June 23, 2003
FW: Protest Bush on Monday!

Dear UFPJ supporters,

President George W. Bush will be coming to NYC this Monday, June 23, to raise money for his re-election campaign. Planned Parenthood of NYC and advocates for reproductive freedom are calling on all opponents of the Bush regime to make our voices heard. United for Peace and Justice has responded to the call and has been working to mobilize the city for the reception the president deserves.

Protest at 5:00PM, Monday, June 23, 2003
Sheraton Hotel, 7th Avenue and 52nd Street

Why take time out on Monday evening to make George W. Bush feel unwelcome?

* He launched an illegal, immoral "pre-emptive" war on Iraq.
* His administration lied repeatedly to the American people and Congress about the threat posed by Iraq and the existence of its "weapons of mass destruction."
* He went ahead with the invasion and occupation of Iraq on the basis of those lies.

And that's just this spring.
Let us not forget other gems from George W. Bush's resume:

* Endangered our Civil Liberties by signing the highly unconstitutional Patriot Act
* Stole the 2000 Presidential Election--Bush "won" by 537 votes in Florida while a total of 57,700 registered voters (largely Black and Latino
Democrats) were denied the right to vote.
* Has been an unrelenting foe of a woman's right to choose.

Let the world's most dangerous man know he's not welcome in NYC!

Posted by Brian Stefans at 02:31 PM
May 19, 2003
MoveOn: Stop the "usable" nukes!

Dear MoveOn member,

We now know that there are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. And while most nations are trying to control the spread of such weapons globally, the Bush administration is pursuing the invention of even more dangerous portable weapons -- including "usable" mini-nukes -- that could make arms control impossible.

Our Senators are about to vote on supporting the Administration's request to repeal current law banning the creation of new, low-yield nuclear weapons. "Low-yield" is defined as less than five kilotons - approximately one-third the size of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. The development of new low-yield weapons will also require nuclear testing, which hasn’t been done in over a decade.

Please call now and ask your Senator to oppose lifting the ban on building new nuclear weapons in the Defense Authorization Bill.

Senator Charles E. Schumer
DC Phone: 202-224-6542

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
DC Phone: 202-224-4451

Please let us know you're making these important calls, at:

http://www.moveon.org/call5.html?id=1372-728724-yW0gq0VXqghJipKwH6ACAg


Make sure the staffers know you're a constituent. Here are some talking points:

- We have conventional weapons that will work anywhere in the world against any target. We don’t need new nuclear weapons. And there is no military requirement to develop new nuclear weapons.

- The development of low-yield nuclear weapons will provide incentives for other countries and rogue states to develop nuclear weapons of their own.

- The more nuclear weapons there are in the world, the easier it will be for terrorists to gain access to these weapons of mass destruction.

- Developing new nuclear weapons will hinder the U.S.’s ability to persuade others to disarm and will make the world a more dangerous place.

Of course, your own words are always best.

Thanks for your patience with the number of issues we're highlighting this month. The far right is moving on many fronts at once, but we’ve got to keep fighting. If we can blunt the worst of these attacks, we can turn the tide. Thanks for your support,

- Wes Boyd and Joan Blades
MoveOn.org
May 19, 2003

P.S. We’ve attached an excerpt from a good article on new battlefield nukes below.

Thanks to everyone for their help on the tax and budget countdown last week. By all reports, Senate phones were ringing off the hook on Wednesday. Last week, our TV ad played in 23 markets throughout the nation, and it got great free news coverage. The Senate narrowly voted for a $350 billion version of the tax bill that doesn’t fit well with the House bill, so there’s likely to be opportunities in conference. Please stay tuned. _______

Los Angeles Times
May 13, 2003
A NUCLEAR ROAD OF NO RETURN
Bush's bid for new kinds of weapons
could put the world on a suicidal course.
By Robert Scheer http://www.latimes.com/la-oe-scheer13may13,0,5142385.column

It turns out the threat is not from Iraq but from us.

On Sunday, the Washington Post wrote the obituary for the United States' effort to find Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction. "Frustrated, U.S. Arms Team to Leave Iraq," read the headline, confirming what has become an embarrassing truth - that the central rationale for the invasion and occupation of oil-rich Iraq was in fact one of history's great frauds.

The arms inspectors "are winding down operations without finding proof that President Saddam Hussein kept clandestine stocks of outlawed arms," reported the Post, putting the lie to Colin Powell's Feb. 6 claim at the United Nations that Iraq possessed a functioning program to build nuclear bombs and had hoarded hundreds of tons of chemical and biological materials.

Unfortunately, this does not necessarily mean the world is a safer place. The deadly weapons of mass destruction have proved phantom in Iraq, but the Bush administration is now doing its best to ensure that the world becomes increasingly unstable and armed to the teeth. Although the nuclear threat from Iraq proved to be nonexistent, the United States' threat to use nuclear weapons and make a shambles of nuclear arms control is alarmingly vibrant.

In its latest bid to frighten the planet into a constant state of shock and awe, our government is accelerating its own leading-edge weapons-of-mass-destruction program: President Bush's allies on the Senate Armed Services Committee have approved ending a decade-old ban on developing atomic battlefield weapons and endorsed moving ahead with creating a nuclear "bunker-buster" bomb. They also rubber-stamped the administration's request for funds to prepare for a quick resumption of nuclear weapons testing.

What's going on here? Having failed to stop a gang of marauders armed with nothing more intimidating than box cutters, the U.S. is now using the "war on terror" to pursue a long-held hawkish Republican dream of a "winnable nuclear war," as the president's father memorably described it to me in a 1980 Times interview. In such a scenario, nukes can be preemptively used against a much weaker enemy - millions of dead civilians, widespread environmental devastation and centuries of political blowback be damned...

Posted by Brian Stefans at 05:59 PM
May 16, 2003
United for Peace and Justice: A National Teach-in on Iraq, Preemptive War, and Democracy

Saturday, May 31st
1:00p.m. to 5:00p.m.
National City Christian Church
5 Thomas Circle, Washington DC NW
(3 blocks North of the McPherson Square Blue/Orange line Metro)

Free and Open to the Public!

Speakers include:
Arundhati Roy, Author/Activist via satellite
Cynthia McKinney, Former Congresswoman from Georgia
Edward Said, Professor at Columbia University
Gene Bruskin, US Labor Against the War and the AFL-CIO
Howard Zinn, via satellite
Hussein Ibish, Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee
Kathy Kelly, Voices in the Wilderness via satellite
Michael Klare, Hampshire College and author of Resource Wars (invited)
Miles Solay, Not in Our Name
Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy Studies
Rania Masri, Southern Peace Research and Education Center
Ralph Nader

We invite you to join United for Peace and Justice to learn about and discuss issues in three major areas...

The domestic consequences of war:
-- Building a free and open society based on respect for democracy, civil liberties, and civil rights. How can we reverse the tide of our eroding rights and stop the attacks on people from the Middle East and other immigrant groups?
-- Reordering US spending priorities that favor tax cuts for the rich and increased spending on war toward more spending for education, health care, and needed social programs. How can we support the real needs of veterans while cutting wasteful military spending to remedy our state and local budget crises and save critical social programs?

A U.S. occupation of Iraq:
-- The impacts of the war on food supplies, water, and electricity for the people of Iraq. How can we build solidarity and support for an Iraq-led redevelopment effort even after the cameras are gone?
-- How the "second invasion" of Iraq is underway by profit-seeking U.S. corporations.

U.S. Empire
-- Building a safer world through an alternative foreign policy based on international law, cooperation, and economic & social justice.
-- Reversing the Bush doctrine of "preemptive war," to prevent attacks on the people of Syria, Iran, North Korea, or Cuba.
-- The need for a rapid shift to clean, renewable energy sources

The event will be re-broadcast on Free Speech TV several times following the event. Check our website in the coming days for broadcast dates at http://www.unitedforpeace.org

In addition, the event will be taped and available for local screenings shortly after the event. Sponsor a local viewing party so that people in your community can discuss the future direction of the peace movement. United for Peace and Justice will distribute the videotape to your organization at our National Conference, June 6-8 in Chicago or you will be able to order a copy on-line. Check the website: http://www.unitedforpeace.org for updates.

For more information on organizational participation, local activities and/or organizational tabling opportunities, contact Henry Moses at the DC UFPJ office at 202-234-2000 or hmoses3@yahoo.com. To volunteer for the event in the areas of outreach/publicity, technology, media or day-of logistics, please contact Kristen Arant at the Quixote Center 301-699-3443 x114 or kristena@quixote-center.org. There will be a reception for speakers, organizers and volunteers following the event.

Posted by Brian Stefans at 07:17 PM
May 14, 2003
moveon.org: Call Washington -- Who gains from the tax & budget cuts?

Dear MoveOn member,

This is it -- the culmination of our countdown. We need your help. Today, hundreds of thousands of people will call on their Senators to vote against new tax cuts for millionaires, so we can save our kids' schools and other vital programs from the budget axe. Will you join us and call today? The final votes could come as soon as tomorrow.

Many members of the Bush administration stand to benefit handsomely from the new cuts: "Treasury Secretary John Snow tops the list with a $275,000 windfall... Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld could pocket an extra $184,000. And not far behind is the $181,000 that could go to Secretary of Commerce Don Evans," according to AFSCME.*

In fact, many Senators themselves are likely to reap enormous windfalls. For example, Bill Frist, the Senate Republican leader, has an estimated net worth of $20 million.** What do these Senators and their well-off friends stand to gain from these cuts? Let's ask them.

Please call your Senators now, at:

Senator Charles E. Schumer
DC Phone: 202-224-6542

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
DC Phone: 202-224-4451

Make sure the staffers know you're a constituent, and urge your Senators to please OPPOSE all new tax cuts. Then, if you like, ask them how much they will personally pocket if these cuts pass.

Or, if you prefer, tell them some of the reasons you're personally opposed to the cuts.

Please let us know you're making these important calls, at:

http://www.moveon.org/callmade3.html?id=1359-728724-IHWCTfMys4gE3k1pn3GXAw

The IRS has a special form for tax refunds of one million dollars or more. Why not download it from the link below, and fax it to your Senators, with a note scrawled across it, saying:

"Thought you might need this."

Here’s the form:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8302.pdf

Your Senators' fax numbers are:

Charles E. Schumer
Fax: 202-228-3027

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Fax: 202-228-0282

Our "Pain and Gain" campaign this week has been a terrific success. All week, Americans have stepped forward to demand that our Senators and Representatives take care of our schools, our fire departments, our local hospitals, and our economy, before creating hundreds of billions in new tax breaks for millionaires.

A powerful coalition of organizations has rallied to the cause, including the Campaign for America's Future, the Children's Defense Fund, the Sierra Club, People for the American Way, True Majority, USAction, the Service Employees International Union, Working Assets, the AFL-CIO, the Democratic National Committee, and many other members of the Fair Taxes for All Coalition. Collectively, we are directly reaching more than 5 million people in this campaign.

In just the past week, we've:

- Run TV ads telling the story of parents in Oregon who gave blood to cover a teacher's salary as their local school grappled with budget cuts. These parents literally opened their veins to make sure our schools are funded. MoveOn members contributed more than $200,000 in 48 hours to make sure Washington heard their story.*** Our special thanks go out to the members of Arizona Citizen Action: Cox cable in Arizona initially refuse our ad, but these folks swung into action, drawing attention to Cox' censorship and winning a reversal -- Cox is now airing our ad. - We've gathered and delivered the personal stories of more than 50,000 Americans opposed to new tax and budget cuts, among more than 100,000 signatures, on our petition to "Save our Schools from Budget Disaster." - We've sent more than 50,000 faxes to Senators and more than 500 letters to newspaper editors.

- We've generated news stories on CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, FOX, and the Associated Press. See below for one recent story. Thanks for making all this possible. It's been an amazing campaign. Please help make the final impact as big as possible by calling your Senators now.

Thanks again.

Sincerely,

- Carrie, Eli, Joan, Peter, Wes, and Zack The MoveOn Team May 14th, 2003

* See: http://www.afscme.org/press/pr030501.htm

** http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2002-12-23-senate-leader_x.htm

*** You can see the ad for yourself on our homepage:

http://www.moveon.org/

P.S.: Here's a great article about our campaign from yesterday's edition of the newspaper The Hill:

Tax cut opponents mobilize to combat all-out lobbying efforts by White House MAY 13, 2003 By Michael S. Gerber

With the tax debate due to reach the Senate floor this week, a coalition of groups that oppose cutting taxes has launched an all-out lobbying effort to press key lawmakers on the issue.

Members of the Fair Taxes for All Coalition, a group of labor unions and progressive activists, have planned a weeklong blitz of television, radio and newspaper ads here in Washington and in the home states of key senators, as well as grassroots and lobbying activities on Capitol Hill.

The highlight of the grassroots efforts should come Wednesday, when activists hope to enlist half a million Americans to call their senators and representatives to voice an anti-tax-cut message.

Organizers say this week is the culmination of months of mobilizing against the White House’s plan for a $726 billion tax cut. The House approved a $550 billion bill last week; senators were scheduled to take up a $421 billion proposal Monday.

"It’s all coming to a head," said Marge Baker, a co-chair of the coalition’s lobbying group and director of public policy for People for the American Way. "This is a massive coalition with millions of members. Many of these organizations are ones that typically don’t get involved with financial issues. We’re concerned about [the tax cut] crowding out other priorities."

As many of the coalition’s members learned in 2001, fighting President Bush and a GOP-controlled Congress on a tax cut is an uphill fight. But that’s not stopping them from trying to get their message out, even as the president uses the bully pulpit and Treasury Secretary John Snow makes the TV talk show circuit.

The White House also has powerful allies in the business community who have organized their own grassroots effort.

"We just had 850 people take a day off of work and come to Washington to rally for tax cuts [last week]," said Dan Clifton, a spokesman for Americans for Tax Reform, an anti-tax group. "We had 150 people from North Carolina come on a bus at one in the morning to hear the president. We went out and found average American families. We had small businesses here."

But the Fair Taxes for All Coalition has more members and more money than tax-cut opponents had in 2001, funds that can help bring people to lobby Congress and pay for advertising campaigns in key states. A television ad paid for by MoveOn.org began running on cable news networks in the D.C. area and in 22 cities in 11 other states, including Maine, Nebraska and Ohio, homes of three of the debate’s key senators - Olympia Snowe (R), Ben Nelson (D), and George Voinovich (R). The ad tells the story of parents in Eugene, Ore., who sold their own plasma to raise money to cover the salary of a schoolteacher whose job was in danger because of budget cuts.

MoveOn.org also is coordinating the national call-in day on Wednesday, working with other coalition groups to encourage several hundred thousand of the groups’ members to phone Congress in opposition to the tax cut. Earlier this year, the group organized a similar grassroots phone drive to oppose the war in Iraq.

Other members of the coalition are holding press conferences to highlight issues - from healthcare to education - that they say would be affected by the tax cut.

Business leaders who oppose the tax cut will be on Capitol Hill as part of an effort by Responsible Wealth, a group of affluent people who oppose the White House tax cut.

"We share a common agenda that this tax cut is unwise, unaffordable and unfair," said Jeff Blum, executive director of consumer advocacy group USAction, and co-chair of the grassroots efforts of the anti-tax-cut coalition. "There’s no surplus.

Nobody can think that their program can be funded if we give hundreds of billions more dollars to a bunch of millionaires."

He said the funding issue was why the National Education Association, veterans’ groups and MoveOn were "putting in their own resources to do expensive things from very different constituencies."

Activists who oppose the president’s plan remain upbeat even as Congress appears ready to pass a tax cut. Already, they say, their efforts have been successful in cutting the proposal by hundreds of billions of dollars. And they take some credit for the infighting now occurring among several business constituencies because of offsets in the Senate Finance Committee’s legislation.

"Every poll right now shows that Americans think this tax cut is fiscally irresponsible," said Zack Exley, the national organizing director for MoveOn.org, which originated during the 1998 impeachment as a website for constituents to tell members of Congress to censure President Clinton and "move on."

"We’ve gotten a huge response from our membership. This isn’t an anti- tax-cut movement," Exley added. "It’s a fiscal responsibility movement."

The Fair Taxes for All Coalition grew from a smaller organization that fought the 2001 tax cut to one composed of more than 300 member groups.

Coalition leaders said the group has been energized by what they see as evidence of success, like the president’s plan being slashed in half by the Senate. They also have more money invested than two years ago, including enough to fund a small full-time staff.

After seeing news reports that the administration would pursue major tax cuts every year it remained in power, opponents of the tax plan said their efforts would only get more powerful and more vocal.

"To the extent that they continue to push further tax cuts," said Chuck Loveless, another coalition co-chair and legislative director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, "there is very much room for this coalition to continue.”

Posted by Brian Stefans at 10:18 AM
May 12, 2003
rabble.ca: Weapons of Mass Destruction in Montreal

Block the Empire has made the shocking discovery that there are massive research and production facilities for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Montreal. Tomorrow, activists and journalists will be treated to a frightening but enlightening Weapons-of-Mass-Destruction bus tour of the local military-industrial complex.

It took little effort for Block the Empire inspectors make several important finds. One of the tour organizers, Scott Weinstein, says that weapons producers have done very little to cover their tracks, “This stuff is not hidden. They publish it on their Websites.” Project Ploughshares and the Polaris Institute also provide excellent research on the companies and government agencies involved in the WMD industry.

The bus tour will be taking in the sites at Bombardier, Technology Partnerships Canada, SNC Lavalin, Lockheed Martin, CMC Electronics and CAE.

Posted by Brian Stefans at 10:10 AM
May 03, 2003
May 31: A United for Peace & Justice National Teach-in on Iraq, Preemptive War and Democracy

Join United for Peace and Justice for a national day of education and action on Saturday, May 31 in Washington, DC. Events in the world and the nation are unfolding quickly and people from all walks of life are asking questions, looking for reliable information. Now is the time to speak boldly and honestly about the alternatives we face as a country.

As millions of peace and justice activists around the globe tried to prevent the United States from launching an attack on Iraq, a new movement was born. While the Bush Administration and mainstream U.S. media declare the war on Iraq a "success," we know that an unprovoked attack remains just as wrong after the bombing has stopped as it was before the war started. We must speak out loudly and clearly to demand that the U.S. government account for the thousands of civilian deaths that were inflicted by our bombs.

We oppose any U.S. military occupation of Iraq, and especially one in which corporations with close ties to the Bush Administration will reap huge profits from the post-war, post-sanctions reconstruction. We say "no!" to a huge and growing $400 billion military budget while veterans' benefits are being slashed, public schools are crumbling and millions go without healthcare. We must articulate our vision for achieving a better society and world through international cooperation and peaceful means.

TAKE ACTION

Now is the time to nurture the movement, to help us grow into the next phases of our work. On May 31, United for Peace and Justice will hold a mass teach-in on the Iraq crisis in Washington, DC. We invite people from throughout the region to join us to learn about and discuss issues in three major areas:

--The domestic consequences of occupation and empire-building: attacks on people from the Middle East and other immigrants, erosion of basic Constitutional rights and civil liberties, the need to stand up to a climate of fear and intimidation, the implications of ignoring huge state and local budget deficits all over the country, opposing cutbacks in needed social programs, a positive economic program to get us out of recession.

--A U.S. occupation of Iraq: the "second invasion" by profit-seeking U.S. corporations, what occupation will mean for the Iraqi people, how it will be seen by the rest of the world, the role of the United Nations, and what real liberation and democracy would look like.

--The ongoing drive for empire and a militarized foreign policy: the new U.S. doctrine of "preemptive war," who is next: Syria, Iran, North Korea, Cuba?, the need for a rapid shift to clean, renewable energy sources rather than greater dependence on polluting oil, an alternative foreign policy based on international law, cooperation and economic and social justice.

Teach-in speakers and other information will be available soon at on this website. We are working on plans to broadcast the event on television, radio and the Internet.

This teach-in will be a springboard for ongoing grassroots organizing and educational work continuing throughout the summer all over the country. We must deepen and broaden our movement, talking with our neighbors, co-workers and fellow students about the urgent need for a peace and justice alternative and how they can help to build it.

Even if you cannot make the trip to Washington, DC, you can participate in this national day of action in one of the following ways:

--Sponsor a viewing party so that people in your community can watch and participate in the teach-in from wherever you are.

--Organize your own teach-in with speakers from your community.

--Hold another type of peace and justice event that will educate members of your community about the future of Iraq and why we must continue to push for alternatives to war-a peace rally, community meeting, vigil, outreach day, nonviolent civil disobedience, or whatever activity makes sense to you.

Please list your events on this site so we can publicize nationwide local events and the teach-in as a unified national day of action and education. For more information, call the UFPJ office at 212-603-3700.

=====================================
United for Peace and Justice
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/

To become a member group of UFPJ:
United for Peace & Justice welcomes the participation of any and all national, regional and local groups who share our goals and wish to work with others. Email andrea@globalexchange.org

To receive email updates, go to
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email.php

Contact us at:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/contactus.php
New York City 212-603-3700

To make a tax-deductible donation, go to
http://unitedforpeace.org/donate

Posted by Brian Stefans at 02:58 AM
April 28, 2003
PeaceWilliamsburg Presents "Relish Democracy"

with CIRCUS AMOK / THE TRACHTENBURG FAMILY SLIDESHOW PLAYERS/ JANEANE GAROFALO/ DANNY KELLY / JOHN DYER / RAQUY DANZIGER / and more

trachtenburg.jpg

An evening of art, music, and discourse. Featuring: Talks by: Lee Gough from Military Families Speak Out, John Kim from Veterans for Peace, L.A. Kauffman from United for Peace & Justice, Janeane Garofalo ...and more! Music by: The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, Danny Kelly, John Dyer, Raquy Danziger & Friends Sound & Visual Art by: Josh Goldberg, April Koester, DJ Andrew Performance by: Circus Amok, Chelsea Peretti Plus: Films, videos, and art installations by local artists.

"Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved by understanding." --Albert Einstein

Tuesday, May 6
7pm-midnight $8
70 N. 6th St. Brooklyn, NY 11211 718.782.5188

Posted by Brian Stefans at 08:41 PM
April 13, 2003
Reverend Billy's Peace Revival And Tax Revolt!

TUES APRIL 15TH, 7 PM., ST. MARK'S CHURCH.-
KURT VONNEGUT - LIZA JESSIE PETERSON - GRANNY D

[click to enlarge]

THE STOP BOMBING GOSPEL CHOIR
Conducted by James Solomon Benn

and introducing Miranda Lee Reality Torn in
"The Baptism of Reality"
(daughter of Tony Torn and Lee Ann Brown)

Sainthood for "Village Anna" of the Coalition to Save the East Village
Tickets $10 -- at REVBILLY.COM

After the service we will go to the Post Office on 34th Street where we
will preach and sing to the late filers. Our tax resistance activities
are endorsed by the War Resisters League. Ed Hedemen and Ruth Benn,
authors of "War Tax Resistance" will be available for counseling

Press/ activist contact: The Church of Stop Shopping office, 212 226 8777

This event hosted by Father Julio Torres of St. Mark's Church, New York City

Lee Ann Brown
PO Box 13, Cooper Station
NYC 10003
646.734.4157
LA@tenderbuttons.net

Posted by Brian Stefans at 03:36 PM
March 27, 2003
Anti-War Reading in NYC March 28 & April 2

Poets for Peace, Poets Against the War and Poetry Is News invite all poets
to read poems against the war on the steps (near the lion) of the main
branch of The New York Public Library at 42nd St and 5th Ave on Friday March
28 at 1pm. Rain or shine. Look for the "Poets for Peace" banner.

We also invite all poets to an open reading on the steps of St. Mark's
Church at 131 E 10th St (on the corner of 2nd Ave) on Wednesday April 2 from
noon to 2pm. This is an open call for poets to bring their own and others'
anti-war poems.

For more info: www.poetsagainstthewar.org

Posted by Brian Stefans at 06:47 PM
March 24, 2003
Book Launch: The Common Sky

Three Squares Press is pleased to announce the Toronto launch of The Common Sky: Canadian Writers Against the War. The event will be held at The Cameron House (408 Queen Street West) on Monday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m. The book will be available for sale at a special launch rate.

Published by Three Squares Press, The Common Sky: Canadian Writers Against the War brings together the work of more than 80 Canadian writers, expressing their opposition to a U.S.-led war on Iraq. Featuring a stirring foreword by Alistair MacLeod, The Common Sky includes many of this country's most recognized writers, including: Margaret Atwood, Robert Kroetsch, Christian Bök, Canada's Poet Laureate George Bowering, Fred Wah, Nicole Brossard, Daphne Marlatt, Steven Heighton, Gerry Shikatani, Maggie Helwig, and many more. A complete list of authors can be found on the Three Squares website.

For more information, email Mark Higgins or call (416) 406-0591.

Please feel free to distribute this widely.

Posted by Darren Wershler-Henry at 04:03 PM
March 07, 2003
3/22: NYC MARCH AGAINST WAR ON IRAQ

----------------------------------------------------
United for Peace and Justice NYC
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/nyc 646-473-8935
----------------------------------------------------
On Saturday, March 22, New York is marching to stop the war in Iraq. United for Peace and Justice NYC has applied for a permit, and the Mayor and the NYPD have pledged to respect our right to march. We are negotiating with the City over the route, which will be in Midtown Manhattan.

WHAT: NYC March for Peace and Democracy
WHEN: Noon, Saturday, 3/22
WHERE: Midtown Manhattan

**stickers, posters, & leaflets are now available at the UFPJ office - details below**

We only have two weeks to get the word out. Here's how to plug in:

1) MATERIALS NOW AVAILABLE
Spread the word about the 3/22 Anti-War March at anti-war events, in front of subway stations, outside movie theaters, anywhere people congregate!

A bilingual (English/Spanish) leaflet is available for downloading at: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/nyc

Leaflets, stickers, and posters are now available at the UFPJ office, 330 W. 42nd Street, 8th fl., 646-473-8935; weekdays 9-7, weekends 12-5.

[note: we will be housed in new offices on the 15th floor beginning Monday -- we enormously grateful to SEIU 1199 for continuing to provide us with space]

Leafleting materials are also available at these distribution centers:

MANHATTAN
Cooper Square: 61 E. 4th St.; weekdays 9-5; 212-228-8210
Green Party office: 35 E. 1st St. (betw 1st & 2nd Ave). weekdays 5:30-9:30pm; weekends 11-7; 212-673-1323.

BROOKLYN
House of the Lord Church: 415 Atlantic Ave (materials should arrive by Friday afternoon); Mon-Fri 10-7, Sat 10-4 (call first on Saturdays); 718-596-1991.

More distribution centers will be added soon. If you are interested in leafleting or setting up a distribution center in your neighborhood, contact the street leafleting coordinator, Erich Strom, at erichstrom@mindspring.com or 646-473-8935.

2) VOLUNTEER PIZZA PARTY & MEETING
Come to the Volunteer Pizza Party and Planning Meeting on Friday (March 7th), 6:30pm at the UFPJ office: 330 W 42nd St., betw 8-9th Aves., 8th floor, 646-473-8935. Bring your friends!

If you can't make it to the meeting, drop by the office to pick up materials and join in with our massive leafleting campaigns.

3) OTHER WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
* Organizing listserve (low-volume, announcements only): ufpjnyc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
* Volunteers listserve (average one email per day, containing specific requests for volunteer assistance) nycvolunteers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
* Outreach working group: ufpj-nyc-outreach-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
* Musicians, street performers, artists: contact Arts & Culture working group: thomasg@speakeasy.net or greenelent@earthlink.net

IF WAR BEGINS >>>
Converge on Times Square at 5pm on the day the bombing starts (the next day if bombing begins at night)

TO RECEIVE UPDATES LIKE THIS ONE, VISIT
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email.php
_____________________________________________________
To unsubscribe or update your listing go to:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email.php?id=32469&token=890282

Posted by Brian Stefans at 05:02 PM
March 04, 2003
Student Strike For Books Not Bombs! Walk Out!

NATIONAL MORATORIUM TO STOP THE WAR ON IRAQ

Wed, March 5th

No school, no work, no business as usual. There are LOTS of actions including:

*Wear an armband made of silver duct tape.

*PICK UP FLYERS at Community Church, 40 E 35th St (downstairs), btw Park & Madison; & Judson Church, 55 Washington Sq South.

*Morning: NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED ACTIONS & leafletting at subways stops, major intersections & military recruiting stations.

Schedule of events...

*9:30am-5:30pm
DRAWN-IN
Artists Against the War. Gather in the Assyrian gallery at the Metropolitan Museum. Bring drawing paper & pencil.

*Noon:
STUDENT CONVERGENCE & FESTIVAL OF RESISTANCE
At Union Sq Park South Followed by a moving subway speakout & march to Hunter College for a rally at 2:30.

*2pm-8pm
RALLY & REPRESENT
Music & Vibes: Anti-Balas, Hangar 18, Beans, Magus, Dj Rekha, Dj Ras Kush, Dj Ese. Speakers: Maya (Not In Our Name), Amy Goodman (WBAI Democracy Now!), Benita Hussain (Viscera), Michael Ratner (Center for Constitutional Rights), Michael Smith (National Lawyers Guild). Video Screenings by Off Center Productions & Rooftop Films. At Northsix, 66 N 6th St (Wythe & Kent) in Williamsburg, Bkln. L to Bedford Ave. Walk west (towards Manhattan) on North 6th St 3 blks. $ Donation. Info: voiceyours.egenius.com

*5-8pm
TEACH-IN ON THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION, WAR, & HEALTH.
At Hunter College Brookdale Campus (not 68th St), 425 E 25th St at 1st Ave, Auditorium. (M23 bus East-West, M15 North-South on 1st Ave, 6 to 23rd St, shuttle from 68th St Campus on the hour). Info: warandhealth@yahoo.com.

*5:30pm
CANDLELIGHT MARCH FOR PEACE.
Senators Hillary Clinton & Chuck Schumer voted to send our country into war on Iraq. They must be held accountable! Assemble in front of Senator Clinton's office, 780 3rd Ave (47th & 48th St). Then march past Senator Schumer's office (757 3rd Ave) to Washington Sq Pk (arriving about 7pm). Bring candles, signs, drums, noise-makers.

*7:30 pm:
CITYWIDE RESISISTANCE FESTIVAL
(w/music & poetry). At Cathedral of St John the Divine. Info: 212-477-0351, religiousforum@hotmail.com; 626-683-9004, icujp@pacbell.net

*7:30pm
INT'L DAY OF POETRY AGAINST THE WAR.
Open reading for pro-peace poets. At Bkln Ethical Culture 53 Prospect Pk West & 2nd St. Info & Updates: 646 473-8935, 212-969-8058, www.unitedforpeace.org, www.nyspc.net. www.notinourname.net/, www.moratoriumtostopwar.org

*7:30pm
THE COLORS OF THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT:
Leading Experiences in Organizing, w/Bhairavi Desai (Taxi Workers Alliance), Larry Hamm (Peoples Organization for Progress) & others TBA. At Brecht Forum, 122 W 27th St, 10 fl. $6/$8/$10 donation. Info: 212-242-4201, .

Posted by Brian Stefans at 12:20 PM
February 27, 2003
United for Peace: CANDLELIGHT MARCH FOR PEACE

WHAT: CANDLELIGHT MARCH FOR PEACE
WHEN: Wed., March 5, gather at 5:30PM
WHERE: Assemble at Hillary Clinton's office, 780 Third Ave. (47th & 48th)
BRING: Candles, signs and drums
Sponsored by United for Peace and Justice NYC, NYC Forum of Concerned Religious Leaders, and Not in Our Name

We rallied on February 15 -- and NOW WE WILL MARCH IN PEACE to prevent this war! Our march will be in conjunction with a national day of action, including student actions taking place on over 300 campuses around the country.

Senators Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer voted "yes" on the resolution to send our country into war on Iraq. They must be held accountable! Let's show them that New Yorkers say NO to war!

Join us for a legal candlelight march on the sidewalks of OUR city, led by community, religious, political and labor leaders. We will begin outside Hillary Clinton's office (780 Third Ave. @ 47th), proceed downtown past Chuck Schumer's office (757 Third Ave. @ 46th), and march peacefully from there to Washington Square Park for a candlelight vigil.

For more information, contact plaarman@judson.org or Chomsky17@aol.com

For more information on the March 5 student strike, see http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=662

For more information on the March 5 national moratorium, contact religiousforum@hotmail.com or see
http://www.notinourname.net/call_for_the_moratorium.html

==============================
Plans are also underway for a big UFPJ NYC anti-war march in a few weeks. If you would like to work on either or both of these two mobilizations, come to
an organizing meeting on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 6:30PM, 330 W. 42nd Street, 8th floor.

To get involved with organizing this and other United for Peace and Justice events in New York City, join our new low-volume organizing announcements
listserve by sending a blank email to: ufpjnyc-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

To volunteer with United for Peace and Justice in NYC, send a blank email to
nycvolunteers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

To subscribe or unsubscribe from this list, go to
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email.php

United for Peace and Justice NYC
(646) 473-8935
==============================

Posted by Brian Stefans at 05:42 AM
February 26, 2003
Reuters: 'Virtual' War Protest Jams Congressional Phones

Yahoo! News - 'Virtual' War Protest Jams Congressional Phones

By Alan Elsner, National Correspondent

WASHINGTON - Hundreds of thousands of opponents of a U.S. war against Iraq called and faxed their senators and the White House on Wednesday in a "virtual march on Washington," jamming many congressional telephone lines for several hours.

Coordinated by the Win Without War Coalition, an umbrella protest group, the action aimed to direct at least one telephone call and fax to every U.S. senator every minute throughout the day. Organizers said they were far exceeding that goal.

The White House switchboard was also flooded and most callers heard a message that "all circuits are busy."

Tom Andrews, a former Democratic representative from Maine who is running the organization, said more than 500,000 people had signed up on the Internet to take part and a half a million more were also expected to participate without registering on the group's web site (Moveon.org).

"We have hundreds of thousands of calls and faxes that we know are going in. It's a first-of-its-kind protest and a tremendous success already," he said. "People are making their voices heard loud and clear -- don't invade and don't occupy Iraq."

The Web site had a running total of what it said was the number of calls placed. As of 2 p.m. the number had exceeded 250,000. The Web site was flashing the names of individual protesters above a map of the United States with quotes from e-mails sent to the headquarters and to lawmakers. Each comment included the name and hometown on the protester.

Some protesters themselves had difficulties getting through to their representatives. Molly Lanzarotta from Boston said she had to dial multiple times to get through to an answering service in the office of Democrat John Kerry, a leading presidential candidate for 2004.

Others tried for long periods but eventually gave up. Brian Fry tried to call from Cleveland but kept getting the message, "all circuits are busy." He said he would call his senators' local Ohio offices instead and try to get through to Washington again later or on the next day.

SET TIMES TO CALL

Activists were given set times to call. Chicago marketing executive Mary Rickard was supposed to call at 3:14 p.m., 3:19 p.m. and 3:24 p.m. The faxes from people who signed onto the Web site were also programd to go out at set times.

Telephone calls placed from Reuters to various senators received busy signals at all but two offices. At Florida Democrat Bob Graham's office, a spokeswoman said they had received 400 calls in the first three hours of the day, well above the norm. At Nebraska Republican Charles Hagel's office, a spokeswoman said the front desk did not seem to be any busier than usual.

Andrews said the Internet had emerged as a key tool for the anti-war movement in organizing protests and instantly reaching tens of thousands of activists.

"It allows us to be in touch instantly with activists all around the country and the world. It's a tremendous democratic tool," he said.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans and millions more in cities around the world have taken to the streets in a series of demonstrations over the past few weeks.

However, the latest polls show a substantial but not overwhelming majority of American voters support President Bush on Iraq. Surveys suggest that around 35 to 40 percent of the electorate opposes the war.

A Time/CNN poll conducted Feb. 19-20 found 54 percent said the United States should use military action to remove Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The number was down 5 points from two weeks before and at its lowest level since last November. Thirty eight percent said they were opposed.

Pollster Jennifer Laszlo, a Democrat who has recently conducted four focus groups, said support for the war was soft and opponents were far more intense in their views than many supporters.

"Republicans think this is America's war but Democrats more and more see it as Bush's war and they are getting more energized and more angry," Laszlo said.

Posted by Brian Stefans at 05:32 PM
February 25, 2003
FAIR: "The Big Picture on Iraq: What are media missing about the legality of war and the humanitarian impact?"

FAIR
Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting
Media analysis, critiques and activism

THIS WEEK -- Join us for a FAIR event in NYC!

"The Big Picture on Iraq: What are media missing about the legality of war and the humanitarian impact?"

a talk by

Elisabeth Benjamin, New York Legal Aid Society, Health Law Unit

Michael Ratner, Center for Constitutional Rights

Dr. Victor W. Sidel, past president, Physicians for Social Responsibility and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War

Friday, February 28, 6:30 PM Housing Works Used Book Cafe 126 Crosby St (between Prince and Houston), New York Free and Open to the Public

For all the 24/7 coverage of the chances of war with Iraq, mainstream media say virtually nothing about the most basic fact of war-- people will be killed and civilian infrastructure will be destroyed, with devastating consequences for public health long after the bombing stops. The disconnect between reality and reporting is such that casualty estimates from the first Gulf War are rarely brought into news stories, even though they would provide invaluable context. Similarly, though media speculation abounds about what resolutions will pass the UN Security Council, little attention is given to big picture questions about the impact the Bush administration's tactics may have on the international rule of law. Please join FAIR as we try to cut through the media spin about war.

**

Elisabeth Benjamin is founder and supervising attorney of the New York Legal Aid Society's Health Law Unit and serves on the Center for Economic and Social Rights' board of directors. She was a researcher with the CESR team that visited Iraq in January and issued the report, "The Human Costs of War in Iraq" (http://www.cesr.org/iraq/).

Michael Ratner is a lawyer specializing in human rights law and president of the Center for Constitutional Rights. He also teaches at Columbia Law School. He has devoted his career to opposing U.S. military interventions abroad and to defending dissident voices at home. He is co-author of "Against War with Iraq: An Anti-War Primer" (http://www.ccr-ny.org/).

Dr. Victor W. Sidel is distinguished professor of social medicine at Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He is a past president of Physicians for Social Responsibility and International Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War, which won the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. He was an advisor on IPPNW's report, "Collateral Damage: The Health and Environmental Costs of War on Iraq" (http://www.ippnw.org/).

**

This is the latest of FAIR's monthly media talks at Housing Works. Past topics have included media coverage of AIDS drugs and Africa, the "drug war" in Colombia, the Battle of Seattle, biotech, the Zapatistas, civil liberties after September 11, and more. All talks are free and open to the public.

###

Please support FAIR by subscribing to our bimonthly magazine, Extra! For more information, go to: http://www.fair.org/extra/subscribe.html . Or call 1-800-847-3993.

FAIR SHIRTS: Get your "Don't Trust the Corporate Media" shirt today at FAIR's online store: http://www.merchantamerica.com/fair/

FAIR produces CounterSpin, a weekly radio show heard on over 130 stations in the U.S. and Canada. To find the CounterSpin station nearest you, visit http://www.fair.org/counterspin/stations.html .

FAIR's INTERNSHIP PROGRAM: FAIR accepts internship applications for its New York office on a rolling basis. For more information, see: http://www.fair.org/internships.html

Feel free to respond to FAIR ( fair@fair.org ). We can't reply to everything, but we will look at each message. We especially appreciate documented examples of media bias or censorship. And please send copies of your email correspondence with media outlets, including any responses, to fair@fair.org .

You can subscribe to FAIR-L at our web site: http://www.fair.org . Our subscriber list is kept confidential.

FAIR
(212) 633-6700
http://www.fair.org/
E-mail: fair@fair.org

Posted by Brian Stefans at 10:45 AM
February 15, 2003
MoveOn.Org: Virtual March on Washington

Please join me in registering for a Virtual March on Washington on February 26th. We are asking Congress to stop the Bush administration's rush to war, and to Let the Inspections Work. Time is running out.


With your help, on February 26th, every Senate office will receive a call EVERY MINUTE from a constituent, as they receive a simulataneous crush of faxes and email. In New York and Los Angeles, "anti-war rooms" will highlight the progress of the day for national media. Local media will visit the "anti-war room" online, to monitor this constituent march throughout the day.

With your help, every Senate office switchboard will be lit up all day with our anti-war messages. This will be a powerful reminder of the bread and depth of opposition to a war in Iraq.

Just go to:

http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/

Please join me and sign up today. This has never been done before. Let's be part of it. (courtesy Laura Elrick)

Posted by Brian Stefans at 09:11 PM
February 07, 2003
United for Peace: The World Says No to War!

United for Peace

Mass Actions in New York City on Feb. 15 and San Francisco on Feb. 16

On February 15, hundreds of thousands of people will converge on New York City to stand with millions around the globe against the Bush Administration's plan for war on Iraq. While we are still unable to announce a location for this march and rally, one thing is certain: It is happening. We urge all those who oppose the war crusade to continue mobilizing full speed ahead for February 15. We have just filed a federal lawsuit over the denial of our march permit and have a hearing before the judge on February 7.

Posted by Brian Stefans at 02:51 PM
February 06, 2003
Poets Against War: Open Mike Event

[Click through to get a .pdf with more news on this event, yet another -- like the Wayne State event below, inspired by Laura Bush! This one's in Toronto.]

Posted by Brian Stefans at 07:42 PM
Poetry Opposed to War: Reading in Detroit

P O E T R Y

O P P O S E D

T O W A R

Or, Laura Bush's Poetry Salon

*****

You are cordially invited to the poetry reading originally scheduled for February 12 but indefinitely postponed. Due to the controversial nature of this event, it has been moved to the campus of Wayne State University. Join poets of the Wayne community in sending a message to the White House on poetry's understanding of the nature of war.

Readers to include...

Ron Allen / Abbas Bazzi / Bill Harris / Carla Harryman / M. L. Liebler / Ted Pearson / Franziska Ruprecht / Katie Scott / Craig Smith / Chris Tysh / George Tysh / Justin Vidovic / Anca Vlasopolos / Barrett Watten

*****

Wednesday, February 12
2:30 to 4:30 PM
Bernath Auditorium
Adamany Undergraduate Library
Sponsored by
Wayne English Department Against the War

*****

Posted by Brian Stefans at 06:14 AM