|
1. Urge Your Governor to bring the National Guard Troops home. Four out of 10 US troops in Iraq are National Guardsmen and
women. The Guard's heavy deployment to Iraq is draining our communities of first-responders and leaving us without enough
local help for national security threats, natural disasters and community safety. Nearly half of every police department is
missing officers due to Iraq deployment. Tell your Governor to recall state Guard troops from Iraq and not send more troops,
because they're needed here at home. A list of governors, their contact info, and their homepages is listed at this site:
http://www.homeofheroes.com/speakout/lists/list_governors.html Also check out: http://www.homeofheroes.com/speakout/index.html
2. Make your views about peace known to the President/Vice President and get your friends to do the same. Below is their
contact information:
President George W. Bush
Mail: The Whitehouse
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Phone: 1-202-456-1414
Fax: 1-202-456-2461
Email: president@whitehouse.gov
Vice-President Dick Cheney
Mail: The Whitehouse
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Phone: 1-202-456-1414
Fax: 1-202-456-2461
Email: vice.president@whitehouse.gov
http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/vpbio.html
Congressional Switchboard Toll Free: 1-800-839-5276 Senate Switchboard
Phone: (202) 224-3121
3. Let your Congress Representatives know. Contact your members of Congress. Locate your Congressional Representative
at http://www.house.gov/writerep/ or Senator at http://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm. Call, write,
or fax your Congress Members. Tell Your Elected Representatives to Bring Our Troops Home Now. Contact your Senators and Representatives
and tell them you oppose the US military occupation of Iraq. Say you think occupation betrays American values, violates the
will of the Iraqi people, fuels anti-Americanism, and makes us less safe at home. Begin with the first call- the Capitol Switchboard
is 202-224-3121. See the following website for a Sample letter to your Congress Representatives: http://www.ncpeacejustice.org/article.php?id=217
You can also ask them for an Iraqi Victims Fund. When thousands of innocent people were killed in the tragic events of September
11, the American people and the United States government responded with incredible compassion to assist the families of the
victims. But what about the innocent victims in Iraq who are losing their lives during the US military campaign? Call your
Representatives and Senators and ask for the establishment of an Iraqi Victims Fund.
4. Make your conviction known. Display Your Peace message on your car, window and/or clothing. Use your garage as a billboard.
Wear Peace buttons, peace bumper stickers, or display peace lawn signs. Peacethings.com sells tons of peace merchandise.
Fly a banner or peace flags from your home. You can order online from their website: http://www.peacethings.com/. You can
also order peace merchandise and lawn signs from: http://www.votersforpeace.us/merch.html
5. Sign an online pledge/petition to stop the war. Sign Michael Moore¹s Peace Pledge here: http://www.michaelmoore.com/petitions/peacepledge/index.php
Sign a statement of conscience against war and repression here: http://www.nion.us/. Sign the Voters for Peace Pledge
here: http://www.votersforpeacepledge.us/ and tell your friends about it here: http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/vfp/tellafriend.jsp?tell_a_friend_KEY=707
. You can also create an email signature to spread the message about this petition. Tips on creating an email signature are
here: http://www.votersforpeace.us/signature.html. You can also use an email signature to express your opinion about the war.
Below are additional online petitions: http://www.impeachbush.org/site/PageServer , http://www.legitgov.org/petitions.html
, http://action.truemajority.org/campaign/mandate_peace_c3/
6. Write to your local newspaper! Your opinion matters. Make it a short, heartfelt statement. Find your local newspaper
here: http://capwiz.com/savetc/dbq/media/ . Fair.org has tips on communicating with journalists, how to write an op-ed, and
how to meet with news management after you see unfair, biased or inaccurate news coverage. Check out this link: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=122.
VotersforPeace.org also has a sample letter to the editor you can modify as well: http://www.votersforpeace.us/samplelte.html
7. Advertise peace logos on your website and/or myspace page! For example, check out Codepinkalert’s graphics
http://www.codepink4peace.org/article.php?list=type&type=138 or the Voters for Peace here: http://www.votersforpeace.us/toolbox.html
. You can link to their page from your website using one of their listed logos. Click on the image to get the full graphic
and URL location. Publicize civilian war casualties on your website using: http://www.iraqbodycount.net/
8. Counter the Military Recruiters. Recruit for Peace. Military recruiters are in almost every school in the United States,
encouraging young people to join the armed services. They promise money for education and exciting jobs, a message that appeals
to young people with limited opportunities. We have a right to be in the schools too. Ask to be able to make a presentation
about alternatives to war on the same day that military recruiters are going to make their presentation. Hand out flyers at
schools telling students what's left out of the recruiters' talks. Tell parents that they can instruct the school not to give
their child's home contact information to military recruiters. Contact the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors and
read their tips on what you should know before you or your child enlists at: http://www.objector.org/before-you-enlist.html
Ask the youth-workers at the AFSC-National Youth and Militarism Program about your options. For their contact info visit,
http://www.afsc.org/youthmil/contactus.htm
Check out Global Exchange.org website for more details on how to do this: http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/mideast/iraq/counter-recruit.html
9. Join local/national peace movements and take to the streets. Even the most minimal contribution to peace movements
allows an organization to claim you as a supporter, if not a member, and adds to its political clout. Swell the ranks of those
who speak truth to power. There are actions of non-violence and resistance being organized all over the world. There are hundreds
of groups around the country working for peace and opposing a U.S. colony in Iraq. Check out the following groups:
* United for Peace: www.unitedforpeace.org
* Win without War: www.winwithoutwarus.org
* Moveon.org: www.moveon.org
* Not in our Name: www.notinourname.org
* End the War: www.endthewar.org
* Peace Action: www.peace-action.org
* Campus Anti-War Movement: www.antiwarnetwork.org
* San Francisco, Direct Action to Stop the War: www.actagainstwar.org
* North Texas: www.drums.org/nowar.htm
* Canada: Canadian Peace Alliance: www.acp-cpa.ca
* Vancouver: www.stopwar.ca
* Windsor, Ontario: www.stopthewar.ca
* UK, Stop the War Coalition: www.stopthewar.org.uk
* New Zealand, Peace Movement Aotearoa: www.converge.org.nz/pma
* Southern Australia: www.nowar-sa.net
* Japan: www.worldpeacenow.jp
* Ireland: www.irishantiwar.org
* Environmentalists Against War: www.EnvirosAgainstWar.org
You can check the "local contacts" section on the United for Peace & Justice website to see the peace groups
in your community at: www.unitedforpeace.org.
10. Talk about it! This is not just about stopping this war; it is about the way we stop all future wars. Discuss the
issue in your organizations and faith groups. Bring it up in class, at home, and with your friends. Speak with neighbors,
friends, and work associates about how to advance the peace agenda. Host a potluck dinner and invite friends to share around
the table their thoughts, concerns and wishes for a more peaceful world. There is nothing like a good meal shared between
neighbors to strengthen a community. Don't have anybody to talk to? Youthnoise.com has a message board suited for this purpose:
http://boards.youthnoise.com/4/OpenTopic?a=frm&s=742299645&f=4994004831
11. Sign the Move-On Citizens Declaration to continue to seek peace through
international cooperation. See www.moveon.org/declaration . Join the moveon.org
email list (with 600,000 others), so that they can keep you informed about new peace initiatives. See www.moveon.org
12. Write to Congressman Dennis Kucinich, and pledge your support for his bill (H Con Res. 101) to nullify H.J. Res. 114,
the Authorization for Use of Force in Iraq. “The President's case for war is a sham. It is based on untrue, unfounded
and false allegations. The Administration has repeated these untruths in order to whip sentiment to launch an unprovoked attack
against Iraq. The country has been misled and deceived." His email form is at www.kucinich.us/contact.htm
13. Fax or Email the "Coalition of the Willing", the 30 Nations that are supporting the US war on Iraq, and
implore them to withdraw. Here are their email addresses, fax numbers and ambassadors:
*Afghanistan, afghanistan@un.int
*Albania, albania@un.int
*Australia, australia@un.int , (212) 351-6610, Mr. John Dauth
*Azerbaijan, azerbaijan@un.int
*Bulgaria, bulgaria@un.int, (212) 472-9865, H.E. Mr. Stefan Tafrov
*Colombia, colombia@colombiaun.org , (212) 371-2813, H.E. Alvaro Uribe Velez
*Czech Republic un.newyork@EMBASSY.MZV.CZ , (212) 772-0586, Mr. Hynek Kmonicek
*Denmark, nycmis@um.dk (212) 308-3384
*El Salvador, elsalvador@un.int
*Eritrea, eritrea@un.int,
*Ethiopia, ethiopia@un.int
*Georgia, georgia@un.int (212) 759-1832, H.E. Mr. Revaz Adamia
*Hungary, hungary@un.int (212) 755-5395, H.E. Mr. László Molnár
*Italy, italy@un.int (212) 486-1036, H.E. Sergio Vento vento@italyun.net
*Japan, mission@un-japan.org H.E. Mr. Koichi Haraguchi
*Korea, South, korea@un.int (212) 986-1083
*Latvia, latvia@un.int
*Lithuania, lithuania@un.int (212) 354-7833,
*Macedonia, macedonia@un.int (212) 308-8724
*Netherlands, netherlands@un.int
*Nicaragua, nicaragua@un.int
*Philippines misunphil@aol.com, (212) 840-8602
*Poland, poland@un.int
*Romania, romania@un.int (212) 682-9746
*Slovakia svkun@undp.org , (212) 980-3295
*Spai, info@spainun.org , (212) 682-4460
*Turkey turkey@un.int, (212) 949-0086
*United Kingdom uk@un.int , (212) 745 9316, Sir Jeremy Quentin Greenstock
*Uzbekistan, uzbekistan@un.int
14. Voice your opinion on national and local TV and radio. Call and write your local affiliate television and radio news
programs to request that you would like to see a more balanced coverage of the anti-war efforts that are happening. To find
your local media TV stations, go to the website: http://www.gebbieinc.com/tvintro.htm Some call-in radio programs are: Democracy
Now!, http://www.democracynow.org/index.htm, available at the following stations: http://www.democracynow.org/stations.htm
National Public Radio, http://www.npr.org, available at the following stations: http://www.npr.org/members Pacifica Radio,
http://www.pacifica.org, available at the following stations: http://www.pacifica.org/stations/affiliates_east.html . Also,
call C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" program 4AM PST-7AM EST. They put the call numbers on screen. Keep trying, use
your redial button or Email them at journal@c-span.org - thousands watch every morning (K.N., Baker City, OR). Or you can
flood the phone lines of local hard-right radio talk shows with calls against the war. Jamming the lines (via local groups)
during a broadcast will work either way. They will either air the "contrary" views or will have to offer "dead"
phone air time and a rambling host without a sounding board. Note: to do this effectively, when being "pre-interviewed"
before going on air, those calling in will not be able to be completely truthful of the views they wish to discuss on air.
15. Join or start a Video and/or Book Discussion Club. Through community discussion of these issues we all come closer
to a peaceful solution. Start a neighbor discussion group at your own home or public library. Organize a showing of "Greetings
from Missile Street.” This Joe Public Films video documentary about a peace team visit to the town of Basra, Iraq
is an excellent catalyst for community discussion around the issue of U.S. involvement in Iraq and the Middle East. For more
information on the video and its producer/director Tom Jackson, please visit http://www.joepublicfilms.com or contact: Joe
Public Films, 163 Court Street, 2nd Floor, Portsmouth, NH 03801, info@joepublicfilms.org Also, many useful videos and films
are available to borrow from the AFSC Library. To view their catalog and rent individual titles visit: http://www.afsc.org/resources/video-film.htm
16. Join and/or start an online discussion group. For example, join the "Freedom Flyer" Yahoo Group and distribute
their flyers everywhere you can: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freedomflyer/ You can also take part in the national conversation
about the Voters' Pledge. Post tips for fellow activists, discuss strategy, or simply share your thoughts on how to build
the peace movement. To subscribe, send an email to: VotersForPeace-subscribe@yahoogroups.com You can set up discussion groups
with others so that you can intelligently explain your views without spamming with flyers or articles.
17. Bird-dog a Politician. Bird-dogging is an effective way of gaining public and media attention around issues that
concern you. Make a difference by asking questions directly to those who represent you in government. For more information
check their website: http://www.birddogger.org/tips_analysis.php?id=53
18. Mail a Bag of Rice. Participate in the grassroots campaign to tell President Bush, "If you are going to send
something to Iraq, it should be food, not bombs." Put half a cup of raw rice in a plastic bag, and put the bag in a padded
envelope, with your own message for peace. On the outside of the envelope, write “Rice for Peace. No War on Iraq.”
Three 39-cent stamps will cover it.
Mail to: President George Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20500
For more info visit: http://www.riceforpeace.org
19. Donate to the American Friends Service Committee. http://www.afsc.org/give/now.htm. Or send a check to other peace
and justice groups.
20. Advertise for Peace. The Ad for Peace campaign has been successful in raising funds to print ads in many regional
papers, but needs your continued support to keep going. Visit the Ad for Peace website for more info on how to be involved:
http://www.adforpeace.com.
21. Donate a Book to your public school and/or library. Donate books or magazine subscriptions to your local public and/or
school libraries in the name of peace. There are many wonderful publications out there providing viewpoints and histories
of alternatives to war. If you are looking for suggestions of materials to donate contact Oregon-based Seacoast Peace Response
at info@seacoastpeaceresponse.org
22. Adopt a Library. The Council on American Islamic Relations has begun a program to provide a collection of materials
on Islam and Arab society to libraries at a low cost. Adopt your local library today and make a donation! See for more info:
http://www.cair-net.org/libraryproject
23. Educate yourself. Find out about the history of non-violent action and protest in America. Learn about other countries.
Attend a service at a local synagogue, meeting house, church or mosque. Check out what’s happening in your local
area and get activist tools and resources from web sites such as www.unitedforpeace.org, www.globalexchange.org, and www.thenation.com.
24. Educate Others. Organize a teach-in. Teach-ins are informational gathering designed to help individuals better understand
particular issues of public interest. Contact your school & community educators and activists, and host open workshops
and discussion groups around issues affecting your life. For more information on organizing a teach-in please contact us at
info@seacoastpeaceresponse.org, or check the tips pages of: Sojourners magazine, http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=action.teachin
or Student Peace Action, http://www.studentpeaceaction.org/teach-in.html
25. Subscribe to a regional mailing list, newsletter and/or blog. There are many mailing lists that can keep you abreast
of activities in your area. For example, there is the NH Peace Action. To join, send an email to info@nhpeaceaction.org. There
are blogs and mailing lists at www.witnessforpeace.org. If you live in the New England area, you can join the Witness for
Peace by visiting: http://www.witnessforpeace.org/newengland/mailinglist.htm.
26. Get your church involved. Start a peace group at your church and/or encourage your church to oppose war. Have your
church(es) as a group sign a "combined" letter and send it to your local, state, and federal representatives. Groups
have more say than individuals. You can also organize an interfaith service, including members of two or more religious groups.
27. Distribute Flyers with facts. Hand out flyers with the facts, on it i.e.; the manufacturing of evidence, the cost
in human life (ours and theirs), the lack of evidence, etc. Include information about why we need to work to stop the war
in heavily trafficked places such as shopping malls. For a sample flyer go to www.unitedforpeace.org . Also, the War Resisters
League has two useful downloadable flyers, including coupons to leave for businesses you patronize urging them to post a flyer
in their windows claiming their store as a Business for Peace. For more copies of the flyers see: http://www.warresisters.org/demo_flyers.htm
28. Support American-Arab and Muslim families in your area. We will only be free as individuals when our freedoms are
guaranteed for our entire community. Gain a greater understanding of what it means to be American and Muslim. Invite members
of a local mosque to share services with your church or synagogue. Express your opinion against the mass arrests of immigrants
since 9-11. See the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Action Alert webpage for more info: http://capwiz.com/adc/home/
for information on how to support Arab-American and Muslim families in our region.
29. Create a public mural, draw a picture, take pictures and create a collage, design a bumper sticker or T-shirt, participate
in political theater, write a song, paint a banner, hold a mock funeral, and/or make puppets. Spread your message in chalk
on your city sidewalks. For info on the Cheap Art movement and other art projects around peace and politics see: Bread and
Puppet Theater, Vermont http://www.theaterofmemory.com/art/bread/bread.html Puppeteers¹ Cooperative Home Page http://www.gis.net/~puppetco/
Theater for the New City, New York http://www.theaterforthenewcity.org Virtual Museum of Political Art http://www.medicalnet.at/horvath/museum.htm
Students¹ Art for Peace project: Brandenton, Florida http://www.art-for-peace.org Visions of Peace children¹s art project
http://www.celebratingpeace.com Visions.htm Teaching Tolerance Songbook for Young Peacemakers http://www.tolerance.org/teach/expand/songbook/index.jsp
Poets Against the War http://poetsagainstthewar.org/ , Artists against war: http://www.worklessparty.org/ninemonkeys/index.html
, The Artists Network, http://www.artistsnetwork.org/
30. Refuse to pay war taxes. Visit the National War Tax Resisters Coordinating Committee at: http://www.nwtrcc.org or
the War Resisters League-War Tax Resistance for tips on how you can resist war taxes: http://www.warresisters.org/how_to_resist.htm
.
31. Listen to independent internet/satellite radio stations. http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical/radio.htm#Satellite
lists various alternate internet and satellite radio stations. For example, RADIO FOR PEACE INTERNATIONAL is a Global Community
Radio Station whose live Stream is listed at http://www.rfpi.org/ .You can join their podcast here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/rfpi
32. Take out ads in the local papers. For the third anniversary of the Iraq War, United for Peace and Justice is encouraging
our member groups to place advertisements in local newspapers in your communities. It's a great way to bring our message --
end the war in Iraq and bring all the troops home now -- to a wide audience, and to build the base of your local anti-war
group. See detailed instructions at: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=3183
33. Make a protest sign and hold it up in a public place. If you have an office with a window that pedestrians can see
from the street, face your computer monitor out the window and display changing anti-war slogans (such as body counts) in
*big* letters, creating a mini-billboard.
34. Participate in a March, Rally, or Vigil. There is power in our collective action. Check out tips for protesting here:
http://www.youthnoise.com/page.php?page_id=243 and walk outs and sit-ins here: http://www.youthnoise.com/page.php?page_id=246
Team up with others to do silent vigils as part of larger peace demonstrations and rallies. Create a Vigil for Peace, where
people can leave signs, messages, and candles. Vigils might also include silent sitting or walking meditation. Hold a rally
at your library, school or hospital to show how this war is bleeding money from our local communities. Enlist teachers, librarians
and nurses to speak. Use the rally as a way to talk about how much could be done in your community with the money it costs
to build a single cruise missile. Also, bring your Kids to rallies, marches, and vigils so they can see how many people are
working for peace. Join with other parents to talk about how you can support your children in this difficult time.
35. Initiate anti-war resolutions in your city council or other local organizations. A guide to getting a city council
resolution against war with Iraq passed in Your Community is listed at this website: http://www.ips-dc.org/citiesforpeace/stepbystep.htm
36. Organize a Post-Office Action. The United States Post Office will not allow packages over 12 ounces to be mailed to
Iraq. Organize a group to bring individual packages over the limit into your post office one by one and attempt to have them
mailed. Packages can include food or health staples that are of a non-threatening nature, such as condensed milk or children¹s
vitamins. Use this opportunity to educate the public about the continued sanctions against Iraq by inviting the press to cover
your event. Voice in the Wilderness suggests that you, "clearly mark the outside of the boxes, Food & Medical supplies
for Iraqi children. Address the boxes to The Iraqi Red Crescent Society, Al¹Mansour, and Baghdad, Iraq. Then on a separate
set of labels, mark the addresses of your local Representatives and Senators." When your Post Office employees refuse
to mail your packages, redirect them to your local representatives with a note asking them to send them to Iraq for you! For
information on past Post Office actions in NH see: http://www.seacoastonline.com/2002news/08102002/news/18236.htm and http://www.seacoastonline.com/2002news/12152002/news/3152.htm
You can also fast for peace in order to bring publicity to the issue.
37. Boycott weapons manufacturers like Lockheed Martin, http://www.lockheedmartin.com/wms/findPage.do?dsp=fnec&ti=100,
Boeing, http://www.boeing.com/ , Northrope Gumman http://www.northgrum.com/, Raytheon http://www.raytheon.com/, General Dynamics
http://www.gd.com/ , United Technologies http://www.utc.com/ , Science International Corporation http://www.saic.com/ , and
TRW http://www.trw.com/ .
38. Support veterans opposed to war. Talk to Veterans now working for peace; check out: http://www.veteransforpeace.org
.
39. Tune into more balanced and truthful news reporting. Corporate-owned media outlets like ABC, NBC, CNN, FOX and CBS
are more likely to give you the Pentagon-approved version of the war than the truth. Turn off this coverage and seek more
balanced and complete reporting. Here are some online news sources that you may find useful:
Inter Press Service News Agency http://www.ipsnews.net/
The Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS), a leading provider of information on global issues, is backed by a network
of journalists in more than 100 countries.
The Guardian Unlimited http://www.guardian.co.uk/
The UK's most popular newspaper website.
Motherjones.com http://www.motherjones.com/
Mother Jones is an independent nonprofit whose roots lie in a commitment to social justice implemented through first rate
investigative reporting.
Taken from: http://www.peace-action.org/home/iraq/altmedia.html. Check their website for more tips.
40. Make a formal request to the Pope and ask him to make an appearance in Iraq. Write a formal request to the Pope to
ask him to pose as a human shield to stop the war. The following website has tips on writing this request, as well as his
contact information, check it out: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0306-01.htm
Mark your calendars: March on Pentagon - Saturday, March 17, 2007
|