in other
newspapers, both around the U.S. and in the Middle
East. Find out other ways you can help work for
peace with justice for both Israelis and
Palestinians. Let us know your own views Peace in the Middle
East: In the wake of the recent
bloodshed in the Middle East, many Israelis and
Palestinians -- and their supporters in the United
States -- have reverted to an us-versus-them
thinking in which they see themselves as righteous
victims and ignore or minimize the injustices they
have done, and continue to do, to the other
people. In fact, both the Israeli
and Palestinian peoples have suffered great wrongs
at the hands of the other, albeit in different and
unequal ways; both have legitimate grievances,
legitimate fears, and legitimate distrust of the
other people's willingness to compromise for the
sake of peace. Though the signers of this
letter have a wide range of views about the blame
for the present situation, we have a common view of
what a solution will have to consist of. Incremental attempts at
building trust have reached an impasse. The only
alternative to endless war is a comprehensive
settlement based on simple but radical
principles: Fair-minded people
throughout the world have long understood with some
precision what a tenable solution, respecting these
principles, would entail: Several years ago, polls
showed that majorities of both Israelis and
Palestinians were willing to accept a compromise
settlement of this kind. Despite the current
carnage, that may still be the case; but compromise
is difficult when majorities on both sides support
provocative military actions that they view as
purely defensive, while powerful minorities pursue
maximalist territorial aims. If Israelis and
Palestinians are unwilling or unable to negotiate a
workable peace, the international community must
take the lead in promoting one. This is in the
long-term interest not only of Israelis and
Palestinians, but also of Americans: recent events
have made painfully clear that our own national
security is deeply undermined by instability and
injustice in the Middle East. The U.S. bears a special
responsibility for the current tragic impasse, by
virtue of our massive economic and military support
for the Israeli government: $500 per Israeli
citizen per year. Our country has an extraordinary
leverage on Israeli policy, if only our government
would dare to use it. As American Jews who care
deeply about the long-term security of Israel, we
call on our government to make continued aid
conditional on Israeli acceptance of an
internationally agreed two-state
settlement. Rejectionists on both
sides will of course attack any such settlement.
Foreign troops may well be required to enforce it,
and they must be prepared to accept casualties. One
may nevertheless hope that majorities of both
Israelis and Palestinians will realize that an
imperfect peace is preferable to endless
war. There is no guarantee that
this approach will work; but it is virtually
guaranteed that all alternatives will
fail. Job
Opportunity:
(posted 1/10/03) Work For Peace. Part-Time
Administrative Assistant sought by Mt. Diablo Peace
Center. 10 hours per week, hours are flexible (must
be available at least two weekdays per week).
Computer skills necessary (MS Office), ability to
work with volunteers, and coordinate with Peace
Center Coordinator. Fax resume to Peace Center
Coordinator at 925-943-3136 or mtdpc@juno.com Sign
Amnesty International's Petition For Human Rights
(posted
1/10/03) On Tuesday, Amnesty
launched a worldwide petition calling on all
governments to refrain from entering into the
impunity agreements currently being proposed by the
United States, which seek to prevent the surrender
of US nationals accused of genocide, war crimes, or
crimes against humanity to the International
Criminal Court. 10,000 people signed the petition
in the first 24 hours -- 5,000 in the first hour
alone. The petition is open for
signature for one month, at the end of which it
will be submitted to all governments. We will also
submit those signatures received by September 27 to
the European Union Ministers of Foreign Affairs,
who are scheduled to meet on September 30 to
discuss this issue. To sign the petition,
visit http://web.amnesty.org/web/icc_petition.nsf/action_english,
then send a postcard to anyone you think might also
be interested in signing. Set up
a Teach-In in your town.
(posted 1/10/03) Sign
The Online Petition To Stop Us Military Aid To
Israel. (posted
1/10/03) Help
Peace Community Residents Return To Their Homes
Harassment And Threats Persist Against The Peace
Community San Jose De Apartado In Columbia
(posted
1/10/03) The residents of La Union,
a small peace community in Columbia, fled to the
town of San Jose de Apartado on October 20 after a
paramilitary raid into their settlement. A peace
community has declared neutrality and nonviolence
in the crossfire between the guerrillas, the
paramilitary, and the Colombian Army (which has
strong documented ties to the paramilitary groups).
According to the Peace Community and Corporacion
Juridica Libertad (CJL), the military installed
itself in the settlement of La Union last October
24 shortly after the paramilitary incursion and has
continuously harassed the community since then.
According to a statement by the Peace Community,
soldiers have said several times, most recently on
January 3, that "they will not allow the people to
return, and if the people return they will massacre
them." These threats have prevented the community
from returning to La Union. According to CJL, the
military told the community on December 8 and 22
that they could not return to the settlement of La
Union because that territory belongs to them and
they would repopulate it with other
people. The Peace Community also
asserts that the military has left grenades in the
community's fields and that the soldiers stay in
the community's houses, where they charge the
batteries of their cell phones. CJL points out that such
repeated threats by the military against members of
the Peace Community have previously become reality,
with massacres, extrajudicial executions and forced
disappearances actually being carried
out. The Peace Community and
CJL have asked for a meeting with Colombian
authorities such as the Vicepresidency, the
Ministry of Foreign Relations and the National
Ombudsman to facilitate conditions for a prompt
return of the displaced community. According to CJL
they had not received a response so far. The community and CJL
urgently appeal to the international community to
insist on the demilitarization of the community's
living spaces, such as the settlement of La Union
and the land used for farming. They also urge
concerned persons to ask the Colombian government
to facilitate conditions for a prompt return of the
displaced peasants to La Univ. We urge you to write
to US Ambassador Anne Patterson as well to
intervene in support of such measures by the
Colombian government. Please send faxes or
letters (see sample below) to the following
authorities: Francisco Santos Ann Patterson This information was
brought to you by the Fellowship of Reconciliation
Task Force on Latin America and the Caribbean, 2017
Mission St. #305, San Francisco, CA 94110, phone:
415-495-6334, fax: 415-495-5628, www.forusa.org Sample Letter: Honorable Vicepresident
Dr. Francisco Santos: I am writing you today in
your capacity as Presidential Advisor for Human
Rights, out of concern for the safety of the
civilian population of the Peace Community San Jose
de Apartado. The residents of La Union,
which is part of this Peace Community, fled to the
town of San Jose de Apartado on October 20 after a
paramilitary incursion into their settlement. As
reported by the Peace Community and the human
rights organization Corporacion Juridica Libertad
(CJL), the campesinos have not been able to return
due to repeated threats and harassment by the
Colombian military, which installed itself in and
around the settlement of La Union last October
24. According to CJL, the
community was threatened on December 8 and 22, 2002
with being massacred if they tried to return, and
the military told the community that they could not
return to the settlement of La Union because that
territory belonged to them and they would
repopulate it with other people. The community
reports that on January 3 soldiers repeated the
threat of a massacre if La Unión residents
returned. The Peace Community also
stated that the military has left grenades in the
community's fields and that the soldiers stay in
campesinos' houses, using them to charge the
batteries of their cell phones. In the past, such repeated
threats by the military against Peace Community
members have tragically become reality, with
massacres, extrajudicial executions and forced
disappearances. In light of these events,
the Peace Community and the CJL have asked for the
demilitarization of the community's living spaces,
such as the settlement of La Union and land used
for farming. They have also requested a meeting
with Colombian authorities such as the
Vicepresidency, the Ministry of Foreign Relations
and the National Human Rights Ombudsman to
facilitate conditions for a prompt return of the
displaced civilian population. I urge you to grant these
requests by the Peace Community and to comply with
international human rights norms and international
humanitarian law to protect civilian population in
times of conflict. I thank you in advance for
your attention to this important matter, and
request that you inform me of the concrete measures
you have taken to facilitate a prompt return of the
residents of La Union to their
settlement. Sincerely, CC: Ann Patterson,
Ambassador of the United States to
Colombia Urge
President Bush To Pursue Diplomatic Solutions In
Iraq As He Is In North Korea
(posted
1/10/03) The Bush Administration's
policy toward Iraq contrasts starkly with its
approach to North Korea. If the Administration is
willing to pursue diplomatic solutions with North
Korea, which has admitted to having advanced
nuclear weapons and missile programs, why not the
same for Iraq, where no evidence of an ongoing
nuclear weapons program has yet been
found? Action:
Please fax or email your members of Congress. Ask
them to applaud the President for agreeing to talks
with North Korea and to urge the resident to take a
similar approach with Iraq. Start with the sample
letter posted in the Friends Committee on
Legislation (FCL) Legislative Action Center,
personalize the language, then email or fax your
message directly from their site. You can also
print it out and mail it. To view the sample
letter, click on the link below, then enter your
zip code and click Go in the [Take Action
Now] box. Here is the link: http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=3D1194471&type=3DCO Oppose
The INS Roundup (posted
1/10/03) For more than a year now,
the Bush administration has launched fierce and
unquestionably damaging attacks on the civil
liberties of every American. Particularly
frightening is the government's continuous racial,
religious and ethnic profiling of Arabs, Muslims
and South Asians. The latest in the
government's series of ill-conceived and
discriminatory policies is the implementation of
the Special Call-In Registration System. The
Department of Justice has issued three notices
since November requiring all nonimmigrant men over
the age of 16 who are from a list of 18 Muslim
countries, North Korea and Eritrea to register in
person at Immigration and Naturalization Service
offices before certain deadlines and to check in
regularly with the government every year
thereafter. This campaign to register
all Arab and Muslim men is not only ineffective and
wrong, it has also been horribly implemented.
Officials have not appropriately or adequately
publicized the new requirements, did not
immediately and accurately translate the notices
into all appropriate languages and did not allow
enough time for individuals to learn of the
requirements and then register. Further, the INS
did not provide a registration facility in every
state. Take
Action! You can
learn more and send a FREE FAX to Congress and tell
them that selective registration of people because
of their national origin is wrong and sets a
dangerous precedent. http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=11561&c=206 Let Turkish Officials
Know That Us Citizens Do Not Want War With
Iraq The Turkish Parliament
will vote on whether to participate in the war
against Iraq soon. Turkey's stance bears great
significance for the United States and the war
league. The US is putting considerable pressure on
the Turkish government. Let the Turkish Government
know that the world is asking for an end to plans
for war. Let us join our voices to ask Turkey to
seize this historic opportunity and lead the
international campaign for peace. Please contact
Turkish embassies and consulates in your vicinity
by sending delegations, fax and e-mail messages AND
send faxes and e-mail messages to officials in
Ankara. Below is a sample message and contact
information. Feel free to send it as is or, better
still, to add your own comments. Please forward a
copy of your messages to peaceturkey@yahoo.com Sample Message Your
Excellency, I believe that the Turkish
government is faced with a historic mission. If it
votes to join the US axis of war against Iraq, it
will bear the responsibility of the death and
suffering of thousands of people in Iraq as well as
the suffering of its own people in Turkey. On the
other hand, if it joins the international call for
peace, it has the chance of changing the climate,
not only in Iraq, but in the region as a whole in
favor of peace. This will relieve some of the
pressure on the Palestinian people whose suffering
has reached devastating dimensions. Turkey should
seize this opportunity and undertake this strategic
and historic role. The Turkish public and the
international public have voiced an overwhelming
opposition to the calls for war. We ask that the
Turkish government respond not to the threats of
the United States government, but to the strong
dedication of its citizens and the citizens of the
world to peace by saying "NO" to war. Please be
assured of the support of the international
consensus for peace behind your efforts to stop
this outrageous aggression. The worldwide escalation
of militarization is alarming. We do not want to
ever relive the violent tragedies of the past
century. The 21st century should be one where
international problems are resolved through
non-violent methods, through international
mechanisms of law and solidarity. Saying "NO" to
war in Iraq shall be a significant step in this
direction. We ask Turkey to seize this historic
mission and join the international campaign for
peace. Such is our wish and expectation from
Turkey. With my best
regards, Send The Message To
These Officials: Prime Minister Abdullah
Gul Deputy Prime Minister
Ertugrul Yalcinbayir Speaker of Government
Abdullatif Sener President of State Ahmet
Necdet Sezer Head of Parliament Bulent
Arinc Foreign Affairs
Comission National Defense
Comission Human Rights Comission Minister of Foreign
Affairs Yasar Yakis President of Justice and
Development Party (AKP) (Ruling Party) Tayyip
Erdogan President of Republican
People's Party (CHP) (Main Opposition Party) Deniz
Baykal The contact information
and addresses of all Turkish embassies The contact information
and addresses of all Turkish consulates
From: Christine Ganser
Mary and John
Please Take this action to avert
war:
Mary Quijano
To:
uk@un.int,
chile@un.int,
rusun@un.int,
syria@un.int,
mexico@un.int,
guinea@un.int,
Pakistan@un.int,
bulgaria@un.int,
spain@spainun.org,
france-presse@un.int,
contact@germany-un.org,
info@cameroonmission.org,
ang-un@angolamissionun.org,
chinamission_un@fmprc.gov.cn
Great
poster ideas for demonstrations!
Click
Here.
Youth
and Students Needed For Week of Resistance from
February 13-22!
The anti-war movement grows by the minute, but it
needs your intensified participation to stop this
war! At this historical moment, International
A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism)
Students and Youth is calling a Regional Youth and
Student Planning Meeting to organize for the Week
of Resistance from February 13-22 (with national
coordinated teach-ins on Feb. 13 and walkouts and
acts of non-compliance on Feb. 21, contact us if
you need a speaker or help organizing a teach-in).
Meeting at noon, Sat, Feb 1, at the International
ANSWER office, 2489 Mission St (at 21st Street),Rm
24, San Francisco. Please come and bring your
energy and ideas to build this week of
action! I propose this big sofabed for her interior.
Make
sure your demonstration
counts! If you
take part in a demonstration, try to count or
estimate the crowd and report the event and the
number of attendees to www.peacedemo.org.
The huge peace demonstrations on the coasts have
drawn a lot of attention and have been very
effective. But many other demonstrations throughout
the country have largely escaped national
attention.
Go to our Govt
and Congressional
Contacts pages
for other contact information.
Local Phone: 415-403-0100
DC Phone: 202-224-3553
Local Fax: 415-956-6701
Local Phone: 415-393-0707
DC Phone: 202-224-3841
DC Fax: 202-228-3954
[your name will be inserted]
An Open Letter from American Jews to Our
Government
Check
here for resources to Teach-Ins against the war in
Iraq.
To add your name go to http://www.stop-us-military-aid-to-israel.net/petition.
For info, click
here.
Vicepresident of the Republic of Colombia
Presidential Advisor for Human Rights
Calle 7 No 6-54 Piso 3
Santa Fe de Bogota, Colombia.
Telefax: 011 571 337 1351
US Ambassador to Colombia
Calle 22d Bis #47-51
Santa Fe de Bogota, Colombia
Tel: 011 571 315 0811
Fax: 011 571 315 2163
______________
Fax: +90.312 417 04 76
+90.312 419 54 43
e-mail: abdullah.gul@tbmm.gov.tr
or can be reached at http://www.abdullahgul.gen.tr
fax: +90.312 419 54 43
e-mail: ertugrul.yalcinbayir@basbakanlik.gov.tr
e-mail: abdullatif.sener@basbakanlik.gov.tr
fax: +90.312 427 13 30
e-mail: cumhurbaskanligi@tccb.gov.tr
e-mail: bulent.arinc@tbmm.gov.tr
Fax: +90.312 420 53 36
e-mail: disiskom@tbmm.gov.tr
Fax: +90.312 420 53 28
e-mail: savkom@tbmm.gov.tr
Fax: +90. 312 420 53 94
e-mail: inshkkom@tbmm.gov.tr
Fax: +90.312 287 88 11
e-mail: info@mfa.gov.tr
email: rte@akparti.org.tr
or http://www.rterdogan.com
e-mail: dbaykal@chp.org.tr
http://www.mfa.gov.tr/grupg/gg/default.htm
http://www.mfa.gov.tr/grupg/ge/kon.htm