Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Casualties of War in Vietnam, 1967
This War Needed to End Rev. William Barber II, Co-Chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, writing in The Atlantic, offers some critical reflections on the crisis in Afghanistan. Commending Representative Barbara Lee of California for her prescient lone vote, days after the 9/11 attacks, against giving President George W. Bush the authority to wage unlimited war in the name of stopping terrorism, Barber asks, "Can anyone really claim to be surprised to see... how tragic the end of the United States' involvement in this multifaceted war has proved to be?" He concludes, "[W]e must begin to repent for.... insisting that bombs and missiles and drones and tanks could ever bring peace.... And we must... do whatever we can to help our desperate sisters and brothers in Afghanistan." READ MORE.
Tell Secretary Blinken: Keep the Embassy in Kabul Open & Increase Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan! We, the undersigned, join retired U.S. Army Colonel and Diplomat Ann Wright in urging Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to keep the U.S. Embassy in Kabul open. Additionally, we are deeply concerned about the escalating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Over 500,000 Afghans, 80 percent of whom are women and children, became displaced inside Afghanistan this year, adding to the already about three million internal refugees in urgent need of food, shelter, clean water, and medical care. SIGN THE PETITION HERE.
Time to Declare: "There Can Be No Successful War on Terror" September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, a founding member of the UFPJ network, organized in solidarity with all victims of war, terrorism and political violence following members' January 2002 trip to Kabul. The tragic unfolding of events in Afghanistan today is cause for horror and mourning, but should come as no surprise. As Dr. King astutely observed, "wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows." It is time to recognize that no "War on Terror" will ever be won. "As the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks looms," writes Peaceful Tomorrows' member, Terry Kay Rockefeller, "we continue to search for alternatives to war and an understanding of the underlying causes of terrorism, but increasingly we are focused on dismantling the entire legal and policy architecture of the 'War on Terror'." READ MORE.
Afghanistan: Who is to Blame and What's Next? The U.S. withdrawal has been a mess. The world has watched the shocking scenes of Afghans at Kabul airport attempting desperately to escape the coming rule of the Taliban. With the collapse of the U.S-backed Afghan government and the Taliban set to return to a position of power they occupied 20 years ago, who is responsible for this colossal failure? What can we do to make sure that lessons are learned that will stop the US government from future invasions/occupations? In the days, weeks, and months to come, accountability will be vital. The U.S. must learn from this debacle by investigating, and holding people accountable, for 20 years of epic failure. For more,watch the CODEPINK webinar Afghanistan: Who's to Blame and What Next?
The crisis in Afghanistan demands united action by all peace and justice activists! PLEASE DONATE TODAY to keep the UFPJ network strong--a vital and vibrant means to share thoughts and actions. And then let us hear from you!
Sharing Our Reactions about Afghanistan The way things ended in Afghanistan caught everyone off guard. How have folks in your community been responding? How do we seize this moment and make it work for peace? Seeing in real time how this longest of American wars ended may give enough American citizens pause, so that war itself can be re-examined in our society. Now, viewing this chaotic ending, perhaps people will question more deeply why United States foreign policy concentrates on violence as solution to conflict. How much longer can we tolerate the pursuit of global military dominance to be American policy? Does your group have ideas about how to keep lessons learned from fading? How do we work together for better anti-war strategies? We want to hear from you. PLEASE REPLY TO ufpjnewsletter(at)gmail.com
Watch the Webinar: The U.S. Forever Wars: From Afghanistan to China Join CODEPINK and the China Is Not Our Enemy campaign for an exclusive conversation with Jodie Evans and Vijay Prashad on "The United States' Forever Wars: From Afghanistan to China," to hear about the underlying connections between the U.S. Military Industrial Complex's war in Afghanistan, the escalation of its hybrid war on China, and why humanitarian war is an oxymoron. This webinar will cover important topics and questions, including, with recent calls from the media and politicians to enact sanctions on the new government of Afghanistan, how should anti-war activists respond? And, now that the United States is quietly ending the "war on terror," how can we ensure that we don't launch ourselves into another decades-long forever war? WATCH THE WEBINAR HERE.
The Poor People's Campaign: A Season of Nonviolent Moral Direct Action to Save Our Democracy The Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival has just wrapped up A Season of Nonviolent Moral Direct Action to Save Our Democracy, focused on four demands of U.S. Senators: 1) End the filibuster NOW; 2) Pass ALL provisions of the For the People Act; 3) FULLY restore the 1965 Voting Rights Act; and 4) RAISE the federal minimum wage to $15/hr. On August 26, West Virginians came together for a Mass Moral Motorcade on Manchin, to demand Senator Manchin have the moral courage to meet these demands. The Season of Nonviolent Moral Direct Action to Save Our Democracy kicks off a campaign building toward a massive Moral March and Poor People's & Low-Wage Workers Assembly on June 18, 2022, in Washington, D.C. READ MORE
"ACTS of Reimagining" Workshop Compares "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act" and the "People's Response Act" In the summer of 2020, people in the United States were forced to acknowledge and grapple with the violence, systemic injustice and inequity that Black Americans have been subjected to in this country. With the death of George Floyd being recorded and shared all over the world, we urgently began to ask ourselves what can be done to make systemic changes in our laws, police forces, incarceration practices, and our justice system so we could finally be a nation where Black Lives Mattered. The "ACTS of Reimagining" Workshop was designed by Brooklyn For Peace www.brooklynpeace.org, to educate ourselves about the concrete legislation which has emerged following the tremendous popular uprisings in 2020. READ MORE
Nuclear Weapons and Climate Change: Shine a Light, Stop the Hate, Lower the Heat On August 6, the 76th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, UFPJ member groups including Western States Legal Foundation and Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment (CAREs) held a "hybrid" live/virtual rally at the Livermore Nuclear Weapons Laboratory in California, "Nuclear Weapons and Climate Change: Shine a Light, Stop the Hate, Lower the Heat." Speakers were Nagasaki A-bomb survivor Nobuaki Hanaoka; Marylia Kelley, Tri-Valley CAREs; John Burroughs, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy; keynote Daniel Ellsberg; Marcina Langrine and Benetick Kabua Maddison, Marshallese Education Initiative; Tsukuru Fors, Pacific Asian Nuclear-Free Peace Alliance; Nell Myhand, California Poor People's Campaign; and Jackie Cabasso, Western States Legal Foundation. READ MORE
We remember the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki On August 8, 2021 PeaceWorks KC, along with many of its allies, gathered at the massive Kansas City Nuclear Parts Plant to remember the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Dave Pack, treasurer of PeaceWorks, said that when the U.S. detonated two nuclear weapons over the Japanese cities, about 226,000 people lost their lives in the first four months following. Most of these people were innocent civilians. He said, "We come in remembrance. We come in moral opposition to the production of nuclear weapons. We come to strengthen our determination to change U.S. nuclear policy, to increase our resolve and our political opposition to these immoral weapons, and to be in community." READ MORE
Peace Wave 2021 August 6 and 9, 2021 marked the 76th anniversaries of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In connection with its annual World Conference against A and H Bombs, Gensuikyo (Japan Conference Against A and H Bombs) called for a "Peace Wave 2021", a wave of grass-roots actions for the abolition of nuclear weapons starting on August 2 from Japan, moving westward and spreading across the world like a chain reaction, along with the rotation of the globe. Gensuikyo has compiled an amazing, richly illustrated report on hundreds of 2021 Peace Wave actions that took place in New Zealand, Japan, the Philippines, Nepal, India, Ukraine, Finland, Norway, Lithuania, Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, U.K., Togo, Canada, and the U.S.CHECK OUT THE AUGUST 2021 PEACE WAVE NEWSLETTER.
Calling on the U.S. Government to Negotiate the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons On July 27, 2021, the Berkeley, CA City Council unanimously adopted a resolution "Calling on the U.S. to Negotiate the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons". Reciting the history of U.S. obligations under international law, beginning with the first United Nations General Assembly resolution in 1946, the resolution "calls on the United States government to reverse its opposition to the 2021 [Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons] TPNW and to welcome the Treaty as a positive step towards negotiation of a comprehensive agreement on the achievement and permanent maintenance of a world free of nuclear weapons, in conformity with requirements of international law preceding the TPNW by decades." See City Council Regular Meeting eAgenda, July 27, 2021, consent calendar, item 26.
Charles Carney Walks Across Kansas into Missouri for Peace, Justice, and the Climate Crisis Charles Carney, a member PeaceWorks Kansas City, has begun a 273-mile walk from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas to the massive nuclear weapons parts plant, operated by Honeywell, in Kansas City, MO. Charles is drawing attention to the government's massive spending on nuclear weapons and war. When the government focuses its spending, in trillions of dollars, on death and destruction, it does not effectively address the climate crisis, healthcare and poverty in America. Charles is posting his stories at https://peaceworkskc.org/READ his story of Day 1 August 10th.
Report the UK to the UN for Breaking International Law The UK Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is reporting the UK government to the United Nations for breaking international law and they're asking for international support. The UK government has announced it will increase the number of nuclear warheads in its arsenal for the first time since the Cold War. A legal opinion commissioned by CNDhas confirmed this is a breach of international law. As a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), the UK has committed to working towards disarmament. Instead, it is going the other way and getting more nuclear weapons! CND is reporting the UK to the President-designate of the upcoming NPT Review Conference--a significant international summit to monitor progress, or lack thereof, on implementation of the Treaty. ADD YOUR SUPPORT HERE.
Tell Congress that sanctions will harm the Nicaraguan people! Does this sound familiar? The U.S. funds and trains opposition to a socialist government. Members of the opposition engage in a violent attempted coup, which the U.S. frames as a democracy movement. Then the U.S. increases the pressure by imposing devastating sanctions. The good news is we have a chance to pump the brakes on this plan by stopping a bill in the House.The RENACER Act is a proposed law that lays down a blueprint for regime change in Nicaragua by making the economy scream. If passed, it would give future administrations the legal framework for imposing broad sectoral sanctions and the justification for more coup attempts.SIGN HERE!
The Power of the Pen: 120 Groups Join in Call for Olympic Moment of Silence United for Peace & Justice was among120 groups in the U.S. and across the world who joined a call for a moment of silence during the August 6, 2021 Olympic competition. The moment would have marked the 76th anniversary of the U.S. nuclear attack on Hiroshima. Yasuaki Yamashita, a Nagasaki hibakusha (survivor) explained: "As a young man I had the privilege to travel from Nagasaki to Mexico City in 1968 working for the Japanese press during the Olympic Games. There was a profound feeling of unification and peace enjoyed by people from all over the world to realize our common bond of humanity. For the IOC to reject the idea of spending one minute in silent prayer to honor those who perished in Hiroshima and Nagasaki runs counter to the Olympic spirit itself." READ THE OPEN LETTER.
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
PLEASE DONATE to help us continue sending out "UFPJ Currents" to our members and supporters. And THANK YOU for all your work for peace and justice!
Sent via ActionNetwork.org.
To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from United for Peace & Justice, please click here.
Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows.
Rev. William Barber II, Co-Chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, 
We, the undersigned, join retired U.S. Army Colonel and Diplomat Ann Wright in urging Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to keep the U.S. Embassy in Kabul open. Additionally, we are deeply concerned about the escalating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Over 500,000 Afghans, 80 percent of whom are women and children, became displaced inside Afghanistan this year, adding to the already about three million internal refugees in urgent need of food, shelter, clean water, and medical care. 
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, a founding member of the UFPJ network, organized in solidarity with all victims of war, terrorism and political violence following members' January 2002 trip to Kabul. The tragic unfolding of events in Afghanistan today is cause for horror and mourning, but should come as no surprise. As Dr. King astutely observed, "wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows." It is time to recognize that no "War on Terror" will ever be won. "As the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks looms," writes Peaceful Tomorrows' member, Terry Kay Rockefeller, "we continue to search for alternatives to war and an understanding of the underlying causes of terrorism, but increasingly we are focused on dismantling the entire legal and policy architecture of the 'War on Terror'." 
The U.S. withdrawal has been a mess. The world has watched the shocking scenes of Afghans at Kabul airport attempting desperately to escape the coming rule of the Taliban. With the collapse of the U.S-backed Afghan government and the Taliban set to return to a position of power they occupied 20 years ago, who is responsible for this colossal failure? What can we do to make sure that lessons are learned that will stop the US government from future invasions/occupations? In the days, weeks, and months to come, accountability will be vital. The U.S. must learn from this debacle by investigating, and holding people accountable, for 20 years of epic failure. For more, 
The way things ended in Afghanistan caught everyone off guard. How have folks in your community been responding? How do we seize this moment and make it work for peace? Seeing in real time how this longest of American wars ended may give enough American citizens pause, so that war itself can be re-examined in our society. Now, viewing this chaotic ending, perhaps people will question more deeply why United States foreign policy concentrates on violence as solution to conflict. How much longer can we tolerate the pursuit of global military dominance to be American policy? Does your group have ideas about how to keep lessons learned from fading? How do we work together for better anti-war strategies? We want to hear from you. PLEASE REPLY TO 
Join CODEPINK and the China Is Not Our Enemy campaign for an exclusive conversation with Jodie Evans and Vijay Prashad on "The United States' Forever Wars: From Afghanistan to China," to hear about the underlying connections between the U.S. Military Industrial Complex's war in Afghanistan, the escalation of its hybrid war on China, and why humanitarian war is an oxymoron. This webinar will cover important topics and questions, including, with recent calls from the media and politicians to enact sanctions on the new government of Afghanistan, how should anti-war activists respond? And, now that the United States is quietly ending the "war on terror," how can we ensure that we don't launch ourselves into another decades-long forever war? 
The Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival
In the summer of 2020, people in the United States were forced to acknowledge and grapple with the violence, systemic injustice and inequity that Black Americans have been subjected to in this country. With the death of George Floyd being recorded and shared all over the world, we urgently began to ask ourselves what can be done to make systemic changes in our laws, police forces, incarceration practices, and our justice system so we could finally be a nation where Black Lives Mattered. The "ACTS of Reimagining" Workshop was designed by Brooklyn For Peace 
On August 6, the 76th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, UFPJ member groups including Western States Legal Foundation and Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment (CAREs) held a "hybrid" live/virtual rally at the Livermore Nuclear Weapons Laboratory in California, "
On August 8, 2021 PeaceWorks KC, along with many of its allies, gathered at the massive Kansas City Nuclear Parts Plant to remember the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Dave Pack, treasurer of PeaceWorks, said that when the U.S. detonated two nuclear weapons over the Japanese cities, about 226,000 people lost their lives in the first four months following. Most of these people were innocent civilians. He said, "We come in remembrance. We come in moral opposition to the production of nuclear weapons. We come to strengthen our determination to change U.S. nuclear policy, to increase our resolve and our political opposition to these immoral weapons, and to be in community." 
August 6 and 9, 2021 marked the 76th anniversaries of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In connection with its annual World Conference against A and H Bombs, Gensuikyo (Japan Conference Against A and H Bombs) called for a "Peace Wave 2021", a wave of grass-roots actions for the abolition of nuclear weapons starting on August 2 from Japan, moving westward and spreading across the world like a chain reaction, along with the rotation of the globe. Gensuikyo has compiled an amazing, richly illustrated report on hundreds of 2021 Peace Wave actions that took place in New Zealand, Japan, the Philippines, Nepal, India, Ukraine, Finland, Norway, Lithuania, Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, U.K., Togo, Canada, and the U.S. 
On July 27, 2021, the Berkeley, CA City Council unanimously adopted a resolution "Calling on the U.S. to Negotiate the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons". Reciting the history of U.S. obligations under international law, beginning with the first United Nations General Assembly resolution in 1946, the resolution "calls on the United States government to reverse its opposition to the 2021 [Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons] TPNW and to welcome the Treaty as a positive step towards negotiation of a comprehensive agreement on the achievement and permanent maintenance of a world free of nuclear weapons, in conformity with requirements of international law preceding the TPNW by decades." See 
Charles Carney, a member PeaceWorks Kansas City, has begun a 273-mile walk from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas to the massive nuclear weapons parts plant, operated by Honeywell, in Kansas City, MO. Charles is drawing attention to the government's massive spending on nuclear weapons and war. When the government focuses its spending, in trillions of dollars, on death and destruction, it does not effectively address the climate crisis, healthcare and poverty in America. Charles is posting his stories at 
The UK 
Does this sound familiar? The U.S. funds and trains opposition to a socialist government. Members of the opposition engage in a violent attempted coup, which the U.S. frames as a democracy movement. Then the U.S. increases the pressure by imposing devastating sanctions. The good news is we have a chance to pump the brakes on this plan by stopping a bill in the House.The RENACER Act is a proposed law that lays down a blueprint for regime change in Nicaragua by making the economy scream. If passed, it would give future administrations the legal framework for imposing broad sectoral sanctions and the justification for more coup attempts. 
United for Peace & Justice was among120 groups in the U.S. and across the world who joined a