On Oct. 7, UFPJ held a national briefing call featuring Michael McPhearson,Veterans for Peace Interim Executive Director and former UFPJ National Coordinator, who discussed plans for the Oct. 10 – 13 Weekend of Resistance in Ferguson, Missouri, and how the movements for peace, economic and racial justice intersect.
Veterans For Peace along with Don’t Shoot Coalition, Organization of Black Struggle (OBS), Missourian Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE), Hands Up United, ColorofChange.org and others are planning a Weekend of Resistance in Ferguson, MO on October 10-13. Thousands have already committed and many more are expected.
United for Peace and Justice has endorsed the Weekend of Resistance. Please join Michael McPhearson on Tuesday evening’s call to find out what you can do to help make this mobilization a huge success.
UFPJ National Briefing Call
To listen to the recording:
Playback Number: (712) 432-1219
Meeting ID: 446-724-667#
Recording number: 7#
As Michael explains: The senseless killing of Mike Brown is a movement moment for racial justice and an opportunity to advance economic and social justice for all. We in the peace movement have a special role to play in this struggle because our work is global. Our work is for peace at home and peace abroad. We know that war and militarism has no borders. If we are to have peace abroad we must confront injustice, violence and the militarization of police in our own communities. We must build peace at home.
The struggle against violence and militarism in Ferguson continues, as it does around the world. It is our charge as peacemakers and justice-seekers to stand with the people of Ferguson and all those who are victims of state violence as we make clear the connections between the war at home and the wars abroad, such as the renewed U.S. bombing of Iraq and Syria.
Bombs exploding in Syria also impact Ferguson. Resources that should be used here at home to build healthy communities are used instead to kill people abroad. From Ferguson to Afghanistan, legitimate grievances of poor, struggling people are met with greater violence and war instead of economic equity and the pursuit of justice. The answers from our political leaders are always the same: more soldiers abroad or more police at home.
Mike Brown’s tragic death has inspired us all to take action in many ways, sparking a national conversation about our broken system of justice. For too long, senseless police violence, rarely prosecuted, has plagued black and brown communities. This parallels a U.S. history of racist wars, killing people of color; first across North America by slavery and conquest, followed by war after war abroad.
We need to keep the pressure on if we want Justice for Mike Brown. Like the Palestinians of Gaza tweeting in solidarity to give advice on avoiding tear gas and statements of support to the people of Ferguson, we must rally, march and take action. We must keep building momentum toward broad, comprehensive change for all our communities here and abroad. People across the country and around the world want to take a stand and say “ENOUGH” to injustice, inequality, poverty, racism and war.
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