Statement from United For Peace and Justice on the Election of Barack Obama

November 7, 2008

What a moment! On November 4th, the voters of this country came out in massive numbers to cast their votes for change. The election of Barack Obama was the greatest repudiation of the Bush administration's policies we have seen in these long years of struggle, and what a relief it was.

The election of the first Black person as president of the United States made Nov. 4th one of the most important days in this nation's history. The election of Obama does not undo centuries of slavery, Jim Crow, discrimination and racial violence. But what it does mean is that the struggle for racial justice and equality has been taken to a new level, and so too are the struggles for social and economic justice for all peoples.

There is another piece of what happened in this election that gives us reason to be hopeful. The election of Barack Obama was, in large part, the result of one of the best community-based organizing drives - in combination with a new sophistication in the use of internet technologies - that this country has ever seen. The McCain campaign sought to belittle Obama's community organizing experience. How wrong they were!

Just as the president-elect has already moved into the next phase of his work, we in the peace and justice movement must take stock of what has happened, evaluate the new political landscape, and plan for the future. Our mission remains to end the war and occupation of Iraq and prevent new wars: now we have to develop a strategy for achieving that goal in this new context.

For more than six years, United For Peace and Justice and the antiwar movement have stood firm in our opposition to the war in Iraq. Our consistent work played a major role in turning public sentiment against the war, and that sentiment helped lay the foundation for the Obama campaign's success.

Today, our country and the world are at a crossroads. The nation is in the grips of a major economic crisis, while we are engaged in two wars: in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Millions of people want positive, progressive change in domestic policies and foreign affairs. And very importantly, millions of people have been energized and engaged during this electoral season.

We need to build on this as we plan for the future. Our message of peace and justice can help transform the nation. We must find a way to tap into the energy the elections have unleashed. We need to help people see how ending the war in Iraq is directly tied to resolving the economic crisis.

We have organized in opposition to a foreign policy based on endless war and occupation and now it is our role to articulate a path towards a fundamental change in U.S. foreign policy based on peace, respect for national sovereignty and international law.

In his speech on Tuesday night, Barack Obama said, "This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change." Obama has put forth the challenge and United For Peace and Justice is ready to meet that challenge as we work to change our nation's path from militarism and greed to peace and justice.