United for People, Peace and Planet

We are tired of being ignored and our lives left to those who claim to be for us,
but who act against us.
Pamela Garrison, West Virginia Poor People's Campaign

Join the movement to #CutThePentagon for People, Planet, Peace, and a Future!
Just weeks after lobbying to pass a $780 billion Pentagon budget, war profiteer Lockheed Martin is reportedly working overtime against proposed legislation that would expand healthcare, education, and green jobs. Why? Because Congress wants to pay for the #BuildBackBetter agenda by raising corporate taxes on some of the world's largest war profiteers. So, to anyone asking how we'll pay for healthcare, education, and green jobs tell them we need to #CutThePentagon by $350 billion, which is equal to the annual cost of the #BuildBackBetter agenda. That's why we're building a coalition of groups with a commitment to be in the streets with peaceful direct actions, theater, disruptions, and teach-ins to #CutThePentagon. Learn more about the movement to #CutThePentagon here.

UFPJ Webinar: The Costs of War at Home
As part of the CODE PINK call to #CutThePentagon, UFPJ will host a webinar in November highlighting its member groups' work to raise awareness of the impacts of war industries in communities around the U.S. The webinar will include approaches ranging from focusing on particular armament companies to the use of local resolutions to educate publics about endless funding for the military while the frontline services provided by local government are short-changed. The webinar will also cover how working with national networks can leverage the power of local activism, connecting with broader social justice movements, and the imperative of bringing a new generation of peacemakers into the work. This webinar has not yet been assigned a time slot; check the Cut the Pentagon Campaign page for updates.

War is NOT Green!
COP26 is the most important international climate talk since Paris. Every nation will "ratchet up" its climate commitments made in Paris. We hope that many corporations will make new climate commitments in the lead-up to the Glasgow Climate Talks. But did you know that the Pentagon is the single largest emitter of greenhouse gases? Join us in demanding that this year in Glasgow, the United Nations Climate Talks Conference (COP26) includes reducing military GHG emissions! Sign the petition here and visit the CODEPINK COP26 page to learn more about in person actions and events in Glasgow, Scotland!

Poor People's Campaign: 2020 Election Study Shows Low Income Voters Can't Be Ignored
On October 15, at an online national press conference, the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, released a groundbreaking study about the power of poor and low-income voters in the 2020 elections. The study, titled "Waking the Sleeping Giant: Low-Income Voters and the 2020 Elections" shows that poor and low-income voters are the key to shifting the political terrain in this nation, and is the basis for a roadmap to building the Third Reconstruction. The press conference kicked off the virtual Poor People's Moral Action Congress: Building Power: Organizing from the Bottom Up, and was followed on October 18 with a National Town Hall, "It's Time for a Third Reconstruction." READ MORE.

International Month of Action Against AFRICOM
October 1, 2021 marks 13 years since the United States African Command (AFRICOM) was established. The purpose of AFRICOM is to use U.S. military power to impose U.S. control of African land, resources and labor to service the needs of U.S. multinational corporations and the wealthy in the United States. The Black Alliance for Peace's (BAP) International Month of Action Against AFRICOM aims to raise the public's awareness about the U.S. military's existence in Africa, and how the presence of U.S. forces exacerbates violence and instability throughout the continent. As part of the International Month of Action Against AFRICOM, BAP demands complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Africa; demilitarization of the African continent; and closure of U.S. bases throughout the world. READ MORE

Webinar: Taiwan, U.S., and China: The World's Most Dangerous Flashpoint? Oct 27, 2021 7:30 PM EDT
As tensions between the U.S. and China have ratcheted up, Taiwan has emerged as a major flashpoint in world affairs. In a May 1 cover story, The Economist magazine called Taiwan "the Most dangerous place on Earth." China has threatened to invade Taiwan if it declares independence, while American officials have suggested that such a move could trigger U.S. military intervention - igniting a three-way conflict that could easily escalate into a nuclear conflagration. Caught in the middle of all this are the people of Taiwan themselves, who prize their democratic system but fear being drawn into a superpower conflict. REGISTER HERE for a panel discussion with Prof. Zhiqun Zhu, Brian Chee Sing-Hioe, Prof. Michael Klare, and Prof. Aviva Chomsky.

Join Korea Peace Advocacy Week in November!
From Nov. 1 - 4, urge members of Congress to support legislation for peace in Korea: Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act - H.R.3446; Enhancing North Korea Humanitarian Assistance Act - H.R.1504/ S.690; Korean War Divided Families Reunification Act - S.2688. From Nov. 1- 4, there will be two daily Zoom calls (one during the day and one in the evening). You may join one call or participate as much as you'd like! Before Saturday, Oct. 31, REGISTER HERE for the call. Indicate which date(s) and time(s) you'd like to attend. Once you register, you'll be sent a Zoom link. During the Zoom call, following training, everyone will place themselves on mute while they call and/or email their member of Congress to ask them to support legislation for Korea peace.

Reclaim Armistice Day: November 11, 2021
Following the end of the First World War, nations mourning their dead collectively called for an end to all wars. Armistice Day was born as "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated." After World War II, the U.S. Congress rebranded November 11 as Veterans Day. Honoring the warrior quickly morphed into honoring the military and glorifying war. Armistice Day was flipped from a day for peace into a day for displays of militarism. Veterans For Peace has taken the lead in lifting up the original intention of November 11th as a day for peace and is calling on everyone to stand up for peace this Armistice Day. Veterans for Peace has identified 11 ways you can take action this Armistice Day. For additional resources from World Beyond War CLICK HERE.

The Feminist Case for Cutting the Pentagon Budget
After spending over $300 million a day and killing over 70,000 innocent Afghan civilians the cynical claim that the United States bombs countries for women's equality is being exposed as the hideous lie that it is. Despite this fact, there remains a persistent narrative that U.S. militarism can still be deployed in the name of women's rights around the world. If we're serious about advancing women's rights and actually addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing our planet, slashing the enormous $741 billion Pentagon budget and prioritizing spending on education, healthcare, and climate change must be at the heart of our work. Read the full article HERE.

Rev. William Barber II Addresses Vatican Conference on Ending Poverty
Rev. William Barber II, Co-Chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, traveled to the Vatican October 3 - 4 to address a conference focused on ending poverty. "In his most recent encyclical, the Holy Father has made clear that the 'magic theories' of market capitalism have failed and that the world needs a new type of politics that 'promotes dialogue and solidarity and rejects war at all costs,'" Rev. Barber said in a statement. "He agrees with the poor people of this nation: we need a moral revolution of values." Rev. Barber was invited by the Vatican through economist Jeffrey Sachs, who co-hosted the conference. Read Rev. Barber's Remarks to the Pontifical Academy for the Social Sciences on the Role of Moral Fusion Coalitions in the Struggle to End Poverty.

New U.S. Nuclear Weapons Delivery Platform Flies Under the Radar
The F-35A stealth fighter, one of three F35 variants, soon will be equipped to deliver nuclear weapons. In early October it was reported that "A pair of F-35s from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada released dummy nuclear bombs at a nearby test range this month, moving the advanced stealth fighter closer to carrying the world's most powerful weapons into combat." The F35A will be equipped with the refurbished B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb. The F-35 was designed to be a jack of all trades, created to execute multiple missions and replace multiple specialized aircraft, but it has been plagued by massive cost overruns and technical problems. Lockheed Martin is the main corporate beneficiary. Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J.S. Davies ask, " Why Does Congress Fight Over Childcare But Not F-35s?"

Nuclear Weapons Are a Local Issue: Open Letter from Local and State Officials to President Biden and Congress
On September 23, 2021, the Back from the Brink campaign released an Open Letter signed by over 300 local, county and state officials in 41 states. The letter, directed to President Biden and Congress, welcomes the entry-info-force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and "urge[s] bold action and U.S. leadership in the pursuit of global, verifiable nuclear disarmament and concrete policy steps to reduce and eliminate the severe danger nuclear weapons pose to each and every one of our constituents - and all of humanity." The letter signers hope to influence the Biden administration's Nuclear Posture Review, the document that sets U.S. nuclear policy. CLICK HERE to learn more about Back From the Brink. To find out who's on board and how you can get involved, CLICK HERE.

Veterans to President Biden: Just Say No to Nuclear War!
To mark the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, September 26, Veterans For Peace published an Open Letter to President Biden. "As veterans who have fought in multiple U.S. wars," they write, "we are concerned about the very real danger of a nuclear war that would kill millions of people and could possibly even destroy human civilization. Therefore we are asking to have input into the Nuclear Posture Review [NPR] that your administration has recently initiated." The letter raises concerns about the lack of transparency around the NPR, and makes 10 specific recommendations, concluding, "It will be a real leap forward for transparency and for our democracy if representatives of peace and disarmament NGO's are given access to this critically important process."

"AUKUS: Why We Say No" Emergency Online Rally - video recording now available
The announcement of AUKUS - the new military partnership between the UK, the US and Australia - is a dangerous escalation in the West's ongoing confrontation with China. On September 23, CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament UK) and Stop the War (UK), virtually hosted an international panel of experts and activists to discuss the dangers ahead and the need to organize. Speakers included Jeremy Corbyn MP; Marian Hobbs, former New Zealand Minister of Disarmament; Phyllis Bennis, US author and activist; Denis Doherty, Australian anti-bases campaign; Paul Rogers, Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies, Bradford University; Lindsey German, Stop the War; Jenny Clegg, China specialist, CND. Chaired by Kate Hudson, CND General Secretary. CLICK HERE to watch a recording of this exceptional discussion.

Webinar: Peace Movements' Perspectives on the AUKUS Military Pact - video recording now available
This international webinar addressed the new AUKUS security partnership of Australia, the US, and the UK. AUKUS raises tensions in the Indo Pacific, targeting China and reshaping the increasingly dangerous global disorder. This pact further intensifies the Indo-Pacific as a major theatre of US militarism and sets the goal for the nuclearization of the high seas. It threatens the international nonproliferation regime and encourages many countries to enhance nuclear capabilities. It also destabilizes the countries of Southeast Asia, the Pacific and Indian Ocean Island countries who will be forced to choose sides between major powers, undermining their sovereignty and independence. The speakers were Walden Bello (Philippines/Southeast Asia), Peter Ong, Electrical Trade Union, (Australia), Hannah Middleton (Australia), Maureen Penjueli (Fiji - TBC), Achin Vanaik (India), Dave Webb (UK), Joseph Gerson (US). WATCH HERE.

Stop Funding Regime Change in Cuba!
As corporate politicians try to nickel and dime us out of social services, the funds for war and regime change never seem to dry up. Every year the U.S. spends our tax money on finding new ways to try to undermine the Cuban government. Whether it's fake HIV prevention workshops designed to radicalize and recruit youth, promoting anti-government hip-hop artists, flying a "propaganda plane" over Cuba that reaches almost no one, backing Spanish-language anti-government websites and other media based in Florida, or tightening the blockade during a pandemic to make people desperate, the U.S. has pumped hundreds of millions into regime change. Take action to STOP funding regime change in Cuba!

Readers—Drop us a Line!
We are in the fall of the year, when everything seems to speed up after the summer. The number of issues and UFPJ member group actions in this month's newsletter shows how much is going on, and how much work lies ahead. Let's become an even stronger network of peace and justice activists, as we take up the many strands of our work together. Our peace and justice movements grow stronger as we learn to talk with each other more and more. We invite your reactions to items you read here. When a response comes to mind, please write a quick note to us at ufpjnewsletter(at)gmail.com Help start a conversation among us.

Welcoming Two New UFPJ Member Groups!
Peaceworks Kansas City, based in Kansas City, Missouri works on a range of issues including drones, nuclear weapons, economic justice, racism, incarceration and the death penalty in pursuit of "a world of peace without war and its weapons. . . Our members speak up and act up in support of justice and peace, offering nonviolent witness to raise public awareness and influence policy makers."

The Olympia Coalition to Abolish Nuclear Weapons works with other anti-nuclear groups in Washington state to build a local movement against nuclear weapons. "From the largest concentration of nuclear weapons in the US located at Bangor, WA, to Hanford, the most contaminated nuclear site in the Western Hemisphere, to the poisonous remains of uranium mining on the Spokane Tribe of Indians Reservation, these are issues that all Washington residents should know about, and that all elected officials have a duty to address."

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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