5TH ANNIVERSARY CALL TO ACTION

The War(s) Didn’t Stop on October 27, and Neither Will We!

We have struggled hard over the last 5 years and our work HAS made a difference, the tide is turning, but….We have a war abroad to end, a war at home to overcome, wars on the horizon to prevent  and that is the broad strokes, folks.  How shall we develop our resources and coordinate our opposition? How shall we organize ourselves into that mighty force to be reckoned with?

PLEASE JOIN LESLIE CAGAN the National Coordinator of United for Peace and Justice and United for Peace and Justice Bay Area in an afternoon strategy session:

SUNDAY MARCH 2
2:30-5:30 pm
Quaker Meeting House
65 9th Street
San Francisco between Market and Mission, close to the Civic Center BART

PLEASE RSVP if you plan to attend.
to ufpjbayarea@mac.com or to 565 0201 #24

As our time will be limited please come prepared to consider these subjects:
multi issue organizing
alliance building across movements
tactics and strategies, what works and why

5TH ANNIVERSARY CALL TO ACTION

Derived largely from December’s meeting notes for United for Peace and Justice, supplemented by Ecumenical Peace Institute’s calendar in their newsletter.

March 19, 2008: the 5th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the beginning of the 6th year of war and occupation, the 6th year of senseless death and massive destruction.

• March 13-16, Winter Soldier: UFPJ is committed to providing major support to Iraq Veterans Against the War and its Winter Soldier hearings in Washington, DC, on March 13-16. We will help local groups plan events that directly link to and amplify the Winter Soldier hearings, where those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Iraqis and Afghans, will tell the nation the real story of this war. http://www.ivaw.org/wintersoldier
• Sat March 15, Walnut Creek march to downtown park, Mt Diablo Peace Center, http://www.mtdpc.org/
• March 15 Direct Action & rally: Chevron Richmond Refinery, www.actagainstwar.net
• March 18, noon – one Living Graveyard, Oakland Federal Building, 1301 Clay St., two blocks from 12th Street BART Station, legal street theater represents the dead of the war of occupation, people lie on the city sidewalk covered with white sheets to represent Iraqi and “coalition” dead. Names of the dead are read. http://www.epicalc.org/
• March 19, Mass Nonviolent Civil Disobedience in Washington, DC: UFPJ has initiated the planning and organizing for what we hope will be the largest nonviolent civil disobedience action yet against the war in Iraq. We encourage people to be in Washington, DC, on March 19th to be part of the civil disobedience, or to assist in support work. We are working to have all 50 states represented in this massive action.
• March 19 Direct Action in SF focus on financial district www.actagainstwar.net
• March 19 evening USLAW sponsored town hall meetings in each Congressional district. In planning stage, for confirmation & details http://www.uslaw.org/ . Plan is to present what happened at Winter Soldier hearings from vets who can come and/or from video clips from hearing. Community leaders are invited to respond to Winter Soldier hearings Challenge member of Congress to come and listen — this is not a time for them to grab the mike. Ask them to:
  1. declare whether they will pledge to cut off funding for war
  2. state what action they will take to end with war.

Purpose

1. to give public support to vets who testified affirm, applaud, etc
2. give something for public to do who can’t or won’t do demos and CD
3. raise profile of both labor and the vets who speak out against the war.
   ==>>> All contingent on vets’ agreement

Note, troops in field and Iraqi people don’t get an Easter recess, neither should Congress.

Public Hearings on “Complex Transformation” ––plans to “modernize” the U.S. nuclear weapons research for the 21st century; www.wslfweb.org/ & www.trivalleycares.org

• March 18, 2008 6 p.m.-10 p.m., Holiday Inn Express, 3751 N. Tracy Blvd., Tracy
• March 19, 2008, 11 a.m.- 3 p.m., 6 p.m.- 10 p.m., Robert Livermore Community Center, 4444 East Avenue, Livermore

March 21, 6:45 a.m. Good Friday Witness, Vasco & Patterson Pass Road, Livermore Nuclear Weapons Labs. Prayer service and nonviolent civil disobedience action. Embracing the Beloved Community– peace, justice, hope and equality; Rejecting the violence of empire– torture, terror, lies and the bomb, Father Louie Vitale (just released from five months in Federal Prison).preaching Ecumenical Peace Institute & Livermore Conversion Project. http://www.epicalc.org/