I believe in the possibility of a Third Reconstruction. Out all of this grief and struggle we've seen, it's going to cause a massive pushback. I know the history of folk who tend to wield injustice. They always go too far. And they end up producing their own resistance. Rev. William J. Barber II, National Co-Chair The Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival
Members of Congress Call for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons On Nov. 13, Rep. Jim McGovern (MA) hosted a "special order hour" during which he and nine colleagues gave impassioned speeches on the floor of the House about the need to stem the rising danger of nuclear war. Speakers highlighted escalating nuclear threats and advocated for bold solutions like House Resolution 77 and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The other Congressional participants were Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME), Rep. Jim Foster (IL), Rep. John Garamendi (CA), Rep. Don Beyer (VA), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI), Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (CA), Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL), Rep. Dina Titus (NV) and Rep. Barbara Lee (CA), who declared, "This world should not have one nuclear bomb. Our country should lead the effort for nuclear disarmament... We need to eliminate nuclear weapons." Read NuclearBan.US' report. Watch and share the recording!
Poor People's Campaign: If There Ever Was a Moment to Come Together, It Is Now In 2024, the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival (PPC) engaged in an unprecedented push to reach 15 million poor and low-wage infrequent voters, the largest potential swing vote in this country. United for Peace & Justice is a proud mobilizing partner with the PPC. We will not accept the reality of 140 million people living in or one $800 emergency away from poverty. We will continue to work tirelessly to build a forward together non-violent resurrection, not a violent insurrection to shift the political, economic and moral conditions of this country. Mon. Nov. 25 at 8:30pm Eastern/5:30pm Pacific join PPC National Co-Chairs Bishop William J. Barber IIand Rev, Dr. Liz Theoharis for their moral analysis about where we are post-election and to begin to think about how we will continue to move forward together.
Webinar: US mid-range weapons in Germany, Thursday, December 5, 1:00 pm Eastern Time 10:00am Pacific time "The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement." On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington D.C., on July 20, 2024, U.S. President Biden and German Chancellor Scholz announced a bilateral agreement for new U.S. ground-based conventional missile deployments in Germany. The Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons is hosting a webinar to examine the strategic and political implications of the new deployments. Speakers will be
Jürgen Scheffran, Professor (ret.) at Hamburg University, Dan Plesch, Professor of Diplomacy and Strategy at SOAS University of London, and Regina Hagen, spokesperson of the German network "atomwaffenfrei.jetzt" (nuclear-weapons-free now). The webinar will be moderated by Andrew Lichterman, senior research analyst at the Western States Legal Foundation and a member of the Coordinating Committee of UFPJ. Register for the webinar here.
Resolution of the 9/11 Case at Guantánamo Faces Setbacks after Sec. Def. Austin Orders Appeal of Judge's Ruling that Three Defendants Could Plead Guilty On the day after Election Day, the presiding judge in the 9/11 military commission case ayGuantánamo ruled that plea agreements (pretrial agreements or PTAs) with three of the defendants, including "KSM", could not be revoked by Sec. Def. Austin.It took only 2 days for the prosecution to be directed to appeal the judge's ruling. In response, the trial judge ordered two additional weeks of hearings in early January 2025, in advance of Trump's inauguration, signaling his intent to record the PTAs. These truly confusing developments after the prosecution in the 9/11 case spent over 2 years negotiating the PTAs, leave legal scholars asking, "How Much (or How Little) Does the Biden Administration Want Justice in the 9/11 Case?"
Right now, we need new approaches to organizing, approaches that allow us to work across the issue siloes to build broader, more powerful movements first to protect basic rights and democracy, and then to make the deeper changes needed to create a more fair, peaceful, and ecologically sustainable society. UFPJ brings together groups large and small across the country with a variety of focuses, from nuclear disarmament, to stopping the current wars, to human rights, to economic justice.
The Golden Rule Completes Fantastic Pacific Northwest Voyage
The Golden Rule, a project of Veterans for Peace (VFP), has returned safely to her homeport of Humboldt Bay after a three-month voyage throughout the Pacific Northwest. The historic anti-nuclear sailboat visited thirteen cities, participated in two wooden boat shows and took part in three water-based protests. Although the Golden Rule herself was unable arrive in Seattle by the time the Navy brought its war ships into Puget Sound, Golden Rule representatives spoke at the annual protest with VFP and climate action activists. Kayaktivists were also out to make the point that the Seafair summer activities in Seattle should not be taken over by the military. In Tacoma, WA, members of the Marshallese community sailed on the Golden Rule. Enjoy stories and photos from the Pacific Northwest Voyage here. Watch a new film about the Golden Rule here.
Recording: Where Are We Now? And What Does it Mean for Our Movements? As Tom Nichols, professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, wrote in the aftermath of the Presidential election, "Democracy is Not Over... We have work to do." What are the implications of a second Trump regime for immigrants, for the world disorder and the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and for our economy? On Nov. 20, the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament & Common Security and MA Peace Action hosted a webinar to explore the immediate challenges we face and ways that we can best respond as movements and individuals. Speakers were Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Co-Chair of the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, Harris Gruman, Executive Director of the MA Service Employees International Union State Council, and Michael Klare, defense correspondent for The Nation, and professor emeritus of peace and world-security studies at Hampshire College.Watch the recording.
International Criminal Court Issues Arrest Warrants for Leaders of Israeli Government and Hamas On November 21, theInternational Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, "for crimes against humanity and war crimes" from October 8, 2023 onwards. The Pre-Trial Chamber of the ICC found that "the alleged crimes against humanity were part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza." The Court also issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, one of the surviving senior leaders of Hamas, "for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes committed on the territory of the State of Israel and the State of Palestine from at least 7 October 2023," based on attacks on civilians and the seizing and subsequent abuses against hostages. For more information, see the ICC Prosecutor's statement.
Today's Wars and the Nation-State Foundations of the Laws of Armed Conflict: Thoughts on Ways Forward in Work for Peace and Disarmament This new Western States Legal Foundation Commentary, by WSLF senior research analyst Andrew Lichterman (also a UFPJ Coordinating Committee member), addresses the shortcomings of the current law of armed conflict in either reining in the horrific violence of the current wars or providing the groundwork for progress towards nuclear disarmament. It examines the common foundations underlying both the laws of war and the prevalent ways of talking about international matters, and their limitations in a time when authoritarian nationalists hold power in the world's most powerful states. The commentary suggests a different approach more grounded in human rights, and encourages a conversation across issues and movements seeking better understanding of the causes in this moment of resurgent identity-based nationalisms. Read the Commentary here.
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On Nov. 13, Rep. Jim McGovern (MA) hosted a "special order hour" during which he and nine colleagues gave impassioned speeches on the floor of the House about the need to stem the rising danger of nuclear war. Speakers highlighted escalating nuclear threats and advocated for bold solutions like 
In 2024, the 
"The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement."
On the day after Election Day, the presiding judge in the 9/11 military commission case ayGuantánamo ruled that plea agreements (pretrial agreements or PTAs) with three of the defendants, including "KSM", 
Right now, we need new approaches to organizing, approaches that allow us to work across the issue siloes to build broader, more powerful movements first to protect basic rights and democracy, and then to make the deeper changes needed to create a more fair, peaceful, and ecologically sustainable society. UFPJ brings together groups large and small across the country with a variety of focuses, from nuclear disarmament, to stopping the current wars, to human rights, to economic justice.
The Golden Rule, a project of 
As Tom Nichols, professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, wrote in the aftermath of the Presidential election, "Democracy is Not Over... We have work to do." What are the implications of a second Trump regime for immigrants, for the world disorder and the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and for our economy? On Nov. 20, the 
Rejoicing in the return of a key ally to the U.S. Presidency, Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu, quoted in 
On November 21, the 
With Trump's election, 
This new