In a little more than 4 months, the nation will choose a new president.

In that same amount of time, at least $40 billion will be spent on the war and occupation in Iraq. More U.S. servicepeople and many more Iraqis will die, while countless others are wounded. And in these coming months, we will probably hear less and less about what's happening in Iraq, as mainstream U.S. media outlets pull back on their coverage.

During the next few months, United for Peace and Justice will be hard at work making sure the voices and demands of the peace and justice movement are heard throughout the election season and beyond. The outcome of the election is quite important and could alter the political landscape, but we also know that we will have a lot of work to do to reorient this country toward more peaceful and just priorities. The work we do now is laying the groundwork for the future, as well as relating to the dynamics of the elections themselves.

This past weekend organizers from 12 states gathered outside Chicago for a powerful training led by UFPJ's Voter Engagement Working Group. People came from places UFPJ has selected for intensive organizing efforts throughout the next 4 months. These are areas where there are competitive congressional races, for either House or Senate seats, and where we believe the anti-war movement can be a significant player -- if we are well organized. The folks who participated in the training got lots of new ideas and skills, and are now going back home to train others, thus multiplying the impact of the weekend.

We are developing new resources and tools for organizers in the targeted districts, and for activists to use throughout the country: Voter guides and score cards; guides for candidate bird-dogging; tips for doing effective local media work and for strengthening the capacity of local groups; as well as resources like lawn signs and window posters to keep the anti-war message visible across the country.

We're very excited by our plan of work, and by the high level of interest and engagement we are getting from local groups around the nation.

Just about everything is in place. We have a solid team of trained organizers, a plan of work for the next four months, the nation's largest network of anti-war groups and organizations, and a body of organizing experience to build on. The one critical element we still need is the financial resources to fully carry out this initiative.

Please click here now to make a donation online, or to find information on other ways to donate. No contribution is too small; no contribution is too large. Every dollar you send will immediately be put to good use.

And please be sure to check the UFPJ website for updates related to the work of our Voter Engagement Project, and other important information in the coming days.

Thanks for your support.

Peace,

Leslie Cagan