June 2022
We declare that we will use our full power to force this democracy to reckon with its people's plight. We will not be silenced and we will not go unheard! This movement will not be turned around or turned back!
Movement Declaration to Reconstruct American Democracy
Poor People's Campaign Moral March on Washington
June 18, 2022: UFPJ Joins the Poor People's Campaign Mass Poor People's and Low Wage Workers Assembly and March on Washington -- Not Just a Demonstration, a Declaration!
After months of planning the big day arrived, as United for Peace & Justice joined the Poor People's Campaign in Washington, DC on June 18 for its Mass Poor People's and Low-Wage Workers Assembly and March on Washington and to the Polls. June 18 was a glorious, mild, sunny day, as we joined tens of thousands of people from all walks of life and dozens of states around the country in a display of "moral fusion" solidarity, raising up the interlocking injustices of systemic poverty, systemic racism, environmental devastation, militarism and the war economy, and the distorted moral narrative of religious nationalism. Poor people and their allies came together to speak with one voice for the "revolution of values" called for by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. more than 50 years ago. READ MORE.
Ukraine War Resources
The Ukraine war goes on, and so does the debate over how those working for peace should respond. United for Peace & Justice continues to update our Ukraine resource page with materials ranging from organizational statements by peace groups to commentary from the Ukraine independent Left to statements by the Russian government. Some links worth visiting include a new site featuring commentary from Russia, Ukraine, and their neighbors, including interviews with Russian student anti-war activists, and the Permanent Assembly Against the War, bringing together antiwar activists from across Europe.
U.S. Conference of Mayors Adopts Bold New Mayors for Peace Resolution
At the close of its 90th Annual Meeting in Reno, Nevada, on June 6, the final plenary of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) unanimously adopted a sweeping new resolution, titled "Forging a Path to Peace and Common Security." The resolution calls for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine, global elimination of nuclear weapons, and the redirection of military and nuclear weapons spending to support safe and resilient cities and meet human needs. This is the seventeenth consecutive year the USCM has adopted resolutions submitted by U.S. members of Mayors for Peace. The USCM is the official nonpartisan association of America's big cities. Resolutions adopted at its annual meetings become official policy that guides the organization's advocacy efforts for the coming year. READ MORE.
TPNW Unites World Governments and Global Abolition Movement at First Meeting in Vienna
From June 21-23 the First Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) was held at the United Nations in Vienna, with friends, allies, and members of UFPJ groups in attendance. It is the first time member states met since the TPNW was negotiated in 2017. The treaty entered into force in 2021, following ratification by 50 governments. As the number of states parties continues to grow, further pressuring nuclear armed states and their allies to act on abolition, this Meeting of States Parties laid out the practical matters and process for implementation of the totality of the legally binding treaty, "until every nuclear weapon is eliminated from the earth." Read the full story by Matt De Vlieger, former UFPJ National Coordinator, reporting from Vienna.
Meeting of Nuclear Ban Treaty Condemns Nuclear Threats
Threats to use nuclear weapons made this year by the Russian government have surfaced a reality long suppressed in the media and public sphere: the incredible peril posed by the ongoing reliance of Russian, American, and other governments on their nuclear arsenals. At the first meeting of states parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, held June 21-23, this reality was front and center. The declaration adopted by the meeting states: "We are alarmed and dismayed by threats to use nuclear weapons and increasingly strident nuclear rhetoric. We stress that any use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is a violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations. We condemn unequivocally any and all nuclear threats..." READ MORE.
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows Supports the Legally Required Release of Guantanamo Detainee Majid Khan
Peaceful Tomorrows has long supported plea agreements to end the Guantanamo military commissions and pave the way to ultimately close the Guantanamo detention facility. Toward this end, on June 14, Peaceful Tomorrows submitted an amicus brief in support of Majid Khan, the first "high-value detainee" held at Guantanamo to settle a case in the military commissions through a plea agreement. Mr. Khan's sentence ended on March 1 of this year. He nonetheless remains detained at Guantanamo, without a foreseeable prospect of release. As Peaceful Tomorrows' amicus brief states: "if the government's obligations under the plea agreement are not enforced, any ongoing plea discussions involving the 9/11 Defendants are likely to fail." Peaceful Tomorrows argues that the government must expedite Khan's timely release. READ MORE.
The Golden Rule: Sailing for Peace in a Time of War
The possibility of nuclear war looms larger than at any time since the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. Militarism is on the rise and the world is on edge. This is the political climate as Veterans For Peace prepares to launch the Golden Rule anti-nuclear sailboat on an epic voyage around the "Great Loop" of the midwestern, southern and northeastern U.S. The historic peace boat will begin sailing in September from Minneapolis, down the Mississippi River along the Gulf Coast, around Florida, up the Intercoastal Waterway and through the Great Lakes, making stops in nearly 100 cities. "We will be sailing for a nuclear-free world and a peaceful, sustainable future," says Helen Jaccard, Golden Rule project manager. "We believe that people are ready to take peace into their own hands." READ MORE.
#SaveBrahim, My Friend, 21-Year Old Surrendered Ukrainian Soldier Sentenced to Death
This month, I got unbelievable news which I still haven't fully processed. A Russian-proxy court in the unrecognized DPR sentenced three surrendered soldiers to DEATH. "2 Britons, 1 Moroccan," the headlines read; the three men pictured behind bars; the Moroccan, my friend. I'm asking you to follow #SaveBrahim and share his story. I met Bryan aka Brahim Saadoune, in Kyiv on my first visit to Ukraine in September 2021. The 21-year-old on a student visa at the Polytechnic University opened up to me about his life and uncertainty about his future. When I returned in January, he was not around. I heard from a mutual friend that he'd joined the Ukrainian military -- part of a condition for him to remain in Kyiv. Never did we imagine he'd soon be at war and worse. Read more from MaTT De Vlieger.
40 Years Later: Time for a New Movement to Prevent Nuclear War and Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
June 12, 2022 was the 40th anniversary of the largest peace demonstration in U.S. history, when one million people marched from the United Nations and rallied in New York City's Central Park to demand the elimination of nuclear weapons. United for Peace & Justice was a co-sponsor of two online events commemorating this historic anniversary and looking ahead: "Inspired by Our Past, Organizing for Our Future;" and The "Defuse Nuclear War" Live Stream. The first featured UFPJ National Organizer, George Friday, on "Race, Class and Nuclear Weapons." Both featured UFPJ founding National Organizer Leslie Cagan, who was the lead organizer of the 1982 march and rally. Read Leslie's article in the Nation, "Why the Spirit of June 12, 1982 Matters; Time for a new movement to stop the nuclear arms race."
Civil Disobedience and Nuclear Abolition Webinar
Forty years ago, one million people protested in New York City demanding nuclear disarmament. In celebration of this historic rally, CODEPINK, War Resisters League, World Can't Wait and others came together for a webinar titled Civil Disobedience and Nuclear Abolition: Saying No to Nuclear War through Nonviolent Direct Action. Moderated by CODEPINK's Sophie Shepherd, the panelists included Ruth Benn, Ed Hedermann and Sally Jones. Not only did they discuss the importance of the 1982 rally and accompanying direct actions in which hundreds of activists were arrested for blockading UN missions; they also spoke about the future of civil disobedience for nuclear abolition, including an upcoming August protest for the UN Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference in New York. Check it out here!
Tell Your Rep to Support the New War Powers Resolution for Yemen!
The United States continues to support the Saudi-led war on Yemen, despite President Biden's announcement in February 2021 that the U.S. would halt all offensive support for the Saudi coalition. The Pentagon and its contractors continue to supply spare parts and assist in upkeep for the Saudi Royal Air Force, which enforces the cruel blockade on Yemenis and bombards civilian areas with airstrikes. A new War Powers Resolution would send a message to Saudi Arabia that the United States will not stand for its human rights violations in Yemen. Reps. Jayapal and DeFazio are introducing a War Powers Resolution to end U.S. support and it needs more cosponsors. Contact your Representative here!
Tell Congress: It's Time for Peace with North Korea
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Tensions between the U.S. and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK or "North Korea") are on the rise again. In recent weeks, North Korea has conducted missile tests, and the U.S. and South Korea have responded with missile of tests of their own. Moreover, a recent outbreak of COVID-19 in North Korea threatens a population that is already experiencing shortages of food and basic supplies. Today it's as urgent as ever for the U.S. to work toward a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War. A peace agreement would be a crucial step toward nuclear disarmament, and without it renewed military conflict could erupt at any moment. It would also help reunite thousands of families who have been separated for over 70 years. Call on Congress today to take action.
Defund the OAS!
A few months ago, CODEPINK published an article titled 10 reasons why OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro has to go! But the problems of the Organization of American States (OAS) go way beyond its current leader. The OAS promotes coups, ignores human rights issues in countries allied with the U.S., and consistently interferes in Haiti. Roughly 70% of OAS funding comes from our tax dollars! In Latin America, serious questions are being raised about replacing the OAS because it is seen as a tool of the U.S. State Department. Here at home, Reps. Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) and Susan Wild (PA-07) have led the way in exposing the OAS by asking questions about its role in the 2019 coup in Bolivia. Join us in asking them to go further and defund the OAS!
People's Summit for Democracy -- Recap
The People's Summit for Democracy was held in Los Angeles from June 8 to 10. It was three days of panels, workshops, art and culture to uplift the voices of the people and imagine a better world. Thousands of people came together in L.A. to reject Biden's Summit of the Americas, dubbed the Summit of Exclusion for his refusal to invite Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Check out a recap of the People's Summit here, which includes links to panels in which CODEPINK participated, such as the Let Cuba Live! Young Voices Against the Blockade, A Conversation with Venezuelan Feminists, and The Struggle for Sovereignty. Videos of all the panels are available on The People's Summit YouTube page.
Setting the Precedent for a Peace Dividend
In a recent article, CODEPINK organizer Shea Leibow welcomes the Biden administration's use of the Defense Production Act to speed up production of clean energy infrastructure, including solar energy, heat pumps, insulation and more. However, relying on this law is a double-edged sword, as it is routinely used to increase military spending. Shea asks: "What would it look like to go beyond the Defense Production Act and move substantial funding from the Pentagon budget towards the transition to renewable energy, as the Energy Security and Independence Act of 2022 calls for?"
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