Conflict in Yemen intensified during 2020, resulting in shocking levels of civilian suffering. By the end of October, the war had already caused an estimated 233,000 deaths, including 131,000 from indirect causes such as lack of food, health services and infrastructure. In 2021 the situation is expected to deteriorate further, and the severity of needs is expected to increase unless there is conflict de-escalation and an improvement in the economy and funding.
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
December 2020
The World Says No to War on Yemen! TAKE ACTION TODAY-- January 25
Join today's Global Day of Action to end the war in Yemen, which has killed 250,000 people and created what the UN has pronounced "the worst humanitarian crisis anywhere in the world." This protest is timed to take place just days after the inauguration of Joe Biden, who has promised to end U.S. support for the war. We must hold him to his word. While the coalition led by Saudi Arabia is carrying out the airstrikes and blockade that have cause the majority of civilian casualties and crippled Yemen’s economy, the U.S. has maintained unquestioning support for Saudi Arabia since the war began. The support must end! Call your representative now and demand an end to weapons sales to Saudi Arabia-- use CODEPINK's script to make your demands. Join the Global Online Rally-- 2PM EST, 11AM PST-- Yemini spokespeople will be joined by Jeremy Corbyn MP, Danny Glover, and Cornel West. Register here.
Calling all UFPJ Members! Please join our Member Group Gathering Saturday, January 30, 2PM EST/11AM PST
Following the inauguration of President Biden and Vice-President Harris, what should we expect in 2021? Can we look forward to a year of redressing injustice and building peace? Members of UFPJ's network have access to different strategies and tactics to reach a collective vision of justice and peace. How do we best transform the rage and pain from the deep systemic inequities exposed last year into action to shift power dynamics, increase accountability, and seed peace? Can we derail the U.S. from the track of endless war? We will consider these and other strategic issues together during our January 30 Member Group Gathering. If your group is a UFPJ member or would like to join, contact UFPJ National Organizer George Friday to register for the Member Group Gathering: info.ufpj@gmail.com.
Celebrating Entry-Into-Force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
On January 22, 2021, people around the world celebrated entry-into force of the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The TPNW prohibits the possession, development, testing, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons for the 52 countries that have so far ratified it, opening a new chapter for nuclear disarmament. Regrettably the TPNW has been rigorously opposed by the United States and other nuclear armed states, as well as those allied states under "nuclear umbrellas." READ MORE
The Poor People's Campaign; Calling for Light, Love and Leadership
Following the January 6 insurrection at the Capital, the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival put out a call for moral clarity in response to the hatred and violence on display at the Capital, cloaked in the symbols and rituals of religious nationalism. Watch a video showing the split realities of how non-violent protest has been met versus the racist double standard we saw that day and READ MORE
The Golden Rule Is Coming Soon-- Sailing to a Harbor Near You!
In 1958, four Quaker peace activists attempted to sail the ketch Golden Rule to the Marshall Islands, with the intention of physically interfering with the testing of nuclear weapons there by the United States government. The government stopped them then, but the Golden Rule sails on, raised from the bottom of a California harbor in order to resume its mission of making peace. After a tour of the Pacific, the Golden Rule is returning to its home waters this spring, seeking partners in organizing and education for peace and disarmament. Its 2021 cruise will take it from the West Coast to the Gulf of Mexico, through the Northeast, the Great Lakes, and then back down the Mississippi. For more about this tour and how to get involved, READ MORE
CODEPINK Webinar: Understanding the True Costs of Nuclear Weapons, Tuesday February 2nd 2PM PST/5PM EST
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January 22nd marked the day that the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons entered into force. However, the United States has dedicated more money and resources to continue building nuclear weapons. This webinar will seek to answer an essential question: who is really impacted by nuclear weapons? We will explore the impacts of the manufacturing life cycle of Nuclear Weapons on frontline communities by centering the voices of those who have been directly impacted by the mining, research and development, manufacturing, and waste generated by nuclear weapons. We'll be joined by three panelists: Trisha Pritikin, Author of The Hanford Plaintiffs, Joni Arends, Director and co-founder of Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety, and Beata Tsosie-Peña, Environmental Health and Justice Program Coordinator. Please RSVP to receive the Zoom details!
Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp Begins 20th Year
It is time to finally close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, end indefinite military detention, and abandon the Military Commissions at Guantanamo that have failed to deliver justice for the victims of 9/11. The prison where 780 Muslim men and boys were detained following the 9/11 attacks was designed to evade legal constraints. It was where Bush administration officials first utilized torture and it is emblematic of U.S. post-9/11 abandonment of the rule of law. Human rights activists-- including 9/11 family members, clergy, and American Muslim organizations-- call on President Biden to act now. READ MORE
Webinar: Asia-Pacific Political Economy: Dynamics and Their Implications
The United States and China are engaged in an intensifying struggle for primacy in the Indo-Pacific region. This webinar will examine the multifaceted economic dynamics of the world's fastest growing region, and the role they play in the complex multi-polar politics and rising political and military tensions there. The featured speakers will be Walden Bello, Focus on Global South & University of the Philippines, Juliet Lu, Cornell University, and Achin Vanaik, Transnational Institute and University of Delhi (ret). For additional information and to register, READ MORE
Newly launched Committee for a SANE U.S.-- China Policy hosts webinar
On Wednesday January 27th at 4 PM EST/1 PM PST, the Committee will host a webinar, "Biden and China: Challenges & Opportunities," featuring Committee co-founder Michael Klare, Rachel Esplin Odell of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, and Prof. Zhiqun Zhu of Bucknell University. Click here to register. For more information about the Committee and for resources on divisive issues in U.S.-China relations, including Taiwan, the South China Sea, trade and technology, the U.S.-China-Japan triangle, and nuclear weapons and arms control, visit saneuschinapolicy.org
President Trump's pardon of the Blackwater guards convicted for killing Iraqi civilians in Nisour Square provokes outrage
Four former private military contractors convicted of murder and manslaughter in the deaths of Iraqi civilians in the 2007 Nisour Square massacre received Presidential pardons in the waning days of the Trump administration. They had worked for Blackwater, which was founded by Erik Prince, a strong Trump supporter and the brother of Betsy DeVos, who served in Trump's Cabinet as Secretary of Education. The families of those killed are outraged and the UN has condemned the pardons. READ MORE
China is NOT Our Enemy! Tell PBS: Don't Censor the Truth About China!
PBS has taken down "Voices from the Frontline: China's War on Poverty", a documentary directed by award winning Peter Getzels and co-produced by PBS-SoCal with a foundation led by Robert Lawrence Kuhn. This documentary reveals how China took 100 million citizens out of poverty. PBS is impoverishing its viewers by censoring this documentary and contributing to anti-China rhetoric. Tell PBS to stop censoring the truth and release the film.
CODEPINK Statement on White Supremacist Attack on the Capitol on January 6th
As a feminist peace organization known for our peaceful and creative disruptions inside the United States Capitol Building, we want to respond to assertions we've seen that our activities are equivalent to the events that took place on January 6th, 2021 at the United States Capitol Building. We stand in complete opposition to both the political goals and violent tactics of the white supremacists who stormed the Capitol building on January 6, 2021. Read our full statement here.
The Department of Defense Releases Report on Defense Spending by State in Fiscal Year 2019
As someone who's part of the peace movement, you should read the most recent report released by the Department of Defense which details Defense Spending by State in 2019. The Pentagon budget and our military spending more broadly is a notoriously opaque process -- this report offers an opportunity for anti-war activists to dig deeper into how much is spent on "military personnel and contract spending in their localities" and includes an illuminating chart on the top ten recipients of Defense contracts in the year 2019. The report is written by the DOD, so it's written from a worldview you'll likely find objectionable, however, it's well worth the read. Find the full report and summary here.
Join the Peace Collective, created for young folks who want to become part of the peace movement!
We're constantly told we don't have enough money to give healthcare to everyone for free, or cancel student debt, or provide universal housing. At the same time, we're told that we have enough to spend $2 billion a day on the Pentagon; that we have enough to be involved in never-ending wars. That's why all the twenty-somethings at CODEPINK have launched a peace collective for young people. The Peace Collective will be what you want to make of it. We can get in and out of the trenches as we need to together, but ultimately this experience is for the community that we will build. If you're under 30, join the peace collective today! Or, you can pass this along to young people in your life.
UFPJ is a diverse network of peace and justice organizations. If your organization is interested in joining UFPJ, please read our Unity Statement, and if it is consistent with your principles click here to join.
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