Earth Day 2020
You must unite behind the science. You must take action. You must do the impossible. Because giving up can never ever be an option.
--Greta Thunberg addressing the U.S. Congress
Open Letter to the United Nations and the United States to Immediately Lift Sanctions
The United States government has imposed economic sanctions on more than thirty nations. With the onslaught of the global pandemic, these unilateral coercive measures have made it exceedingly difficult for targeted nations to protect and save the lives of their citizens. United for Peace and Justice has joined with other groups to call for the lifting of these crippling sanctions. Please add your name demanding that all U.S. and UN sanctions be lifted. The Open Letter is available in several languages; learn more...
War is NOT Green: on the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, Divest from the War Machine
April 22, 2020 is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Addressing the climate crisis is one of the most important challenges of our time. The U.S. military is the world's largest consumer of oil and causes more greenhouse gas pollution than 140 nations combined. Yet 64% of our discretionary spending is siphoned off to the Pentagon every year and the private weapons companies that the Pentagon contracts with continue to place their short-term profit above the future of our planet. This Earth Day, UFPJ Member group CODEPINK is asking supporters to help spread the message that #WarIsNotGreen. Find valuable resources, including CODEPINK'S Global Days of Action on Military Spending Toolkit.
Cancel the Keystone XL Pipeline and Halt All Keystone XL Construction
Covid-19 has forced social distancing and community lockdowns, but TC Energy (formerly TransCanada) has chosen this moment to endanger thousands who they plan to assign to work along the path of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline worker "man camps" are causing increased crime and sexual violence targeting indigenous women. TC Energy must immediately halt all pre-construction activity on the keystone XL project and recall all workers it already dispatched to the small rural and Tribal communities of Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Please sign the petition. This is a time to prioritize the health and safety of everyone -- especially the most vulnerable and marginalized communities -- as integral to the health and safety of our entire country. Thanks to our member group Native Organizers Alliance for opposing this assault on our environment and our health.
COVID-19 is Our Common Enemy: Sign the Call for a Global Ceasefire
"It is time to put armed conflict on lockdown and focus together on the true fight of our lives." In an April 3 update, UN Secretary-General Guterres reported that his global ceasefire appeal is "resonating across the world," noting that the call has been endorsed by some 70 United Nations Member States, numerous civil society organizations, all UN Messengers of Peace, religious leaders including Pope Francis, and more than a million people around the world through grassroots mobilization on line. Please do your part! Add your name to the more than 2 million people who have signed the petition in support of the Secretary-General's call for a global ceasefire. Read more...
Move the Nuclear Weapons (and Fossil Fuel) Money: International Webinar
Held in conjunction with Earth Day 2020 and the Global Days of Action on Military Spending, April 10 -- May 5, 2020, the webinar features international experts and activists who highlighted examples of nuclear weapons and fossil fuel divestment. Watch the video and learn how moving the money today can assist initiatives to cut nuclear weapons budgets and support public health, climate protection and sustainable development. Read more....
Online World Conference 2020: Abolish Nuclear Weapons; Resist and Reverse Climate Change; For Social and Economic Justice
April 25, 2020; 9 -- 11 am EDT, Register here.
Humanity faces two existential threats: increasing dangers of nuclear war and climate disruption, with its impact on world health. Human beings created these threats, which can only be reversed by mass popular actions. In the context of the suffering and changes being wrought by the pandemic, the two-hour world conference will focus on the continuing urgent need to abolish nuclear weapons and its relationship to stanching the climate emergency and challenging injustices which have left so many people marginalized and vulnerable. Read more...
Stop the War on the Poor: Combating U.S. Military and the War Economy
The Kairos Center, a convener of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival brought together more than 60 grassroots and community organizers working on homelessness, health care, living wages, environmental issues, immigrant justice, education and police brutality, clergy, veterans, peace activists, and policy experts for a strategic dialogue on ending militarism and the war on the poor. For many, this was the first time they had made clear connections between the declining resources in their communities and the growing militarization they were experiencing and witnessing every day. UFPJ is proud to be a mobilizing partner of the Campaign. Register now for the historic, digital and social media gathering planned for June 20, 2020. Read more...
Abolition 2000 Addresses Planetary Survival
This 50th anniversary of Earth Day finds the planet facing existential threats unprecedented in human history. Read UFPJ's affiliated network's statement and add your name.
Poverty Amidst Pandemic: A Time to Break Silence
Earlier this month, we observed the 52nd anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s tragic and untimely assassination, and the 53rd anniversary of his prophetic speech, "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence". The global pandemic is exposing even more the triple evils of racism, poverty, and of war. ...Find resources to celebrate the power of Dr. King's message for our world today.
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